Heading to bolivar next weekend and needed advice on using a shock leader or not. Never fished from beach before. I plan on using 30 lb. mono, a fish finder rig, and unsure whether my 4/0 circle hooks are big enough or not. Also what types of fish are good for eating. Prefer something I can cut filets from. Thanks.

Smaller hooks will get you more hookups, although many will be smaller fish also. I usually use a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook with good results, and I fillet all of my bring home catch. but the larger size hook will get you larger fish almost exclusively.

30lb mono should do well with up to 3 0zs of lead, 4, if you aren't swinging for the stars, and a 8 foot or so rod. It also depends on how long your rod is, longer rods will provide much more force on the weight thus demanding a heavier shock leader.

If you are targeting mid range sharks, you might want to add 20 or so feet of heavier line as an abrasion protector more than shock leader, although I have caught my share of keeper sized bonnets with 20 or 30lb line.

Definitely not really looking forward to catching a shark. Might scare family from ever getting in water again. My rod is somewhere around 7 foot. I know it won't get me out too far but the more I read I should be fine walking out to second sandbar and then tossing it. Is it necessary to use anything heavier than a 3 oz weight. I currently have nothing that heavy and am trying to make a list of stuff to grab before I go.

Correction, measured pole and is 8 1/2 foot.

If the surf isn't too rough, a 3 oz spyder weight will work. Many times I go down to two, it all depend on the water. To be honest, I have caught a whole lot of eating sized fish fishing the wade (first) gut, just inside the sandbar.

Thanks alot for the help.