# Big shark gear



## The Shark Book (Sep 6, 2016)

I am still waiting to get my 9/0 parts and rod back from the powder coater and my rod builder, but while I'm sitting around I am already thinking about a stud hunting setup 

It will mostly be used on west coast Florida (Boca Grande to Sarasota, mostly Sarasota) from the beach and boat for big sharks (well, big baits that will hopefully catch big sharks) and goliath grouper. What I am thinking right now is:

Avet EX 80W
750 yards of #200 Jerry Brown hollow core
Topshot of #200 Izorline first string mono (calculated that it will fit 221 yards on top of the braid)
Custom Rainshadow rod (either a 60-100 blank or a 80-130 blank, solid glass)

Now, I won't be purchasing this setup until probably next season - but I would like to start and get a plan of what I'm getting. My main concerns with the setup are:

Will the braid be a problem where I am fishing? I am worried about crab pots for the most part, does anybody know of spots in Sarasota where the crab pots aren't bad?
I do not know whether the 60-100 blank will be enough, or I should go 80-130 - they are both solid glass blanks. I will be doing blank-through, less than 6' finished length, aluminum gimbal, aluminum reel seat, and that's about all I have decided so far. 
As far as guides - what would be the best guide setup on this rod? Rollers aren't great on the beach, but for goliaths on the boat they're pretty useful. Should I go full rollers, roller tip and rest turbos, straight turbos, something else?

Thanks and tight lines 
Drew


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

Out of fear of the wrath of the FF I will not post links to the stated sites I am going to send you to.

I am also looking to get more into LBSF (Land Based Shark Fishing). I do not have the cash to drop on a big Avet or Everol, but I have a nice castable spinning setup that I will be using for big baits thrown as far as possible into the surf. It is a 12' OM 8-12 spinning with a Fin-Nor Offshore 9500 spooled with 100# PP and 200# Topshot. I can get it out about 50yrds if I get a really good cast with it, so near channels are best for me. I have a couple rigs made up for casting with 10-14/ hooks

On FB check out Shark Fishing World Wide, East Coast Shark Fishing, Low County Land Based Shark fishing & east coast saltwater. There is a lot of good info there. Also on the SC/GA Forum Fatback has a good thread about castable leaders. 

I asked the question of Everol vs Avet a while back and over all it seems a Chevy vs Ford argument. If you are going for BIG drops, as with a reel like a 80W I would assume you are, I would suggest the heavier rod and a GOOD harness. Also rollers are not a must but in my LIMITED experience with LBSF I see a lot of guys with the big setups fishing them. I have gotten away from full custom rods because I do not fish enough to use them. A good off the rack is usually good enough for me. As for the line I think your 200# braid is overkill. 150# you will get a lot more line (800-1200yrds) and should still have room for a 300-400 mono top shot to keep the braid out of the water and sand. 

Really, get on the FB pages and you will see a lot of info there. 

Waiting for pics....


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

the main reason for a topshot is to keep your braid off the bar, if you yak a bait out 300 yards your braid will be dragging the bar when you hook a fish, keep your braid down so you can get 300 yards of mono topshot on it, braids main purpose in sharkfishing is capacity, it doesn't stretch but isn't very abrasive resistant. with 200 JBH I run 150 mono topshot, that way the mono is your weak link, replacing mono is cheaper than respooling with braid.
My 12/0 with all the upgrades I've done, makes 50# of drag, spooled with 600 yrds 200# JBH and 346 yds of high seas 150 quattro
js


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

I'd say get one of these or make one if you are shore bound.. These guys operated off Navarra Pier w coast of Fla.. One the day I saw them they caught a BIG sandbar as well as a small tiger.. The "main guy" had caught a HUGE MAKO AS WELL AS A HUGE TIGER.. They knew their chit about shark'n ,especially off a pier or off the beach..


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

the polk bros are serious big shark fishermen
js


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## The Shark Book (Sep 6, 2016)

Drumdum, is that the Orca? I remember seeing that on another site, crazy invention. I might make it at some point, but I fish from the beach, not piers - so seems like I have a good chance at losing it. 

As far as the mono, I plan on fishing as much mono as I need for a drop, plus a few yards. I feel like 221 yards is plenty enough, it will make a 200 yard drop no problem which will be just about as far as I need to, if not further. I have heard that 200 pound is FAR more abrasion-resistant than 130 pound line. Thanks spydermn, I will ask around on those sites to get some more answers. 

I definitely prefer a custom rod. Sure it will be a little bit more than an off-the-shelf model, but you get EXACTLY what you want in a rod. If you find a good friend who builds rods, it can be pretty cheap actually. Just check the pawn shops, find an old/damaged rod, strip the parts (except the reel seat) from it, get some guides, a gimbal, new grips, and some new paint, send it off and you can have yourself a custom rod for $150 or less - that's what I'm doing with my 40-80 rod for the 9/0 right now.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

The Shark Book said:


> Drumdum, is that the Orca? I remember seeing that on another site, crazy invention. I might make it at some point, but I fish from the beach, not piers - so seems like I have a good chance at losing it.
> 
> As far as the mono, I plan on fishing as much mono as I need for a drop, plus a few yards. I feel like 221 yards is plenty enough, it will make a 200 yard drop no problem which will be just about as far as I need to, if not further. I have heard that 200 pound is FAR more abrasion-resistant than 130 pound line. Thanks spydermn, I will ask around on those sites to get some more answers.
> 
> I definitely prefer a custom rod. Sure it will be a little bit more than an off-the-shelf model, but you get EXACTLY what you want in a rod. If you find a good friend who builds rods, it can be pretty cheap actually. Just check the pawn shops, find an old/damaged rod, strip the parts (except the reel seat) from it, get some guides, a gimbal, new grips, and some new paint, send it off and you can have yourself a custom rod for $150 or less - that's what I'm doing with my 40-80 rod for the 9/0 right now.


 The guy that owns it told me he beach fishes with it as well.. I asked him had he ever been to Ocock or Hatteras and given it a try.. He said he was going to make some modifications on it to take rougher surf and was looking forward to fishing Hatteras one day..


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

I saw that boat in action a couple of weeks ago when I checking out the piers along the Gulf. 
They are serious about their skarking , Very impressive to see


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

I had the idea of making something like this for dropping baits but the deployment system and making sure it was self righting if (when) it got tossed by a wave was the issue


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## matrix (Feb 18, 2011)

I don't claim to be an expert by any stretch but I have done a bit of sharking off both the beach and pier. I started out on Jeannette's pier back in the mid '80's as well as the beaches all the way down to Ocracoke. We caught some very nice fish off of Jeannette's, back in the day Jeannette's was home to some incredible LBSF, my biggest was a 587lb Dusky and I have witnessed some absolute giants caught off of that pier. Our biggest beach fish was an almost 500lb Tiger. Over the years I've seen a lot of changes in preferred tackle and methods. Back then it was all Dacron line on 12/0 or 16/0 on big 80 or 130 rods with no top shot.....and it worked well.

I've seen 9/0's smoked on a few occasions and I personally had a 12/0 stripped down to within 100 yds of empty before the hook finally pulled but that is/was a rarity on the Carolina beaches.

The Avets and Evorls certainly have there place in LBSF without a doubt but I still like my Senators, especially with the upgrades available, If it were me I'd go with the Bar Bar 6'8" 50-130 with a 12/0 loaded with 200 JB Hollow core and 150 top shot. This setup will put pretty much any fish you encounter on the beach.

Spydermn and JS make some good points on tackle and info, I'll throw in some more sites to check out on the web.....TX-sharkfishing and South Florida Shark club as well as Sharks on the sand are home to some great info as well.


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

I forgot to say TX. that is a great forum also


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Just to double what js said, I would run 130 JB hollow, with maybe 100 mono on top for capacity. You have to think about how much mono you want in relation to the drops. If you drop 300 yards max, pack on like 350 to 400. You want the braid as your fighting line, and mono in the water soaking.
The 80w puts out ~50 lbs of drag IIRC, so 200 JB hollow is way overkill. Match the line to the drag. And 50 lbs of drag is nuts to try and hold. 
Other than that, looks good. Rollers aren't needed, but a stripper and top might be worth it. For most fish rollers aren't needed. Maybe it will help with a hammer, but you have to keep them clean.
As for blanks, idk. I would spend the money on a top notch harness and beer/food for friends to get the fish back into the water quickly.
Oh, and don't take those open mouth money shots of the fish. Makes us all look bad and it can damage the ampullae of lorenzini, which they use to find prey.
Good luck and tight lines!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Jollymon said:


> I saw that boat in action a couple of weeks ago when I checking out the piers along the Gulf.
> They are serious about their skarking , Very impressive to see
> View attachment 31905


 Yes,and as you see in the pic,THAT THING THOWS A WAKE!! I was VERY IMPRESSED. For someone who used to swing baits off the side of Frisco Pier in Hatteras back in the 70's this a giant step in technology for sharking.. Once he gets that thing to where he is comfortable with it in Hatteras surf it should be a big go for anywhere you want to shark.. Or "allowed to" shark...


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## The Shark Book (Sep 6, 2016)

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I haven't heard a response from the Facebook group (I requested to join Low Country Land Based Sharking), and as far as other forums I am a member of South Florida Shark Club but their forum is very inactive. I have this same thread posted on there actually from a few days ago, no replies. I can't even find the register button for Sharks on the Sand or Texas Shark Fishing - but they're pretty inactive too. 

There are a few arguments that I prefer not to get into about shark fishing, first is the amount of drag somebody can use and second is Senator vs lever-drag. I have definitely picked a side in both of those arguments, but those arguments always go south quickly so I don't like getting into them. Let's just say I prefer lever drags and yes, you can handle heavy drag from shore with the right technique, and occasionally with the right accessories. 

Pretty much definitely going with the 80-130 blank, no reason not to go with the extra toughness. I'm looking around at people with these blanks to see how well they bend - I like a nice bend in the rod for the camera 
As far as keeping sharks safe - it's my number one priority. I haven't even hooked into anything big enough to do a "head lifting" photo yet but when I do it will be photos of the shark in shallow water, perhaps with the entire head lifted, not just the upper jaw. Basically, I am not taking any risks with a shark's life for a good picture. I am a science-oriented guy, I have been focused on the last year or so about how sharks have trouble being released (eg big hammerheads that die after being caught). It's because anglers just throw them back after they're done with them - the proper way to release a big shark (or any shark really, but hammers are particularly prone to it) would be to help stretch out its muscles, to remove the lactic acid. Once that shark is ready to go you will know it lol. 

I don't know if I could risk that boat, seems way too easy to lose and I don't see how it would be used from the surf. Although since one of the Polk brothers made it... it's definitely a great idea! I need to get in contact with them.

So I still need to decide on guides (at least a roller tip, not sure about anything else) and mono capacities. I am either going to go 150 or 200 pound mono, and still sticking with the 200 pound braid. 
The Avet 80w can put out about 60 pounds of drag. The T-REX (which I don't think I am going to get) can put out well over 100.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Personally I would run 600 yds 130 JB to 150 jinkai. I don't fish big gear as much as I used to, have gone to doing casted gear trying to break 8ft for the most part. My main fishing partner has a duel, accurate 130, Everol 18/0 and 20/0. Personally my favorite is the duel, not a huge Everol fan. Personally I would go 130 class rod, and a good bucket harness with a loose nut or barret plate


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## The Shark Book (Sep 6, 2016)

Wow, those four reels add up to at least $8,000. My theory is that if you want bigger than an 80W, why go to a 130 - just skip up to the 18/0 or 20/0 series, because if you can't bring him in on the 80W I seriously doubt it's happening on the 130. The only reason I myself would purchase one is if I wanted heavier topshot - say a longer topshot of 200 pound mono, or if I wanted 250 instead of 200. An 18/0 or 20/0 gives you far more line capacity, but you are spending around $2,000 on a reel, I personally don't think it's worth it but to each his own. 

I agree, light tackle sharks are far more fun. I am going to try and get out next week with my Ambassadeur and cast at some smaller blacktips, hopefully I can have a little bit of fun with them. When I convert my setups over to conventionals, I will probably run a set of two Avet LX's on 10' 6-12 ounce rods. 60 pound Jerry Brown and some 40 pound mono and I should be set for anything 8 feet and under. 8 feet and over will be if I get ahold of a big bait and will be taken out on the 80W. Very small sharks will likely be brought in on an MXL which will also be used for bull reds and the like. 

I still need to decide between 150 and 200 pound mono. I am also not sure now about 130 or 200 pound braid. I'll be asking the Polks when I find some contact info for them. NC KingFisher, what does your buddy with the big reels spool up with?

As far as the harness, I am planning on a nice solid bucket harness and a big plate.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

200lb jb to 200lb LP, the 20/0 has some 250 LP. I would highly recommend finding a tackle shop or some where to spool, and make sure it's tight. We spent about 6 hours end of January swapping line from one 18/0 to another. And that was with my homemade line spooler


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

if your going to do a hollow core splice, 130 mono is about as big as will fit into 130 jb hollow. you can contact the polks through the south fl. shark club I'm pretty sure.
JS


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

There is a guy on World Wide Shark fishing selling a loaded Avet 80W loaded with 130# JB and 400yd 200#mono 675 shipped in US


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

There is also a good deal on a loaded 80w at cabbage key tackle, speak to Eddy. Good guy


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

The Shark Book said:


> Thanks to everyone for the replies. I haven't heard a response from the Facebook group (I requested to join Low Country Land Based Sharking), and as far as other forums I am a member of South Florida Shark Club but their forum is very inactive. I have this same thread posted on there actually from a few days ago, no replies. I can't even find the register button for Sharks on the Sand or Texas Shark Fishing - but they're pretty inactive too.


SOS is easy to sign up for, and if you ask a question there will be replies, also at the bottom of the forum you can find links to a tutorials page that has alot of info on, troy who owns the forum is an avid shark fisherman as are his wife and daughters, lots of experience there on that forum.
js


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## mdsurffishing (Dec 31, 2013)

The Shark Book said:


> Thanks to everyone for the replies. I haven't heard a response from the Facebook group (I requested to join Low Country Land Based Sharking), and as far as other forums I am a member of South Florida Shark Club but their forum is very inactive. I have this same thread posted on there actually from a few days ago, no replies. I can't even find the register button for Sharks on the Sand or Texas Shark Fishing - but they're pretty inactive too.
> 
> There are a few arguments that I prefer not to get into about shark fishing, first is the amount of drag somebody can use and second is Senator vs lever-drag. I have definitely picked a side in both of those arguments, but those arguments always go south quickly so I don't like getting into them. Let's just say I prefer lever drags and yes, you can handle heavy drag from shore with the right technique, and occasionally with the right accessories.
> 
> ...


The S.O.S. membership info is in the announcement section in the main forum. Even though it's a little slow on the forum the guys there will respond quicklyto any questions. The TX and SFSC sites have been quite dead for a while but still offer a lot of good info in old posts.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

NC KingFisher said:


> There is also a good deal on a loaded 80w at cabbage key tackle, speak to Eddy. Good guy


I just netted 20 Big Mullet and will chuck a few baits here at Cape Point out with my heaver, 8 foot Sandbar is all the Shark I need today


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

If my new raptor was in, I would come down and try and clear you out a hole to catch a drum out of


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