SoCal specific shark rod

[jrodda]

My Penn Carnage 12’ 6-12oz rod has been getting the job done for a few years, but I’ve been thinking up ways to build a better rod.

It has a moderate bend but it is a broomstick. I assume most surf rods are designed more for casting lures. I think something with a little more bounce like a glass jigstick would be nice.

The rear grips are just ridiculous. I think mine is like 23” or something. I suppose I’ve gotten used to it, but lately I’ve started thinking about taking a hack saw and cutting it to 15-18”.

Have y’all refined your shark heavers to your preferences? I’d love to hear the thought processes and justifications to how you’re approaching the shark rod from the handle to the blank to anything else.

[Latimeria]

I've modified one of my Batson 1569 heavers and it turned out great.  I wish I had that 14" back for the total rod length, but I was super happy with shortening it to how I cast big gear in the surf.

As for my other heavers, one is still sock, and the other I was able to give dimensions to my builder so he could make the butt length  and reel seat to where I wanted.  I generally like a longer butt section, but find I like having a few different lengths in my arsenal as it makes for refreshing trips every time I switch up the rods.

[Farmer_Joey]

https://www.hifishgear.com/collections/ulua-rods/products/okuma-hawaiian-custom-ulua-rod

I fish an hxw raptor with one of these that i had completely rewrapped. Deckhand wrapped with paracord from right at the top of the 12in steel butt all the way to the top thread where the dark blue stops and the light blue starts. Put an extra guide right above that and get the rest of the guides replaced with either alps hxn or fuji hb guides and it ends up looking like a giant 13ft jigstick. Put my hxw raptor right above the steel butt so I only have 12in under the reel and cast south african style with the reel down in my left hand and the grip of the rod up in my right hand, it allows you to get a better grip on the spool when casting huge baits and also allows more of the rod to flex during the cast.  It's a beast of a surf rod and I'm able to fish straight 100lb hollowcore braid to 30ft of 100-135lb mono shock leader and fish my drag at a little over 30lbs. It casts a 10-12oz spider weight with another 9-10+ ounces of bait with no problem, casts typically measure between 70-90 yards with a bait. Might be a bit overkill.