[jaredchasteen]

I am going to get a harness soon, and was wondering which one you all recommend. I think the top three are Braid PowerPLay, Braid Brutebuster, or the Black Magic. We will be using this mostly on 50s for swordfish and big fish.

 

[Pope]

I am interested in this post too. I need one as well. I am 5' 10" and weigh 180. Opinions...

 

[Guest]

just stick a rod huki on the gimble and you boys will be set. you ain't going to catch anything big enough for a harness...lol....rick

by the way harness's are a personal preference type of item. of the 3 you mentioned i would prefer the black magic set up..

 

[jaredchasteen]

I have heard the Black Magic is the way to go, it is just more expensive than the braid. Here ya go pope. Click on the Capt. Harrys link for pricing.

http://www.blackmagic.co.nz/

 

[Fishhead56]

Smitty's is another well thought of poduct and can be found at FTU stores or can be viewed and ordered from www.charkbait.com.

Big E 3-30 - 07

 

[MrBill]

The nice thing about the black magic is the weight. It is very light and you can remove the large lower gimbal part without removing the belt. You can adjust everything to your reel and just slip it off to keep cool. No use wearing it while you wait for a fish. When a fish hits, just loop it on.

It also has a nice hump on the back side which keeps your legs apart. That way the gimbal part does not drift from left to right. I think I have a black magic at home. I'll take some pics of the back side and the loop removal for you.

It's been my experience that whomever is wearing his belt, never has his rod bend. The first time you leave the cockpit to make a sandwich, all hell breaks loose. Your taking a leak, and clickers start screaming. That's part of fishing.

 

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

xxl long range special plate from Smitty and the spyder harness

 

[Snagged]

I agree with DSC on the Smitty harness and plate or the Blackmagic plate.

 

[Ragman]

No doubt that all of the above are great.

Smitty's plate is definitely heavy duty.

But I chose the Blackmagic and have never regretted it. Like MrBill says the plate is the best part of the product.

It is wide, but has rounded leg impressions that secures the plate right on top of your legs.

It also has closed-cell foam so that it snugs up tightly when you have a fish on- no slipping! It's real light too!

 

[MrBill]

Jared,

I'm not sure if you are looking for just a harness or the complete package with the belt and gimbal pad. So I took some pics for you of the Black Magic harness and belt. Very comfortable and easy to adjust. It also has a grab handle at the rear of the harness.
Someone could grab onto you if you were getting pulled overboard or needed help. Under the grab handle is a place for a name tag. Great if other people on the boat have the same harness.

I tried on the Aftco Maxforce last year at Roy's in Corpus. It was very comfortable. More padding than I like as I sweat a lot. I liked it but it would probably just be a double sweat band for me. It was built very well. Worth looking into. Roy's carries Smitty, Braid, Aftco, and others. He will actually let you try them on.

I also put on a Braid Stealth harness. Very nice. Not as heavy as the Braid Power Play harness. Very well built as all Braid stuff. The Braid Brute Buster fits me weird. Some people like it but I gave mine away. I also have power play harness and would take pics, but it's at the coast.

Smitty makes great stuff. I had a spyder harness but didn't like the way it fit on me. I don't like under the crotch harnesses. I'd give to you, but some idot set it free to drift to no where land last year. He wanted to see if the belt pad and harness would float. I was playing poker at the time or else I'd jumped in after it. Smitty makes heavy duty belt pads. I like the Smitty Special. It's the one with the indentions pressed into the aluminum plate for your thighs.

If you want to get laughed at, buy the OTR (Ocean Tackle Research)harness. I bought one and was showing it off last year. I was teased, verbally abused, and laughed at to the point I took it off. It is one of those diaper style harnesses. Very well designed, but if you fish with people that tend to get on your case for wearing a diaper, don't buy it. Mine got tossed overboard when I was playing backgammon inside. They are expensive, I think around 275 bucks.

 

[MrBill]

Here's some pics of the Black Magic Belt. Notice the loops for quick detachment of the pad. Also shown is the hump that fits between your legs to stop the pad from sliding. It is very light and very comfortable. Made of injected plastic, foam filled. Floats if dropped overboard.

 

[Bret]

Thats pretty cool. Thanks for posting the pics... I guess that hump would keep it centered a bit better than the braid.. I'll have to look in to one.

 

[lite-liner]

FWIW,I bought the Smitty's spyder harness/ long range plate.
It appears to me that the Smitty's & the Black magic systems
are virtually identical w/ 1 exception:
THE BLACK MAGIC PLATE FLOATS!
I havent't broken my harness in on fish, but in testing, It feels
like it fits across my 170# arse a little better, because of the angle of the 2 straps. I tried as many as I could before I chose. I'm not worried. they're both great products
just my .02
-Brian

 

[Pope]

The Black Magic does look nice. Thanks everyone and we will see if I need something more than the Huki!

 

[jaredchasteen]

I believe the choice will be the Black magic, Thanks for the great pics mrbill, i hope you dont mind if i borrow them.

I was considering this one as my choice it is just more expensive than the braid systems. Where did you get yours at?

Just found this will be ordering soon. I love google it can answer any qestion in the world in less than 5 mins.

http://www.billfishtacklesupply.com/Belts/belts.htm

 

[MrBill]

I bought mine at Capt. Harrys. I think it was 250 for both the harness and belt and carrying bag. The Black Magic bag is huge. I pulled out the Black Magic stuff, 3 rod huki's, two other day belts and there is still room for twice that amount plus end pockets.

That is a great price at the place you posted above. I'd go for it. I'm going to order the gimbal part that let's you use a bent butt with the pad. I've taken the Black Magic system out numerous times, but have yet to hook onto anything big enough to use it. It's still a virgin. Hopefully, that will change this summer.

 

[jaredchasteen]

Do you need a seperate attachment for bent butts? i thought the low placement of the plate would be enough. We will be using some calstar bent butts going for swords this season.

 

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

FWIW,I bought the Smitty's spyder harness/ long range plate.
It appears to me that the Smitty's & the Black magic systems
are virtually identical w/ 1 exception:
THE BLACK MAGIC PLATE FLOATS!
I havent't broken my harness in on fish, but in testing, It feels
like it fits across my 170# arse a little better, because of the angle of the 2 straps. I tried as many as I could before I chose. I'm not worried. they're both great products
just my .02
-Brian

Say what? My Smitty's XL long range plate floats too. In fresh and saltwater. I tried soaking the saltwater out after my last trip. It floats very well.

I reccomended the xxl Smitty's plate because I am 6'1" at 210 lbs and like to spread my legs apart when the seas are rough and I have a good fish on the line. I do not like the lump of a Black Magic plate between my knees.

Yes, they are all good equipment.... You can re-weld aluminum. What does one do for plastic?

 

[MrBill]

Do you need a separate attachment for bent butts? i thought the low placement of the plate would be enough. We will be using some calstar bent butts going for swords this season.


I thought the standard Black Magic plate will take a bent butt. But on the site you posted above it has "BLACK MAGIC EQUALIZER BENT BUTT ADAPTOR"
for $19. If I had a bent butt here at the house I'd try it. I swear I've seen guys use a bent butt before on that pad. I make a couple phone calls in the morning to find out. As I said, mine's still a virgin.

 

[MrBill]

Buy another one.

Don't get me wrong. I have the Smitty Special plate and it's great. Should last a lifetime. And, it does float thanks to the pad behind the aluminum. I've dropped mine overboard before. I also don't mind the weight of the Smitty. If fact, I kind of like it.

But, some people are into all this light weight tackle. The market now wants light weight small sized reels with lot's of drag. Fishing line that's super thin with high breaking strength. Rods that are feather weight that can handle the new reels. If anything, the rods are way behind the reels and lines in technology. Weight doesn't bother me. I still stand up with an
80W and don't complain.

But I have had some problems with the Smitty moving on me even with the humps swagged into the aluminum. I've also seen a few of Black Magic plastic pads with foam coming out of them after being stabbed many times with the gimbal. But, those had caught a lot of marlin in their lifetime. The hump doesn't bother me. I like it. Thank God there's a lot of options for us to choose from. Each person has different needs as we are all built differently. My suggestion is to try it on before you buy. I just which women would do the same. My wife will buy 40 items and bring them home to try on again. After hours, she will only keep 3 or 4.

I still don't think anyone really needs a harness unless:
1) you are hooked onto a fish over 200 pounds.
2) you are handicapped. (bad back, etc.)
3) you are very tired and that is the only way to get the fish into the boat.