Esssentials for shark fishing the beach-What's in your box?

Fishing the beach can be very difficult or can be made much easier by the gear you have.Just the fact that you will have to lug your gear over the soft sand where your feet sink in and traction is a problem can make the thought of shark fishing on a beach an unpleasant thought for many . The elements on a beach can make you burn in the sun ,get soaking wet in the rain and freezing in the winter.Shark fishing on a beach requires that you learn to work smarter not harder,,,,,,conserve your energy for that MONSTER that might have you strapped into a harness and running up and down a beach for 3 or 4 hours .We fish for the monsters,we anticipate the moment we hook them,and we try to be prepared both physically and mentally.Having the right gear can make all the difference.
#1 on my list is a Kayak with two ropes attached to the front end,,,,,,the reason is simple you load up your kayak with your gear and two people can pull one on each rope to get your gear to your spot on the water.
#2 Once you're on your spot you need to unload your gear and you need a place to rest your rods.The easiest way is a portable chair that you can quickly open up and lean your rods on before you start pounding in your rod spikes into the sand.Never lay your rods on the sand which can get in the spool or on your roller tip or guides
#3 An umbrella will keep the sun off your back and will save you from the wind and rain,,,,,so this is a vital piece of equipment.
#4 A gallon of water will keep your reel from burning up when you hook that 14 foot hammer and will keep you hydrated during the long expected tussle .Without water the body cannot function,,,,forget the soda -water is the key.
#5 A good life vest-safety first!!Many things can go wrong when you're on a tiny boat in rough surf so keep from drowning by always wearing a life vest.
#6 A good flashlight is essential for night fishing.I like to have a couple of headlamps to pass out to my fishing partners when fishing a beach where the turtle patrol does not allow lanterns or bong fires during nesting season.
#7 A sleeping bag can serve to keep you warm and as a place to lay your valubles so that they are not on the sand .Sand can make stuff disappear real quick so find a place where you can place your stuff I like the open sleeping bag for that purpose.Cel phones,car keys,sunglasses,wallets etc,etc are all things you want to keep off the sand.
#8 A good knife for cutting bait,personal defense (believe me all kinds of weirdos come out in the middle of the night)and to cut a line quickly if a boat comes close to the beach and is stripping line off your reel,,,,,,a quick slice of the knife will save valuble line from disappearing from your spool.
#9 A tarp to keep you and your valubles if it starts raining.Aside from an umbrella I always keep a tarp in my gear it will give you better coverage if the storm blows in heavy rain.
#10 Garbage bags for your junk and to throw out your bait at the end of the day.Many beaches don't have garbage cans close to the waters edge so a garbage bag will help keep the beaches clean so the locals can't find an excuse to complain about the dirty shark fisherman leaving garbage all over there otherwise pristine beach.Be smart.
A wide breamed hat and sunscreen to keep you out of the harmful rays when fishing the daytime.An extra change of clothes.A good camera,A dehooker,two good pair of gloves for wiring your shark, Wire cutters ,extra hooks,extra swivels, and wire or cable with crimps.
TO BE CONTINUED
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
#8 A good knife for cutting bait,personal defense (believe me all kinds of weirdos come out in the middle of the night).
...and you don't want to have to face someone with a flimsy fillet knife! Seriously though, a ccw always makes you feel more comfortable by yourself at 2 a.m.
Y'All probably laugh,but SPACE BLANKETS , you know those silver shiny ,tarp -lookin' things , they are cheap enough,& fold up so small that you could put 4 or5 in your gear
they can take the place of a tarp,if you forget it, for shade or duck under it in pouring rain , pitch it slanted ,
they definitely retain heat on cold days, you can lay it out & sit on it ,lay your rods on it without sand getting in the reels,
AKABAR or big folding knife with pocket clip comes in handy ,especially one with the clip put it in your top pocket,
When you'll need it, it'll be needed in a hurry ,to cut line,
cold Steel VOYAGER X2 is a good one big enough to use for ANYTHING,it's a folding BOWIE..'nuff said
Those cheapie LED flashlites we all see at the hardware stores ,about 3" square, run on 2 or 3 AAAbatteries, they run forever too clip to your pocket /have a hanging hook & they too ,are cheap enough to have 3 or 4 ,they ARE handy
We used to use a two wheeled cart like the older ladies use at the supermarket to get our Beach 'stuff' out there , they work well,
making a two or three wheel frame to lay your gear filled kayak on with ballon type tires so it doesn't bog in the sand, lay it on &strap it down
I carry a few things in my box that I didn't see listed here. My tackle box is a big 10 gallon Rubbermaid tote, so I load it up:
-Rain jacket with pants. The fishing doesn't stop.
-Dollar store airhorn. We use it to signal the kayaker when they are out at sea and can't hear you yelling.
-Ziplock bag with 1/2 a roll of TP and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
-Cheap small boombox radio sometimes.
-ZIP-TIES, ZIP-TIES, ZIP-TIES!!! They are used for EVERYTHING!
-Dinner. I'll barbecue the night before to feed everyone on the trip.
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