Built Surfmaster 100 target range

[JasonGotaProblem]

Say i take a surfmaster 100, give it steel gears, steel sleeve, 5 stack, an aluminum spool, and aluminum crossbars (to be ordered from PC).

What's a good target range for that? I figured I'd load it with 30# braid. I dont think it'll handle much heavier than that.

I currently possess all but the spool and frame bars. 

[thorhammer]

Functionally that's prolly it, but 30 may creep into the spool flange depending on your tolerances. 50 may work better but I wouldn't button it down on a grouper...steel or not, the teeth and gear itself are still small.

[Keta]

thorhammer is right,  I do not go by pound test when spooling Spectra on older reels, diameter is more important. I would suggest 50-60 pound and  it will be thinner than 20# mono.  You can fish it with 20-30 pound mono/fluro topshots.

I fish my surfmasters as 20# reels, even the Tib framed one.

[Flat Top]

JasonGotaProblem;

I run 40lb Kast King Super Power braid on all my Delmar's and my Squidder's with a 50lb mono shock leader...3oz weight plus bait (chunk). The Delmar's can go 75 yards on a good day with 7-8 foot med heavy and heavy rods, The Squidder's will go 100 yards plus with a 12" med heavy rod. I am not trying to break the rod when I cast...just a nice smooth angling up sidearm cast does the job.

The 40lb Super Power braid measures .015" compared to 20lb mono that I have that measures .016". The braid manufacturer says the measurement is .30mm measurement (or about .012").

I have used the 20lb mono and the 40lb braid on my Squidder's and the distance casting is about the same on average....but I am not shooting for the moon. I use the 40lb braid for fishing.

In all my years of fishing I have never had line creep into the spool flange with any Penn conventional reel, casting or dropping....but thats not saying it wont happen.

Keta is correct...fish the diameter of line that works best for you. I have found that .015/.016 braid works well for me and that is about the minimum that I would use on the old Penns, but that is not written in stone. All you can do is test your reel with 30lb braid and see if it works for you...if not go 40lb.... or more.

[Finest Kind]

Say i take a surfmaster 100, give it steel gears, steel sleeve, 5 stack, an aluminum spool, and aluminum crossbars (to be ordered from PC).

What's a good target range for that? I figured I'd load it with 30# braid. I dont think it'll handle much heavier than that.

I currently possess all but the spool and frame bars. 

Jason, I have been using a 100 Surfmaster this season with 65 pound braid and 30 foot 100 pound test mono leader. I fish in boulder fields and the heavy line with a light drag is the only way I have found to prevent a big striped bass from taking me into the rocks and cutting me off. No way you can stop the fish and if the drag is tight it just makes it easier for the fish to cut it on a barnacle covered rock. The reel is up to the task of taking 40 pound plus fish. I probably use about five pounds of drag.
John

[JasonGotaProblem]

I may not get to do the spool any time soon. My mortgage just went up $600 a month. Surprise! I think any tackle purchases in the next month or so might get me stabbed in my sleep.

I'll spool up the bronze spool and see what I can do to.it.

[Flat Top]

let us know how it turns out.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I'm just gonna dump these here...

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

If you would like to buy a slightly lighter weight aluminum spool with slightly more line capacity for half the price I have a good used tested true made in the USA Newell spool for your 100.

[Finest Kind]

Looks mean. The surfmasters are pretty close to indestructible. The antidote to finicky ball bearing loaded reels from the Pacific rim.

[JasonGotaProblem]

If you would like to buy a slightly lighter weight aluminum spool with slightly more line capacity for half the price I have a good used tested true made in the USA Newell spool for your 100.

man I wish I'd waited. I sold that 704z spool and immediately went and ordered the 100 spool from PC. Thanks for the offer though.

[farmer56]

not to  steal , but if jason for sure doesn't want newell 100 spool  Randy, i will take it farmer56

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

Sorry about that Jason.  I will try to be quicker next time.

Dennis, I am sending you a PM to avoid hijacking Jason's thread.

Thank you,

Randy

[JasonGotaProblem]

Sorry about that Jason.  I will try to be quicker next time.

Dennis, I am sending you a PM to avoid hijacking Jason's thread.

Thank you,

Randy

No apology needed, I appreciate the offer. And I am a chronic hijacker of threads (usually unintentionally) so I'll never be mad at someone for hijacking mine.

Re the reel shown above, I put exactly 240yds of 50# jbraid on it. It could have fit more, but that was all there was left on that spool from filling a different reel.

[thorhammer]

Suggestion- I take out the stock clamp assembly and keep it intact, and install SS screws with nylocs on the stand cut to correct length as a stud using that OEM strap clamp, then and use SS acorn nuts on the clamp. Much lower profile that doesn't hang on stuff and all available at hardware bigbox. I think I use 10-24 scews  / nuts. Alternatively, cut screws as is, and use Penn torque clamp and capture nuts- the aluminum clamp is half the price of the graphite one and slotted to fit about everything.