Good Spinning for Schoolies

[SpecialK]

Trying to decide whether I should buy a new spinner for the January Tuna Trip.
Currently using an Okuma Epixor EB80.
Will this reel handle YFT at all?
Really thinking of getting into a Penn 950/9500. Any opinions of both would be great!
Even a some uprgrades to my reel would work???
Otherwise I basically need a rig that will do the trick!

[Staven]

I dont have experience with YFT yet. But fishing in florida for kings, and also bottom fishing for snapper and grouper I have done. YOu might want to consider the new Penn Slammer 760. I got one and spooled it with a little over 500 yds of powerpro 50lb braid. The drag comfortably locks down at 22lb. Which is fine for me in a spinner. Its not my stella 20000 of my saltiga 6500 which I have both. I do not have experience with the accurate twinspin. I do have their boss 870 2-speed. I would let accurate work out the bugs in the first version. The stella is on version 4 now. For what that is worth.

I have cought 60lb wahoo on my stella 8000 that has 40 lb braid on it with no problem.

I hope this helps.

[Staven]

Let me rephrase the no problem with the wahoo. It was fun and it was a fight, but I always had at least 1/4 of my line at least on the spool. Fight was around 15 - 20 minutes. So no it was not a pushover at all. Just fun.

[Fishhead56]

In 1 year in the early 80's I blew up enough spinners to fill up a 5 gal. bucket on snook, kings and tarpon in the Keys and the Glades. But none since.
These were mostly Penn 550 to 750 SS. I just changed my retrieve Technique. Back then pump and and cranking with the rod still loaded on the way down would flex and seperate the ring and pinion.
Since changing to a very aggresive down swing while retreiving line and a longer pull up while max loading the rod and drag setting helps let the gearing live. The down swing is the key where the rod tip is more or less thrown towards the fish while cranking in a few wraps and keeping some tension on the hook. This style still requires a drag that will hold up.
Will a Big Penn spinner drag turn a 100+ YFT from a stationary boat? I don't know. I again in the 80's I had been spooled a few times by Tarpon from the old Marathon Bridge using 650's and 750's.(Which I thought was cool except for all that mono left in the water) But also since I have bested Wahoo, BFT, 50 lb YFT, Bull Dolphin ect from mobile vessels. Along with lifting up Grouper and AJ's to 70lb

Will a Stella gearing hold up to a retrieve similiar to that of a conventional reel? I think so since I have not heard them blowing up.

I do have a OS95 that has held up but it has not seen a large YFT.

I glanced some where that Penn is about to release new spinner that is to be
sturdier than the SS series.

But in closing two thoughts.
You can break a bowling ball with a dusting feather if you try hard enough.
and
Best spinning combo I can think of for YFT. Stella and OTI.

my $.o2

[tass]

Go on ebay and buy yourself a twin power. It will do the job as a spinner.

[Ragman]

Hey SpecialK!

Answered your PM!

You don't have to go to a spinner for topwater, they're just easier to cast and reel big topwaters.

For less money, you could go with a conventional, but you'll have to be really good at casting, then laying the line evenly.

[papio]

hey SpecialK,

I currently use a Okuma Salina SA80. I bought them as backups for my Shimano Sustain and Stradic but have enjoyed using the reel so much now my Shimanos have been designated as backups until the Okuma explodes on me......still waiting for the explosion on that under $90 reel.

[lite-liner]

Special K: Stay away from the Fin-Nor, total junk & too heavy
I would say stay away from the Okuma, too, but I have seen it
boat YFt to 70#
I agree w/ MrBill on the Penn, but w/ upgrades(lots) I can handle
60-80# YFT w/ relative comfort.
My new spinner of choice is the Quantum Cabo series. I have an -80
that make way more drag than i'll ever need and has proven itself on the water. A couple weeks ago in Venice, watched our deckie slay a 75# yft
in like 10 min's with a Cabo-60 on an OTI popping rod. this spurred me
to buy another Cabo, a PTs-70 this time. I'm sure it'll work for me
and they can be had, New, on Ebay for around $150-200 bucks
good luck & tight lines
-Brian

[SpecialK]

Originally Posted by Ragman

Hey SpecialK!

Answered your PM!

You don't have to go to a spinner for topwater, they're just easier to cast and reel big topwaters.

For less money, you could go with a conventional, but you'll have to be really good at casting, then laying the line evenly.

I am Really good at casting baitcasters, have been doin it into the wind off piers for 15 years or so. The laying the line part always seems to get me if I have a really big fish on... Is there not a conventional style that had a livelwind guide that is also very castable?

[Minnow]

levelwind conventional reel is not a really good choice for offshore applications in my opinion. With the use of spectra line and mono topshot or wind on non level wind will be a much better choice.

I have use Trinidad 40 for top water for years, it work as good if not better than spinner.

[SpecialK]

I kind of figured as much... I am really looking at the Avet LX6/3 now. Trying to get as much info on what I need as I can...