Getting 1 more shark setup....I'd like your help

[ben23]

Hey guys!
I'll be heading down in less then a week to come do some sharking down at Bethany and/or fenwick. I am going to be getting another rod and reel combo before I come down.
I have 2 setups that work for casting, and can be yakked out, but not too far:
OM 12 footer with Daiwa Sealize-X 50
Tica 11 Footer with 6500 Shimano baitrunner

Now, since I am able to start Kayaking baits out, I am looking to go with a setup that will work well for kayaking out quite a ways.
I will be using big baits, going for big fish.

Now, I can get 40% off of any Bass Pro Shops branded setup. Although I would love to get a Penn with a matching boat rod, I would like to save some green and get a BPS branded with the discount.
This includes any Ocean Master or Offshor Angler product.

Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) or have any reccomendations for me? Is the Penn stuff going to be much better and worth not getting the discount?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks for the help! Can't wait to get down there! I will be posting pictures from my past week of sharking in the OBX tonight!

Ben Dziwulski
God bless

[fish-aholic]

If you're gonna be yakking, I'd go for a penn senator 6/0 or 9/0 on a 6' 30-50# trolling rod.

[ffemtreed]

For yaking out baits, I would look for a rod with a roller tip. I would spend most of my budget on the reel though. The Penn 6/0 suggestion you got from Fish-Aholic is perfect, if you can afford the 9/0 or 12/0 go for it!

I would buy a cheap 30 - 50 lb small tuna stick for a rod. You can usually find them pretty cheap. You might even be able to find a used on somewhere.

[ben23]

Ok, so you guys are thinking Penn instead of the Ocean Master?

The Penn 114 is a 6/0 right?
What is the 115L, a 9/0?

What would you guys spool it with? I have been using 25#, but with this spool capacity I'm guessing I should bump it up......

Thanks again fellas...

Ben Dziwulski
God bless

[ffemtreed]

I would say 25 or 30 lb mono would be good.

If you want a killer setup for some way out yaking, you can try some braid in the 100lb class. It will cost you a ton of money and probably cause more problems than what its worth though.

[fish-aholic]

All my shark reels are spooled with Berkley 30# right now. I'd prefer some ande or sufix, but I have a hard time finding it around here.

[ben23]

Ok, so I am going to go with a Penn 114 (6/0) with an Offshore Angler Power Stick rated 50-80# test (6 ft).
My only concern is that the 6 foot rod is not long enough for the surf. I'm guessing that the waves don't have very much affect, even with the short rod????


I think this should do the trick....and have plenty of power and capacity to bring in the toothy critters.

Let me know if you guys think this should/ shouldn't do the trick.....

Ben Dziwulski
God bless

[fish-aholic]

I use 5'6" and 6' rods all the time for sharks. They work fine. I have 2" Aluminum angle attached to my sand spikes for a little added height, but i've fished them without it.

[Steve]

While Penn makes a great product, I wouldn't throw BPS branded out of the boat. If you can get 40% off, why not try it? We'll let you be our test subject.

For a rod, the Shakespeare Tidewater is an excellent stick with top and bottom rollers and goes for about $50 at BPS. You can get 5-6 or 6 foot. The 5-6 fits in vehicles easier.

For line, I prefer braid because you can get more than twice as much on the reel. No, it isn't inexpensive, but it will last several seasons fishing with it a few times each. Grab a 1000 yard spool of 65 or 100# on ebay. 65 will do fine prolly, throw some mono backing on for filler. This may be your most pricey part of the setup. ($85 or so).

If you buy a BPS branded combo, they will spool it for you. Of course it'll be bargain basement line, but it's free.

I run two shakespere tidewaters with Penn 115's with 65 & 100# braid. I'm very happy with the setup for beach sharkin (or Drummin LOL!). These will outlast me prolly, but then again, a BPS branded setup might too.....

[Charkbait]

for some perspective here you will probably yak baits for one week a year, correct?

The bps stuff is fine for that, I had a combo that I no longer use and it worked perfectly and is still in great condition.

If I had it to do again I'd go for an ultra heavy 9-10' rod and that will make it a whole lot more fun. To me the boat rods feel like a shore winch and you mostly fight the fish with the reel just cranking it in.

I actually started putting my OM lever drag reel on a 12' OM rod last time I yakked baits.

Just some food for thought.

I know you are used to catching large on casted baits, I think it would be a let down on a boat rod.

[ben23]

Thanks for the insight guys......
The whole reason I am wanting to get another setup is that I will be visiting the beach more frequently in upcoming years- not just 1 week of the year. One/ two weeks of the year, plus multiple weekend trips.

I have only caught Sand Tigers from the surf, both on yakked and casted baits- I have heard that the Sandbar and Blacktips are a much different (Harder) fight. I assumed that the shorter boat rod would do the trick for the long, hard runs. Also, my younger brothers might have a go at a shark or two.....maybe the boat rod would increase the odds of them being able to fight a hard-runnning fish.

The boat rods are alot cheaper, but I can get another 12' Extra Heavy Ocean Master for 40% off. I can get a cheaper Ocean Master Boat Rod for 40% off too........

I just read reviews of the Ocean Master reels that I would possibly get. Some people are complaining that that drag slips on big fish. This could definitely be a problem........maybe I should just go with the Penn 114 since it is tried and true- it will not fail on me.

So the question is: Boat rod or longer surf-type rod? Maybe going with a 40-60# boat rod or a 30-50# would make it more fun compared to the 60-80# rods? The surf rod will keep it out of the waves a little bit more I'm guessing, so there would be less chance of the surf pulling slack in my line......
I dunno, just thinking out loud....


Thanks for the help...

Ben Dziwulski
God bless

[ffemtreed]

I would match your rod to the line you are decide you are going to use. If you use 30 lb mono then a 30-50 class rod would be good, if you go with 65 or 100 lb braid then maybe the 50 to 80 class is the right choice.

Also remember you are going to max out the drag on the reel before you outclass the line so the 30 to 50 or 50 to 80 decision might be a moot point depending on the max drag of the reel you choose.

[ben23]

They have an Offshore Angler Sea Lion Stand-Up rod rated 30-80# test that is 6 foot long and will cost me 30$.
This paired with a 6/0 Penn spooled with 30 or 40lb (the free stuff they spool it with) should get the job done.

I do have a couple other questions: Where do you guys get your 20/0 Circle hooks? Bass pro does not have anything bigger than 16/0. . . Is there a local tackle store that I could pick up the right hooks at?
Do you open the gap at all on the 20/0's like you do with the 16/0's?

I used 16/0 last year and had a problem with hookups but I don't want to give up on circles altogether......
J's have worked well for me in the outer banks....but I like the fact that the circles will set themselves sometimes when the shark is dragging around the weight, and they do not belly hook them.

Ben

God bless

[Steve]

Here is your link for the Mustad 20/0 I and a few others have bought. Nice prices on stuff!
Mustad 39960D Circle Hooks

It all comes down to what you want to spend and what will do the job in the way you want it done.
BPS has good stuff, no doubt. There may be smaller things about a particular product that BPS doesn't have on it but the more expensive model does. That's personal preference.

Can you handle a big toothy on 30# mono?
Of course you can!
Can ya do it on a spinning outfit?
Sure!

My thing is I want something that is universally known, parts easily available and is well proven. For ME that's Penn. But I didn't mind spending $100 more.
I also want something that I can put GOBS of line on. Going out 1/4 - 1/2 mile and dropping bait takes a lot of line. Then toothy grabs it and heads East, thus equates to more line.

On a smaller reel such as the 6/0 (that's the 113, right?) you have a listed capacity of 375 yards of 30-40#. That just means you can't make a 1/4 mile paddle, but they are close in too. If you want to go with a reduced capacity reel, put braid on. But the braid will cost you. So it's either a bigger reel or braid. You pay either way.

Why so far out when they are in the surf zone?
I drive 3.5 hours to get to the sand, what's a little longer paddle going to matter if I have a remote shot at a large.
(hint: more line needed, bigger reel)
It's a vicious circle.

It's all what you can afford to spend that will do the job.
Try it out on a 10' rod, you may like the battle!
If not, then just slap the reel on a boat rod.

[ffemtreed]

the 113 is considered a 4/0 The 114 is the 6/0 reel. The 114 claims it hold 525 yards of 50lb test.

If I was trying to balance cost/capacity I would use a some braid backing and fill the rest of the reel with mono. I do this with my Penn 525's to get a little extra capacity out of them.

Originally Posted by Steve

Here is your link for the Mustad 20/0 I and a few others have bought. Nice prices on stuff!
Mustad 39960D Circle Hooks

It all comes down to what you want to spend and what will do the job in the way you want it done.
BPS has good stuff, no doubt. There may be smaller things about a particular product that BPS doesn't have on it but the more expensive model does. That's personal preference.

Can you handle a big toothy on 30# mono?
Of course you can!
Can ya do it on a spinning outfit?
Sure!

My thing is I want something that is universally known, parts easily available and is well proven. For ME that's Penn. But I didn't mind spending $100 more.
I also want something that I can put GOBS of line on. Going out 1/4 - 1/2 mile and dropping bait takes a lot of line. Then toothy grabs it and heads East, thus equates to more line.

On a smaller reel such as the 6/0 (that's the 113, right?) you have a listed capacity of 375 yards of 30-40#. That just means you can't make a 1/4 mile paddle, but they are close in too. If you want to go with a reduced capacity reel, put braid on. But the braid will cost you. So it's either a bigger reel or braid. You pay either way.

Why so far out when they are in the surf zone?
I drive 3.5 hours to get to the sand, what's a little longer paddle going to matter if I have a remote shot at a large.
(hint: more line needed, bigger reel)
It's a vicious circle.

It's all what you can afford to spend that will do the job.
Try it out on a 10' rod, you may like the battle!
If not, then just slap the reel on a boat rod.