# smallest reel for shark fishing



## SoTxPighunter (Jul 5, 2012)

Hey all, whats the smallest reel yall recommend for sharks. Fyi i am preferential to Penn reels and have used mostly the senator line.


----------



## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

I use a Squidder or Jigmaster to cast bait for smaller sharks and reds. If you have a Yak, use a 4/0 or larger for bigger sharks. The bigger the bait the bigger the catch.


----------



## Greatwhite (Mar 28, 2011)

depends, some good fish have been landed on small reels. Most times they take a bait intended for reds/drum

That said, if its me targeting sharks the smallest I will use is my avet LX or 4/0.

but, we have caught them on smaller reels, i know plenty of guys have landed them on jigmasters, 305's, 545's, and avet sx's.


----------



## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

Depends if you are planning on yaking or casting. For yaking I wouldn't go smaller than a 6/0


----------



## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

I've landed 6'+ black tips on a 140 squidder with 20lb line,and I've had my 9/0 spooled with out slowing down.If your casting from the beach I would recommend a 4/0,if your yaking your baits go with 6/0 or bigger.You dont need a huge reel to land average size sharks,but you do need enough line capacity to to be able to fight it when your baits past the third bar.


----------



## Bob Keyes (Mar 16, 2011)

Point to remember when yacking baits. It's not how much line your reel holds that counts, it's how much line is left on your reel that counts!

Bob


----------



## Bearwolf34 (Sep 8, 2005)

avet mxl looks good to me. otherwise a 6/0 with plenty of line.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

A 4/0 with 40 lb mono dropped on the backside of the 3rd bar with a large mullet or whiting should work fine for you...But, I wouldn't drop it any further than that. 

Keep in mind that the third bar is much closer in some areas than others.


----------



## ssmarinaman (Mar 5, 2005)

Bob Keyes said:


> Point to remember when yacking baits. It's not how much line your reel holds that counts, it's how much line is left on your reel that counts!
> 
> Bob


this is so true,,,,my golden rule,,, 1/3 out and 2/3 to play with,,,and if that does not work,, pray,,lol


----------



## Greatwhite (Mar 28, 2011)

lock down the drag and hold on tight. :fish:


----------



## sargentmajor (Sep 13, 2012)

Zebco 202 for a quick climax??????


----------



## Billy Baroo (Apr 21, 2010)




----------



## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

Now that we have the last two bits of nonsense out of the way, let's get back to a serious discussion. The question I haven't heard asked is what size sharks are you targeting? I've caught what I call medium sized sharks, up to 6 or 7 feet, on Penn 209 or Daiwa SHV 30 size reels. On the other hand I've had Penn 68s (6/0 line capacity) stripped without the shark ever realizing it was hooked.

Here's one caught on a Daiwa SHV 30. For scale, I'm 6'4. This shark was 5'9.










A couple on ABU 7000s. Both about 7 feet.



















And a nice 6 foot even Sandbar on a Penn 209


----------



## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

X2 on the Daiwa SHA's 30 and 50.


----------



## jagarcia10 (Mar 10, 2011)

The smallest reels I kayak out are my Abu Garcia 10000 and Daiwa 50sha. Both have brought in sharks in the 5ft range with no problems.


----------



## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

if you are going small penn , go jigmaster over the squidder

would not pass up a newell either


----------



## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

bigfost said:


>


Is that hammer fowl hooked through the head? Awesome! Never seen that.

Like BF said. It comes down to the size of shark you're targeting and the method you are using to catch them (casting from beach, yaking baits out, fishing from a yak). I go with bigger reels because I'm hoping to catch a monster and I do 300 yard minimum drops, so I want my gear to be able to handle it.


----------



## nagel67 (Oct 28, 2012)

Cousin of mine got a 4 footer off a zebco with a 4ft rod.


----------



## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

HuntinforTail said:


> Is that hammer fowl hooked through the head? Awesome! Never seen that.


Yep, it was my lucky day.


----------



## ElTiburon (May 1, 2005)

well last year, someone wrastled in a 9 foot lemon shark on a casted bait off a west end beach in galveston... Reel was an avet SX!


----------



## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

ElTiburon said:


> well last year, someone wrastled in a 9 foot lemon shark on a casted bait off a west end beach in galveston... Reel was an avet SX!


I would believe that. The Avet SX and Mx have the same drag capability (15lb lock down) but I would wager money "someone" had the Sx spooled with high end braid. I put my Mx to the test last weekend with a 40" Jack and it had a lot of headroom spooled with 20lb mono. I did not even get to the 50lb Toro braid backing.


----------



## deerhunter5 (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm going to try a penn 209 loaded with 80 pound braid. I know that I'll probably get spooled and if I do have the pleasure of getting spooled I will upgrade accordingly.


----------



## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

Deerhunter5, I would go with 50 or 65# braid to give more line on the reel. Its not going to handle a large shark anyway.


----------



## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

I never had much luck with a 209 or a 309. If you remove the levelwind then they are much better reels. A squidder or jigmaster is a much better and longer lasting choice. Believe me, if you use a 209 or 309 a lot, it will not last more than 3 years, and the level wind will not last a summer in the sand and salt and dunks. If you like spinning reels, the Penn 9500's or I think now the 950ss are good reels for pup sharks up to 5 or 6 feet spooled with 25 pound mono or a braid mono shot. We have caught 6 ft bulls and 5.5 ft blacktips on the 9500;s while bull red fishing several times. I have some that are 10 years old and still going strong. I have a squidder that is about 15, and some Senators from the late 70's still great reels. You can get spooled on most any reel in the right set of circumstances. If I yak out big baits targeting large sharks only, I use a 6/0, sometimes I will drop a 4/0 in the 2nd. I like 50 pound mono on my 6/0, 40 on my 4/0. I am hard headed old fashioned and I do not like braid anymore. Most of my friends do braid under mono on wrapped spools. I have never caught a shark over 8.5 ft but my 6/0 has handled all I have hooked up on it with with ease.


----------



## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

Sea-Slug said:


> Believe me, if you use a 209 or 309 a lot, it will not last more than 3 years, and the level wind will not last a summer in the sand and salt and dunks.


Absolute hogwash!!!!

Many people bad mouth the 209s, but I've got a couple that are about 30 years old, have never had the level wind removed, and still work just fine.

I think the last part of your statement may be the key to your problems with them. No saltwater reel will last long if you regularly drop them in the sand, or dunk them in the sandy water. So, before you start bad mouthing a particular reel, maybe you should take a look at the way you are treating your gear.

Having gotten that off my chest, the surest way to destroy a 209, or any similar sized reel, will be to put 80# test line on it. The first big fish you get on, and try to lock down the drag to keep from getting stripped out, you will end up with, at the very least, a bent shaft, and at worst, a completely destroyed reel.

The key to catching big fish is not super heavy line, it's having appropriately sized line, and enough of it. On that reel, start with 150 to 300 yards of 50# braid backing and top off with 30# mono. If you know what you're doing, you'll be surprised at the size fish you can catch. I've caught sharks up to 7' on my 209s, and, as I said, they still work just fine.


----------



## BrandonFox (Jan 8, 2013)

bigfost said:


> Absolute hogwash!!!!
> 
> Many people bad mouth the 209s, but I've got a couple that are about 30 years old, have never had the level wind removed, and still work just fine.
> 
> ...


Everything this man just said is point on. You dont need 80# at all. Go lighter, get more capacity, and play the fish.


----------



## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

bigfost said:


> Absolute hogwash!!!!
> 
> Many people bad mouth the 209s, but I've got a couple that are about 30 years old, have never had the level wind removed, and still work just fine.
> 
> ...


To each his own, but I never had much luck on them. I got about 15 of the 209 or 309 that have issues in my bone bucket if you want them.:rotfl: To each his own Capt.


----------



## 535 (May 23, 2004)

Those reels may have their place, but its not on the beach if you ask me... Bushings, levelwind, etc. I have to ask why they would even be an option when there are so many reels that out perform them.

If you like Penn, a good smaller reel is the 555GS... Lobs small and medium baits for shark with tons of spool backing, has sufficient drag. Mine is over ten years old and has caught lots of fish. A 6' blacktip is best I've done on it but the fish didnt even push the reel. I fish 30lb mono over braid on it and I always worry about the mono on sandbars and my shockleader knot but never about getting spooled. The only freight train I picked up with it luckily dropped the bait but I think the reel might handle a fish to 8'????

I think the Daiwas are a better reel, the Torium is sweet but pricey. Personally I wouldnt go smaller if I was targeting shark... The 30's are great for drum/jack and can definitely catch bigger fish but the 40 and 50 is morr suited for it


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

It appears that you have a tight budget and you may be just starting out. If so, I don't think yu can go wrong with the Penn jigmaster for all around surf casting duties and as a starter reel. I wouldn't worry about getting spooled. Chances are, it will never happen. If it ever does, just except the fact that there are fish out there that can and will strip the biggest of reels.


----------



## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

jc said:


> Those reels may have their place, but its not on the beach if you ask me... Bushings, levelwind, etc. I have to ask why they would even be an option when there are so many reels that out perform them.
> 
> If you like Penn, a good smaller reel is the 555GS... Lobs small and medium baits for shark with tons of spool backing, has sufficient drag. Mine is over ten years old and has caught lots of fish. A 6' blacktip is best I've done on it but the fish didnt even push the reel. I fish 30lb mono over braid on it and I always worry about the mono on sandbars and my shockleader knot but never about getting spooled. The only freight train I picked up with it luckily dropped the bait but I think the reel might handle a fish to 8'????
> 
> I think the Daiwas are a better reel, the Torium is sweet but pricey. Personally I wouldnt go smaller if I was targeting shark... The 30's are great for drum/jack and can definitely catch bigger fish but the 40 and 50 is morr suited for it


Gospel JC, those levelwinds on the 209/309 are not worth a you know what on the beach. I am old school, the old timers used to say take the levelwind off as soon as you pull it out of the box and its an OK reel. But the jiggmaster or squidder are not much higher and much better reels. Learn to fish without a levelwind. I see the new Penns with a new levelwind design that are supposed to be OK but I have never tried one. When I cut my teeth, levelwinds were taboo on the beach. Maybe times have changed. Maybe me and all my buddies just so happened to have bad luck when we used to use the 309's because they were dirt cheap. Like I said, without the levelwind I think they are OK reels. This is my opinion only and I am not trying to bad mouth somebody elses opinion, I try to respect the opinions of others. Some folks it seems do not see it that way. To each his own.


----------



## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

SurfRunner said:


> It appears that you have a tight budget and you may be just starting out. If so, I don't think yu can go wrong with the Penn jigmaster for all around surf casting duties and as a starter reel. I wouldn't worry about getting spooled. Chances are, it will never happen. If it ever does, just except the fact that there are fish out there that can and will strip the biggest of reels.


Good solid advice IMO!


----------



## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

jc said:


> Those reels (209/309) may have their place, but its not on the beach if you ask me... Bushings, levelwind, etc. I have to ask why they would even be an option when there are so many reels that out perform them.


I never said there weren't more state-of-the-art reels out there. I was just defending the bashing of a perfectly functional reel that Penn has made for, what, 40 or 50 years? That should speak for itself.

I've seen the pro/con argument over 209, and to a lesser degree 309, reels many times over the years. There are always the guys who say they are a piece of XXXX, then an equal number of people like me who say they've caught a ton of fish off the beach, and all the way to offshore, with them.

I still say if there are equal numbers of people who don't have trouble as those who do, maybe the problems are operator error.

Fact of the matter is, I personally now fish mainly Daiwas and Jigmasters. That's for a variety of reasons, like castability and line capacity, but I wouldn't hesitate to roll the 209s back into the lineup at any time, and do occasionally for old time's sake.

I personally don't like spinning reels, but I'm not going to bash them and recommend nobody use them. So, I guess I do respect other people's choices to use what they want, just not their choice to bash what they don't like.


----------



## deerhunter5 (Oct 12, 2011)

bigfost said:


> Absolute hogwash!!!!
> 
> the surest way to destroy a 209, or any similar sized reel, will be to put 80# test line on it. The first big fish you get on, and try to lock down the drag to keep from getting stripped out, you will end up with, at the very least, a bent shaft, and at worst, a completely destroyed reel.
> 
> The key to catching big fish is not super heavy line, it's having appropriately sized line, and enough of it. On that reel, start with 150 to 300 yards of 50# braid backing and top off with 30# mono. If you know what you're doing, you'll be surprised at the size fish you can catch. I've caught sharks up to 7' on my 209s, and, as I said, they still work just fine.


I wish I would have known this before I bought the line. I am 15 and just happened to come across these reels. I don't know anyone who does any shark fishing so I just guessed in the line. I know not to lock up the drag on any reel. Instead of locking up the drag, I know to thumb the spool.


----------



## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

Just my opinion, but about 20 or 25 pound mono is all you need for that 209. If you use the correct drag tension, you can catch some good fish on 20 to 30# line.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

deerhunter5 said:


> I know not to lock up the drag on any reel. Instead of locking up the drag, I know to thumb the spool.


Never ever thumb that spool! I have seen, and smelt, badley burned flesh and blisters from someone thumbing the spool on big fish that make explosive powerful runs! Just let that booger run and they will more than likely eventually turn.


----------



## 535 (May 23, 2004)

For the record, I am not bashing the 209. Its a capable reel and shines when fishing smaller piers and such where casting distance isnt an issue... I caught a 43" jack with mine, no problem. But for surfcastng the jigmaster is more appropriate. Plus a lot of the other reels mentioned


----------



## SoTxPighunter (Jul 5, 2012)

Thanks all didnt mean to start such a bru haha. I have lots of experience fishing salt water and have caught a few sharks but mainly off the pier heads and off of charter boats when I worked on them but I have never targeted them off the beach. I have used penns for decades along with Newell and Diawas. I prefer 4/0's 6/0's and Jigmasters for piers and used mainly 20 and 30 mono on them but on the JM I use 65 lb braid backed with mono as a base and sevelon coated wire for my leaders. As far as hook steel on live bait rigs I use 4/0 circles harnessed through the eyes
sockets and 2 line hooks through the back(usually the largest trble I can get away with 6x strong) and sewn baits(usually mullet) with 7/0 j hooks tandemned 1 up and 1 down but I know to each there own as far as rigs. But I dont have a yak and although I can toss pretty decently with the 4/0 penn I was thinking of using my JM or getting a Penn 330 gt2 or bigger and spooling the same way as the jigmaster with moderate drag set and a 12 foot surf rod of my building. I also believe that you dont have to have monster gear to catch big fish just solid gear and good common sense and expect to have a bigun to hit, be prepared to work and use what I have to its fullest capability. Your right I am on a budget the more I can save the more I can devote to my veterans advocacy projects.
Tight lines
STP


----------



## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Avet all the way*

You can pack almost 400 yards of 65# braid on an Avet SX - coupled with the right rod if you are in a boat skys the limit, on the beach a little undergunned for a real big boy but I've taken up to 8' bulls with this reel - 15# of drag isn't much but its all about the PLAY of the fish , not brute force - anyone can land shark with a pool cue and a 6/0 reel - ---

PLUS AVET is all AMERICAN MADE

Penn is now Chi Com.


----------



## SoTxPighunter (Jul 5, 2012)

Website for avet


----------



## 535 (May 23, 2004)

Avet rocks but is probably not the reel if you are on a tight budget... the squidder is. if you are looking to cast with a 12' rod you most likely want to avoid levelwinds altogether but of course that is up for debate on this forum


----------



## jagarcia10 (Mar 10, 2011)

TrueblueTexican said:


> You can pack almost 400 yards of 65# braid on an Avet SX - coupled with the right rod if you are in a boat skys the limit, on the beach a little undergunned for a real big boy but I've taken up to 8' bulls with this reel - 15# of drag isn't much but its all about the PLAY of the fish , not brute force - anyone can land shark with a pool cue and a 6/0 reel - ---
> 
> PLUS AVET is all AMERICAN MADE
> 
> Penn is now Chi Com.


True, but speaking from a land based fishing scenario I think most people go with 6/0 and bigger for line capacity. Sometimes 400 yards of line isn't enough. This weekend that's about where the fish were at. My Abu 10000 which is a little bigger than the avet sx had to sit out bc it didnt have the line capacity.

Personally I like the 6/0. Not to big and not to small.


----------



## SoTxPighunter (Jul 5, 2012)

thanks for all input everyone, I settled on a 4/0 spooled with 50 pound braid. Now I'm working on my surf rod. Thinking 12 foot maybe 10, looking at rod blanks and handles right now. Dont want a broom stick but its going to have some backbone. Man, I love this stuff didnt realize how much I missed it.


----------

