Welcome to the FLORIDA SURFCASTERS forums.

Becareful and respectful of the fish and the tourists- either will go from docile to hostile in a flash. Try to fish secluded beaches....not ones with people swimming around. Inlets are good places to find sharks. If asked, mention redfish and leave the shark part out. You don't need super duty rigs and reels and rods to land six footers. The fish finder rig is a standard for sharks. Try to keep things sporty....they don't actually go very far when they run. They swim along the edges of the sand bars, in the troughs, and even little pieces of fresh fish get their attention. Set your spikes solid and use circle hooks and long handled hook removers.....and never take your eyes off the fish when you are close to it. They are extremely fast and powerful, and they get mad sometimes.

There are alot of people fishing for sharks, and the internet is full of dedicated websites. Google "land based shark fishing" and see what they use for 'stuff'. There are contests held yearly and everyone who is decent about things, wants the fish to swim away unharmed. There is a shark research site somewhere out there and they supply tags and such for you to use at no charge.

...and nothing beats hanging out with them that are really into the sport. Many little things get aquired quickly that way. Maybe you will be able to catch up with the ones who post here.

Good luck and enjoy Florida. Remember to call home when the blizzard hits up there, and they will learn to call you when the hurricanes come our way. At some point, you will begin to question why people stay up there. Then one day you will find yourself swatting skeeters in February and catch yourself talking about "Yankees"  and such ....and then your done..... and suddenly remembrances of "Home" will involve sand (we don't actually have flamingos you know). Yup.....illegal fireworks, palm trees and no state income tax- paradise. Our deer are tiny, but eat good. Lots of hunting available. I have attended many first rate dove hunts and many folks like to hunt hogs. Do yourself a great big favor.....get a snorkle mask and fins and explore the springs and such. I went scalloping in the Gulf Sunday and that was too cool.

Now if we could just get people to learn how to drive.....only Yankees ride in the left lane.

Can't offer anything on the reels.....but the kayaks.

If I was you, I would check out some of these kayak based websites around here. Apparently it isn't easy to find 'just the right' boat. People buy, then pimp them out, then sell them at a loss. I hear one can aquire a ready to go boat, with electronics and many fancy upgrades for less than a plain old new boat. Also, it is good to know where you will be using it. Some are better at being paddled long distances than others. Open expanses of water also can steer the boat off course, and certain ones do better with respect to that. Of course, some boats do better in the surf than others. I mention all of this because the kayakers I know are always getting new boats because the old one doesn't do something.

In regards to casting at boats- Years ago I got so mad at some jet skis. They just had to mess with me- over and over and over. I started frothing and reason left me, and I became focused on killing them. I had knife in teeth and was on my way out to them when a big old cop called out to me. Later I realized that if they had come to me, I probably would have filleted them, and would have had to splain myself. This is the exact same reason I don't do road rage any more either. "He cut me off.....so he and his whole family had to die" Just give them the finger, or do like Steeleader does- she moons them. maybe an airhorn would be obnoxious enough.