Tuna Special together

Started by Ron Jones, July 14, 2013, 02:54:31 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Ron Jones

Well, Thanks to Bruddah Bill I finally got the last piece of my Newell Tuna Special together.

It started like this.



Here is a close up of it's secret weapon


and here is the reel, all greased up and ready for 65 pound Power Pro and 60 Big Game.


Can't wait to get it to Cabo on a Penn Premier. ALAN I NEED YOUR GEARS!!

Ron

Sorry, I've tried and tried, but I just can't make the images work.
Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Bryan Young

Ron, where did you get the insert?  Did you make it?

I think Ron is holding out on us guys.  ;D

Looks great Ron.  Love that handle.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Ron Jones

That is one of Lee's prototypes. I REALLY REALLY like his octagon insert because a 60 washer fits like it was made for it, the hex insert needs a special washer. It took a bit to get the knack of cutting washers but I think I got it down now. I am concerned that their might not be enough individual edge length on the octagon, I was a little sloppy with one washer and it rounded off, the ones in here are a much tighter fit. Anyway's we'll see. If I loose a dorado because my prototype drags spun in the insert it will give me a great story to tell the grand kids and add to my Memoirs.

I don't have a drag gauge, but just by trying to pull on the spool with the star turned down I can tell that if this isn't enough drag I need a bigger reel!! I have a second dog and will get that in before it is fished hard. I do like this handle, although the 4/0 fits my hand better. Alan's crank arms are truly the cat's meow.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Alto Mare

Very nice Ron. If that's a Jigmaster it has the potential to go to 28lb....be careful. The pinion in my Jigmaster failed at 28lb.
I believe you would do fine at 20lb max.
Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Ron Jones

Sal, that is a 3/0H with a Newell kit that makes it the same width as a TANK. SO, it has jigmaster gears. I'm fishing 60 pond line and 20 pounds will be more than enough for that.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Bryan Young

If that doesn't work out. I have a drag kit that will boost your drag pressure.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Ron Jones

Bryan,
If I can swing it, I want to put your kit in another 3/0 and put them head to head on something big enough to make them sweat, like an ulua or big ono.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Ron Jones



Loaded up and ready to fish.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Ron Jones

Just walked down to Maipalaoa beach (I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to walk to the beach and fish daily! don't try to find it on a map though,) and threw a 3 ounce sinker to break the reel in. 65# Big Game is like fishing with rope. Reel spun for days and I cleared the breakers easy with a 7 foot Tiger Rod.

Best thing I can say about the drags are that they are strong enough to let me bust out of coral snags, and that is more than anything else I have can do! Literally, turn around and walk to break off the snag and it just comes free because the spool REFUSES to budge. I like it a lot!
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Bryan Young

Awesome Ron.  You'll turn into a shorecaster yet...you are already at 65# mono...now try 80#  :)
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Ron Jones

#10
Well,
I'd love to tell you that the Tuna Special put a hutin on a huge Ulua, but that would mean this should be in fishing reports!!

Went out for some time in the waves today. Flossie had the waves shootin' and things just seemed fishy. The off shore breeze meant that I could cast like Superman also.

After a few casts I hooked into something that was HUGE, it is called the island of Oahu. I haven't tried to break off 60 pound mono in a few years and I realized that this is a great way to test the reel. I tightened down the drag and started walking, the line spun off but not without effort, nice and smooth the entire distance. Then I turned around and bent the rod. It was a 7 foot 60 pound Tiger rod and I had the tip past the butt and basically bent it as far as I dared. The reel absolutely would not budge, more drag than I ever hope to need with this reel.Line didn't start peeling off until the rod was almost straight and I started walking. The rock finally gave up, or so I thought. The 4/0 hook on my swim bait straightened! That's good enough for me. Next cast was just as smooth and far as the first, the hex octagon insert is a winner.

This is a really well balanced rig, the 3/0 fits my hand well and the wide spool has all the capacity I need. I would feel comfortable taking on anything from the Oahu beach with this reel including those big Tigers they get in Ewa, with the wide Tib kit It would have to be an awfully big fish to be out gunned.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

BMITCH

Hi Ron, I also have a couple of those hex inserts from Lee. I was wondering about the metal washer and cf's? You said you were using a 60 washer, what thickness of cf did you cut? Also did you have to flatten out the metal washer say on a stone or fine sandpaper?
Bob
luck is the residue of design.

Alto Mare

Yes I like the inserts as well, but I would still like to get them in Stainless Steel :-\.
Mine are octagon.
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Ron Jones

I am using the octagon insert because the 60 washer fits with no modification. I am using 1.2mm CF sheet from eBay.

Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Alto Mare

You mentioned Hex above, that's why I said  I use octagon.
The 6-60 will work on the octagon and hexagon inserts. I like the hexagon better, the corners have more meat.
The octagon washers did hold up nicely on my test though, I was using 1.3 laminated CF.
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.