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What type of setup would be best to target large sharks standup style? When I say large I mean large Tiger and bull sharks averaging between 10' - 15' (appearing) when they swim by the boat at times. I fish for cobia offshore of Hilton Head and every year I hook multiple fish that I just can't get to the surface with a TLD 25 and 80# power pro.
I would probably go with a Penn 70VS filled with 500 yards of 130lb braid and a 300 yard top shot of 100lb mono on a 5'6" all Aftco wind-on roller xxh blank - this is the same setup we use for Swordfish. Most of the big sharks we have caught, including a 400+ lb Mako (and a few over 300 lbs) and a couble of big Threshers have been on Penn 50SW's or 50 VSW's with 80lb line (500 yds braid + 350 yards of mono) at 20lbs of strike drag.
I would use a 5'6" to 6' xxh (80 class) with windon rollers. I have built quite a few for guys down south and they would have either short or long bent depending on where and what type of belt you would be using to hold the rod.
This is an economical good quality option that keeps you fairly light, and preculudes the need to buy larger tackle like 50's, 70's, 80's, or 130's.
An aluminum Avet 30W Pro 2 speed with 130 lb spectra to the swivel + leader on a 5'6" ugly stick Big water xxh roller rod plus a smitty extra wide plate and harness so you can comfortably handle drags up to 40 lbs.
This will whip just about anything, but I would suggest you cut off any 15' shark before he reaches the boat unless you really know what your doing with large prey up close. Me, I'd let him keep my leader and hook.
I would suggest you cut off any 15' shark before he reaches the boat unless you really know what your doing with large prey up close. Me, I'd let him keep my leader and hook.
I can't believe you'd let any shark keep your $3 hook and $1.50 leader - be a man and just pull that hook out of his mouth with your bare hands
On sharks we aren't going to keep (which is anything but Mako's and Threshers), generally if they are over 200 lbs, we cut the hook right after the swivel; on the smaller sharks, the ARC dehooker gets most of them back.
10-15' bulls and tigers are heavyweights I would shorten the rod to 5' Aftco wind-on guides. How deep? if over 100 fathoms 50's and up with 750 yds of 100# and up braid/mono topshot. If you on the shelf in 50 fathoms or less a heavy 30 like Bull suggested will be easiest to manage. My feeling is if you need more than the heavy 30 you need at least an 80 Yopui can get by with a 6' rod length with a 30 but for an 80 5'6 max and 5' is better still.
Leash the rod to the boat not the angler. If you do get yanked over the leash will com tight then you can unclip from the harness. If you leash the angler he then becomes part of the chain and the harness will not come loose to unclip from.
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Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth. George Washington
well not to butt in guys or brag either
one time I caught a large mouth bass that was nearly 13 inches long.
Now dont go getting inferiority complexes please-try to realize that not everyone can fish at this level.
Oh alright I cant tell a lie he was 9 1/2 inches
but still .....it was huge!
If y'all ever tangle with that "15' Bull shark" I'd like to see a photo....
A 10 or 11' bull will be all you can stand on the heaviest stand-up gear. I'd rather tangle with a really big tiger than an 11' Bull on any gear you choose. Bull sharks get really cranky at the boat, whether they're 7' or 10'... I've handled many in relatively shallow waters where they can't dive away and you have to be very careful with them at close quarters. If you have to get up close and personal with them have someone with a camera to show your family just what happened....
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Tight Lines
Capt Bob LeMay
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Thank you for the suggestions guys and i'm checking into prices now. The only reason I want to catch these sharks is to bring cobia to the surface with them so other people on the boat can pitch baits at them. When these large sharks are up top cruising around they always have the brownies following. Besides I'm tired of fighting these sharks on TLD 25's and getting no where. A quick release will be my first choice too when they come close to boat side.
I am generally a "shore" shark fishermen. Most of my shark fishing has been done from a pier or jetty. I am not a little guy {6' 4" , 298 lbs. }. I fish with a Penn International 30W with 50W drag washer. It is loaded with 80# braid. Fishing from a pier, once a shark runs one way or another up the beach, I give slack and hit the beach or else the shark will end up around the pier pilings.
Now once on the beach, if the fish is sizeable, I sit in the sand and dig my feet in. I have been litterally drug to the waters edge if I set the drag down, you can see the big trenches my size 14's have left in the sand. Never have I broken the line in this situation, I just have to lighten the drag some if in danger of being pulled into the water. I don't know how much drag a 50W will do, but it is enough to accomplish the above mentioned situation.
If 40 to fifty lbs of drag is all that is available, why fish with 130 lb line? Just curious.
I kayak out baits about a quarter mile and fish from the beach with Penn 115s loaded with 100 braid to a 4' 250 lb mono shock, then 400 lb Malin steel tipped with a 20/0 Circle hook.
I haven't tangled with anything over 9 or 10 feet, but I'm sure I could pull in larger with it.
The surf zone is the hardest part, taking up to an hour to get 'em in, and that's why the heavy line on the end, sand abrasion.
I've been using the 12/0 mustad circle hooks from cabela's and they hold up good to the drag but you can straighten them right out when you grab the leader. I think its a good way to get the hook out.
I'd get a Tiagra 50wlrs and a 50 - 100 lb full roller rod. The Fishermans Outfitters has some nice combos.
I am generally a "shore" shark fishermen. Most of my shark fishing has been done from a pier or jetty. I am not a little guy {6' 4" , 298 lbs. }. I fish with a Penn International 30W with 50W drag washer. It is loaded with 80# braid. Fishing from a pier, once a shark runs one way or another up the beach, I give slack and hit the beach or else the shark will end up around the pier pilings.
Now once on the beach, if the fish is sizeable, I sit in the sand and dig my feet in. I have been litterally drug to the waters edge if I set the drag down, you can see the big trenches my size 14's have left in the sand. Never have I broken the line in this situation, I just have to lighten the drag some if in danger of being pulled into the water. I don't know how much drag a 50W will do, but it is enough to accomplish the above mentioned situation.
If 40 to fifty lbs of drag is all that is available, why fish with 130 lb line? Just curious.
If you put more than 1/3 of the rated pull on mono, it with stretch out permanetly shortening its rated life and the next pull on it, hence a max pull of around 40 lbs on 130 lb test
Ok, so that is mono. I don't use mono on my shark rig. I usually use at least a ten foot leader tied directly to the 80# braid. I have found 80# braid very hard to break with a rod that will bend to take up shock.
I kayak out baits about a quarter mile and fish from the beach with Penn 115s loaded with 100 braid to a 4' 250 lb mono shock, then 400 lb Malin steel tipped with a 20/0 Circle hook.
I haven't tangled with anything over 9 or 10 feet, but I'm sure I could pull in larger with it.
The surf zone is the hardest part, taking up to an hour to get 'em in, and that's why the heavy line on the end, sand abrasion.
You are setting your baits over 1000 ft from shore with your kayak?
Ok, so that is mono. I don't use mono on my shark rig. I usually use at least a ten foot leader tied directly to the 80# braid. I have found 80# braid very hard to break with a rod that will bend to take up shock.
Thanks for the answer.
No matter what type of line you are using (mono or braid/spectra), if you have a lot of line out (say half of spool), then your drag increase substantially and will double at half of spool diameter. So if you have your drag set at 40lbs at the beginning and then lose half of spool, your drag is now about 80lbs unless you back off the drag.
Thus the rule of thumb for setting your drag is to take 1/3 of the line rating for your drag. This allows for doubling of your drag with a lot of line out, plus an additional 1/3 for a variance/safety factor so you don't break your line.
Or vice versa, if you want to fish xx lbs of drag, then you should triple that to figure out what lb line to use (e.g. for 40lbs of drag, you should use about 120lb line)
Large shark fishing stand up tackle???
