# Penn 309 worth using for sharks?



## JJHACK

Hello folks, I'm new to the site but have been hopelessly addicted to shark fishing for a number of years now. I'm about 99.9% a spinning reel guy which when fishing from a boat works good in the flats of the Everglades. However I have much more time to spend fishing from shore or piers so I wanted to try and rig up some gear for the next trip. Regarding spinning reels that new Accurate may be the real deal for guys like me who love spinning reels. It's got some serious strength and drag pressure. Unfortunately it's a hella expensive toy as well!

I have a Penn 309 which holds something in the area of 350 yards of 30 lb mono. I would guess that's about 600 yards of 80lb or 100 lb braid or something like that. 
So with the right rod ( suggestions please) to match this I could float a big bait out with the tide or kayak it out as far as needed. I don't think I could cast with this reel? Never tried.

Hows the function of this reel where hooking up a decent shark from shore is concerned? Anybody know what the drag is capable of? I never checked it. Thanks in advance for the suggestions using this reel or any on using a big spinning reel. I target what bites mostly but over the years it has been blacktips, bulls, and lemons. My best is an 8 plus foot lemon and many 6-7 foot bulls.


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## shadslinger

I am new to shark fishing from the sand, just got started this summer, but I do have a 309 andd use it on a 12' ugly stick, I cast it pretty well but it takes a well educated thumb to get distance with it. I have caught some small (4') bullsharks and alot of bullreds with it and it handled them just fine.


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## ssmarinaman

309 is a good reel .. and will bring in small the mid size shark.. The only draw back is, you are limited to yardage and with that class of drag,, the more the merry to wear the fish/shark down.

.I have reeled in a few shark2 with a 209 but I did a a lot of wadding to get them. Lol..

as for the lb Test.on my 6/0's I have 50 # BG and a top shot of 100yards 80# GB. Just to help out with the sand bar drag. On my casting rigs (Penn 4/0, long beach 67, Garcia gk72 all are magged) rods I have 30# red caj with a top shot of 80# so i can put some muscle into the cast and protect for the sand bars.. . I hope this helps.. everyone does it a little different. But this is just my 2cents.

For the same price of a 309 you can pick up a Long Beach 67 or even better a 68. They are a little harder to cast but well worth learning how. , also magging them really helps out.

I hope this helps


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## Stretch

Most sharks that I see caught from the beach (since I have ben cursed to never catch a fish again, I only see fish being caught) a 309 would work. 80# braided would not let you set drag for line class, drag washers are not stout enough. When I use to catch fish I have caught mant five foot sharks on these type of reels. If you have one or can get one cheep it is worth using.


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## pelican

JJ, I used 309's for years back in the '80s with 8 foot rods. They were ok for bull reds and up to about 4-5 foot sharks. But, as has been said, you're limited with the drag and the level-wind can also get in the way when you're using longer leaders. You can take the level wind off, but you still have the drag limitation ... can't tell you how many times I've been spooled on them.

For casting in a 30# class reel, it's hard to beat a jigmaster. You can get a really good used one on eBay for 30-35 bucks if you shop around ... winter is a great time to buy. For something larger (I'd say up to 6 foot sharks), go up to at least a 4/0 ... it's castable, but a GS555 will get you more distance ... will run at least $70-75 vs $45-50 as well ... and doesn't hold as much line unless you run braided under your mono.

When you want to yak baits out or target bigger game, it's time to consider a 6/0 or 9/0, they also have the drags to handle 50# line.


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## JJHACK

Thanks for the tips and advice on this. What amount of drag are you guys thinking about here? I usually set for 30% of line break strength. My Thunnus spinning reel can get 18lbs of drag and my FinNor 2O spinning reel can achieve 28lbs of drag. I have caught a heck of alot of big sharks on these but always from a boat where we could free float into the shark or motor to him if needed. I have never caught a big shark from shore so I have very limited knowledge of this right now. I suspect I could get a 114 or a 6/0 size reel which runs about 125 bucks(new), and a decent rod for another 150 bucks. So even with a spool full of line I would be at or around 300 bucks. Does that sound about right? Hmmmm 600 yards of 100lb spectra with 30lbs of drag force. Yep I think that would work well! Although I'm not sure I could stand 30 pounds of drag for very long. Just getting my scale to go to the 28 pounds with the Ahab spinner was a huge effort!


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## beerswimmer

Jeez. I used my Shakespeare trout rod and reel loaded that I "sharked up" with 65# PowerPro and caught tons of sharks. But that was before I read that I needed something bigger.:headknock I just used the little trout and redfish leaders with snap swivels!


Anyhow I have a 309 that came on a Penn SpecialBoat rod as a combo. I filled mine with 30# mono and I think I have about 350yds on it. It works fine. I don't belive that you need something much bigger for here.


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## Jolly Roger

309 is a good reel for starting out in surf fishing. Most people I know that were spinning reel users, then went to open face needed the level wind until they got use to conventional reels. 

Trying to catch sharks from a fixed location as opposed to a boat does give the fish an avantage. You need larger line capacity on reels used from the beach. One reason is to be able to get the bait off the beach, pier or jetty a long ways. Do not always need to get the bait as far as possible. But 95% of the time you do need to get the bait 150+ yards or further, depending on where you are fishing.
Once the shark is hooked, he will go straight away from you most of the time. Tring to get to deep water. Blacktips, bulls and all other type of sharks can and will dump large amounts of line from a reel. With you in a fixed location you must rely on the drags to stop and turn the fish. 


I and no one I fish with sets their drag pressure. Mostly due to the fact that most of the reels used to shark fish have star drags. Also you must set the drag loose when the rod is in the holder, or the fish will jerk it out of the holder if the drags are to tight. Super braid lines do not do good fishing off the beach. They tend to get cut by the sand. The wave action on top of sandbars will cut braided lines in a few hours. Most use braided line as a back up. I like the first 1/3 of the spool Power Pro, then the rest mono. This allows me to paddle the bait a long ways off the beach, and still have mono touching the sand. Then the smaller Power pro is left on the spool giving me alot of line to fight a fish. 

A 6/0 is big enough to catch most all sharks caught off the beach. But it can , and if you fish enough will get spooled one day. Just this year alone we were spooled a few times on jigmasters, 3/0 and on Thanksgiving almost had a 6/0 spooled. At the first of the year I had a fish pulling me into the surf because I had to lock up the drags on a 9/0 to keep from getting spooled. So it does happen, but chances are slim that it will. 

A 309 can catch alot of sharks. For someone to say it can catch sharks up to a certin foot is impossible. Not all sharks fight the same, and the males and females fight different. You may catch a 5' bull shark on a 309, then get spooled by a 4' blacktip. No way of knowing, and that is part of the fun. 


Trout tackle with braided line will not even catch my bait, much less the sharks I am going after.


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## wacowade

Man... Jolly Roger.. I bow to your knowledge of surf fishing. I love it when I can log onto this site and see your fishing trips you post. I guess I am living my fishing dreams vicariously through you.. So keep it up. I am new to surf fishing myself. Just starting building up my equipment the last year or so.. I still have a long way to go. One day I want to head up and meet you at HI and learn from you expertise.. Because I want to tie into those big *** sharks you seem to catch as a regular basis. I only get to head down to the coast from the Spring area 5 or 6 times a year.. I feel lucky when I get into the 40+ inch Bull Reds... have fun with the Specks in the surf... But I want the Big Boys with the big ole sharp teeth..  

I just picked up a Sealine 450H and I also have a Penn Senator 4/0 Special..
I am ready to put these to the test this summer..

Again.. J.R. Keep up the great posts for those of us who cant be there with ya!

Wade


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## psalty

For what its worth I have used 309's and casted as far as possible from the 2nd bar and trudged back to the rod holder. Wasn't a lot of line left on the spool but did manage big uglies,bull reds and a few puppy sharks to 3'+. I do like using the 309 off the t-heads though, and have managed some nice rays. Picked up a new 6/0 and will try yakking out if lucky to get away from work this year. Best wishes for a great year and no hurricanes.


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## Fish-a-mon

I use a 209 a 309 4/0 4/0hlw 6/0. I use both mono and braided. The 209 I call old reliable, because it always catches fish. I have it loaded with braided PP/50 top shot 50lb mono maybe 50yds. Like JR said every shark is different. I've 3' fight better than 5'. 309 is a good reliable reel. You can mag it for better casting used both PP and Mono. You can easily get 450-500 yds on. Penn's line rating is off.


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