The 2012 Light tackle challenge 
I only fish a 4/0 now, sold my 14/0 last week! It is my opinion that the big rigs are out dated and with the new braided lines useless. I challenge everyone to the 4/0 fish off, pack your trusty 4/0 with braid and see who can land the largest (weight) shark this summer? email me if your in, maybe we can get a little tournament going with some prizes. I guarantee fighting a 300lb+ shark on a 8 foot rod with a 4/0 packed with 800 yards of 80lb braid is more fun than you could have with anything over a 6/0! winching in a shark on a 16/0 is about as exciting as stubbing your toe! Run your ass up and down the beach yak out around the crab traps to save that shark from being cut off and you will have a blast! I live in Clearwater on the west coast of florida but it does not matter we can do this nation wide! Requires photos of the fight and landing to qualify, video would be better 
I dont buy the whitness endorsement for tournaments because your whitness is a lier as well We could do a small entry fee and give away a high end 4/0 class reel or some sort of grand prize 2nd & 3rd prizes as well? I might even put up a grand prize my self and call it the 2012 Squirrel Memorial Light Tackle Shark Tournament for all my brothers and sisters that got squished crossing the road this year! Email let me know if anyone is in i would like to start this thing ASAP, if your in please respond below with your location and interest level as far as putting in for prizes or just for the fun of it let me know.
I think you are missing the point with fishing a large reel. I fish a 4/0 everol and a 14/0 everol, I dont fish the 14 with intentions of catching anything other than 10ft plus and preferably a hammer. I have caught plenty of 7-9ft sharks on my 4/0 everol and while it can be fun at times, catching "small" sharks bores me as its too easy. I got dumped once last year before my line to line from braid to mono (a uni to uni...now tie a mod bristol) gave out, but I am certain I would have been spooled if not drag cutting the line.
So, what I am saying is that most people that fish big reels don't look for small sharks, they just happen to catch them. And yes their are sharks that will trash big 14/0s and 16/0s even loaded with braid (ask timmy t about his internation 130 getting dumped).
I think you are missing the point with fishing a large reel. I fish a 4/0 everol and a 14/0 everol, I dont fish the 14 with intentions of catching anything other than 10ft plus and preferably a hammer. I have caught plenty of 7-9ft sharks on my 4/0 everol and while it can be fun at times, catching "small" sharks bores me as its too easy. I got dumped once last year before my line to line from braid to mono (a uni to uni...now tie a mod bristol) gave out, but I am certain I would have been spooled if not drag cutting the line.
So, what I am saying is that most people that fish big reels don't look for small sharks, they just happen to catch them. And yes their are sharks that will trash big 14/0s and 16/0s even loaded with braid (ask timmy t about his internation 130 getting dumped).
So are you in the tournament? Or are you a yellow belly
I wouldn't consider 80lb test light tackle at all... that's more or less medium-heavy, your tournament is more about small reels then what is used on them. A big shark on light tackle is an 11ft hammer on a jigmaster. Which can be accounted for . A good tournament host wouldn't bash a type of fishermen and call their tackle outdated and useless... Big reel fishermen utilize new super-lines as well. My 12/0 now has 600-800 yards of 200lb spectra with sizable topshot on it because I have had my reel dumped before. There are sharks out there that can trash the biggest and most powerful reels you have ever seen and drag you up and down the beach without effort.
Just an average fisherman.
I wouldn't consider 80lb test light tackle at all... that's more or less medium-heavy, your tournament is more about small reels then what is used on them. A big shark on light tackle is an 11ft hammer on a jigmaster. Which can be accounted for . A good tournament host wouldn't bash a type of fishermen and call their tackle outdated and useless... Big reel fishermen utilize new super-lines as well. My 12/0 now has 600-800 yards of 200lb spectra with sizable topshot on it because I have had my reel dumped before. There are sharks out there that can trash the biggest and most powerful reels you have ever seen and drag you up and down the beach without effort.
Wow I never thought I would get so much fall out for trying to stir up a little fun for the summer! Yes I know there are sharks that would pull drag from my warren winch mounted on my truck or spool a 16/0 with the best line and angler at the crank! I am sorry for insulting anyone with my "opinion" and before anyone gives me a lesson I have been a land lubber since I was 7 years old when I started fishing with the original West Coast Anglers and have seen 16's stripped, a guy pulled through the rail by a smaller (300lb bull) shark, a 16 foot hammer head caught on a 3/0 with 20lb test mono (on a boat) and have forgot more in the last 33 years i have been big game fishing from land than most will ever witness! I agree with all of you and I am not a "A good tournament host" nor do i claim to be the best angler as I still learn new tricks all the time. Yes you are correct in the 80lb line is heavy not light tackle but you figured out what I was trying to say and hope you understand I was only trying to stir excitement for the sport but suck at it apparently. I don't kill sharks and eat the fish I keep legally and with that said my "weight" idea is out as well! So I will remove the post and go fishing and try and bring someone along that is new to the sport to fulfill my need to share the feeling i had the first time i battled a good size shark and won! To close my rambling I stated the big Penn's were out dated in my opinion, what i meant was in 1978 to get enough line on a reel to row a bait out off the beach on the west coast of Florida you needed at least a 9/0 and now with the modern lines i can pack a jig master with enough 50lb braid to enable my bait to be dropped on the far side of the sand bar. I apologize to all i have offended and it was not my intention.
Regards,
Joe
Wow I never thought I would get so much fall out for trying to stir up a little fun for the summer! Yes I know there are sharks that would pull drag from my warren winch mounted on my truck or spool a 16/0 with the best line and angler at the crank! I am sorry for insulting anyone with my "opinion" and before anyone gives me a lesson I have been a land lubber since I was 7 years old when I started fishing with the original West Coast Anglers and have seen 16's stripped, a guy pulled through the rail by a smaller (300lb bull) shark, a 16 foot hammer head caught on a 3/0 with 20lb test mono (on a boat) and have forgot more in the last 33 years i have been big game fishing from land than most will ever witness! I agree with all of you and I am not a "A good tournament host" nor do i claim to be the best angler as I still learn new tricks all the time. Yes you are correct in the 80lb line is heavy not light tackle but you figured out what I was trying to say and hope you understand I was only trying to stir excitement for the sport but suck at it apparently. I don't kill sharks and eat the fish I keep legally and with that said my "weight" idea is out as well! So I will remove the post and go fishing and try and bring someone along that is new to the sport to fulfill my need to share the feeling i had the first time i battled a good size shark and won! To close my rambling I stated the big Penn's were out dated in my opinion, what i meant was in 1978 to get enough line on a reel to row a bait out off the beach on the west coast of Florida you needed at least a 9/0 and now with the modern lines i can pack a jig master with enough 50lb braid to enable my bait to be dropped on the far side of the sand bar. I apologize to all i have offended and it was not my intention.
Regards,
Joe
Although I do not think you did anything wrong, your apology was really sincere and genuine. I think anyone you offended should have a second look at your tournament idea. I kinda like it, but ONLY IF the fight is recorded on video (at least the last minute) because for $20 you can get a cheap one at walmart and dig it into the sand by sawing off the rubber feet on it: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Inland-Pro-48 ... 7/16422755
I think it's good we have a friendly atmosphere to toss ideas around like this one. Sometimes when I make a new thread about an idea I had for shark tagging, I didn't even get 1 seriously reply. Just a couple pm's asking if I got started yet. Overall, sign me up for your shark tournament because once you mix money involved, you got to maintain the integrity of the tournament, which a video can provide. (but I don't know how you can record at night without a spotter or fog lights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ohsLgbe ... page#t=33s
Anyways, I think you have a great idea and should not give up yet. Maybe once enough time passes since the big hammerhead challenge, that the teams will start getting that itch again for another fishing tournament! Heck, I mainly want this tournament to succeed because I narrowly missed the 2012 BHC by about one month. I love shark fishing already, but having it on light tackle will just make it all the more fun and enjoyable.
Great Idea Joe I hope you move forward with it.
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
the only prob i see with a "light" tackle tournament with nothing bigger then a 4/0 is that a everol 4/0 is the size of a 30w i think. a senator 4/0 wide is the size of a 6/0. it would have to be strictly senators in a 4/0 and bellow
the only prob i see with a "light" tackle tournament with nothing bigger then a 4/0 is that a everol 4/0 is the size of a 30w i think. a senator 4/0 wide is the size of a 6/0. it would have to be strictly senators in a 4/0 and bellow
A 4/0 everol is a 30 not a wide, but basically the same line capacity as a 6/0 senator.
What if we don't like braid. 
Could we have a mono class and braid class.
I'm in for the fun but i going to fish spinners reels only
Just saw this post i would be in on it definatly set it up
I am in. sounds like fun to me
You Guys Have To Remember That This Club Was Started With 4/0's No One Back In The Days Owned A Reel Bigger Than A 6/0
30 international are allowed?....................size of a 4/0..........if so Im in partner