reel ??
 

what do you tuna guys recomend for football size tuna? for a trolling rod.

cms makes some nice sticks. match it up w/ a penn or shimano 30 and your good to go

Keep in mind that these footballs are bigger every year.
My guess, 30s you will be a bit out gunned this year.

Put the $$ into the reels - 30's will be lighter/the fight longer, but 50's size are now the standard. Can save a "few" dollars by going with single versus two-speed, or by not getting the "gold". Shimano TLD's are a great option.

CMS is always a great place to go for any type of rod - tuna or otherwise. You can shop around and buy entry - less than $100, just straight guides, mid-range - roller and stripper, up to $150 +/-, and then the sky's the limit (Star, Penn International, customs). They will all do the job, it's just where your budget is and how far "into it" you are.

Pick up a used penn 30 or 50 on ebay for $250-$300. I just added one. :grins:

can't go wrong with a penn

I'm gonna pick up 2 okuma t50IIs. they're rumored to put out 50lbs of drag! not bad for $200 bucks.

50vsw. Best size for all around offshore fishing.

They are also rumored to fall apart and corrode after one or two seasons.

Go with the 50's - better to get a smaller fish in quick, than to wish you had the right gear for a good fish.
Used Penn or Shimano are a better alternative than one of the price point brands. A quality reel will last you 20+ years, I doubt any of the cheapo's will be around that long.
If Fin-Nor gets their new 50's out to market this season - they are worth looking at also - I really liked the prototypes.

What types of lures would you be trolling?

:uhoh: :yawn: :splat:JUNK!!!:fishslap: :yak::rolleyes: :skulz:

taJon-

Have to agree with the negative comments on the Okumas. I used them on a buddy's boat and though they were inexpensive, they also had drag issues. One reel kept slipping suddenly almost sending me backward on my ass, and these were not big fish.

I bought the Shimano TLD 50LRS. At the time they cost my $429 each. Shimano redeisgned them last year and they actually lowered the price to about $379. These are excellent reels and they will last you a long long time. I would strongly recommend them for anyone looking to do tuna, sharks, etc.

i was thinking about the tld30

That's what I'm hearing about this class of fish, from those who know better than I know.... another year= another 15-20 lbs.

I've lined up a used Penn 50vsw.

I tell you what a close friend of mine told me. He has caught a LOT of giants over the years, made a lot of money too. He said he would never fish for tuna east of Chatham with anything less than a 50 wide. He's belief is the possibility of hooking a really big fish is pretty good and with anything less, you will be outgunned. We took a double header last summer, one was about 40 pounds, the other was a 150+ pound fish. For a few dollars more, I still like the 50 wide.

Just to reemphasize what hooper said. 2 years ago were were banging small ones 60-80 pounders all day when a gorilla zapped the spread and decided to take with him 600 yards of mono and a new spreader bar. It happened FAST. I saw the fish hit and saw it spool the reel so it does happen more than you think.

Yep, good point Reap.

During the season you will hear guys on the radio claiming to have been spooled. With a 50 you at least stand a chance of turning on him quickly and making a go of it for awhile, but then again, an 800 pound fish might not care what kind of reel you're holding when he waves bye-bye! :wave:

Also,
NEVER leave the dock without riggin the harpoon!
I learned that the hard way last year !

I got spooled on a 50W as well last season.

I still think 50's are light compared to what we used to pull.

There are some tld 50w 2 speeds with rods on one of the offshore sites for $300 each. I don't want to put up a link, but pm me if you want the site.

bj,
Agreed but with the advent of spectra hollow core you can now hold a half a mile of 100 if need be. When the big guys are around and have been seen or caught or are historically there I only run the 80 and 130's when targeting giants. That being said 99% of the time a penn 50vsw or shimano 50w or any of the reputable brands will be more than ample for school tuna 150 or smaller.
Larger mediums or small giants can and have certainly have been landed using 50's although this practice shouldn't be the standard.

In the offshore game you get what you pay for and nothing will break your heart more than a fish of a lifetime breaking away or getting unbuttoned because you wanted to save a few bucks on $hit gear and it failed. I look at it this way, spend now for good quality reels and you'll have them forever.

KR

BTW- BJ what type of boat is in your avatar? Sweet looking ride.

I'm with you on the 50's - I just grew up with 130's and the 80's were considered the "light tackle".

We normally back the 50's with dacron and topshot with 100yds of 80lb, but I'm seriously thinking about respooling this season with the Jerry Brown.

Thanks for the compliment - she's a 31' Duffy. Laura-Jay out of Sandwich.

Gorgeous boat. Someday... I have JB line one on the heavy stuff and some of the 50's. the advantage vs cost is well worth it. by the end of winter every reel will be set up like said above.

I understand that they might not stack up to the big boys, but with proper maintenance and the annual refurbish at okuma, I heard they are supposed to be pretty good.

Hooper, for sake of discussion, do you know the history of the reel that was slipping? How old was it, when was it serviced, was it taken care of? Just ?s for the conversation.

personally, I've had good luck with Okuma spinning reels. some have and some haven't.

What do you think of the spliceable JB vs solid Spectra and just tieing a bimini to do the loop to loop?

JB is pretty expensive for 6 reels. Trying to decide if I can save some $ or if I just need to suck it up.

Right now I just chinese handcuff mono to dacron, but I can see how the spliced loop topshots would make like easier in season.

I use the spliced loop to loop method. That way I can quick change what I need to. Plus it isnt hard to splice and never had one come undone this way. The investment is substantial but over 7-10 years is it cheaper in the long run.

Big Jay, since we are paying homage to your boat, me too, love it, but you know that anyways!

taJon, the reel was new, he bought bunch of them, like 6 of them, on ebay for around $200 each. It had only been fished a few times, just didn't impress me. But, a few weeks later they landed a 335+ pond thresher and it worked fine. For the money, give it a shot. If it were me, I'd buy one and see how it goes.

Big Jay,
I'm another one.
Love your boat.
Got any details or more pics ?

Thanks guys, I'm really flattered.
She's a '92 Duffy, we bought her in '98. Cummins 300B, cruises 19/20kts, and will go 15 through just about anything-troll valve takes her down under 1kt. Only burns about 10 g an hour, so she's simple and ecomical to run. Big cockpit and the full keel make her a nice platform to fish from.

Hooper - I heard Eagle sold a couple of weeks ago, I was hoping you took the plunge. Billy C's Holland is still out there - the mojo alone might be worth it.

Thanks again - here's a couple pics.

Awesome pictures. I love the lines on the Duffy. When I get really into fishing thats what I'm going to get. How much fuel can she carry?