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best shark fishing rods

Best Shark Fishing Rods 2023 – [Buyer’s Guide]

Choosing a shark fishing rod will be mostly influenced by how you intend on fishing. 

Will you be offshore on a boat or fishing from the shore on a pier or the beach?

Depending on your where you will be fishing will probably be the number one influencing factor on what type of shark rod you buy.

Regardless of the type the best shark fishing rods all need a strong backbone, rod blank and butt section not to mention high quality components such as reel seat line guides and tip guide.

On a cheap rod the first thing to go is usually either the line guides or the reel seat, it is rarely the rod blank that will fail first.

Regardless of the type of rod you choose it should be rated as a 50 lb class rod at a minimum.

Sharks need a rod that is capable of handling sustained pressure and can run heavy mono or braid at a minimum of 50 lbs breaking strain.

Ideally you will have enough power in the rod so that the fight does not go on for too long, as in most states for the majority of shark species the fishing is catch and release only.

The quicker you can unhook them the better their chances of surviving when released.

Shark Fishing Rods for Surf Fishing

Traditional surf fishing has changed considerably in the last ten years especially for larger species like shark.

A lot of anglers are now using either a kayak or more recently drones to haul their large shark baits out past the breaking surf some as far as several hundred feet beyond it.

This approach no longer requires a long surf casting rod. Instead they can opt to use slightly longer offshore conventional rods as no casting is required.

However, if you are just starting out then a surf casting rod will be the best option.

You can run either a spinning or a conventional as your choice of shark fishing reel on these big rods, but more often than not when fishing for sharks less than six feet spinning tackle is the more popular.

A longer surf casting rod for shark fishing gives has a number of advantages over a shorter rod:

  • Better casting distance
  • Keeps line high out of the waves
  • Will be easier to detect a bite

Line guides should be ring guides only so you can use either mono or braid. Leave the roller guides to the heavier offshore shark poles.

Shark Fishing Rods for Offshore Fishing

A good offshore rod for shark will be a convention boat rod 5’6 to 6 feet with a moderate to fast taper the type that is commonly used with a harness. 

You can choose either traditional ring guides or roller guides.

It is generally considered a bad idea to pair roller guides with braid as your main line because if the line slips the roller on to the side the roller will destroy the braid.

Monofilament is a lot more forgiving when used with rollers, the only downside is a little more stretch in your line making hook sets a little less sharper.

Some prefer a fast taper others a more moderate and this is normally a personal preference thing.

Best Shark Fishing Rods

1. PENN Carnage II Surf Casting Rod

The Penn Carnage 2 surf rods are available in either a spinning or conventional model and run from a 10′ to a 12′ in length. Power wise they range from a medium to an extra/heavy.

The medium/heavy is rated for 20 to 50 lbs line and weights in the 2 to 6 ounce range.

The extra/heavy is rated for line in the 50 to 80 lbs range and weights in the 6 to 12 ounce range.

They are specifically engineered for use with braided fishing line but can still use monofilament.

All models are a two piece design.

All rods have a moderate/fast tip action. A more moderate rod action will allow you to load more of the full length of the rod blank to cast heavier weights with more efficiency.

A faster tip will give you more sensitivity and allow you to detect bites easier.

The combination of moderate/fast is the best of both and is perfectly suited for casting weighted rigs for sharks out past the surf.

They are specifically designed with surf casting in mind and if you are looking to get out past the breaking surf then the longer rods will be the better option.

The only trade off with a longer shark rod is that it you hook a very large shark then you will have a longer lever to contend with whereas a shorter rod will give you more leverage to work against the shark.

Longer rods however cast better and once in your rod holder on the beach will also keep your line higher up over the surf and breaking waves making it easier to detect bites.

They are built on SLS3 rod blanks and have Fuij K guides with Alconite inserts, they also come with a high quality Fuji reel seat.


2. Tsunami Airwave 11′ Surf Rod Heavy

A classic style surf spinning rod that is aimed at performance casting.

The Tsunami Airwave range has been designed with lowering the weight of the rod as much as possible whilst still retaining a lot of backbone, durability and casting performance.

The Airwave is built on high-fiber density blanks that lowers the average weight without sacrificing on performance.

If you find yourself casting a lot throughout the day then the Airwave is a smart choice as a heavy rod can become tiresome after a long day casting through the surf.

The heavy rated rod is rated for line in the 20 to 40 lbs range and can throw weights in the 3 to 5 ounce range.

They come equipped with Pac Bay Aluminum oxide braid friendly guides and a lightweight Fuji graphite reel seat.


3. St Croix Mojo Surf Saltwater Casting Rod

If you are looking for a rod that can be used for smaller sharks and still double up for lighter surf casting and other inshore work then the Mojo Surf line from St Croix is a safe bet.

The mojo range covers a large variety of techniques and species for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Not all shark fishing is about landing the next jaws and if your local beach, pier or dock has a healthy amount of smaller sharks in the sub 6 feet range then you can forget about needing a dedicated shark fishing rod and buy something that is usable for multiple different inshore fishing techniques.

The Mojo surf range as the name suggests if designed with surf casting in mind. St Croix are known for building exceptional rod blanks and the Mojo range is no exception.

They are built on St Croix’s SCII mid-modulus graphite fiber for lighter weight and premium sensitivity through the rod tip and down into the blank.

The heavy rated rods is suitable for line in the 10 to 20 lbs range and weights in the 1 to 4 ounce range, so these rods are clearly for small shark species.

The tip action is rated as a moderate/fast so you get the sensitivity of a fast action tip but still the better backbone and rod blank of a moderate rated rod that allows for more power to be transferred through the rod when casting.

Lightweight line guides with hardened zirconium inserts and a premium Fuji DPS reel seat for the hardware and twp coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish to round out the rods.


4. SHIMANO Tallus Blue Water Series

If you are looking for a shorter boat rod that is not as heavy duty as some roller/conventional rods then a heavy duty spinning rod can be a great alternative.

Heavy duty  spinning rods are a bit more versatile than a standup roller rod so you can target multiple species with these rods and a broader range of techniques. 

The Shimano Talus is rated for line in the 50 to 100 lbs range and comes in at a length of 6’9″ making it very usable on a boat.

The tip section has a fast action for quick hook sets and better sensitivity whilst using single hooks on bait rigs.

They are designed for use with braided fishing line and feature Fuji Aluminum Oxide guides with a Shimano reel seat.

They are built on Shimano TC4 rod blanks which is their heavy duty rod technology for added durability.


5. SHIMANO TLD A Stand Up

The Shimano TLD A Stand Up is a classic style conventional roller offshore rod for big shark fishing.

Once you start to target larger species of shark a purpose built offshore rod really starts to make sense.

Big sharks put a massive strain on not only your rod blank and reel but also on the line guides and roller guides are one way to ensure that you line moves as smoothly as possible with the least amount of friction when under very heavy loads.

There are four rods available in the range a 20 lbs rod that has normal guides and then the 30, 50 and 80 lbs class rods which all feature roller guides.


Shark Fishing Rods

As we discussed above your choice of fishing rod for sharks will be determined by whether you are fishing from a boat or from the beach/pier.

All rod for shark fishing need to be well built with a lot of power through the rod blank and down into the butt section. 

You also need to make sure that the reel seat and the line guides or rollers are of the highest quality to help reduce any friction between the line and the guides.

Shark fishing gear should last years of use and abuse if you buy quality from the beginning.

Surf Shark Rods

Assuming you are actually casting your bait out and not using a kayak to haul it out over the breaking surf then a long surf rod with a heavy power rating usually in the 50 to 80 lbs range is the best rod for the job.

Length

Personally I would not use a shark fishing pole for this type of fishing under ten feet in length.

A longer pole that is eleven or twelve feet long will have a number of advantages over a shorter rod.

A long rod once set into the rod holder will hold your line up high in the air above the crashing waves.

This also keeps the line high in the water off of the ocean floor free from any snags and also giving you a lot more feedback through the line.

You will also gain a notable amount of distance when casting. A longer rod is basically a much bigger lever and once you load the rod blank that lever becomes a huge spring that will help to whip a large bait and weight a lot further than any short rod can.

Action

Rod action describes where on the rod blank the rod will start to bend naturally once you apply some pressure to it.

A fast action will bend higher up the blank towards the tip.

What rod action for surf casting for sharks ?

A fast rod action is best when surf fishing for sharks from the beach or a pier. This is will give you the best casting characteristics but also a more sensitive tip for detecting bites.

Power

Given their size a heavy rod action is a must for all shark fishing. Look for rods that are rated from 50 to 80 lbs.

Anything smaller and although you may end up landing the shark chances are it will take a long time and a tired shark has a lot lower chance of surviving once released than one that is played quickly.

Offshore Shark Rods

Size

On a boat shorter is nearly always better so look for a good conventional offshore boat rod in that is either 5’5″ or 6′ in length.

A shorter rod give you a lot more leverage against a heavy shark and combined with a high torque reel(low gearing) you should be able to exert enough pressure to reel them in quickly.

High quality jigging rods or trolling rods will be required if you are targeting really big sharks.

Short poles are also a lot easier to use on a boat than a long rod unless you are trolling and running a lot of planer boars out wide.

Ring Guides vs Rollers ?

Roller assembly braid mono in rings no chaff

The main advantage that roller guides give you on big game rods is that they reduce the amount of friction between the line and the guide.

But if your line pops off onto the side of the roller it can make bits of your line especially if you are using braid.

Monofilament is the better option if you opt for a pole with roller guides.

Modern ring guides especially the higher end ones are so hard now that they will wear very little and cause very little friction against the line.

There is very little to go wrong with a simple ring guide assuming it is of a decent quality.

You do see a lot of anglers that use a roller guide on the tip and then ring guides on the rest of the rod but in my opinion this is a mistake. 

You should either go all roller guides or all ring guides no mixing and matching as once you use one of the other type you loose the benefits of the type of guide.

Bent Butt or Straight ?

If you are new to offshore fishing then you may never have encountered a bent butt rod before.

These rods are for using in a fighting chair. One thing to remember that this kind of setup if not tournament legal and so if you intend on doing some tournaments then a straight butt rod is the way to go.

Straight butt rods can be used in a belt or harness.

A really high end expensive rods the butt will be solid aluminum and they can be flicked from the straight position into a bent but as there is a pivot point just below the reel seat.

Materials

Fiberglas or some form of modern fiberglass blend with either graphite or carbon fiber but straight up fiberglass is a pretty solid bet.

The standard of epoxy resin will also have an impact of the final quality of the rod.

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shark fishing gear and tackle

Shark Fishing Gear and Tackle

Shark fishing is one of the most exciting types of fishing you can do from either the beach or on a boat. Your shark fishing gear needs to be able to handle these big aggressive fish.

These fearsome predators with their rows of razor sharp teeth and coarse like skin require fishing tackle that is up to the job.

Light tackle is not up to the job and if you have ever hooked a shark accidentally on lighter gear you probably know that they don’t tire easily and the fight could last several hours.

You don’t want to end up fighting a shark for too long. Larger fish if played for hours can die from the fatigue even if they swim off.

That’s why your shark fishing gear needs to be able to handle and control large fish.

Shark Fishing Gear for Beach

1. Rod

A good shark fishing rod needs to match how and where you will be fishing from and also the size of shark you will be targeting on a regular basis.

If you are mostly fishing from a boat then a shorter boat rod is usually the preferred choice.

A shorter rod gives you much better power from a leverage point of view. This rods are short, stout and can handle a huge amount of pressure whilst hauling up from deeper waters.

Just what type of power rating your need and the choice between using a spinning rod or a conventional rod will again depend on the size of shark you target.

For shorter 6 foot sized sharks a spinning rod is more than enough but once you move to larger fish then I would opt for a conventional rod and reel for shark fishing.

If fishing from the beach then clearly a short rod will not be sufficient. Longer rods cast better and a good surf fishing rod will help to get your bait out into deeper water where it belongs.

Lighter inshore fishing rods will not handle larger sharks so best to choose your tackle wisely.

2. Reel

The correct choice of shark fishing reel is one that matches your rod and line setup. Spinning reels can be used on smaller species, once you move to the larger types of shark then you would be better to move to a conventional reel.

Conventional reels will always provide a lot more cranking power over a spinning reel.

They can also hold a lot more line and if you are deep sea fishing and trolling on a boat then they are the superior choice every time.

3. Line

Although some fishermen will always stick to monofilament I am a firm believer in using braided fishing line for shark fishing.

Sharks have tough and very coarse skin. That skin can wreck braid when it rubs off of it. The coarse skin will run the braid by cutting through individual strands of the braid which then results in large section of it thinning and then eventually snapping.

The trick is to use a heavy monofilament shock leader that gives a bit of stretch but more importantly mono is more resilient to the abrasive skin on sharks.

You can use up to a ten foot mono leader. And then a wire trace or leader right at the hook.

4. Hooks

Circle hooks are by far the most popular choice for shark fishing as due to their shape they help to keep the line or leader clear of the sharks rows of sharp teeth.

That being said some fishermen quite simply refuse to use them even though they can have a slightly higher hook up rate.

There is also a huge debate in the shark fishing community regarding whether or not you should use a barb-less hook.

Barb-less hooks make removing he hook from a sharks mouth significantly easier and if you are releasing the shark then you need to make the process of returning the shark to the water as quickly and efficiently as possible.

5. Leader

No discussion around shark fishing gear and tackle would be complete without mentioning a heavy leader.

Although there is an argument to say that circle hooks should help to keep your line away from the sharks teeth in my experience you are always better off using a strong wire leader up to the hook.

As mentioned above a wire leader is pretty abrasion resistant and sharks have very rough skin which can destroy braided fishing line.

Also Read: Eating Sharks

You can of course use heavy mono as you leader. Mono holds up better than braid on coarse skin.

A leader also acts as a shock absorber. Running heavy mono to the hook gives you a certain amount of stretch.

Personally I always choose a wire leader as you never know just what type of shark may take your bait and having that extra confidence that they won’t chew through your leader is very re-assuring.

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