# Pawleys Island Surf Report / Advice???



## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Fished the surf today for a couple of hours on high / low rigs with shrimp. Caught one decent blue (maybe 10 inches), and a very odd looking fish that resembled a blowfish.

We got into a lot of seaweed... presume that is blowing into the surf based on the wind direction, would not think there are weedbeds out in front of the beach there, but maybe.

Used the blue head on a larger hook and did hook into something large that went straight out to sea and snapped off.

On my setup, looking for any guidance - I have a Penn 560 Live Liner on a BassPro Ocean Master 12' spinning rod, which I really like, running 50 lb braid to a 100 lb mono leader, to wire leader and hook / weight. Somehow I think it is not enough either capacity or line strength as I have broken off like 12 times in similar circumstances in the past year or so... should I be running heavier line so I can try to turn these fish? Are these fish just too big to turn? Should I consider the 760 so I can get a lot more line capacity?

I am not versed in using Convential reels, and do not have the patience right now to learn with my kids running around fishing with me!

Any other general advice for this time of year in this area would be appreciated - we enjoy catching blues in the surf / pier, mackeral, pomps, etc. and eat the smaller stuff. We may hit a pier or two, maybe go to Huntington Beach Park for a day... my kids love to fish so that is almost all we will do this week!

Thanks in advance!
Scott


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## oden (Jan 23, 2012)

Where are you breaking off? That is pretty decent line strength. Don't know what kind of drag you have on that Penn 560 but it really shouldn't be snapping off 50# braid or 100# mono. Maybe it's one of your knots or swivels or wire leader. What is the rating on those parts? Also what knots are you using to tie them all together? Just trying to get a feel for your setup. You can have one thing off that is messing up the whole show. 

I would defiantly say that if you were wanting to fight fish using that size line I would get a much larger reel.

I would try the inlet if you are going back to Pawleys. Right on the right as you walk out on the beach. If everything is right I have caught a number of flounder black drum even sting rays in the inlet right there. Also the spring is a good time to catch some reds down at the point at Pawleys. All the way down where the mouth of the inlet opens out to the ocean. Don't know if they are biting right now but I have caught quite a few out there. 

Good luck to you. If you have any more questions just let us know. I'm sure someone on here can answer you. I grew up in that area and still make it down there at least once a month.


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for the quick reply. All the hardware is rated well above 100 lbs. It is breaking in the braid, not at the knot, not in the 100lb leader. However, that is all I know... it is breaking off way out... I reel in lots of line after the break.

Thanks for the advice on Paweley's, will try that this week.

Scott


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## alwayscovered (Mar 28, 2012)

I had the same problem when I first started Shark Fishing. I was using 80# Braid so my reels would hold more line. My son read an article about how Mono line will actually roll across the shark's skin and didn't fray on sand bars. We had to buy 6/0 reels so they would hold enough 80# mono line and a kayak to get our baits out. Good luck !


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Good point on the breakoff on the shark - learned that lesson last year and went from 60 lb mono leader to 100 lb mono leader for about 12 feet as last year it was clearly abrassion that rubbed the line raw and broke in the leader on a shark probably 6' long...

Did not think about the sand bar factor though... not sure I can get into a reel that would hold that much mono though! I may go to 80 lb braid and a larger reel if I can find one nearby.

Anybody know if Perry's of Garden City Bait and Tackle carry the penn live liners?


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

One small blue today and a bunch of small spots in brackish water. Cut bait did find us a nice weakfish in the surf, around 18 inches. That was it as the wind picked up and dragged the lines north up the beach quickly around sunset.


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Fished the surf again this evening, nothing at all for hours, then just as dark settled in, we landed one 13 inch pompano, a 12 inch whiting, and 2 blues over 12 inches each in the surf on high-low rigs with shrimp. Fun few minutes.


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## piscesman (Apr 18, 2009)

What kind of weight were you using and how far out in the surf?? Five more weeks until I can fish there. Need to gauge the water as to speak. Good to see you did well last time out..........
Kim:fishing:


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

In the surf I was using high low rigs with shrimp for bait, as well as some cut bait on larger rigs, but only caught one blue on that setup - many hits, presumably sharks from the teeth marks.

The sheepshead was caught in the subs, probably 20 yards out max. The others that we caught late evening were all much farther out, used a 4 ounce weight casting with medium 8' rods, so maybe 80 yards out or so? The turning tide (incoming) always seemed to help, but not sure if that was the tide, dusk, or coincidence. It was very calm the last two days we were there so dropped to 3 ounce weights so we could see the bite better, could have used 2 ounce and would have been fine, but did not have any with us.

Good luck!

Scott


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## JFord56 (Feb 5, 2008)

If sharks are what you target on the big rod- your leader length might well be the issue and not the braid main line. You can use 80-100# mono or wire but, it needs to be about 2'+ longer than the sharks you tend to catch to keep form getting rubbed off. 50# braid should be plenty on main line 'cause that reel has way less drag than that. Look at the line and you can see evidence if it was rubbed thru, and a shark will do that. If hvy mono does pop and not rub thru then go to some wire. You need at least 8' to be safe around here. If one rubs you off above that then you know you hooked a stud shark! It's going to mostly be sharpnose, bonnetheads, or maybe a sand or blacktip. You should be able to land a 4-6'er and maybe more with your 12' outfit. 

I took my son on a "just shark" trip once. Was at N Edisto. Big spinning reel and a 309 Penn and big bait. 25# on spinner - 30# on Penn. Started with 4' of 80# - nada rubbed off way above the knot. Then used 4' of 80# and a 4' double 25# in a spider hitch. Same results - Did 8' of 80# to the 4' spider. Then we got to see what he looked like. Was about 7-8' spinner. Was released still in the water - son wanted to stick him with a gaff. Not!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Another vote for your leader length.

If 50lb braid is popping off, it's due to abrasion, not tension. (or is happening at the knot)

Also, what type of connection are you using from the braided mainline to the mono leader? This connection can be troublesome, and if not proper, will slip. You can mark the braid an inch above the knot with a sharpie, and when you break off, if you get the mark back, you know it's the knot that's the problem. Alternatively, you can attach a rig to a pole or truck hitch, then pull until it breaks. Then you can just find the weak point.


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Good points, thanks for the reply.

I do run about 24" of wire leader to the hook, then about 10' to 12' of 100# mono to the braid.

Last year we hooked into a nice spinner (presume it was the way it jumped repeatedly, quite a show!), and it did severe the mono leader, you could see it was shreaded like it had been sanded in half over about 4' of the mono, that is why I upped to 100#, I think we had 60# mono on back then.

I now have a larger reel with 80#braid, 100# mono, plus the wire... we got lots of bites the last night at the beach but all snapped off the bait just away from the hook - clean teeth marks.

Next time... next time...


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## rabbitdog2 (Aug 20, 2011)

You caught a sheephead in the suds? Are you sure it wasn't a black drum?


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## Phaedrus (Mar 25, 2011)

Used braid down there for sharks and have been broken off many times. I took most of it off all of my sharking reels. My set up now is 20lb suffix titanium, 20 foot 200lb braid for a shock leader (you have to use gloves to leader the shark), barrel swivel, 6 foot 200lb mono, 275lb snap swivel for my weight, barrel swivel, 18 inches 275lb coated wire, various size hooks.

We landed 5 of 7 hooked in west palm with this set up. The 200lb shock leader was excellent!!! 

Hope the sharks are still down there in June!!!!


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

rabbitdog2 said:


> You caught a sheephead in the suds? Are you sure it wasn't a black drum?


Yes, I was surprised too and initially thought it was a black drum but checked my fish ID card on the beach and confirmed again on-line before cleaning it. It was delicious!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

I've seen them caught in the surf as well, but not very often.


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## morty mc moat (Dec 7, 2010)

Very easily coulda been a younger black drum because of the stripes, but who cares id take either fish any day nice catch!


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## BubbaHoTep (May 26, 2008)

Juvies can be difficult to distinguish, but the teeth are always the "tiebreaker."


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## ssstw1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Hard to mistake the teeth of a sheepshead for those of a black drum... it was definately not a black drum unless it stole the dentures from a sheepshead.


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