Underwater Expeditions

[Underwater Expeditions]

Underwater Expeditions

Underwater Expeditions Home Page
info@underwaterexpeditions.com
Monday thru Friday
979-233-1811
713-225-3497
Starting in March 2009 we will offer 12 hour trips on the Capt. Casey as well as long range tuna trips aboard the Big E !
2009 Schedule will be posted on our website in January!
Office will be closed untill January.

[Uncle Russ]

Scott (Bellyups) is correct. If you do enough whining, people will line up to help you with the weight--if only to see how pathetic you really are. Although snagged (Jerry) and Bret are two of my heros, and although they are both absolutely correct that metal is better than graphite, I think I have to agree with Scott that you buy what you can afford--if you can cough up the extra money (not really a lot) to buy the metal Penn or Shimano without killing yourself (for example if you can give up one trip offshore or not eat out for a couple of months) by all means buy the metal. But don't feel like a loser if you have to buy a TLD. A lot of folks give testimony that they have done very very well with them.

Assuming you can buy only one rig, here's another possible consideration in what your purchase should be: Although I have not rented equipment or used charter boat equipment, it is my distinct impression that all such boats or rental offices (such as UW Expeditions) are more likely to have decent bait rigs as opposed to casting or jigging outfits. So, that would be one more reason to take Scott's advice and go with a super high-quality spinner right off the bat for the rig you buy.

As to size, my gut feeling is if you can only afford one rig at first, bigger is better. On the other hand, there is no question the 8K is a lot lighter to cast with---AND, I asked someone else, who recently did catch a very large YFT on one of the big reels and a popper, how much line he actually lost during the fight--and the answer was not even half. So, the 8K would be perfectly fine--again, for the Gulf.

Russ

[BretABaker]

i've seen lots of big fish caught on tld 2-speeds which are graphite so i dont think youd have a problem with it. check avets too, you can probably get a good deal on a hardly used 30W 2 speed and itll work perfectly well.

i have the stella 10k bc i got a good deal on it. i dont have plans of buying another anytime soon

[fishingduck]

What do you think about using Saltiga 4500Z spinning reel for popping? I've one and planning to use it for my next big E trip. I'm going to replace the drag with carbontex washer per recommendation by several posts.

Sorry for hijacking the thread a little bit.

Thanks
FD

[bulllred]

Saltiga 4500z should be the perfect reel for popping and pitching live bait. Just match it with a good rod but not too heavy of a rod.

An

[Bellyups]

I have never come close to being spooled with a topwater fish (YFT up to 135 pounds). And I agree with Bret and Russ that the Stella 8000 is a great reel and will work very well for topwater fish (I have one myself). It is extremely comfortable to cast. However, I asked TJ (Minnow) about this topic and he said go with the 20000. You don't want to miss the big one if he meanders along and decides to take your lure on a long run in the dark rather than a short walk in the park. Case in point, this spring TJ floated a topwater lure in front of a "huge" sickle . The fish hit TJ's bait and spooled his 20000 in a heartbeat. I think TJ said he had 30 pounds of drag on the fish. Not many outfits would stop this fish, but you have more room for comfort with more capacity. So, line capacity can be an issue on the once in a lifetime fish. None the less, that is the only time I have heard a topwater fish spool a quality reel on a good rod. I want to land my once in my lifetime fish and I will give up a little comfort for it. Better yet, buy one of each and use the 8000 when you get a little tired or no big fish are in the area. I also find it hard to believe the 8000 has the cranking power of the 20000. To be fair, I just bought the 8000 and have not caught anything with it yet. I took it on one trip and used it when I became to tired of casting the 20000 on a 8 foot rod.

[BretABaker]

30lbs of drag? i want to see that tested on a scale. no offense to anyone, but i don't believe guys claims in drags. it's kind of like guys claiming to be um....large in another sense.....

most guys pull on line and say "yeah, a bout 22lbs" like they are a human scale. 24lbs is a lot of drag......30lbs would not be easy for me to hold without a harness, and im bigger than most people.

[Uncle Russ]

Bret, Jerry, Scott (and others): Since this thread has gone into areas of what new folks to the sport might want to buy, maybe ya'll could discuss the gear ratio (low versus high) for the two applications of jigging and popping--in other words, what would be "ideal"--the 4.5 or 6.0 versions--in terms speedy retrieve versus cranking power--new folks may or may not have considered this aspect.

I know when I bought my first spinner, I just bought the first big one I could lay my hands on--without regard to ratio--the SR30 in 6.0/1 (now available in both ratios), never thinking about how a yellowfin might be harder to crank in than a crappie.

Bret: You are right. I can take one look at your emaciated little frame and know you would have trouble with over 15 pounds of drag. (Seriously, I don't mean to pretend I know more about your capability than you do, but I would put heavy money that you could handle 35-40 pounds with a long rod that could take it--say a Calstar 700XH for quite a while.)

Russ

[Snagged]

Bret,
I can see Minnow fishing 30# of drag, nor would I doubt him if he said it.

Russ,
Ratio doesn't mean much, the amount of line retreived per turn of the handle does.

[Uncle Russ]

I would believe it too--the man is about the size of my left leg and can outcast me by about 50 feet. When he launches a popper, it's like a sixteen inch artillery shell leaving the deck of the Missouri.

[Bellyups]

I believe TJ said that was the amount of drag, as I asked him because I found it hard to believe a stella 20000 would be spooled quickly if it had the drag turned up.

Ah, gear ratios. The stella 20000 has a 4.4 gear ratio, but yet it has a 41 inch retrieve per crank. That is fast speed with a relatively low gear ratio, thanks to its big spool. I feel this will provide better cranking power.

The 8000 is a 5:1 with 40 inch retrieve.