Gear For The Trip

[alantani]

that will work!

[Ron Jones]

My lord,
If I hook into a 60 pound Blue Fin Tuna on my Newell Tuna Special I will propably pass out from elation. This is going to be so cool.

So, I'm covered for reels, and actually have all the rods that I would "need" (what a stupid word to use in a sport fishing conversation,) but if you had $200.00 and were going to buy one rod to be the most beneficial for this trip using a star drag reel what would it be?

Ron

[MarkT]

I'm going on a 2 1/2 day over Memorial Day weekend on the Pacific Voyager so should have a little better feel for likely conditions after that.  Last year on that trip we were catching 5-10# YT.  Hoping for better this year!

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

Ron, don't worry we're behind you and will catch you with our invisible arms...

MarkT, hopefully i'll be in your neck of the woods no later than the 26th of May and go on a at least 3/4 day trip just to have a feeling for it (casting 101).

[Big Tim]

OK, I have 2 Seeker 7' rods...1 is a black steel that is a 30-40 and the other is and old glass S870-7' (15-40#) and I need 1 more reel. Thoughts on a 30# star drag... Baja Special-Torium 20 or 30, or I think the Torium has an available bearing for the bushing and can upgrade the drags...Any thoughts.

Tim

[MarkT]

I can bring a Torium 16 or 20 or Penn 545 GS w/5.3 gears if you want to borrow one for 30#. I have a Calstar 765XL, Seeker Classic 670 and a 6465h if anyone needs a solid 30#, 40# or yoyo stick.  Lots more too including 2 PG 540's with 5 or 3.6 gears w/40# if anyone feels they're short of something or have problems traveling with some rods. I can bring an Ulua93H if anyone wants to throw 7X's on the jig stick. I can bring extra bass gear if anyone wants to give it a go.

I'm leaning towards a 25, 2x30, 2x40, 50, and a 6/0 for dropper loop or trolling and Lexa 300/400's for bass that can go on the 8' 25/30# rods.

[Porthos]

OK, I have 2 Seeker 7' rods...1 is a black steel that is a 30-40 and the other is and old glass S870-7' (15-40#) and I need 1 more reel. Thoughts on a 30# star drag... Baja Special-Torium 20 or 30, or I think the Torium has an available bearing for the bushing and can upgrade the drags...Any thoughts.

Tim

You already have a 30# star drag. You posted earlier that you had a "...Okuma Catalina CT30C..." Have you swapped out the two non-CF washers and rebuilt with CF"s? If you plug in the ratings into the Accurate Line calcuator, it gives capacities of 516 yds of 50lb braid or 395 yds of 65lb braid. My CT-30C's holding (to best recollection) about 500yds of 50lb braid plus 10yds of 40lb mono topshot with 6ft of 40lb fluoro leader spliced on. Have fished it with 13lbs of drag and landed BFT schoolies. Going down to 10lbs drag for a 30lb setup is definitely doable on the CT-30C.

[Big Tim]

OK, I have 2 Seeker 7' rods...1 is a black steel that is a 30-40 and the other is and old glass S870-7' (15-40#) and I need 1 more reel. Thoughts on a 30# star drag... Baja Special-Torium 20 or 30, or I think the Torium has an available bearing for the bushing and can upgrade the drags...Any thoughts.

Tim

You already have a 30# star drag. You posted earlier that you had a "...Okuma Catalina CT30C..." Have you swapped out the two non-CF washers and rebuilt with CF"s? If you plug in the ratings into the Accurate Line calcuator, it gives capacities of 516 yds of 50lb braid or 395 yds of 65lb braid. My CT-30C's holding (to best recollection) about 500yds of 50lb braid plus 10yds of 40lb mono topshot with 6ft of 40lb fluoro leader spliced on. Have fished it with 13lbs of drag and landed BFT schoolies. Going down to 10lbs drag for a 30lb setup is definitely doable on the CT-30C.

I love my Catalina, but at 4:1 always considered it a bit slow for jigging, ect.. This is an old model and I think it actually has 3 non cf washers? Looks like a candidate for some upgrades...Thanks for the input.

[Porthos]

I love my Catalina, but at 4:1 always considered it a bit slow for jigging, ect.. This is an old model and I think it actually has 3 non cf washers? Looks like a candidate for some upgrades...Thanks for the input.

If you are going to put in the new drag washers, you also have the option of swapping out the 30C's main gear and pinion to the 30CS's 6.2:1. Check out the schematics at Mike's Reel Repair. The CT-30x's (and the CT-55x's) appeared to have been designed in a way so that a minor swap of the main and pinion gave Okuma another model in the lineup. I've ordered the CT-55C's 4:1 set to replace my CT-55N's 6.2:1 and it was $23 with $3 shipping from Okuma; suspect the cost of the 30CS parts would be about the same. 

[Big Tim]

OH BOY! Home sick and bored...Made my decision to buy an old Penn reel to go with my old Seeker S870-7' rod and need it to be 30# class...I have a reel but thought going fishing with you guys I should at least try to bring something to the table...Found a couple of nice ol' skool 3/0 & jigmasters that would look nice on the maroon/white wrapping on my Seeker..My thoughts are a basic list of upgrades and mods that don't require a bunch of machining or too much thinking for a beginner...I'm sure this is the wrong thread to list this under but those who know will help direct me to the right place.....My first thought is a vintage jigmaster??? But do like the old 3/0's...Input and then when I buy the reel I will ask for more help..I'm thinking drag upgrade & gear ratio upgrade and possibly spool & frame as well...Want to keep it under $200 total as I can buy a new reel for less than that.

Tim

[Keta]

OH BOY! Home sick and bored...Made my decision to buy an old Penn reel to go with my old Seeker S870-7' rod and need it to be 30# class...I have a reel but thought going fishing with you guys I should at least try to bring something to the table...Found a couple of nice ol' skool 3/0 & jigmasters that would look nice on the maroon/white wrapping on my Seeker..My thoughts are a basic list of upgrades and mods that don't require a bunch of machining or too much thinking for a beginner...I'm sure this is the wrong thread to list this under but those who know will help direct me to the right place.....My first thought is a vintage jigmaster??? But do like the old 3/0's...Input and then when I buy the reel I will ask for more help..I'm thinking drag upgrade & gear ratio upgrade and possibly spool & frame as well...Want to keep it under $200 total as I can buy a new reel for less than that.

Tim

Jigmaster or 112H, under $200 is close to putting together a 112HN.

[Big Tim]

OH BOY! Home sick and bored...Made my decision to buy an old Penn reel to go with my old Seeker S870-7' rod and need it to be 30# class...I have a reel but thought going fishing with you guys I should at least try to bring something to the table...Found a couple of nice ol' skool 3/0 & jigmasters that would look nice on the maroon/white wrapping on my Seeker..My thoughts are a basic list of upgrades and mods that don't require a bunch of machining or too much thinking for a beginner...I'm sure this is the wrong thread to list this under but those who know will help direct me to the right place.....My first thought is a vintage jigmaster??? But do like the old 3/0's...Input and then when I buy the reel I will ask for more help..I'm thinking drag upgrade & gear ratio upgrade and possibly spool & frame as well...Want to keep it under $200 total as I can buy a new reel for less than that.

Tim

Jigmaster or 112H, under $200 is close to putting together a 112HN.

Lee: Less is better, but for sure want a better footing..Never done this before, but I do like older things working again. Is there that much difference i the drags or are they same?

[Keta]

The Jigmaster and 112H use the same gears and drag stack.

[LTM]

Whats the word Im looking for? Ah yes, "professional overun" (learned this here). Wonder what this post would look like for a 10 day trip, now thats where you need a variety of tackle.

Enjoy,

Leo

[Keta]

On my first 10 day we used our 50's most of the time.  I came home with 2 cow YFT, a lot of other large YFT and is little wahoo.