Guys, I appreciate all of the great tips for a blank on this subject. I need to pick your brains further as to what size braid and how powerful a reel I need as to max drag and line capacity for the braid used goes. Think of fish in the 25 to 75 lb range for where I'll be fishing.

I'll only be using this rig once to possibly twice a year offshore. The rest of the time I'll be using it for lake fishing for BIG stripers and inshore/light offshore work, so I don't want to over gun myself. How much max drag would you suggest for a good compromise, and should I go with 50 or 65 lb braid?

Thanks

Any idea what jig weight range you will want to be using?

Todd

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

Todd, thanks for the response. My guess would be something like a 3-8 oz range, but having no experience at this, it's just a guess from what I've learned so far and the areas that I'll be fishing.

While 40 something miles offshore in Texas two years ago, I was using the boat equipment and baiting with squid. If memory serves me well the weight was between 8 and 12 ounces. With absolutely no guidance from the hands on where to fish or what to count down, I let it free fall for a 30 second count and was immediately in beeliners and some red snapper, AJs and later cobia. The few times that I let it go to bottom was about one minute and 45 seconds. I have no idea of the actual depth, but those few times I got nothing but barely legal but out of season red snappers for my trouble and a LONG grind back up with the low geared conventional boat reels.

My goal is a rig that can work for the types of fishing that I mentioned without being way too heavy for the lighter end of the spectrum. The reel that I'm leaning towards is a Cabo CSP60PTs [www.quantumfishing.com] , but I was wondering if 27 lbs max drag was enough for my stated goals. After using my head and going to the Penn site to see what the max drag rating is of some off their fairly high dollar conventional reels, I saw that 27 lbs looked to be as high or higher than most of their mid size offerings, like this: [www.histackleboxshop.com]

So, I'm fairly well settled on this reel (Cabo CSP60PTs) to start with, and I would guess that the major part of my fishing with this rig will be from 40 - 200'. I plan on buying a spare spool so that I can have 50# test braid on one and 65# on the other, for deeper fishing/larger game. I would also guesstimate that a freelined knife type jig on spinning gear would get down much quicker than a fat weight on slightly thumbed conventional gear............................. no?

Anyway, unless I'm all wet here with my thinking, what I need to settle on now is the appropriate jig weight range that fits this bill, and then move on the the appropriate blank.

Your thoughts and any others are most welcome here, and please don't hold back the truth if I'm tip toeing down the primrose path!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2011 05:25PM by David Sample.

You may want to consider an Avet HX model reel = it's a two speed; machined frame; 28lbs of drag === and about $100 less than the Penn. Not sure how you would go about changing spools.


UPDATE - new model for Avet "Raptor" series:
Avet HX & HXW Raptors pictured above

Avets new line of extremely strong lightweight Raptors adds a new dimension to your arsenal.
This lineup will eventually include all the smaller Avet reels including the SX, MX, JX. LX and HX reels.
Each will incorporate a dual carbon fiber drag capable of producing enormous drag pressure for their corresponding size.. For instance the HX series can produce 40 pounds of drag at strike with fifty pounds maximum and still retain great freespool.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2011 05:05PM by Ken Preston.

Thanks for the tip, but I'm staying with spinning gear on this. At present my left arm is 5 weeks into 6 in a sling from rotator cuff surgery, and then 6 more weeks of intense PT.

I'm going to put most of the work load (rod) on my right arm and use my left for mainly reeling, and just the fact that a spinning reel wants to point down at the fish instead of wanting to invert the rod AND the fact that I won't need to lay the line with my thumb means that I'll have even less in/out load on my left shoulder. Yes, I know that I can use a conventional reel and spiral the guides to alleviate most of this torque, but for the money/max drag ratio, the reel that I mentioned is a no brainer for me at least, and has very good reviews when taken as a whole.

Understand ---- all too well what you're dealing with

Thanks friend, it @#$%& but that's life. I've had this problem since last February/March, and after waiting for healing that never came I went to my doc in September, and then to the ortho guy. He did the push up, push down, push in and push out thing and told me that he seriously doubted that anything was torn because I had good strength in all directions and not much discomfort. The MRI proved him incorrect in his assessment, so I had it repaired in my slow season........................ I'm self employed in the sailing/sail making business.

Your input and that of any others on this issue has been and still is greatly appreciated. I want to do this right the first time! :)