What # test topshot on a max 55 lb reel

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

I've purchased recently 1000m of 50 lb mono (suffix supreme) and 1000m of 80 lb mono (suffix ultra supreme) so I do have the choice which one to use. I was planning on using the 50lb mono but I'm thinking now that it might be too light as the reel can put out a max drag of 55 lb.

I will probably not be fishing the reel to the edge but I'm not so sure that with a drag setting of 25-35lb the drag doesn't come near the 50 lb when you got a lot of line out in the water. Only the topshot (80-100 yards) is a concern because the rest of the reel would be spooled with 800-1000 yrds 80 lb hollow core spectra anyway.

What would you guys do?

[alantani]

what's the line capacity?

[Keta]

What would you guys do?

I'd reduce the topshot length to 15'-100' depending on what the reel was used for, 100' for a trolling reel.   I have 2 rods set up for running expensive trolling gear that I do not want to loose, they are 40lb rigs but I run 80lb topshots on top of 60lb hollow Spectra on them.  

[Nuvole]

For 80lb main line, I'll set the drag at strike at around 24lb.
I normally use topshot 1.2-1.5x the main line, around 10-30 yard depending on the freeboard of the ship.

[SoCalAngler]

What is the reel, how do you plan to fish with it and what species of fish are you targeting? IMO there are too many variables to make recommendations. On certain applications I run heavier topshots than the spectra backing and on others I run lighter.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

The reel is a Okuma makaira 30II.

I was already planning on going one line class up and put 50# on it in stead of 30# but I think I can savely put a 80# topshot for trolling as well.

I found now an okuma table with line line classes and yards per makaira reel but I could only find it in the international site and not in the local sites
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Model    Type of Braid
(Hollow or Solid core)    Braid Length    Top Shot Length
Braid Capacity for Makaira and Cedros reels
MK-10ll    Solid    300-yds of 50-lbs    75 to 100-yds of
20 to 40-lbs
MK15ll    Solid    300-yds of 65-lbs    80 to 100-yds of
30 to 50-lbs
MK-20ll    Solid    600-yds of 80-lbs    75 yds of
60-lbs
MK-30ll    Hollow Core    800-yds of 100-lbs (HC)    80 yds of
80-lbs
MK-50ll    Hollow Core    600-yds of 130-lbs (HC)    50 to 80-yds of
80 to 100-lbs
MK-50Wll    Hollow Core    800-yds of 130-lbs (HC)    50 to 80-yds of
80 to 100-lbs
MK-80Wll    Hollow Core    1000-yds of 80-lbs (HC)    80 to 100-yds of
130-lbs

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This table already answers my question and I've could have taken even the 100# hollow braid (although I now have 1000 yards hollow 80#)

The reel will be used for trolling and is bassicaly for smal to medium tuna, wahoo (but not the giants) Dolphin, spearfish and maybe withe marlins and hopefully sails. Occasional baby blue should be possible

The 100# line advice seems a little overdone on a size 30 reel

[Keta]

Don't limit your reel, I've seen cow YFT caught on 30s filled with 100lb Spectra. 

JB hollow 100lb is very close to JB 80lb in size and to keep from having another spool of line around I decided to spool my 30s off of the large spool of 100lb I use for building 80lb topshots.   I try to have hollow 40lb, 60lb, 100lb, 130lb and 200lb at my shop but JB is only 90 miles away and a call gets me restocked in 2 days.

[alantani]

nice!  i would go with the 130# hollowcore spectra straight to the top, then add a short topshot of mono.  it depends on the line capacity you need. 

[Keta]

I like super short topshots but for trolling I prefer them to be long enough that I still have a wrap or two of mono on the reel when my gear is set.  Most of the time the gear is in the second or third wake and 100' has worked for us.

[Nuvole]

For me the reason of using topshot are shock absorbent and handling fish to deck.
80lb topshot is the very low margin to lift a medium tuna onboard(okay I work on ship with 2-4m freeboard).
Length wise, I put some IGFA rules factor into it..  

[Keta]

Even though I had the IGFA 6kg record chum salmon for years I seldom consider their rules when setting up my gear.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Well,

I was planning 130lb JB hollow on the larger reel


For the smaller 30II reel I thought that 80lb Spectra hollow was enough. For the 50WII  I will use a 100lb mono topshot and a 130 backing spectra.

The topshot will be something like 100 yrds and will act as schockleader and for easy exchange when the mono is damaged so I don't have to respool the whole reel. The spectra will be for more line capacity. The last 25 feet will be a wind-on leader. Depending the circumstances it will be between 150-400lb.

The reels were difficult to get for a decent price but I managed reasonably. Importing from the US is an option but with all the transport, sales tax (19%) and heavy custom duties it is pricey as well. There are not that many sales points in this part of the world

[Keta]

Nice reels!

80lb will work for you on the tiny reel  .  If you drop down one weight on your rods and have rods that are 6-1/2' to 7' long  (2.25m-2.5m?) you can fish shorter topshots without having to worry about shock.  At work we troll for albaore in the 25-35 pound range with 30lb and 40lb rigs (40lb and 60lb Spectra with 100' 30lb and 40lb mono topshots) and don't break off on strikes. 

I attach my wind-on topshots directly to my Spectra.  Are you making your own topshots or are you buying them?

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Keta,

The reels will be used with short stroker curved butt stand-up trolling rods with a length of 5'6". The point is that sometimes it is difficult to predict what will bite

Unfortunately I will only fish 2-3 days a year using this gear. Heavier is already on the boat but maybe I will get lucky for the lighter stuff as we rented a sailing yacht to get to the location where the big game boat is located (yeah, we could have just booked hotels and ferry transfers but  what is the fun in that ) I will have to fly 4000 km first to get in the neighborhood anyway.

I make my own wind-on leaders but can currently not swage anything larger than 2mm mono (meaning momoi up to 300lb and jinkai up to 400 lb). Heavier will be available on the boat.

If I will be catching bonito's only I have lighter gear as in Omoto VS-10 with a 12-20 lb rod and a spinning rod and an Qualia 16 with a 30 lb rod

I think I'm heading for a luggage weight challenge

[Keta]

Sounds like a fun trip.