MAY I CHANGE LARGE TROLLING REELS TO CASTING REELS?

Dominick · November 28, 2011, 06:10:10 AM

Hey all you Alan Tani members I need some advice.
During the 2011Tuna Tournament I fished with Penn Internationals 30W (80lb mono) and 50VSW (130lb Hollow Core Spectra). Since these are mainly trolling rods, when I took them apart for maintenance I fully greased the spool bearings and put the grease shields back in place. Some of you may know this, but here is what happens when Tuna fishing and also during the tournament. The two reels mentioned were placed in the lure pattern with trolling lures. When a fish hits one of the rods, the boat continues for a few seconds to keep the pattern moving with the expectation that the other lures will be hit. This sometimes happens and you now have more than one fish on. I have been on a boat when we have had all 5 lines going off almost together, but I digress. The point I want to make is that once the boat slows almost to a stop to get the already hooked fish to the boat, another rod and reel which has been sitting with a baited live Cabillito (a fish about 8 inches long) is cast out into the water behind the boat to entice the larger Tuna to strike. Since one has to cast the live bait, the rod and reel set-up are usually a lot lighter reel and fishing line. This is contrary to tournament fishing, in that you want to get the largest fish to the boat in the fastest time possible. However, if you hook a large Tuna with 40 or 50 lb test line you have a long fight on your hands. I'm sorry for the long lead into my question but I am anticipating some of the questions that would be asked. Here is the question:
Is it practical in such large reels to clean the spool bearings, lubricate them with Reel-X and put them back in open? What I am trying to do is get the reels in a condition to cast an eight to twelve ounce fish about 25 feet behind the boat. Will these large trolling reels be able to cast as described? Dominick

alantani · November 28, 2011, 07:35:06 AM

you should be able to do that. we cast with large reels all the time. sometimes it's not pretty, but with some skill you can get the bait that far away from the boat.

Keta · November 28, 2011, 04:06:09 PM

Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot??? I was invited to fish this one on Team Eat Me Lures this year but funds were tight. My Avet 50 SDSs went though. I'm saving my pennies for 2012 now, if I make it in 2012 we will have to get together and chat.

On LR boats they cast 6" sardine at cow YFT with 30s and 50's all of the time. I'd suggest not using a wide reel, a 30 (like a Penn 30VSX) with degreased spool bearings would work well, 50's are much harder to cast a small bait. You will be dropping back the bait on the slide so distance is not a big factor. Fill your 30 with with hollow 80lb Spectra and a short L2L mono or Fluro topshot (I prefer mine to be 10' Fluro but 10'-50' works (the long ones are mono due to the $$.$$ of heavy Fluro and 5 years of being unemployable) and you are ready to catch the tournament winning cow.

Norcal Pescador · November 28, 2011, 04:14:55 PM

Dominick -
Keta beat me to it on some of this while I was typing, be here goes anyway.
A couple of questions for you. How long is your rod on the VSW? I'm sure you don't want to go very long, but even bumping up from a 5-6 to a 6-0 will give you a little more leverage. Enough to matter, I don't know - food for thought. Next, how much does your typical cabillito weigh? If it's 6-8 ounces you should be able to toss that 25 feet (not yards, right?) if your preset is light enough. I pulled the shields in my Int'l 50 spool bearings and oiled them and get a pretty decent freespool with a 15# preset at strike. And educating your thumb to avoid 'professional overruns'. You know I don't have the experience you do but that's my 2-cents.

Keta · November 28, 2011, 04:41:00 PM

My heavy casting rods are 6-1/2' to 7' 80lb, 100lb and 130lb.

Norcal Pescador · November 28, 2011, 05:28:15 PM

Quote from: Keta on November 28, 2011, 04:41:00 PM
My heavy casting rods are 6-1/2' to 7' 80lb, 100lb and 130lb.

I never thought about casting with big bruisers. I guess I should try it. 135# / Int 50 on a 5'10" and 80# / 114H on a 6'. Hmmm. So much to learn.....

Alto Mare · November 28, 2011, 05:30:19 PM

You guys are never satisfied $:-\$ .
As long as the boat is in motion .... even barely, shouldn't you be able to drop the bait and hit the free spool? that bait should travel to 30 feet in no time.

Dominick · November 28, 2011, 07:20:27 PM

Quote from: Keta on November 28, 2011, 04:06:09 PM
Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot??? I was invited to fish this one on Team Eat Me Lures this year but funds were tight. My Avet 50 SDSs went though. I'm saving my pennies for 2012 now, if I make it in 2012 we will have to get together and chat.

Keta: I'm going next year. I already reserved our position as Team #1 for next year. I'm not sure of the boat. I don't want the same boat as last year. If you read my report under http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=2974.0 you'll see the boat problems we had. The mechanical problem was not reason enough to not want the same boat, it goes a little deeper than that. It would be fun to meet up down there. I'm going in the spring and again in November for the tournament.

Quote from: Alto Mare on November 28, 2011, 05:30:19 PM
You guys are never satisfied $:-\$ .
As long as the boat is in motion .... even barely, shouldn't you be able to drop the bait and hit the free spool? that bait should travel to 30 feet in no time.

Yo Sally: Satisfaction always raises its ugly head

. The whole thing is speed. If you haven't been there done that, here is what happens. A rod goes off. Whoever is closest to the rod jumps up grabs it and sets the hook. From the hookup to someone grabbing the rod, the boat, which has been traveling at 7-8 knots has moved some distance. The idea is to get the live bait in the water as fast as possible. Actually Keta is correct in that the live bait is cast off to the side with the boat moving forward. There are other factors involved. You have to flip that live bait over the corner positions and over the outrigger lines if you can, otherwise you risk monumental tangles. All the while trying to stay out of the way of the guy fighting a fish. Very exciting. Ideally the live bait should be in the water before the boat slows. The idea is to get the live bait back as close to where the first fish hit as possible. The adrenaline rush is exhilarating. Holding the rod with the live bait and waiting for that hit is a feeling like no other. Dominick

Bryan Young · November 28, 2011, 08:42:26 PM

Dominick,

Done that with a shimano 50W. Open and clean bearings. Spool sleeve is a must as well to to maintain that freespool at the higher drag settings.

Once the momentum is transferred to the spool full of line, you got to watch it. It spins forever and a lifetime.

Bryan

Alto Mare · November 28, 2011, 09:30:10 PM

Dominick, I would love to see you trying to cast that big boy with all of that action going on. I've been there and I know what its like when you have 6 lines plus 1 on the tower. But, we don't use ships like you west coast guys do, when we go out here in the NE it's usually from a 32' to a 42' boat . All I'm going to say is don't cast yourself right off of that boat

, you too Keta .

Dominick · November 29, 2011, 01:57:46 AM

Quote from: Alto Mare on November 28, 2011, 09:30:10 PM
Dominick, I would love to see you trying to cast that big boy with all of that action going on. I've been there and I know what its like when you have 6 lines plus 1 on the tower. But, we don't use ships like you west coast guys do, when we go out here in the NE it's usually from a 32' to a 42' boat . All I'm going to say is don't cast yourself right off of that boat , you too Keta .

Sal: When you mention ships you are talking about the long range boats. I expect that they are a lot of fun, but I am at heart a landlubber. The thought of going on one of those long range boats for 8-10 days makes me cringe

. I enjoy fishing from a 28 to 32 foot sport fisher and coming back to land at the end of the day. I also enjoy fishing from a Panga on occasion, especially for Rooster Fish. One of these days when I visit my family, we can get together with Dom and have a fishing day. Dominick

Alto Mare · November 29, 2011, 02:49:29 AM

Dominick, I'm with you. I also like to come home at the end of the day. Let us know when you're coming, we would love to have you. My boat is not that big , but still very comfortable for 3. If that's not good enough....Dom has a 32' with twins

.

Keta · November 29, 2011, 06:10:52 AM

I prefer to stay out for multiple days but anytime on the water is good time.

redsetta · November 29, 2011, 11:20:48 AM

Quote...anytime on the water is good time.

Couldn't agree more Keta.
A simple life, well-lived.

fishingjack · December 12, 2011, 04:20:37 PM

you definately can cast it mate. Check out 13 min and 9 seconds as an example.
Even the heaviest gear can be cast.

Even in the worst case you could let out 25 yards of line and throw the fish like a cowboy throws a lasso. I've thrown tiny dough baits out like this when freshwater fishing with a heavy multiplier.