# Ready to buy new shark rod/reel for surf. My thoughts



## Hull-custom-guitars (May 4, 2012)

Well, I am finally ready to buy my shark rigs after a month of research. Want to be prepared to land the biggest shark possible. I am going to be fishing the beach at Okaloosa in destin. I will have three rigs, here they are.​​1. Kayak/balloon rig- 9 foot, one piece Heavy action, re-enforced guides. Custom built for me by j-miles custom rods. It’s amazing. It is outfitted with a penn 9/0 and 100-150 lbs power pro. Haven’t decided on what line weight I need. Also, I have absolutely NO WAY to get this rig out. I have no kayak and don’t understand the balloon concept. Sounds very “iffy” ​​2. I will have two identical casting rigs. Will be 10 to 12 foot ugly sticks with Heavy or maybe extra-heavy action. Decided on fin nor ofs95 or 9500 reel, with 80-150 pound power pro. Haven’t decided what weight line I need. Hopefully I can walk out 50 yards into the surf, and cast these another 50 yards past that? That’s my thinking. ​ 

Well, what you guys think? Did I do good? Or do I need to re-consider something? Any feedback is really appreciated. Aslo, should I go ahead and order ugly stick rigs/reels from bass pro. Or should I wait until I am in town, and spend a day shopping around? Would I save money that way? Also, where can I buy my shark leaders? I want at least 10 feet of 480 pound wire, that is attached to another 10 feet or more of 250 lbs mono. Where can I find these? I saw them on eBay for around $15 each, with a good 20/0 hook. That a good deal?

Thank you sooooooo much guys!!!! Happy fishing and God Bless!!!
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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

With a 12' surf rod you should easil. Be able to get more than 50 yards out of a cast. My surf setup involves a Penn 950ssm with a 12' Penn torque stick ( at least I think that's what it's called). I bought it last fall and it is my first foray into surf casting. I can routinely get mine out past 80 yards into a light wind. I've cast out past 100 yards with the wind at my back, but I can't tell you exactly by how much since I have 100 yards of 50lb braid on top of 30lb mono backing. 
As far as a balloon rig is concerned, it involves tying a decent sized balloon around 6-8 or so feet up your line and letting a NORTH wind blow your bait off of the beach.
Can't help you with shark rigs since its really not my thing. 
Good luck!
Will


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

On your bigger conventional setup, you need to remember that capacity is the most important thing. That being said, I spool my 9/0s with 80lb power pro. I get around 1400yds which is plenty for just about anything you will hook from the beach. Going heavier on your line size will not give any advantage since a 9/0 locked down will not produce more than about 25lbs of drag and by itself probably couldn't break 65lb. I usually add a 25ft wind on leader of 200-300lb mono to guard against skin rash. On your casting setup, your definitely on the right track. Spool a 9500 with 50-65lb braid and it will cast great and have plenty of line. Tie a 12ft piece of 60-80lb mono straight to the braid and you have a shock leader that will pass through the guides easily.


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## ablesbradley (Sep 24, 2009)

Sounds good, let me know when you plan on going, I have a Kayak for the surf, so can paddle bait out. I will tell you this, I have been shark fishing quite a bit lately paddling my bait out from the beach, about 5to 600 yards out in the deep blue water. I have a convector t55 750 yrds of 100lb power pro, and first had a 7 ft 240lb solid strand steel liter, with double 13 ot circle hooks and 10 inc chunk of banita for bait. Had to upgrade liter to 10ft then now currently 15 ft. Believe me there are some big and I mean really big sharks out there, I had no idea. But in a personal opinion Go with 150lb or 200lb braid, so you are less likely to get cut off by the other fish biting your line at night when the fospuris gets on your line looking like bait fish. Trust me I met the beast in the waters twice, but didnt stand a chance with my setup,


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## ablesbradley (Sep 24, 2009)

Oh and what the other guy said is right if you have to cast from the beach. Tie a 12 to 15 ft 100lb mono to the end of your braid, so that it will reel in the spool, then atatch a steel liter about 3 ft. should cast pretty good


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## Firedawg (Feb 28, 2008)

You can also throw your bait off of Ft Pickens pier on an out going tide with that 9/0 since you don't have a yak. The current will carry it far enough away from the pier, and the water is plenty deep for sharks.


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## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

I'd save your money on one casting rig and buy a cheap new or used sit on top kayak. There is no reason to do anything in the surf for sharks unless you kayak your baits out. Why go big with everything else and screw around with your baits? Walmart has cheap kayaks for 200 bucks or buy a used one. I'd kayak them out and keep them on the bottom with weight, that's how I do it. 

We don't have a straight north wind often, and even if we do the tide and current can't be strong or the balloon rig won't work. It'll just get blown right back in your face or down the beach.

Normally those casting rigs work well, but with a shark rig not soo much. Shark rigs are usually pretty heavy with bigger bait, steel leader, etc and very hard to cast anything worth throwing IMO. But really you don't have to cast far, if it is decently calm just walk to the first sand bar and cast a bait past the surf as far as you can. 

I am not trying to be negative, I just think you're putting all this effort into it you should just kayak your bait out. It really is not that hard and certainly worth it. 

I would personally start off with your 9/0 out 400+ yards, a 6/0 with braid out about 250 yds, and your casting rig just behind the surf. That would be a really solid setup IMO.


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## Hull-custom-guitars (May 4, 2012)

Well, I think I will be taking yalls advice. I will purchase a yak when I arrive down there, hopefully used for $100. 
It makes me nervous as hell to paddly 600 yards out in the middle of the night. Is'nt that really FN dangerous???


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

Naaaahhh, it's only 600 yards. What could possibly go wrong?!?


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## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

Hull-custom-guitars said:


> Well, I think I will be taking yalls advice. I will purchase a yak when I arrive down there, hopefully used for $100.
> It makes me nervous as hell to paddly 600 yards out in the middle of the night. Is'nt that really FN dangerous???


You don't need to go that far out (600 yards) your first couple trips. I have caught plenty of 5-6 ft sharks 200 yards from the beach. Make sure you wear a life vest at night, and if I paddle at night I tie a glowstick to it which I think the law is you have to have some sort of light at night anyway. I am not worried in the least about safety while kayaking, but that is a sure fire KISS way to stay safe at night. Try to paddle out your baits as soon as the beaches clear which is usually an hour or 2 before dark. Just paddle them out as far as you are comfortable, and you'll get more and more comfortable the more you do it.

Also, remember that when kayaking baits you have to have someone worth a dang on shore helping you. They have to control the reel and let you know when you are out far enough. Make sure it is someone you know can handle a reel, I have let too many idiots do it and having a birds nest at night is miserable. I'm not going to lie, at night when you are out 200 yards it feels like 1/2 mile, so I have someone on the beach with a flashlight who waves it when I have gone far enough. 

If you are comfortable you want to get one bait to the beach drop off, which is usually very noticeable on the kayak on a clear night. The water gets a lot more ripples, the waves get further apart, etc. In Destin that is only 3-400 yards ish. Really not that far, a lot of the places they talk about 600 yards is in Texas and other places where it doesn't drop off for a long ways. It drops off to 25-30 ft of water pretty quick around here.


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## Dragsmoker (Aug 15, 2011)

baldona523 said:


> You don't need to go that far out (600 yards) your first couple trips. I have caught plenty of 5-6 ft sharks 200 yards from the beach. Make sure you wear a life vest at night, and if I paddle at night I tie a glowstick to it which I think the law is you have to have some sort of light at night anyway. I am not worried in the least about safety while kayaking, but that is a sure fire KISS way to stay safe at night. Try to paddle out your baits as soon as the beaches clear which is usually an hour or 2 before dark. Just paddle them out as far as you are comfortable, and you'll get more and more comfortable the more you do it.
> 
> Also, remember that when kayaking baits you have to have someone worth a dang on shore helping you. They have to control the reel and let you know when you are out far enough. Make sure it is someone you know can handle a reel, I have let too many idiots do it and having a birds nest at night is miserable. I'm not going to lie, at night when you are out 200 yards it feels like 1/2 mile, so I have someone on the beach with a flashlight who waves it when I have gone far enough.
> 
> If you are comfortable you want to get one bait to the beach drop off, which is usually very noticeable on the kayak on a clear night. The water gets a lot more ripples, the waves get further apart, etc. In Destin that is only 3-400 yards ish. Really not that far, a lot of the places they talk about 600 yards is in Texas and other places where it doesn't drop off for a long ways. It drops off to 25-30 ft of water pretty quick around here.


That was a pretty good read:thumbup:


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