# Pier/surf shocker lengths ..



## aln (May 29, 2006)

You guys use longer shock leader when drum fishing from the pier to account for the pilings and stress on the running line when dragging one to the net ?


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

aln said:


> You guys use longer shock leader when drum fishing from the pier to account for the pilings and stress on the running line when dragging one to the net ?


Enough so that when you are on rail with the rod pointed straight down at the fish the shock knot is on the reel.

25' or so for me.


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

Garboman said:


> Enough so that when you are on rail with the rod pointed straight down at the fish the shock knot is on the reel.
> 
> 25' or so for me.


That sounds about right , A tip from DaBid2na got me using tapered shock leaders you can find them on eBay from England not cheap but worth it.


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## aln (May 29, 2006)

OK .. thanks guys. I also talked to Mark @ Rodanthe Pier and he said the same thing. And since that's where I hope to fish this November then I guess I'll go ahead and add a little extra shocker to one of my reels and use that one over the rail. Thanks again for the thoughts.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

Wellllll Longcaster got me on tapered leaders although expensive they cast wonderfully.. three or four turn nail to nail and that's the only knot ya got. I use them intermittently ... mostly on the pier

Doing the same thing as everyone else; once my shock knots get down to my reel I do four handle revolutions and clip my leader at my first guide......About the distance from the pier to the water.

Everyone is different and conditions are different the extra long heavy leader does have more resistance in wind and current. Some guys only want a couple wraps around the spool on the beach.


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

I am one of those who is slightly different, from the surf anyhow. I'm always checking the terminal end for frays/nicks and retying so I like my shock leader twice the length of the rod and 8-10 wraps on the reel.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Never been around anyone using a tapered shock leader, been around Longcaster but he never mentioned them, perhaps they are a secret to prevent line drag in a current.

Which could cause the premise of using a slightly lighter sinker than the competitors and get a bit more distance. My question pound test are they and what pound test are they tapered to? Otherwise my question would be why are they worth it?

My experience is that 60 pound test usually breaks at the ends but if it is chafed it can break in the middle. And when you break it off on the cast it can get quite exciting especially on Avon. I only use 60 pound Berkley Big Game or 60 Pound Sufix, any thing below 60 pound is too dangerous on my reels for bystanders.

Shock leaders-line-terminal rigs-hooks life expectancy is usually not too long especially if Sharks are afoot. I have gone thru nights and days when every single cast came in empty of rigs and having to retie Shock for the line fray from Big Sharks and some of the rigs only last seconds.


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## The Joker (Mar 24, 2015)

I won't call names. But last fall a person almost destroyed Zing Pow's 1306 that was in the south corner of Avon when his shock leader broke and the 4 sided 8 oz sinker left an imprint in the corner post the rod was propped against. The rod had high speed blood splatter on it from the fresh cobb head that was being launched from the planks. It couldn't have missed his rod by more than 1/2 inch.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

I use 50 for my leader. Would yall say thats not enough? Have thrown 6-8 with bait and it seemed to do just fine. Though im sure i dont put as much power into it as others up here. Can only cast 130 yards when practicing on a football field. If i can routinely reach 150 would i need to worry about the 50lb leader?


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Mumbo_Pungo said:


> I use 50 for my leader. Would yall say thats not enough? Have thrown 6-8 with bait and it seemed to do just fine. Though im sure i dont put as much power into it as others up here. Can only cast 130 yards when practicing on a football field. If i can routinely reach 150 would i need to worry about the 50lb leader?


The only people who need to worry about too light a shock are the people that get hit, or if the caster breaks someone else's rod like the Joker mentioned. Some people know everything and do not take advice, some learned from people who do not know a lot and some learned from world class casters.

After I switched to 60 lb. and started using the cannonball "Mike Hayes" rig my break offs seemed to be less frequent. There are enough things to cause you to have to re rig or switch rods when you could have a bait in the water and someone else bows up to the Drum that could have been on your rig if it was not on the pier or at the truck.

My oldest OBX DrumPro friend has permanent hearing damage from a breakoff on the cast and the rod swinging over and hitting him on the head. The caster was/is one of the greatest Drum Fishermen to ever set out on the sand or wood. I know that caster uses 60 pound and I know that things break when under strain eventually.

If you are trying to cream it every time a higher safety margin in all aspects of your gear/technique. If people just want to lob it then 50 is fine.

Lines stretch, lines are affected by nicks from sharks and bottom obstacles and UV rays and I never want to be the guy who hurt someone else because of my gear selection trying to go light when I should have gone for a higher margin of safety.

Every Day my friend who got hit that has to deal with his loss of hearing in the ear that got hit. The day he was hit he caught 14 Drum on Rodanthe Pier and passed me by three fish to end up in second place in the MAN Tournament, I came in third which was pretty good for three weeks fishing only in the fall.

Since I know all the DrumPro OBX fishermen and they know me I have to take care not to cause an issue, I run into enough problems just showing up.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

I get far enough into the yuengling during heaving season that I retie every 2-4 cast, I use 50 or 60, depending on whichever comes up first in my box. There's also 6ft of 130 on the end for my cannonball.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

I used 50lb just because i figured it was enough, not to try and get a little extra distance. I throw a cannonball and have 5-6ft of 100lb on the end of the 50lb. Might think about switching over to 60lb on the leader now though.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Mumbo_Pungo said:


> I used 50lb just because i figured it was enough, not to try and get a little extra distance. I throw a cannonball and have 5-6ft of 100lb on the end of the 50lb. Might think about switching over to 60lb on the leader now though.


People use 40-50 because it ties easier and smaller knots mostly. It is enough for most people, most people do not take the time to develop what it takes to really put a bait out there.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

Garboman said:


> People use 40-50 because it ties easier and smaller knots mostly. It is enough for most people, most people do not take the time to develop what it takes to really put a bait out there.


Thats why i was wondering if 130-150 yards on land with just a 6-8 oz sinker is considered "enough". Or am i not casting far enough to worry about it?


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Mumbo_Pungo said:


> Thats why i was wondering if 130-150 yards on land with just a 6-8 oz sinker is considered "enough". Or am i not casting far enough to worry about it?


Just get a 1/4 spool of 60# Berkley Big Game and then you have less to worry about. Without seeing anyone cast I can not really offer realistic advice.

$8 or so at the Kitty Hawk Walmart.

I use the San Juan knot to a spider hitch.

Things should start kicking off in the next couple of weeks on the Southern OBX beaches.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

I use a bimini to a no name to a triple surgeon. probably will pick up a spool of 60.


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