Land Based Shark rods, reels and Tackle.

[Shark Hunter]

Ok Guys,
Let the debate begin. I prefer to use rods under 6' for big fish from shore. I also like rollers. Under pressure, This is a tug of War and you can feel every headshake, and tell quickly if he is making a run toward me. I know some guys like the New avets and two speed variety of Big reels.
I'm sticking with the Monster tackle, Penn 12/0 and 14/0 on a 5'6" rod spooled entirely of 130 lb test Mono, with a 25' 400 lb shock leader. If I can't winch him in with the 14/0. He can't be caught by Me.
I think this is an old school mentality, in a good way!
Call me crazy, call me Old School! This is how I roll!

[wallacewt]

i have never fished  intentionally for sharks,but if i did i would use any red fish for bait.snapper,coral trout red emperor.etc;everytime i hook a top quality fish,thats the one the bloody noah,s grab. cheers

[saltydog]

Ok now I agree on the tackle Shark hunter because I have fished for them from the beach for 30 years and a 12/0 to a 16/0 is the way to go to get those monsters, BUT and here is the but. With todays tackle you don't need those giant reels to catch really large animals.I also prefer rods at around 6' or less for standup fishing.

My favorite standup shark rod and reel for beach fishing is a 113H standard width accurate frame, ss Accurate 4:1 gears, ss double dogs, ss yoke, wire line spool and a 7+1 dragstack spooled with 900 yards of 80# spectra and a 100 yard 80# topshot matched up to a 5'6 80# standup rod. I get up to 31# of drag but hardly ever go over 25#.

This year while offshore I got two nice fish to the boat but had to cut them loose without pics because of weather.Both were around 9' Silky sharks and we didn't want to hurt them.

[floating doc]

Interesting topic. I've been thinking a lot about this.  I live twenty miles from the ocean.

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

I would go with 2 speed tiagras and makairas if I had a choice, rollers are ok but a lot of maintenance. I have 850-900yds of line on my 9/0, it will take 90% of fish.

[Jeri]

Hi All,

As said previously, we have to cast our baits and that brings a whole different perspective to the game of land based sharks.

Next month I'm representing Namibia in an international event against South Africa – 3 days for fishing on 3 different stretches of beach. The majority of fishing will be for shark species as they generally weigh more than edible species, so my tackle choices are as follows:

10-30kg sharks: will be fished for with a 30lb rated 13-6 rod and a Shimano Trinidad 30 loaded with 30lb line and 60lb leader, so I can cast distances from the beach and go wading where the beach is shallow.

50-150kg sharks: will be with a 50lb rated 12' rod, combined with a Finnor 30 or modified Shimano TLD 20 – loaded out with 40lb line. The rod works a little on the 'stand-up' principle with a softer tip that allows casting, but folds over to follow the line once bigger pressure is put on, reduces the effective length to about 10' of pulling power. All finished off with a 125lb wind-on leader.

Won't be using the Shimano TLD for wading, as the drag get really cranky when it gets wet, but it really has good cranking power with the lower ratio. Otherwise all the reels are 6:1 retrieve.

I notice from the picture that you are fishing in some seriously shallow water, show that to an angler from southern Africa, and they would start wading immediately.


Cheers from sunny Africa

Jeri

[Shark Hunter]

Jeri,
That water is shallow to about 50 yards, then it drops off dramatically. That is where I drop my baits. About 10 foot past the drop off. Its at least 25 feet there. That's where the sharks are cruising. I would go further out, but then you have to deal with boat traffic. The Sharks in the panhandle of Florida are not far from the beach.
Good Luck on your tournament. I expect pictures buddy! Be safe!

[redsetta]

If I can't winch him in with the 14/0. He can't be caught by Me.

Nice call mate - I like your style
All the best, Justin

[Shark Hunter]

Salty Dog,
I hear you brother on the 113, but the spectra is not going to cut it in the sand. You said you had to release them from the boat. Where I catch my sharks, there are rocks galore and the spectra will be cut immediately. If the rocks don't get the braid, the shells or another curious shark will cut you off like nobody's business. I am done with the braid unless I'm fishing from a boat or the pier.
I know this from past experience. I know there is no other way to make the 113 lethal other than braid. I'm still working on this, because I have the Tank.

[saltydog]

I have been fishing the sand for the last 15 years with spectra, now you have to fish differently but it still works. I don't put my line out in places further than my topshot. I always fish just over the first bar and never further unless I am set up for it. I find you don't have to do those 300 to 500 yard drops anywhere unless you just want to.
90% of the time it is the short rods that get the most strikes because that is where the bait is, you have to use a little surfcraft. The fish are where the bait is. Now when we fish we also have rods set up for longer drops but most of the time, 90% of the hits come inside the first bar in 5 to 7' of water or just over the first bar in 5' to 10 ' water,less than 100 yards from shore so the only thing in the water till the time of hookup is the mono.

[otownjoe]

I like 8ft rods with my Newells.with the 8ft rods I can cast out a bait from the beach. I've found most of the sharks I hook into from the beach or pier are on the smaller side anyway.I use my Newell 550 &631 with 100 yard top shots and braid backing.ring guides or stainless foulproof depending on whether or not the rod doubles as a pier rod.my favorite bait is a filet from a jack crevell.with the filet I found I get bit faster and have a better hook up ratio.

[Jeri]

Hi All,

Shark Hunter:  Would love to say that we will get pictures, but as we have a manager and a reserve chasing up and down the beach looking after 6 anglers in our team, they might just be a little too busy moving us around or tearing off in the 4x4 to get our fish weighed. As well as the fact that I am in the 'masters' team, which means that we are all over 50 years old, we have to pace ourselves. One of the one day league events in the first area we are going to be fishing – there were over 7 ½ tonnes of combined fish and sharks in an 8 hour fishing event – admittedly that was a special day, but it can get busy – there were 250 anglers competing that day – I only came 22nd, with 116 kgs, and I didn't fish for the big sharks!!!

The first day is probably going to be a huge zone – loads of deep water and reefy areas, then the second day will be in the shallow zone to the south, where there will be lots of wading out – up to 500 yards off the beach. Last day will be the hardest, a mixed area where it really will be luck of the draw. Thankfully, all the days we have an out going tide in the morning, which I like, I find that the water takes the scent of the baits out further – so more chance of a shark swimming across your trail. The need then is to consistently cast to the same spot to maintain the scent trail as we replenish baits quite often.

We use nearly all our reels with a base loading of 300 metres of braid, and then a top shot of about 300 metres of nylon, which generally is enough to cope with most of our sharks, rarely have any problems with the braid cutting off, as once the shark is 300 metres out – the line is so high in the water, the braid is nowhere near the rocks or sand. It gives us extra capacity on the slightly smaller reels that we use, as we are casting.

Top shotting also allows you to readily replace worn nylon, as most spools we use are 600 metres, so you nearly always have ½ a spool lying around. It means that you are nearly always fishing with fresh line, so it is a lot more reliable – we have a lot of issues with 'UV burn' degrading our nylon – this is just another way to get around the problem.

Cheers from sunny Africa

Jeri

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

Braided backing is the superior method, mono is ok but when you have to replace

[Dynamo]

Ooh, tricky topic. Both are VERY different reels, but I'll try to put in my two cents.

Avets, Makairas, Tiagras, etcetera.
               Pros: solid frame, smooth drag and plenty of it, robust parts, smoother, and they're flashy!
               Cons: too many parts, tight tolerances mean not as reliable in sandy environments such as beaches, and also price.

Senators!!
               Pros: Simple construction, very reliable and easy to handle, cheap, and they're old school
               Cons: frame is relatively unstable, drag washers are small and easily overheat, and they are not as pretty.
               
Conclusion: simply because of the price difference, I would have to say Senator right now. If you think about it, my 12/0 cost me $243 shipped, versus Avet equivalent 80w at $750.  Would the Avet be worth three 12/0's? Perhaps, but I could barely afford the one reel. Sure the Avets are reliable, but some people have to accept that they simply will not handle the same conditions a Senator could. Also consider the 14'2 Hammer caught by a shark club member last year. The fish was bought on a 12/0. I'm not paying three times as much for a reel which can not handle the same conditions as the alternative. Believe me, however, the Avets can handle "Jiants", but will require heavy maintenance. Got some sand on the Senator? No problem! Uh oh, I'm rambling.

[Dynamo]

Braid vs mono? Depends where you're fishing. If you fish on a plain sandy beach such as a North Carolina beach, then fish straight braid on a 30w, no worries. But fishing at Long Key Bridge, for instance, with that same setup, will give you heartbreak and lose you a prize fish, cause if that line touches ANYTHING, like the telephone poles, pilings, coral, barnacles, or almost any marine growth, then kiss that fish goodbye.......Thats why many fish 14/0s with straight 200 lb test mono, cause they have to.