The guy I've been fishing with for the last 16 years hooked into something large a couple of nights ago that he couldn't land and it eventually broke off after over an hour of give and take. He's caught a few stripers in the 40# range in the past and said it had to be much larger than that and maybe something other than a striped bass. He usually fishes a vs 250 but when it went in for service he picked up a new 150 to add to his arsenal. I watched as he tried to turn the crank handle grasping the entire handle because trying to rotate it with just the knob was futile. I suggested he try walking it down the beach...and he gained back a lot of line doing that...then the 40# braid broke off. We speculated about what it might have been (it wasn't a lobster pot or stuck on anything). My question to vs 150 owners ...have you had similar experiences...is this reel capable of subduing something over lets say 60#?
Was considering a 150 but not so sure now.

Schoolie bluefin have been landed on the VS150 so it can handle most any sized striped bass under the right conditions. The 150 has limitations in the surf, but so do all reels. I've had fish (in all likelihood not striped bass) that I couldn't handle on my VS250. There is a lot more than just the reel that goes into it.

I tend to believe it was not a stiped bass....pumping the rod and reeling down the slack did nothing....rod just bent more.
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brown shark?

Shark, seal, Tuna ; )

I had something I could not stop years ago on a Calcutta 400 and a cut down 120 Batson ; )

If Al McReynolds could land a 78 lber on a penn 710, it would take a pretty strong fish to cause trouble for a VS 150.

Nothing makes fish bigger than almost being caught...
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Schoolie bluefin have been landed on the VS150 so it can handle most any sized striped bass under the right conditions. The 150 has limitations in the surf, but so do all reels. I've had fish (in all likelihood not striped bass) that I couldn't handle on my VS250. There is a lot more than just the reel that goes into it.

Good point. I was blaming the reel...hadnt thought much about the rod being a factor. The current from the dropping tide was another thing that wasnt helping.
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Was it taking line, running back and forth, etc?

I’ve got some original VS reels including the 150.
Never any issues and fished hard.
But, I don’t think of the reel as a winch rather use the rod for leverage to gain back the line.
One time I did hook a small bluefin on the 250. Watching the line disappear fast decided to just point the rod at the fish, cup the spool to break it off at the leader and get all my braid back. Outgunned that day.
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Was it taking line, running back and forth, etc?

It was taking line.....he had his drag pretty tight.

I thought too tight and thought a couple of long runs would tire whatever it was...but he was worried about getting spooled.....another limit of the 150...line capacity.
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I’ve got some original VS reels including the 150.
Never any issues and fished hard.
But, I don’t think of the reel as a winch rather use the rod for leverage to gain back the line.
One time I did hook a small bluefin on the 250. Watching the line disappear fast decided to just point the rod at the fish, cup the spool to break it off at the leader and get all my braid back. Outgunned that day.
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Yes.... outgunned is a good way to put it.
one time i was hooked into a very large fish from my kayak......could see it clearly in 15' of water i wont say how big... but I could not budge it with the wimpy rod and reel i was using. Got it into shallow water...jumped out of the kayak and got my hands on it in the wash but couldnt hold on.
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If Al McReynolds could land a 78 lber on a penn 710, it would take a pretty strong fish to cause trouble for a VS 150.

fished for years with this guy and seen him land plenty of large fish with ease ...mostly on the 250 and on some large capacity baitrunners he used previously.
This fish? had him on the ropes ....I could tell his hands were cramping up after 45 minutes...he refused my offer to let him rest for a minute...I.know that is a DQ for any kind of record....just wanted to see what it was so bad
.....I jokingly offered to swim out to see what it was and report back.
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Shark or ray

Shark or ray

This

Great read Bob, lots of fun , hey?

Bait?

If it was where I imagine u were it may have been a seal as they have been around in numbers f'n up our fishin all year a short distance away
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Bait?


Yup...dead eel

I'm no pro by any means but sometimes it boils down to patience, circumstance, technique, etc. over gear in some cases. I have landed huge skate suctioned to a four by four, inch think plywood dragging in the sand on twenty pound test that should have snapped in theory and lost a dink on 30 pound test. Time, place and circumstance, right? I have also witnessed people catch keepers on OSJL rods with highly questionable 15lb test, no leader

I'm no pro by any means but sometimes it boils down to patience, circumstance, technique, etc. over gear in some cases. I have landed huge skate suctioned to a four by four, inch think plywood dragging in the sand on twenty pound test that should have snapped in theory and lost a dink on 30 pound test. Time, place and circumstance, right? I have also witnessed people catch keepers on OSJL rods with highly questionable 15lb test, no leader


All valid points Jenn......It was on his line for close to 90 minutes.....so he was very patient....Honestly I would have forced the issue much sooner. I didnt want to talk to him too much....kind of like when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter and you just dont want to jinx it. I stopped my own fishing when he started walking it down current with the tide...ended up pretty far from where we started out.

If it was where I imagine u were it may have been a seal as they have been around in numbers f'n up our fishin all year a short distance away
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Yeah Mike I've seen a few around. I would like to know what kind of power a seal can generate. Thought I hooked one last year when I got a hit, pulled the rod from the sand spike.....and held on while it nearly got yanked out of my grip. Then it was zzzzz...zzzz...zzzzzzzzzzz.....snap....and game over. :mad:

I also know of someone that has been doin pretty good catching 6ft brown sharks just to your left over the past few weeks so most likely that
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I also know of someone that has been doin pretty good catching 6ft brown sharks just to your left over the past few weeks so most likely that
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Especially knowing a dead eel was the bait as they love them big dead eels!

I had on what I assumed was a seal one time as they were in the area. It did what it wanted. Moved slow, left and right. I would gain a little line and then nothing, and then it would take it back. Plug finally broke free.

This

Great read Bob, lots of fun , hey?


Thanks Ray..... I have a good time....everytime.
Having a fishing buddy is important to me. He always gets a good laugh at my antics and stories. Use to fish solo but not that much anymore.

Especially knowing a dead eel was the bait as they love them big dead eels!


the last two eels in the bag were the ones we had avoided, a lot bigger than I like to use.

......It was on his line for close to 90 minutes......

that's a REALLY long time to be tugging on anything from shore...I've had some good size tarpon hooked up with a 150...never felt the reel was not up to the challenge and they are going the other way a lot faster than any striper....rod, line, leader, me probably less reliable and under gunned than the reel...for it's size I don't think there is a better option...it does a lot for such a cute little thing...cool story...I hate at least not getting a look

All valid points Jenn......It was on his line for close to 90 minutes.....so he was very patient....Honestly I would have forced the issue much sooner. I didnt want to talk to him too much....kind of like when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter and you just dont want to jinx it. I stopped my own fishing when he started walking it down current with the tide...ended up pretty far from where we started out.

Come on 90 minutes? Maybe it felt like 90 minutes. An hour and a half is a long time. I have caught Tuna, Makos, Tarpon Gaint Grouper, Stripers, Blues, and a Swordfish and never had one on for more than 20 minutes. I did fight a trash bag full of sand, in the surf at Narrow River one night for about 15 minutes before I landed it.

I am kidding sort of but 90 minutes is unbelievable.

Come on 90 minutes? Maybe it felt like 90 minutes. An hour and a half is a long time. I have caught Tuna, Makos, Tarpon Gaint Grouper, Stripers, Blues, and a Swordfish and never had one on for more than 20 minutes. I did fight a trash bag full of sand, in the surf at Narrow River one night for about 15 minutes before I landed it.

I am kidding sort of but 90 minutes is unbelievable.


I dont blame you for being skeptical.....I am too when i hear stories like this. That said i know high tide was at 930 pm that night and thats when he hooked up, I didnt have to look at my phone for the time. After about a half hour...when he couldn't bring it in he started walking it down current and down the beach....I stayed right there with him and didnt say much..... we were now about 1/4 mile from where we stated and it remained a standoff... until the line snapped. At that point I looked at my phone and it was 11pm. Believe it or dont believe it that's fine. Ive never seen it take so long....but i know he didn't want the line to break and thought if he waited long enough he still had a chance. Like i said I would have forced the issue after 20 minutes... win or lose.

Bob, I don't doubt you but it just seems like a long time. An hour and a half is a lifetime to have anything on.

I bet you foul hooked a brown shark.
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Back to the VS 150.
The reel's cranking power can be improved by switching to a VR handle which is longer and has a larger knob. Even then, however, the gear design is relatively crude and the reel is definitely harder to crank under load than the Stella 5000SW I own. I think mine took close to 400 yds of Diawa Samurai 40# braid so capacity shouldn't be an issue.

Longer arm does give more leverage....and smaller gearing must have less capability.....anyway he has gone back to using his vs 250 for now..........says it feels much heavier..... not landing that fish...whatever it was.....got to him.
I would be surprised to see him using his 150....especially during the fall.
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soninlaw lost two fish yesterday .
hooked upon nice bass then a seal grabbed the bass. twice.