I’m changing up my shark fishing rig. Haven’t caught any sharks yet anyway. Currently have a Penn Senator 6/0 and a Shimano TLD25 on boat rods. I want to switch over to a spinning reel so I can cast a little better. I will yak my bait out some too.
I was considering a Penn Battle 8000 but nice gentleman at Hadrells recommended the Daiwa BG60 or BG90. He said they are work horses and another guy who was there concurred and said he loves his Daiwa reels. I definitely like the feel and look of the Penn alot more, but I’m going more for durability and the ability to horse in sharks up to 6ft (or bigger).
Anyone have any opinion about these two reels or would you recommend I spend more money and go with something like a Shimao or Spinfisher? I was trying to stay in the $100 range but I may sell my TLD25 and Penn 6/0 to get something better. But I’d rather keep the cost down and I probably only will get to shark fish 3 or 4 times a month. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I promise you will be happier if you spend the extra $50 - $100, makes a world of a difference and I have almost only shimano and penn gear and it never fails! I have a bunch of penn fierce reels from 4 years ago that work like new still, penn is definitely going to be the most bang for the buck! And another reel would be the shimano baitrunner 12000 d, and in my opinion best reel out right now for shark fishing and for the money is the penn conflict 8000. Just my $0.2
The BGs were great in their time and are still solid reels but the technology is outdated. The new Spinfishers are definitely worth looking at for surf fishing applications.
The new Penn SSV’s all the way! All metal construction, totally sealed and water proof and enought drag to stop just about anything in the surf. In the 950 and 10500, you will pack plenty of mono. And if you go braid, even more! I have a few of these new SSV’s and they have proven themselves. You won’t find a reel with all these features for the money!! One caveat tho, the HT100 drag is sensitive to adjustment. One or two clicks of the knob makes a big difference. Not like the old Penn SS reels that you could wind the knob like a clock and still get smoked. You won’t be disappointed!
Travis,
A cheaper alternative to the shimano baitrunner is the okuma coronado. I had one for about six years before it finally seized up. I’m not sure what happened to it but it caught alot of big fish. It was well worth what I paid for it. I have two shimano big baitrunner long cast reels and several battles as well. I really like the baitrunner and I’d recommend it over the battle if you’re willing to spend the extra money.
Thanks everyone. KillinR I was going to ask that next. I have an Okuma Avenger that I picked up for cheap and I really like the bait feed option. I think it would be great to have for shark fishing from the surf.
So the BG90 is kicked to the curb. I think I’m leaning towards Penn SSV 10500 or the Shimano Baitrunner 12500d. The ssv 10500 has 40lbs of drag compared to the Shimanos 25lbs. Any thoughts on that?
When shark fishing on a spinning reel without a baitrunner option I’m assuming that you just lower the drag. Is it harder to hook up with a fish not having the baitrunner option?
Thanks guys!
Salt Life Travis
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:3
I had a brand new shimano thunnis 16000 reel fail in one seasons use! Over priced and junk from a bicycle parts company. Before you guys flame me for my hatred of Shimano, if you don’t service your own reels and can’t see the difference in the beefiness of reel components, don’t comment. If you have to have the bait runner feature, the SSV comes in an 850 live liner.
Thanks RACRX. Thats the kind of info I’m interested in. Question, which reel did you catch that 7’3 sand tiger on? If it doesnt have the live liner option, how do you set the drag when waiting for a shark to pick up your bait? What’s the transition like once a shark grabs bait and you are ready to set hook and tighten drag? I’d rather go with the larger 950 or 10500 but my inexperience isn’t sure about how that plays out on one of these reels. Thanks for helping me out here!
Salt Life Travis
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:3
The 10500 is huge. If you mainly plan to cast your bait, an 8500 on a 10’ star aerial from haddrells will run about 200 for the combo. A battle works great too, until the spinfishers came out every person on requiem had a battle 8000. I personally made the switch to bike junk as far as spinners but only when the saragosa became water resistant.
Thanks Stan. I saw you pulling in that 6’ bt on you tube last year. Thanks for mentioning that about the 10500. I haven’t been able to put my hands on one. Will strongly consider the 8500.
Salt Life Travis
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:3
The penn conflict would be good for surf fishing. I have a 2500 that I use inshore and it has brought in many large reds without a problem. It has sealed ball bearings and holds up to abuse. Its basically a step up from the battle.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
I also have a Penn Spinfisher 10" rod that I use with Sargus reel. Very good combo. Went out to Folly surf this past Thursday but the waves were sooooooooooooooo choppy and the current was ripping… I will be going out again soon if anyone wants to join me…
That sand tiger was caught on the 10500. I also run a Torque 9 in the surf. I’ll put those two reels up against any other spinner from any maker any day of the week :)You want line capacity and drag, go with the 10500. Untouchable for the money. I will dig that ****mano out later and post a pic of what failed. It’s been repaired and no longer fished and yes, I’ll gladly sell it
