What Pound Line is Best for Shark Fishing?

What Pound Line is Best for Shark Fishing?

I get asked this question all the time when a customer orders one of my Shark Rods, like the Great White. The answer is not straightforward because it depends on what kind of sharks you are hunting. Blue sharks are rather small and so you could use 30 lb to 50 lb. Great White sharks on the other hand are very large, so you want to go very heavy like 200+ lb.

The rule of thumb for fish weight to line weight is this:

For new anglers, a 3 to 1 ratio of fish weight to line weight. So, you can catch a 100 lb. shark with 30 lb. fishing line. If you are more experienced then you can use the 5 to 1 ratio. You can catch a 250 lb. shark on 50 lb. braided line. If you are really experienced or a tournament pro then use the 9 to 1 ratio.

It is always recommended to use the heaviest line that your rod and reel can handle when shark fishing especially for Tiger Sharks, Mako Sharks, Hammerhead and Great White sharks. These sharks can get enormous in size. Tigers and Great Whites get well over 1,000 lbs. Heavier fishing line will give you an edge should you hook into something really big. Sharks are very tough fighters and very strong. It takes a while to wear them out. Heavy line will allow you to increase the drag to the max without risk of line breakage.

When it comes to fishing line for shark fishing, go with an 8 or 16 strand braided fishing line. The 4 strand braids are not as smooth and the knot strength is not as good as the 8 or 16 strand braids. 16 strand braids are the best fishing line you can buy and it’s not cheap…like $150.00 for 1,000 yards of 200 lb. test. It is WORTH IT!!

The 8 and 16 strand braided fishing lines are super smooth and create less friction than other lines which will reduce wear and heat where it touches the rod guides. Less friction and heat means less risk of failure. There is also just about zero stretch. Setting the hook is easier with a non-stretchy fishing line. Setting the hook with a good braided fishing line is very positive and solid. Not springy. Sharks have tough mouths and it takes a good set to get them hooked well.

The 8 and 16 strand braided fishing line have a really small diameter. They are extremely thin which allows you to store more line on your reel than with monofilament. 500 lb braided fishing line has a diameter of 2 mm or 0.0787 inches. 130 lb. 16 strand braided fishing line has a diameter of 0.6 mm or 0.0236 inches. That’s tiny.