OTI 7'6 Popping Rod Review

[PurEvl]

Originally Posted by BretABaker

Kil landed his fish just as quick, and the rod was 8'6". with strong enough drags the fish won't strip more than 150yds of line off unless it's huge.

That's true I noticed it did not take more than 150 yards. YFT fight pretty hard even the small blackfins put up a fight sometimes. Some YFT seem to come right up and some don't want to give.

Do you remember the guy that hooked up with the YFT that looked around 150lb that came right up to the boat within gaff range? Came up within 10 seconds then sounded after seeing light. Maybe he didn't know it was hooked but it was big!

[BretABaker]

the fish don't like a mouth full of hooks either. a nice circle hook in the corner of the mouth is probably much more comfortable for them.

[A.whitman]

i have that 9' rod for casting. its rated for 25lbs drag. i wonder how that compares in terms of power. it feel like i could rip the garage door off with a lure, but i havent used it yet. i brought it in january to venice but it never left its sack.

[gman]

tuna caught on topwater generally don't fight like tuna caught on the chunk, troll or the jig. They come to the boat real quick with heavy drag

My thoughts are they are already close to the boat (within 80-100 yards) on the top and with 20#'s of drag they find it hard to sound in addition a mouth and face full of 3/0 6x strong treble hooks doesn't feel real good. I firmly believe that the treble hooks affect them some how. I've never caught a tuna on a plug or swim bait that fought real hard, most fish being boatside with 10 minutes

On the other hand I have caught many bluefin/yellowfin on the chunk/troll that sounded and didn't come in easy

[txseadog]

Originally Posted by gman

I've never caught a tuna on a plug or swim bait that fought real hard, most fish being boatside with 10 minutes

On the other hand I have caught many bluefin/yellowfin on the chunk/troll that sounded and didn't come in easy

I think the main reason is usually with plugs the fish gets hooked in 2 or more spots which limits the water flow through their gills but a single hook (especially a circle in the corner of the mouth) as very little affect. I've caught some fish on poppers with single hooks and the fight was much most intense.

One fish on GEM03 really stands out. I got hooked up about 50 yards out on Old Faithful and the fish charged the boat then spent a good 2 minutes on top all lit up zipping from port to starboard taking me from corner to corner of the stern before sounding and taking at least 100 yards at 15# of drag. Then it was your typically down and dirty chunk like fight. That single 7/0 on the tail really let the true character of that 60-75# YFT come out.

[Uncle Russ]

I'm only half-joking here, but I wonder if you slipped a 4/0 treble into a fairly large chunk, it might help as a show-stopper? When I was on the boat with Captain Eddie, I was talking about all I had read about the importance of stealth and hiding the hook in the chunk. He laughed and ran the hook through the chunk and tossed it out. He said something along the lines of "These aren't Einsteins. They're fish." And it was hard to argue with success.

Russ

[BretABaker]

yeah, the big e deckhands kept saying how hook shy tuna were. not in my experience....

same goes with being leader shy. i haven't ever really seen it.

[lite-liner]

"these aren't Einsteins, They're fish." LMAO! Eddie sure has way w/ words
eh?
Hey TJ, when am I gonna see a 7.5', 80# conventional rod?
I want one baaaaad! and no I dont want a blank. I need stock OTI
to match my other OTI rods.
please tell me it'll be soon..........
tight lines
-Brian

[Uncle Russ]

Bret: Did you see any of those little tiny rigged hooks the deckhands rig up? I had been using 6/0 Super Mutus but put one of those on just to annoy Drifter, (who knew everything the day he was born), but before I could catch a tuna on one and piss him off, a 'Cuda cut it off. So I put on another S/M.

[Minnow]

Brian,
It's on it way to US.