Gulf Tuna Popping Blanks

[jedi243]

I have seen the question of which blank to build up for tuna popping on a couple of different boards and figured I would summarize the recommendations here.

For 40 lb (schooley size tuna)
700m(20-50) - longer and will improve casting distance
765xl(20-50) - a little more backbone than the 700m but still soft
above can launch lighter 1.5 oz poppers with ease ... well suited to 4500 size saltiga or 8000 size stella

50lb(most gulf tuna)
700H - most popular and well suited for 20-100 lb fish, nice flexible tip for launching poppers
765L - similar benefits to 700H but easier to fit in a travel tube
either of the above will handle 20-25lbs of drag... good match for larger stella, saltiga, accurate, van staal

60-80lb(bigger gulf tuna)
700XH - difficult to load with poppers under 3 oz but has brutal power for lifting fish. Somewhat hard on the user for a rod this long with a high rating
765ml - a little harder to cast but with practice and gloves can become a tuna artillery piece. Definitely needs 4 oz poppers, bottoms out at just over 30 lbs of drag... matches well to any of the large spinners fishing 80 lb braid


txseadog please add if you see points I have missed as I know you have been making suggestions on the other boards as well after building a couple of these

[bellyup]

Originally Posted by Gunsmoke

I also have an igloo cooler problem. I have the capacity to haul 4800 pounds of ice at one time. Last year I bought a 10,000 pound flat bed trailer to haul ice and beer to an annual fundraising party held in Port A.

I think I just found a friend for life!

[mcgolfer]

i need to introduce gunsmoke to my wife. maybe he could make her realize that i am not the biggest tackle "ho" in the land....rick

[Gunsmoke]

The biggest tackle "Ho" I came across was last summer on ebay. I bought about 6 calcutta 700's from him. His auctions kept coming and coming. I finally wrote him about his inventory. This guy had no junk. All reels were new in box and all were either cast aluminum or machined aluminum. Penn internationals, Accurates, saltigas, tiagras, trinidads and so on.

He had built up an inventory of over 360 reels. The funny thing is that he hadn't fished in 15 years. He was obsessed with fishing reels. No rods. Just reels and no lures or any other tackle. He was selling them to pay for a 4 way by-pass because he didn't have any insurance.

I have a old friend that hasn't fished in 10 years. He still buys reels all the time. Saw him at a wedding last month and he told me he had over 100 tiagras and 85 internationals. He's single so I told him to leave me in his will.

Mcgolfer you can now tell your wife that you are far from being a tackle ho.

[Bazztex]

Gunsmoke

I bought a new Tiagra 30W LRSA off that guy about 60% of retail because he flooded the market with about 50 new Tiagras.. Awesome deals!

Anybody fish Shikira rods ... I just got a custom 7ft popper casting rod.

Bazz

[txseadog]

Originally Posted by Bazztex

Anybody fish Shikira rods ... I just got a custom 7ft popper casting rod.
Bazz

I like them and they're made in Kellyville, OK to boot. I have a bt7030 that is a joy to fish 30# on.

[Bazztex]

Hey TxSeaDog

Thanks for the info.. I had checked out their web site before I bought the rod.. got it off Ebay with shipping for the price of the blank.. Best I can tell it's a BT7040 has plenty of guts.

I also got a GUSA SW7060XH which was built by Charkbait that I'm going to use for YFT topwaters.. but I'm not sure about them stainless eyes with braid?? Any thoughts on that being a heat build-up problem with braid if we get into some more 150# Class YFT's on the Cinco trip.

Thanks

Bazz

[SSFIREMSN]

I have a tiger stik Spinning rod 20-50# 7' and a penn 9500ss I was going to use will this work alright with 65#spectra or am I putting to much on this rod? Thanks steve

[jedi243]

The 9500 will work fine with that rod and 65#. Just keep the additional antireverse on. I have seen that combo land a number of yellowfins up to 80 lbs.