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We've been using the same rods and reels that we use for casting for trolling, and even eeling and casting for bass, they do it all.
We've been going light. We have all 7 foot rods, Boca's in Medium and Medium/Heavy and a 7 foot St Croix all mated to 40 series reels, Boca's, Cabo's and a Shimano MGFA Stradic 4000. Our lines are from 12-16 lb test, from Ande to Trilene big game in green and clear to 12 lb Stren in Hi-Vis green.
I favor trolling out my 6'9" Boca M/H. I lost 3 inches or so from the tip from sitting on it in the car and had to replace the tip. I had 15 lb Big Game on the spool and let out about 3/4-7/8 of the line out when trolling before I flip the bail. As the line calculator does not go above I think, 12 lb test, having to carry the numbers over, I estimate that the reel can take about 160-170 yards of 15 lb test. I like the M/H because I'm used to how the rod is bent when the lure is set in the water. I can't tell how the lure is doing with the medium wt. rods because they are so flexible/too bendy although I think that the lighter rods would impart a littel more/better action with the lures.
I think we are having good luck catching because we are going light for these bones/f-albacore. The light rod allows more action on the lure as well as having a light line to allow the lure to wiggle more and the fish can't see the line as much. Despite all the bluefish we bailed we had yet to be cut off once, even with no leader of any kind, just a Palomar straight to the lure and we must have caught about 100 bluefish in two days of fishing.
The fish take a little while to get to the boat because of our light line but we revive them and set them on their way so long as they are not bloodied by the hook, and we take some to eat as they are pretty tasty despite the fact that I don't really like the taste of fish all that much. Imagine a fisherman who doesn't like to eat it or really taste it.
In our area or in all the areas we've been catching, we will troll to find the fish, then once we know the general area where they are racing around, we'll drift or anchor and cast, of course with the wind at our backs and we'll be into them. So far it has been all blind casting as there have been no birds or signs of anything on top. So we are still using the same light tackle rods and reels for casting and trolling as it is a joy to use the stuff and can't fathom going back to my trusty 6500's and 7' light, m/l fiberglass rods I had been using for years. One good thing to say about my trusties is that they were like weightlifting, I'm at the peak of my casting curve from all the casting I had done with the heavier set ups of the past.
When I got my first two set ups, the Medium inshore rod and the Medium/Heavy, I told myself that I would not troll either one, that changed quick when I tried the M/H and found that it worked quite well as initially I thought I had made a mistake buying a M/H rod but now I'm so happy that I did. Next toy will be a 7'6"-er as I have all 7' rods and will have to step up and make the 7'6"-er my casting/eeling rod as I want it to be light/fast.
There will be the side that believes that light line and light tackle will/could kill more fish because of the prolonged fight and we do take that into consideration but so far all the fish we've sent back have swum off just fine because we de-hook fast and get them back in AQAP, as quick as possible. I do hope this helps in any way.
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Thanks for all the info.
Hybrid Mode
