# Shark fishing in May ??



## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

I've been surf fishing for a while and now I'm ready to try shark fishing from the beach. I'm a little stumped on what gear I need to purchase. I would like to stay fairly cheap since it will only be used a couple times a year (But I don't want to watch my rig break on the first hook up). I was looking at the Penn 113H2 that Dick's has but I'm not sure. And I'm not sure what type or size of rod to get. I guess I'm looking for the minimum that will work. Any help will be appreciated.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Are you going to be paddling baits out with a yak or just casting or using the tide to get the bait out. For the most part a Penn 113H will handle the more common blacktips, spinners and other more typical sharks in the 3-5ft range but if you hook a big sandbar, hammerhead, etc....you may need a little more line capacity. If you are just casting out, then the 113H should be fine but if you are paddling baits out and have a better shot at something bigger, you'd be wise to gear up to something like a 114HLW or similar reel. They don't really cost that much more and are less limited.


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## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

I was planning on paddling out. I didn't think that type of reel would cast real far..?.. I'm aiming more toward the 3-5' black tips you mentioned but who knows what will hit the bait. 

Where should the bait be placed for my target fish? Would it be better for me to wade and cast?


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

A 4/0 penn casts surprisingly well with a little practice. I usually paddle the majority of my baits out but always have a heavy spinner or lighter conventional for a casted bait.

As far as bait placement, that can be a million dollar question. I usually put out 3 or 4 baits at different distances and let the sharks decide for me.


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

Bass2Pomps said:


> I've been surf fishing for a while and now I'm ready to try shark fishing from the beach. I'm a little stumped on what gear I need to purchase. I would like to stay fairly cheap since it will only be used a couple times a year (But I don't want to watch my rig break on the first hook up). I was looking at the Penn 113H2 that Dick's has but I'm not sure. And I'm not sure what type or size of rod to get. I guess I'm looking for the minimum that will work. Any help will be appreciated.


Depending on what your hanging into depends on what reel you need . generally a 9/0 for the beach or larger . The reason being is because you cant chase the shark like you can in a boat . black tips hammers bull's can all be landed on 4/0 and 6/0 reels . I have several penn 4/0 6/0 and 9/0 penn reels on 6.5 -7.5 ft rods . back fill with mono then top shot them with braid landing big sharks it really comes down to skill and line capacity . with braid your ok with 4/0 6/0 generally .How ever i have been spooled with them Yes i could have cut the line but my motto is simple let them eat . cheap rods and reel combo the captain choice surprisingly are well built @ 139 not to bad on the wallet have seen them cheaper .


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

113 with work fine BUT youd probably want to go with braided line which will put a dent in the budget, a 6/0 is a good bet if you use braid and top it off with mono. (some say put mono then top with braid, i like to go braid, then top with mono, when you get the line a bit tore up from running along sand or whatever else it might hit on the bottom, replacing the top 150 yards of mono is alot cheaper than braid, my 6/0 have about 600 yards of braid, then a couple hundred yards of mono on top, i make up for the stretch in it by running backwards like a mad man when i go to set the hook lol)

like mentioned, WHERE to put the bait is a tough thing to call, i dont put out 4 or 5 but i do like to put out two, one in the gut halfway out to the outer sandbar, one a little outside of the outer sandbar.

a rod anywhere from 5 to 7 would be perfect as long as its got alot of backbone, most of my more top shelf fishing gear is gone now, either sold or was one of the few things stolen over the years, so i almost feel like i have become an expert on what bottom shelf gear works well from only being able to afford the cheapest junk haha

i have actually come to really like shakespeares sturdy stiks, 30 bucks or so you can get a nice 6ft boat rod, toss on a 4/0 or 6/0 senator, throw about 500 yards of 50-65# braid and top it off with 65# mono, tie on a good leader(i use a couple feet of steel leader attached to at least 4 or 5 feet of weed eater line or really heavy mono, you could also just go with a 6-8ft steel leader too, thats a whole different thread and debate right there on the leaders though) and paddle that bait out there and wait for the fun to start.


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

captainblack said:


> 113 with work fine BUT youd probably want to go with braided line which will put a dent in the budget, a 6/0 is a good bet if you use braid and top it off with mono. (some say put mono then top with braid, i like to go braid, then top with mono, when you get the line a bit tore up from running along sand or whatever else it might hit on the bottom, replacing the top 150 yards of mono is alot cheaper than braid, my 6/0 have about 600 yards of braid, then a couple hundred yards of mono on top, i make up for the stretch in it by running backwards like a mad man when i go to set the hook lol)
> 
> like mentioned, WHERE to put the bait is a tough thing to call, i dont put out 4 or 5 but i do like to put out two, one in the gut halfway out to the outer sandbar, one a little outside of the outer sandbar.
> 
> ...


I have run the set up like you posted personally i dont like to set mine up that way personal choice . I have no clue if it better one way or the other . I top shot with braid then tie on to my braid usually with 10 ft of mono 50-130 lb test depending on which reel . i run a leader any were from 8-15 ft also depends on what reel recently went to 800 lb leader single strand personal choice .. I stopped playing around when i got broke off by a big something shark . Like the guy above i usually dont put out to many rods generally 2 unless me and my buddys are going most i have run at once was 8 rods there was about 12 of us that day . i usually run one out 50 -75 yards the other one i will run out around 250- 350 yrds all depends on were im at .


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## CCC (Sep 3, 2008)

I like a steel leader the length of the shark I plan on catching, their skin alone can cut line and with a 6 ft shark whipping its tail around the more steel leader the better.


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

CCC said:


> I like a steel leader the length of the shark I plan on catching, their skin alone can cut line and with a 6 ft shark whipping its tail around the more steel leader the better.



thats why i use the weed eater line for the wrap arounds and tail whips, the length of the leader however i agree with completely. really cant hurt THAT bad to have a longer leader than what you plan on catching i know a couple guys who use 3-5 feet of steel leader attached to 10-12 feet of weed eater line even if going after a 6ft shark just in case a 12ft beast happens across the bait


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

xtopdawg386x said:


> I have run the set up like you posted personally i dont like to set mine up that way personal choice . I have no clue if it better one way or the other . I top shot with braid then tie on to my braid usually with 10 ft of mono 50-130 lb test depending on which reel . i run a leader any were from 8-15 ft also depends on what reel recently went to 800 lb leader single strand personal choice .. I stopped playing around when i got broke off by a big something shark . Like the guy above i usually dont put out to many rods generally 2 unless me and my buddys are going most i have run at once was 8 rods there was about 12 of us that day . i usually run one out 50 -75 yards the other one i will run out around 250- 350 yrds all depends on were im at .


i tried the mono with braid topshot once, ran 300 yards on top of the mono, when i lost about 250 of that 300 yards to something on the bottom cutting it, i switched and havent went back... my budget cant take that abuse :no:, i back the reel with majority braid, then run a couple hundred yards mono on top, so the stretch that 200 yards has really has never caused me a problem cause i keep my hooks as sharp as possible, ive missed a few hookups from setting the hook while the shark was still holding the bait without the hook in its mouth and got back 1/3 of the bait but never missed one from too much stretch in the line. so on those grounds id rather only have to replace the mono topshot than the expensive braid when the top couple hundred yards gets sand/rock/whatever rubbed after a while. im sure someone would disagree with both of us and say to ONLY go braid, and im sure theres at least a few people in the world who refuse braid completely for some reason, to each his own :thumbsup:


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## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks guys. I've got my 4/0 Penn Senator ordered. I'm still looking for a good rod, but I think I know what I'm looking for now.

I guess my next question is rig and bait.....

I was planning on using a ladyfish for bait. I read somewhere to cut the head and tail off. Would this be a good choice? 

Also, how are ya'll hooking the bait? One hook? Multiple hooks? 

I know I want a long steel leader, so I'm assuming just one hook. What size hook? 

Do I use a weight? Or just the weight of the bait? 

Thanks...


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

anywhere from a 9/0 and up hook size will work but that depends what youre after, 10/0 or 11/0 should work fine for blacktips or bulls if youre after those.

one or two hooks is all preference really. i usually go by the size of bait, 8 inch chunk of bait ill use one hook, 15 inch and im going two for sure, one hooks about 5-7 inches behind the first. 

i like to either cut ladies in half if theyre larger and have two seperate baits, or leave it whole and put a few cuts in the sides to bleed from. from time to time i put a couple small cuts in the tail and leave them live.

as far as weight, i like to put enough weight to hold the bait down in place right above the leader, if there is a current running away from me in the right direction or the winds AND current are in the right direction ill use a balloon tied on the mainline. you could also do this to drift bait out in the pass for example. i dont like freelining (no weight ,just the bait) i only tried it shark fishing twice and both times just ended up with a tangled mess, could work great if fishing from a yak or boat but not the best idea from the beach in my opinion.... experiment a little, ive heard some say that fishing with the bait suspended from the balloon is better, also heard that fishing from the bottom with weight is better. ive had about the same luck with both so only many more years of fishing will really tell.

do a search of the forum, there is alot of this info and more in past threads you might find helpful. PM me whenever you go, maybe we can meet up somewhere.


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## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks for all the info.. 

I will be in Navarre from May14 thru May 21.. It would be awesome to meet up with someone who knows what they're doing..


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

captainblack said:


> anywhere from a 9/0 and up hook size will work but that depends what youre after, 10/0 or 11/0 should work fine for blacktips or bulls if youre after those.
> 
> one or two hooks is all preference really. i usually go by the size of bait, 8 inch chunk of bait ill use one hook, 15 inch and im going two for sure, one hooks about 5-7 inches behind the first.
> 
> ...


Best bait in my opinion and many others . sting ray ,Bonita , ribbon fish is all so good if you cant get a ray or Bonita . I usually just cut the tail off the ribbon fish and a few slices on each side of the fish . leader length i run 10 - 15 ft when fishing off the boat in the gulf . 5-10 ft from the beach . 90% of the time i run 8 oz egg sinker depends on current . Like capt. black i don't like free lining the bait from the beach or boat . I have floated the baits out with a balloon and once it gets out shoot it with a pellet rifle so it drops the bait . as far as using it as like a cork i never tried that but it might be worth trying .


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## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

I thouhgt of another question for you guys....

What type of knot do I need to use for tying the mono to the braid?

Also, what type of knot do I need to use at the swivel? 

These may seem like dumb questions, but I've never targeted something this aggressive. 

Thanks


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## Orangebeach28 (Jun 3, 2009)

Double uni


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

i usually run uni to uni for braid to mono (double uni) and then when attaching swivel ill do a uni, then after its snugged down tight against the swivel with basically do an overhand knot with the mainline AND trace together and pull them apart to fit that tight against the uni knot as an extra little bit of non slip measure, hopefully you can follow that because i really dont think i could make a pic or diagram to show you. you could also go with a couple other knots for mono to swivel, its one of those things that are debatable i think, youll probably hear at least one different answer to mine.

another little bit of info, make sure you wet the braid before pulling ANY knot with it.


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

captainblack said:


> i usually run uni to uni for braid to mono (double uni) and then when attaching swivel ill do a uni, then after its snugged down tight against the swivel with basically do an overhand knot with the mainline AND trace together and pull them apart to fit that tight against the uni knot as an extra little bit of non slip measure, hopefully you can follow that because i really dont think i could make a pic or diagram to show you. you could also go with a couple other knots for mono to swivel, its one of those things that are debatable i think, youll probably hear at least one different answer to mine.
> 
> another little bit of info, make sure you wet the braid before pulling ANY knot with it.


+1 for capt.black 

youtube.com i just looked for diagrams or video to help you out with your knots but there several good videos on the uni and double uni . tied with rope so its easier to see hope that helps . most of the time i run a uni on mono or braid mostly because its a really simple knot once learned and its strong .


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## Bass2Pomps (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks.. I found the videos and a diagram. I just happened to have some mono on my desk at work. So I've been trying new knots most of the day... The double uni is what I'll be using. Very simple and I trust ya'll know how strong it is.


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## marriemb (Jul 1, 2010)

For shark fishing proper gear is very important. As you have said , you will be using the gear only for couple of times in a year, in that case it is better to buy a fishing rod. But always choose a heavy action rod i.e 10 feet long or more than that


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

i dont know if i completely agree there about rod length, for casting yeah you want a long but sturdy rod, for shark fishing though in my opinion youll want a something shorter with lots of backbone, 6ft heavy action one piece rods with good strong double bridged guides. i dont know too many people who use heavy action surf rods for shark fishing unless they are casting with it.


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

I run a 10 ft surf rod on my open face penn 8000 pursuits with 50 lb braid holding around 550 yrds of line . I would not run any longer of a pole for shark fishing . My 4/0 6/0 and 9/0 reels have heavy action 6 -7.5 ft poles .


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