Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

So, I wanna get into Land based shark fishing and was looking at reels yesterday. I can get an avet pro exw 4/02 brand new for about $350. I'm wondering if this would be a good shark reel or is it pointless. I'd not only use it for sharks but snook at bridges or the pier and grouper fishing when I go to the keys every summer. I know it could easily handle a tippie or a gummy, but would I just get dumped by a bull or lemon in no time? I'm thinking of at least 500yrds of 80# spectra as backing with an 80# mono topshot. I've heard stories from cris about sharks that have dumped like 3 12/0's but really if a shark is gonna do that there ain't much that can stop em. So what do you experts think? Will this work or should I just get a 9/0 or 12/0. The 4/02 is just gonna get used more often dfro other stuff.

If you are after big sharks I recommend nothing smaller than a 50W. 80W is prefer.

bolo wrote:If you are after big sharks I recommend nothing smaller than a 50W. 80W is prefer.

Nothing too big, I could get a used 50w from a buddy for the same price though but I can't bring that on the pier unless I sneak it on and i don't want to bring something like that on since it's to likely to get stolen.

snookslayer08 wrote:

bolo wrote:If you are after big sharks I recommend nothing smaller than a 50W. 80W is prefer.

Nothing too big, I could get a used 50w from a buddy for the same price though but I can't bring that on the pier unless I sneak it on and i don't want to bring something like that on since it's to likely to get stolen.

It won't get stolen unless you walk away screwing around. When I shark fish I don't do nothing but shark fish or catch shark bait. The reason for larger reels is for cranking torque and line capacity. If you are targeting sharks of the beach you will easily have out 300 yards depending where the reef is at. Bridges do take out good amount of line since we want our bait closer to the reef. Sometimes for pier and bridge the sharks comes in close without having the bait float out far.

My reels are 2 speed. I have yet use the 2 speed function. Everything I fight is higher speed. However, I have not yet hooked a 12ft plus shark yet.

yeah, bridge fishing here the sharks stick pretty much right under it eatin snook.

snookslayer08 wrote:yeah, bridge fishing here the sharks stick pretty much right under it eatin snook.

Lock the drag and hold on tight.

bolo wrote: Lock the drag and hold on tight.

At the bridge most of the fishing is done at the run away from it most of the time and try to get you in the docks of the marina not 100yrds away.

bolo wrote:

snookslayer08 wrote:yeah, bridge fishing here the sharks stick pretty much right under it eatin snook.

Lock the drag and hold on tight.

Bolo hes not that big. Hes gonna get puled in or lose the rod.

Ryan71 wrote: Bolo hes not that big. Hes gonna get puled in or lose the rod.

hahah, ryan's right, a 50w would kick my ass. the avet puts out 35# of drag with full freespool and that's probably all I could handle. Off the beach I'd probably be using a harness on anything bigger than a tippie. Or if I'm not with my buddy that has a harness just shove the but of the rod in the sand and sit in the sand. I have a friend that fishes a 6/0 but he's caught lemons on his 4/0w so it's possible but he's had bulls one for hours witht the 6/0 that ripped off a good 300yrds on the first run and just stayed out there and broke him off on the reef. Most of the reefs are close in so the bait isn't going to be that far out.

Try the reel and see what happens. If it dosent work then get a bigger one in time. The reel will still have a purpose in your arsenal. I've caught 5 to 6 foot blacktips on a oldskool 3/0penn. I also have caught 5 to 6 foot blacktips on 20 pound tackle/spinning rods in the Keys from a boat.

Ryan, chain him to the pier or bridge. Then lock drag and fight the fish. Two things will happen. He will either kicks the shark's a** or the shark will pull him and the bridge in.

also have caught 5 to 6 foot blacktips on 20 pound tackle/spinning rods

Thats pretty impressive, boat or not..one time I saw a guy hook into a 5-6 foot blacktip on 20-30 lb spinning gear 30 feet from shore..the blacktip was chasing a school of snook along the beach and the guy site casted to it..and he was getting spooled so he had to break off the fish to keep his power pro..It was fun watching him rip off all that line but this guy didn't have enough drag to beat that shark..that thing took off 200 yards of line like nothing.

snookslayer08 wrote:So, I wanna get into Land based shark fishing and was looking at reels yesterday. I can get an avet pro exw 4/02 brand new for about $350. I'm wondering if this would be a good shark reel or is it pointless. I'd not only use it for sharks but snook at bridges or the pier and grouper fishing when I go to the keys every summer. I know it could easily handle a tippie or a gummy, but would I just get dumped by a bull or lemon in no time? I'm thinking of at least 500yrds of 80# spectra as backing with an 80# mono topshot. I've heard stories from cris about sharks that have dumped like 3 12/0's but really if a shark is gonna do that there ain't much that can stop em. So what do you experts think? Will this work or should I just get a 9/0 or 12/0. The 4/02 is just gonna get used more often dfro other stuff.

That should be fine if you can get that capacity. I might personally go to the Avet EX30W, but the 4/02 should work. I use a Penn 30W and fish about 22lbs of drag and that has been fine with bulls. Lemons don't fight much harder than a nurse so there should be no issue of getting dumped by a lemon.

Either way it is a much better reel than a 9/0.

Thanks guys, I've caught 6-7ft blacktips on my avet mxl off the pier. Once I locked the drag down they didn't go very far, heck they didn't even take enough line to get into the spectra backing.

bolo wrote:Ryan, chain him to the pier or bridge. Then lock drag and fight the fish. Two things will happen. He will either kicks the shark's a** or the shark will pull him and the bridge in.

Good Idea.

snookslayer08 wrote:Thanks guys, I've caught 6-7ft blacktips on my avet mxl off the pier. Once I locked the drag down they didn't go very far, heck they didn't even take enough line to get into the spectra backing.

I use the lx with 600 yards of 80 lb braid, I think its a size bigger, but still not a big reel..its awesome for sharks that size.

Go for it. That reel should handle almost everything except for a large bull, tiger, or hammer.