What's the minimum line capacity you would look for in your go-to surf reel when might find a big girl? I'm looking at two sizes with capacities of 150 yds vs 240 yds of 15#. i feel like 150 might leave me short in the case of a real good fish. whaddya think?

240 without a doubt

2 reasons

A full cast with a launncher lets say a polaris or bottle wqill leave you little on the spool for the first big run by a cow........

working a breachway......line out is usually at least 150 yds to cover more "live water"

At least 250 yards. I like 300 where possible.

Someone else state the reason. you hook up right away after a 100+ yard cast , and 150 is going to seem pretty thin.

I never have less than 200yards on my reels .

just my .04 cents ( sorry gas prices )

Capacity should be sufficient to maintain a good retrieve rate for the reel in question after a 100 yd cast. A shallow wide spool may only require 200 total yds but a deep narrow spool quite a bit more.

The more line the better, I would go with the 240 or more

240. Also because I'd never go looking for anything big with any reel that held 150 of 15# line.

As much as possible, up to about 300 of braid.

I always go with atleast 200 yards.

Thanks all. Going larger capacity.

Dont forget a little MONO backing, it will give you a last warning that your running low, and it makes a good final shock absorber if you ever need it. IMO, you dont want to bottom out on braid, it may not spin on the spool because you did the double side tape thing and all, but you still dont want your last yard to be braid.Ill take a 50 foot cushion of mono anyday.

I have 100 yrds of 20 pound mono and 250 yrds of 50 pound power pro on my reel

Bob - you do mean 250 yards PP I hope. :rollem:
I am in the habit of loading my reel with a backing of less strength than my main line and also a shocker of less strength. It allows a comfort zone to break off with out damaging the reel and a shock that will break when hung up jigging the bottom without loosing any main line. That is when using braid. Ever try and break off 65lb PP in the ditch with the tide running full out? :shocked:

Bob - you do mean 250 yards PP I hope. :rollem:

Yup that's it I just fixed it.

I'm comfortable anywhere over 200yds, but 300 makes me feel better.

Usually with my VS200 and VS250's I fill them up to the bottom of the ports on the front of the spool with mono and then fill the rest with braid. 15 or 20# mono for backing, I don't really care what kind. I never see it anyways except on the linewinder. I use a uni to uni knot to splice them together.

Take a good look down the field next time your standing in the end zone on a football field and think about the realities of having 200 yards of line out. There's a good chance you're screwed at that point anyways in rocky areas, imo. Sand would probably be a different story.

I think it was tattoo that said something along the lines of if you have two hundred yards of line out in the surf, your not fishing, your praying. That line stuck with me for some reason.

The more line the better though. For the "just in case" scenerio and for line depletion on the cast. You'll probably want the bigger real on either the 1266 or the 1088 for balance anyway.

I was only spooled once and I had about 4 or 5 raps left on the reel and I grabbed the spool,then it was a tug-o-war and the hook bent open and off went my dream fish.