If you fish every week, salt or fresh water I have an very strong interest in knowing
1) Reel or reels you have that see the most use
2) Rod / rods are used & the line rating
3) Brand & weight of line
Thanks, Jeff...
It depends on what I'm fishing for and the conditions but this time of year my primary target is king salmon in Monterey Bay. I troll with 9'6" Lamiglass XCC Rods with Shimano tekota reels loaded with 30# mono. If I'm mooching I have a Daiwa line counter reel on a custom 7' seeker for dropping anything from 6oz. To 2lb. Lead to get down 300' where the fish are hanging out.
If tuna shows up it's a different game altogether. 2 speed reels on heavier rods for trolling and a Tranx 500 loaded with 60# braid and a short flouro topshot on a 9' seeker J90 #40lb rod. For sliding with swimbaits or flipping surface irons and live baiting.
Halibut fishing another story I use 20-30# weight rods and some tanked out jigmasters.
Rock fishing I like a 8' seeker and a Daiwas saltiga hg 20 with 60# braid and a 10' mono topshot in 30#.its a different setup for different conditions or types of fishing.
David, thanks for the detailed answer. How much time do you have on your Tekotas ? ...Jeff
As David says, I fish various disciplines, different fish, different terrain and boats, which calls for different tackle, though in my case subtly different. Accurate casting is probably the most important aspect as nearly all involve Irons or other surface lures cast at surface fish, therefore you are somewhat limited with rods.
In the past, for 20 years I standardised my reels to Daiwa SL50SH, 45 lb Suffix XL Strong mono and very strong fast action rods of about 10'6"" (Blanks by a local manufacturer Purglas) During that period I fished between 3 & 6 times per week, only from shore in the early days.
Later I used the same tackle on boats.
Then from about 2003 onwards I started to use some different conventional reels in addition, Trinidads, Toriums, Penn, Okuma and Saltigas and same rods. One longer rod for casting a bit further when required and with that a Daiwa GRANDWAVE - x 40shv. Line remained mainly the same, but I started to experiment with braid and braid backing.
From 2013 I started to use lighter tackle and I standardised on Tranx 500HG reels and substantially lighter rods as well. Various Blanks but eventually settled on 10 to 11 ft Composite Development (NZ) Graphcast 4 rods. I also now use braid as my main line, 50lb with 40 mt 80lb topshot. My rig is now roughly 1/3 lighter in weight.
My boat tackle has become much more varied and I often use very light rods, but usually the same conventional reels.
Over my life I've used the most (listed from least used to most) Penn 49, Tadler, Shimano 20/40 star, Shimano Tranx 500 HB, Daiwa SL50SH.
Rods, Composite Development (NZ) Graphcast 4 and Purglas /3 & /4.
In winter I fish for small fish (about 3 lb average) from shore, I use a DAIWA SL -X30 SHA
and a 11 ft firm casting rod made for about 20lb line and a casting weight of 2 oz. This is made on a cheapish Chinese blank which works extremely well for the job. I use the same 45lb line ::) because of abrasion on the rocks and very rough terrain.
(I have different tackle (no spinning reels) but above is the main tackle I use or have used)
I hope this helps and remember I am not in the USA and we fish very differently here.
Almost always fishin from my kayak. 5 rigs. 5 rigs is alot in the yak, but changing terminal tackle is difficult and best avoided with the wave action.
A)Light reef spinner: Stratic 3000 w/ 30lb. Samurai braid or Shakespeare 2062 w/ 15lb.mono. Either one on a nice St.Croix 6'6" 1/2-1oz.
B)Heavy reef spinner: Stratic 8000 w/ 40lb. P.pro braid on a Ugly Stick Bigwater 7' at 1/2-3oz.
C)1-conventional for casting or dropping: 3 choices; PXN21 HS-Jigmaster w/ 50lb. P.pro) Avet SX 6/4 mc, either one of these on a Shimano Trevala 6'6"-30-80 lb. Or an Abu Revo Toro Beast w/40lb. P.pro on an 8ft. Shimano TRD 1/2-1&1/2 oz.
Redid this one, more latter....
D) 2 conventionals for lure and dead bait trolling, many choices but favorites are: Sailfisher 130 w/ 65lb. P.pro and modified 259(long beach live bait caster) with 65lb. P.pro. Both would be on my 2 Shakespeare Ugly Stick Bigwater rods, 20 - 50 lb. rated.
This:
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=26433.0 (https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=26433.0)
and this
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=27258.0 (https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=27258.0)
exclusively.
As the weather and time permits which is about 2-3 hours one to four times per week.
20# Power Pro or ebay dyneema.
-steve
From the shore , I use a looot of differents techniques and gear depending on the season , weather , swell ....all rods have in common carbon fiber .
Two 12" surfrods (SERT, french brand ) 3->7 oz , with a BAM620/8500SS Penn/ 20/25/30 lbs mono.
One 10" Bloody (HART ) casting 3/4 to 2.1/4 oz for shore jigging with shimano 5500XSC , 20 lbs power pro
One 9" Lure Team (Decathlon) 1/2 to 1.1/2 oz for stickbaits , plugs
One 16" Extensis 500(" ") 1/4 to 3 , bobber and light fishing for porgys ,shimano sienna 10lbs kastking braid
Boat : abu garcia 7 "madaï jig , shimano Cardiff 12lbs power pro
3 Ron Thomson (cheap but excellent) 6" 20/30lbs CF but glass tip , W 12000FA Shimano/Crack 300/ mitchell 300 30lbs mono
2 Penn slammer 20/30 W Penn 320 GTI / 321 GTI 25lbs green Ande for light trolling
That's the stuff I use more frequently .
Pfueger patriarch with a 8lb to 18lb rod,,,,,8lbtest,,,good for anything up 15lb fish,,,,,torque 5 with a 25lb fin-nor rod 30lb power pro,,,,706 with a tommado post 20lb mono freshwater,,,,, ;D
Quote from: Rivverrat on May 19, 2019, 11:31:05 PM
David, thanks for the detailed answer. How much time do you have on your Tekotas ? ...Jeff
I have three seasons on some of them and some of them are brand new, I just picked up the latest incarnation of the reel. they made some excellent improvements in the reel this year.
Abu 4500,5500 or 5600 series with various 7', appx. 10-20 lb graphite rods mostly with 12lb Stren for bass. I like Loomis, StCroix, Fenwick but have a lot of BPS Graphite GS series- work fine.
7'9" Tsunami graphite rods with 550SS and 5500SS for striper popping with 20lb PP and fluoro leader
Penn Slammer rods with 330GTI's for leadcore, Daiwa 47's on Silstar 7'6" Baitfeeder rods. Man, I wish they still made them. Trolling bucktails and Alabama rgs for stripers.
Penn 360 Slammer on a 7' St Croix I built, a spool of 8lb fluoro and a spool of 20lb PP. If I get one rod, this one has been all over North America with me and caught everything from trout to yellowtail snapper to mahi. Other assorted 7' graphite rods with 4300 / 4400 / 4500 and PP braid / fluoro.
various Shimano and Quick UL's for panfish, with 6lb Stren. not too picky about rods as long as they are light
Penn Mag 10's and Abu 6500 for livebaiting stripers, on Graphite GS rods
Offshore: International 20's, 30's, 50's with 50 lb Big Game Solar. 20 / 30 are braid backed. Everol Super 50's and regular 80's if Gulfstream. All on International Rods. 9500SS, 560, 460 Slammer Liveliner on Shimana Trevala sticks with braid for casting / jigging duty. I always bring one or the other of my Cortez builds to play with too, usually a 4/0 full custom on a Seeker Stroker for grouper and AJ's with 50lb Berkley or Ande, and a Jiggy.
Surf: 12' Tsunami's with Penn 980 / 970 / custom Jiggy / or 525 Mag for drum with 20-25lb Big Game. 11-12 rods with 9500SS / 850SS / 560 Slammer with braid also.
I usually mix in something else from the collection but these are what stay ready to roll, 365, to cover anything I might do.
Striper fishing behind dam: 13'8" one piece Lamiglas and Fenwick E Glas with Mitchell 488's. These will launch, and the reels eat a lot of line quickly to keep up with tailrace current.
I keep saying i'm going to shark from the dirt to get the big Senators messy, but haven't yet.
John
John, what model is that 7' St. Croix ?
Jeff, I haven't the foggiest- I built it around 2002 and the label is under a diamond wrap, and it was in a batch of close-out SC blanks I bought for ten bucks each :) I'd estimate it at 10-25 lb, med power, fast action. I've bailed mahi up to about 20lbs with it (on PP) and it allowed a good bit of pressure from that line weight, but still throws 1/2 oz grubs fine. I've been very satisfied with St Croix whether factory built or Thorhammer wrapped.
I listed my preferred stands, but I will allow that I fish a good bit with garbage can combos I leave in my dock box- I chunk out a bait for perch then whack him up for cat bait while I'm working on dock or boats. These are all med spinners with cheap 6'6" rods and 12 lb mono- basically tourist specials, but I did catch a 15lb'r the other week on one, and good to lend if someone needs one. I lent a 7'6" Lamiglas once to someone who supposedly knew how to fish- they cracked it on the motor cowling first class and declined to tell me.....So now, Ugly's it is :)
I only fish from a boat. I fish weekly or pretty close to it, unless I am travelling.
There is one rod that comes with me every time I go out. It's a Shimano Carbolite 10-15kg 7' spin rod with a Shimano Stella 5000SWBHG. This is spooled with Ocea EX8 PE2, 36lb test braid, with a 30lb mono leader approx. 10ft long. I use this rod for everything from making bait to fishing up to 300ft with ledger rigs.
There are a handful of other rods that come out with me fairly regularly.
A Shimano Status Bent Butt PE3-5, with a Shimano Talica 25II, primarily used for livebaiting for yellowtail (Kingfish in these parts) but also for anything over about 300ft. This is spooled with 80lb hollowcore with a maybe 15ft 100lb mono leader spliced in.
A Shimano Abyss Jig Spin PE8, with an Okuma Makaira 20000S, spooled with Daiwa J-Braid 8X PE8 (roughly 100lb bs), with a PR knot to a 15ft long 150lb mono leader. This is primarily used for mechanical jigging, but also for livebaiting on some occasions.
Boon, I've run into some fellas tha tf realky like the Shimano Carbolite rods. Never been a big fan of Shimano based on some things in the past.
But many like them I understand why... Jeff
During the summer months I put many hard hours on my gear surf and pier fishing.
Penn Battle II 2500 reels on Star Stellar Lite rods jigging for blues and Spanish with 15lb Power Pro braid. I love these and never once had a problem.
Penn Squall 15 on Ocean Master 12' 6-12oz surf rod with 20lb mono. The Squall is meh ok for the price.
Daiwa Saltist BG30H on Ocean Master 12' 6-12oz surf rod and 20lb mono. LOVE
Shimano TLD-25 on a stand-up Ande. I like it but the TLDs fade so easily.
I tend to do most of my fishing along my commute either to or from work. I keep a ultra light and a 10ft medium/heavy surf caster at all times stashed in my truck. For these poles I choose less expensive, tough but still reliable reels like Penn SS. I can't tell you the amount of road closures due to accidents, I've been able to just pull over and fish opposed to just being stuck in my vehicle for hours.
Quote from: Rivverrat on May 21, 2019, 02:53:23 PM
Boon, I've run into some fellas tha tf realky like the Shimano Carbolite rods. Never been a big fan of Shimano based on some things in the past.
But many like them I understand why... Jeff
Full Fuji SiC guides and Fuji seat on a very nicely-behaving blank for a little over $200 is hard to go past in my mind.
They're not the prettiest rods ever made but it does the job very well for many different types of fishing.
I found that I had a lot of money tied up in rods that only got used once every couple of months, highly specialist rods like my jig setup (although I am using that more and more) that often owed me the better part of $1000, yet my "daily driver" go-to rod was a much more economy setup, which made no sense. I went and bought basically the best I could (without going custom on the rod) in this class.
I try to get out once a week or better in the warmer months here in Minnesota. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. I don't ice fish much. December through March means only an occasional outing if days are warm and the nearby river is open. Obviously, all freshwater. Mostly vintage equipment.
Walleye, northern pike and bass are only in season here after mid-May. Before that, I'll try for crappie with a Mitchell Classic 300 graphite UL rod, 5 ft., using an ABU Garcia Cardinal 653 or Shakespeare 2200 II reel with 4 or 6 lb. test Trilene. Catfish, carp or buffalo require heavier gear, like a Bass Pro Shops 96 graphite rod, 5 ft. 8 in., with a Shimano MLX300 spooled with 12 lb. Trilene, or a Quantum Transmitter graphite, 5 ft. 9 in, with a Berkley 426 reel spooled with 12 lb. Trilene. If cold enough to wear gloves, then I might use a spincast outfit, like an ABU Garcia Premier Conolon, 7 ft. and a Daiwa Silvercast 212RL reel spooled with 12 lb. Trilene.
Walleye and Northerns, in season, I might go with an UglyStik 6 ft. 6 in. and a Mitchell 300 spooled with 6 or 8 lb. test line. Another choice would be a Shimano FX-2652 (rebuilt with additional guides on NGC principles) and a Mitchell 400 spooled with 6 lb. test mono. Bass I have a no-name 6 ft. 8 in. medium/moderate action rod, with a Heddon 222 or ABU Garcia Cardinal 4, spooled with 8 lb. test Cajun underneath. Trolling for Northerns, I might try a Silstar Pinnacle Power Tip Pro, 6 ft. 6 in., and a DAM Quick 220 spooled with 8 lb. mono.
Occasionally, I just see a rod or reel in the basement that I feel like using for something, so I match something up and away I go. Have a pack rod and a telescoping rod that I'll match up with some small reel for places I might hike or bicycle to.
Frank
Mostly inshore saltwater here, and I get out at least once a week weather permitting. Probably get out 50-60 times a year on average. If Im out on my kayak, the following setups are almost always with me:
Crowder Salute 7'6" 6-12 lb rated rod, Shimano ultegra 2500, 10 lb powerpro super 8 slick braid, 15 lb fluoro leader.
Crowder Salute 7'6" 8-15 lb rated rod, Quantum Smoke S3 25, 15 lb powerpro super 8 slick, 15 or 20 lb fluoro leader.
Blair Wiggins 7'2" 6-12 lb rated rod, Shimano Nasci 3000, 15 lb powerpro super 8 slick braid, 15 or 20 lb fluoro leader.
All have been rock solid, but I do have to oil the line roller on the quantum smoke more often than the shimanos.
If Im going offshore, or targeting tarpon in the inlets, Ill bring along something heavier. Recently picked up a Daiwa Lexa 300, spooled with 250 yds of 30 lb powerpro super 8 slick for this duty. Looking for a new rod for it, the current one isnt ideal.
If im going offshore on a boat, I go heavier, including some of my built senators. Dont do much of that anymore though
Quote from: Three se7ens on May 28, 2019, 02:31:56 AM
targeting tarpon in the inlets
I spent a lot of time chasing those around Port Royal/Calibogue. Saw a few but never even jumped one. It does happen though.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on May 28, 2019, 06:07:49 AM
Quote from: Three se7ens on May 28, 2019, 02:31:56 AM
targeting tarpon in the inlets
I spent a lot of time chasing those around Port Royal/Calibogue. Saw a few but never even jumped one. It does happen though.
-steve
That's not far from me at all. I have two places where I find tarpon reliably. Getting them to eat is another story, but I'm starting to get a feel for their patterns. A buddy of mine hooked one last year, but couldn't keep it on.
My offshore rods are mostly Seeker Hercules that I built. Bottom rods are 40-80 with a Newell 540 3.2 converted to a 533 3.2 (50 lb Momoi). Flat lining with no weight I like the 30-60 Hercules with a Newell 338 (40 lb Momoi). One spinner for my Viking jig is a Hercules 20-40 with a penn torque 7500 (60 lb braid with FL tied with FG knot). One super seeker 40-80 spinner with a Shimano Twin Power 6500 (60 lb braid and Fl) This one anything up in the column and powerful drag to stop them from getting to the reef.
One Rainshadow Stub 80 with a Penn 9/0 modified by Sal with 130 Momoi. This one just hangs off the side of the boat with a live bait.
All of the above gets the job done. I have other backups that I may carry occasionally.
Dwight