I tie the 200# mono, not sure of the name of the knot, but basically you double the end of the line thread it through the eye, tie a single knot like you do in your shoe before a bow, then take the look around the hook and pull tight.

Zeek;

If you decide to bleed them like I do make sure you keep the boat moving forward while they are bleeding out, otherwise they die before they bleed out and the blood stays in them.

Shark Fighter, stay away from the spinning reels for sharks, they are fine on the smaller sharks but not the larger ones, not enough line capacity and the gearing is way off.

I like the Tidewater rods because of the rollers on the end eye of the pole, for me I "feel" like it helps keep the line from chaffing and kinking on the eye, but it's probably more mental that actually based in fact.

Palomar Knot!

That's the one. Amazingly fast to tie and for as simple as that knot is it's never let me down.

SharkFighter, I will be returning from Iraq in june Also. Are you In the National Guard?