equipment

2busy · 05-31-2008, 02:51 AM

need to figure out what size reel for Aj and yellowfin. how much drag should i be looking for in a reel to handle those fish.

I have an avet 6/3 2 spd but i dont know if it is quite big enuff to turn an aj before it gets me in the structure.I rented a reel last time(newell) and never did get hooked up . broke off several times and right at hookset. I think the line was rotten.

not looking for spinning tackle as i may need to go to the rail. need a good quality rod and reel that wont break the bank.also i like 2 spd reels. thanks.

Also Mcgolfer how can i get in touch? i looked in the phone book but didnt see a listing.I'm the other okie that likes saltwater.

paul708 · 05-31-2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2busy

need to figure out what size reel for Aj and yellowfin. how much drag should i be looking for in a reel to handle those fish.

I have an avet 6/3 2 spd but i dont know if it is quite big enuff to turn an aj before it gets me in the structure.I rented a reel last time(newell) and never did get hooked up . broke off several times and right at hookset. I think the line was rotten.

not looking for spinning tackle as i may need to go to the rail. need a good quality rod and reel that wont break the bank.also i like 2 spd reels. thanks.

Also Mcgolfer how can i get in touch? i looked in the phone book but didnt see a listing.I'm the other okie that likes saltwater.

have you looked at the saltiga 40 or 50?

Muddskipper · 05-31-2008, 09:35 AM

I went with a Shimano Tiagra 30 wide an hve been happy......

Proabably could have gone with the reg. spool width, but wanted to have more capicity for bill fish.

Spooled with 130 hollow core braid, and good to go.

Outhouse · 05-31-2008, 03:31 PM

How are you going to fish and what size fish are you targeting. The AJ fishing I have done in the GOM, an Avet JX 2speed would be perfect. I have caught fish up to 45 pounds and this reel would be perfect. Can handle 30-50# test and is small enough that it won't beat you up fishing it all day.

Bellyups · 05-31-2008, 04:10 PM

2busy,

It depends on how you want to use the setup. There are several choices

1. Conventional larger 2 speed lever drag with roller guide rod: Good for chunking and live baiting and trolling. This will always catch fish but couldn't be used for jigging or popping. I would consider Tiagra 30 or 50 series as mentioned above or similar reel from Avet, Daiwa, Penn. There has been some talk about Autecnos and Everol lately and they look like nice reels but I haven't seen or fished with them. Match the reel to a 60, 80, or even 100 pound roller rod by Seeker or Calstar. The fiberglass series by these companies are very good and will not break the bank. Expect to spend about $700 for this set up, but it will last a long time and catch a lot of fish. That said, for less money, those Penn 6/0 reels sure seem to catch a lot of fish for a long time. These Penn 6/0 aren't pretty, but they put fish in the boat and are cheap.

2. Casting/popping: Many choices. I would just spend the bucks and buy a stella 20000 (which can also be used for jigging and even dropping baits to large AJs and groupers). If you want to use the rail, you will need a conventional reel and a saltiga 40 or 50 mentioned above should work well. Berkley Gulp Alive, Okuma Reels, US Reels, Power Pro, Angler Systems has them on sale (10% off with free shipping) and I just bought a 50 from him. Good service from Jeff at that company and the reel seems very nice. I can use it for jigging too. I would match this set up to a 50-80 pound rod that can cast and is at least 7 feet long.

3. Jigging: lots of choices. Mine would be Stella 8K, 10K, or 20K. I know, expensive, but you won't need anything else. Also consider Trinidad 40, ocea jigger 4000p or 5000p, saltiga 30T, 40, 50, or the accurate 2 speeds boss series. Rods--I can go on forever. Hopefully others will help out.

2busy · 05-31-2008, 11:28 PM

I have the lx 6/3 2 spd i use for 50#. spectra backing and mono top shot. i have it on a seeker rs/rt rod. it does good and is light enough to fish with all day. i was going to put it on a 7 ft casting rod for top water and jigs. right now about all i can do is bottom fish and diamond jigs. just not enough distance out of the rod for casting.

last trip was on the big E and just didnt have the right gear for top water as that was what the yellowfin were hitting.

right now i'm looking at a reel to turn the aj's from structure. probably be using live bait. then a rod for casting topwater and jigs.

the lx is good for verticle jigging and drifting. but realisticly is it going to be good enough reel for 100# fish? as i have yet to hook up with something other than blackfin. and it does a fantastic job on them.

the problem is i'm in okla and i dont know what the reels mentioned are as far as size. looking at pictures dont really give you an idea of how they feel and physical size are.

mcgolfer · 06-01-2008, 11:48 AM

my fellow okie. don't go to a gun fight with a knife. over kill is much better than being under gunned when it comes to hauling big fish off structure.

i use tiagra 50's but there are lots of choices. the ulitimate at this time would be the avet 50 t-rex and a seeker blacksteel with as many xxxx's as available. with 100lbs of usable drag you could move most fish off the structure as long as your line didn't get into the structure. these reels lok small compared to a 130lb calss reel but being from oklahoma and seeing bass tackle every day a t-rx 50 would seem huge.

the key to fishing structure for these fish is the ability to turn them and keep them from getting your line into the structure and breaking you off. once you get them out of the structure you don't need all that drag. it is the same with grouper fishing except that the grouper hits your bait and runs for its hole. if you turn him you win most of the battles.

we catch a lot of amberjacks by fishing the up current side of the rig and letting our bait drift back towards the rig. with our boat pointed into the current and our rods in the rodholders. when the fish strikes we power off to set the hook and drive away from the rig to fight the fish in open water. this method tends to pull a lot of hooks but we don't seem to lose as many fish due to break offs in the structure. also when pulling away from the rig it changes the line angles and gives you a better chance of landing the fish....rick

newman · 06-01-2008, 06:10 PM

I see you mention the Big E. so for fishing the Big E or other party boats I suggest a narrow frame for your reel vs a wide frame. There will be less wobble and increased control. Most of the metal framed reels from Penn, Shimano, Diawa, Avet, Everol, Alutionicos and Accurate have enough drag starting at the 16 sizes which is essentially a narrow 4/0 all the way up to the biggest they make.

If you are bottom fishing live bait I suggest filling the reel with 80lb-150lb spectra then using a 10'-25' mono leader. If you plan to use the reel on private boats too and want it for dual duty as a trolling rod then definately a 50 or 50W with 500yds+ of spectra then 80lb-100lb mono topshot.

2busy · 06-01-2008, 08:16 PM

Hey Rick, was hoping you'd show up. wonder when a good time would be to run by and see some of the tackle you mentioned. should be getting a avet 4/0-2 soon and plan to do the drag modification on it to get 30# at strike. will probably have to make do with it for awhile.

05-31-2008, 02:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
2busy Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E Okla Posts: 76	equipment need to figure out what size reel for Aj and yellowfin. how much drag should i be looking for in a reel to handle those fish. I have an avet 6/3 2 spd but i dont know if it is quite big enuff to turn an aj before it gets me in the structure.I rented a reel last time(newell) and never did get hooked up . broke off several times and right at hookset. I think the line was rotten. not looking for spinning tackle as i may need to go to the rail. need a good quality rod and reel that wont break the bank.also i like 2 spd reels. thanks. Also Mcgolfer how can i get in touch? i looked in the phone book but didnt see a listing.I'm the other okie that likes saltwater.

05-31-2008, 04:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bellyups Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 552	2busy, It depends on how you want to use the setup. There are several choices 1. Conventional larger 2 speed lever drag with roller guide rod: Good for chunking and live baiting and trolling. This will always catch fish but couldn't be used for jigging or popping. I would consider Tiagra 30 or 50 series as mentioned above or similar reel from Avet, Daiwa, Penn. There has been some talk about Autecnos and Everol lately and they look like nice reels but I haven't seen or fished with them. Match the reel to a 60, 80, or even 100 pound roller rod by Seeker or Calstar. The fiberglass series by these companies are very good and will not break the bank. Expect to spend about $700 for this set up, but it will last a long time and catch a lot of fish. That said, for less money, those Penn 6/0 reels sure seem to catch a lot of fish for a long time. These Penn 6/0 aren't pretty, but they put fish in the boat and are cheap. 2. Casting/popping: Many choices. I would just spend the bucks and buy a stella 20000 (which can also be used for jigging and even dropping baits to large AJs and groupers). If you want to use the rail, you will need a conventional reel and a saltiga 40 or 50 mentioned above should work well. Berkley Gulp Alive, Okuma Reels, US Reels, Power Pro, Angler Systems has them on sale (10% off with free shipping) and I just bought a 50 from him. Good service from Jeff at that company and the reel seems very nice. I can use it for jigging too. I would match this set up to a 50-80 pound rod that can cast and is at least 7 feet long. 3. Jigging: lots of choices. Mine would be Stella 8K, 10K, or 20K. I know, expensive, but you won't need anything else. Also consider Trinidad 40, ocea jigger 4000p or 5000p, saltiga 30T, 40, 50, or the accurate 2 speeds boss series. Rods--I can go on forever. Hopefully others will help out. __________________ "What an Idiot!! 'Ahhh, I'm hang gliding. Honey take a good picture. I'm dead,' " Will Farrell Last edited by Bellyups : 05-31-2008 at 04:15 PM.

06-01-2008, 11:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
mcgolfer Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: antlers oklahoma Posts: 452	my fellow okie. don't go to a gun fight with a knife. over kill is much better than being under gunned when it comes to hauling big fish off structure. i use tiagra 50's but there are lots of choices. the ulitimate at this time would be the avet 50 t-rex and a seeker blacksteel with as many xxxx's as available. with 100lbs of usable drag you could move most fish off the structure as long as your line didn't get into the structure. these reels lok small compared to a 130lb calss reel but being from oklahoma and seeing bass tackle every day a t-rx 50 would seem huge. the key to fishing structure for these fish is the ability to turn them and keep them from getting your line into the structure and breaking you off. once you get them out of the structure you don't need all that drag. it is the same with grouper fishing except that the grouper hits your bait and runs for its hole. if you turn him you win most of the battles. we catch a lot of amberjacks by fishing the up current side of the rig and letting our bait drift back towards the rig. with our boat pointed into the current and our rods in the rodholders. when the fish strikes we power off to set the hook and drive away from the rig to fight the fish in open water. this method tends to pull a lot of hooks but we don't seem to lose as many fish due to break offs in the structure. also when pulling away from the rig it changes the line angles and gives you a better chance of landing the fish....rick __________________ there is no limit on tackle

06-01-2008, 06:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
newman Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Montgomery, TX Posts: 101	I see you mention the Big E. so for fishing the Big E or other party boats I suggest a narrow frame for your reel vs a wide frame. There will be less wobble and increased control. Most of the metal framed reels from Penn, Shimano, Diawa, Avet, Everol, Alutionicos and Accurate have enough drag starting at the 16 sizes which is essentially a narrow 4/0 all the way up to the biggest they make. If you are bottom fishing live bait I suggest filling the reel with 80lb-150lb spectra then using a 10'-25' mono leader. If you plan to use the reel on private boats too and want it for dual duty as a trolling rod then definately a 50 or 50W with 500yds+ of spectra then 80lb-100lb mono topshot. __________________ Semper Fi Chris Just Dream'n of Fish'n !!! http://www.grandadsfishingtackle.com Tuna fishing is my CRACK!!!

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05-31-2008, 09:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
Muddskipper Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: TEXAS Posts: 105	I went with a Shimano Tiagra 30 wide an hve been happy...... Proabably could have gone with the reg. spool width, but wanted to have more capicity for bill fish. Spooled with 130 hollow core braid, and good to go.

05-31-2008, 03:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
Outhouse Junior member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bartlett, TN Posts: 4	How are you going to fish and what size fish are you targeting. The AJ fishing I have done in the GOM, an Avet JX 2speed would be perfect. I have caught fish up to 45 pounds and this reel would be perfect. Can handle 30-50# test and is small enough that it won't beat you up fishing it all day.

05-31-2008, 11:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
2busy Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E Okla Posts: 76	I have the lx 6/3 2 spd i use for 50#. spectra backing and mono top shot. i have it on a seeker rs/rt rod. it does good and is light enough to fish with all day. i was going to put it on a 7 ft casting rod for top water and jigs. right now about all i can do is bottom fish and diamond jigs. just not enough distance out of the rod for casting. last trip was on the big E and just didnt have the right gear for top water as that was what the yellowfin were hitting. right now i'm looking at a reel to turn the aj's from structure. probably be using live bait. then a rod for casting topwater and jigs. the lx is good for verticle jigging and drifting. but realisticly is it going to be good enough reel for 100# fish? as i have yet to hook up with something other than blackfin. and it does a fantastic job on them. the problem is i'm in okla and i dont know what the reels mentioned are as far as size. looking at pictures dont really give you an idea of how they feel and physical size are.

06-01-2008, 08:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
2busy Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E Okla Posts: 76	Hey Rick, was hoping you'd show up. wonder when a good time would be to run by and see some of the tackle you mentioned. should be getting a avet 4/0-2 soon and plan to do the drag modification on it to get 30# at strike. will probably have to make do with it for awhile.

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