Start off by saying thank you for adding me to the group. I am very interested in learning to shark fish. I'm new to salt water fishing. I live in melbourne. Need to know best set up. Real, pole size, hook size bait, good spot on shore, etc. Any help is appreciated thank you
Welcome aboard! Beginners luck always seems to be the best luck, so have a great time out there and be safe. Questions for you: What do you want to fish for (50 foot hammerheads or 6 foot blacktips)? Also, how much do you want to spend? Rods and reels can get expensive if you let them.
G'day salty
Victoria is a pretty interesting place to fish for sharks because it offers some of the best gummy shark fishing in the country from the shore as well as opportunities for makos and GWs through the Bass Strait.
If you're just getting started in the sport and going landbased I'd definitely recommend starting on casting gear.
Here's a great article on surf fishing for gummies.
http://www.hookedupmagazine.com.au/how-to/surf-gummies/
If you're hoping for whalers and other smaller sharks the same tactics apply, you'll just need a larger reel with more line capacity/drag and to use a heavier leader and trace.
If you're looking at getting after the southern monsters you're going to need a lot more specialized, expensive gear, but I would definitely recommend starting small and learning how to handle fish safely before going after the big-uns.
Cheers
Drongo
Update:
I didn't realize there was a melbourne in Florida and assumed you were another aussie, ignore my previous comment 