Reel for a brute power fight

Started by steelfish, March 24, 2017, 07:28:52 PM

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steelfish

well, guys, I went fishing this pass weekend and we got some nice Yellows and some big cabrillas sardinera (leopard groupers) and a friend caught a nice Baya 60-70# (gulf grouper)

I was using my fathom 40LD2 using 80# line no mono leader (this was recommended my our captain I normally use 60# mono leader), I set the drag at 1/3 line so, estimated 25# at full (using dumbell method), I had no problem with YT and some 20# cabrilla sardineras but there were times that a gulf groupers took the lure and ran like mad train, I couldnt stop them even with the lever at max, they ended up gettin into their rocky caves and break the line.


I have the next reels to try to stop bigger fish or at least something on that size, what do you think have better chance against a 80# grouper

113h wide tiburon frame, keta octagon insert with drag set high almost locked up
fathom 40LD2 with drad set on 30-33#
Baja Special with Tom antireverse assembly with drag 25-27# almost locked up


my friend caugh his 80# grouper trolling with his stock 113h reel and 100# braid (cool, right?) but the drag was all locked up, thats the good old Baja style, some guys said this was a lucky catch and that he got the fish unguard, I think the guy knew what to do fast, locked his drag and fight the fish without thinking on breaking his rod or damaging his reel, at the end the fish ended up on the boat


I was thinking to use the Baja with 100# braid and use the drag pretty high as many local guys use the 113h and 114h, but the fathom 40LD2 suposedly have more drag from factory and its 2 speed, I was actually glad to use a 2-speed with some nice yellows, its like night and day you you have a stubborn fish.
so, any recommendation for this kind of fishing where smooth drags and tons of line is not important but brute force for stopping a Mad fish when you dont want to give an inch.
for the moment I dont want to buy another reel, maybe in a future I get a bigger and stronger reel but for now I think Im covered for 90% fishing zone.. except this this big mama groupers that you kind find from time to time.

the nex pic is the fish my friend caught on thr 113h, not a monster but really a nice fish and gave a good fight to the poor 4/0 reel.


The Baja Guy

Dominick

congratulations Alex.  Those Cabrilla are some good eating fish.  Dominick
Leave the gun.  Take the cannolis.

There are two things I don't like about fishing.  Getting up early in the morning and boats.  The rest of it is fun.

Keta

Put 75-100 yards of 130# solid spectra on top of the 80# and set your drag on the FTH40NLD2 at 35# or 40#. 
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

steelfish

Quote from: Keta on March 24, 2017, 07:57:42 PM
Put 75-100 yards of 130# solid spectra on top of the 80# and set your drag on the FTH40NLD2 at 35# or 40#. 

I could do that..
The Baja Guy

Donnyboat

Thanks Alex, nice fishing, gives us some idea what presure the foot on the 113, can handle. cheers don.
Don, or donnyboat

boon

What sort of depth are you fishing in?
If your reel can make the kinda drag it needs to, and your rod can handle it, just add more drag. 80# line (and being braid it's probably breaking at more like 100#) and a need to stop fish in a big hurry, I would aim for 50# of drag at Full at the depth in the spool you expect to get bites at. If the fish gets to his rock you're gonna break off whether you're on 20# of drag or 40# of drag, better to risk the line breaking and try to stop him getting there.
Drag will decrease as you retrieve line but once you have that sucker off the bottom it's not an issue.
I'm inclined to say Okuma Makaira, little tanks - heaps of drag, 2-speed if you need to drop down to Low and crank on the fish.

Alto Mare

Nice fish Alex...good job! Now go back and get that one that stole your bait ;)
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

steelfish

@ boon,
We fish on 30ft deep and above, depending were the fish are, high test braid is mostly for abrasion purposes, so I might get 130lb hollow Will try it directly and try it with mono leader

@Sal, Thanks compadre, I dont know when but I Will prepare my combos to be ready for the next fight
The Baja Guy

SoCalAngler

#8
I'd set my drag at 20 lbs at strike. That way you know where the around 33% is set on your reel by moving the lever past strike. Now if you need/want you are able to move the lever past strike for more drag. Also if you don't want/need all that drag you don't have to move the lever all the way to strike.

But, doesn't the Fathom 40 ld2 have the sunset feature? Even at 25 lbs at full you can move the lever past this setting a little or all the way to sunset and lock up the drags.

steelfish

#9
Well to tell the true I didnt knew sunset is it equal to locking the drags, Thanks for that info its good to know, the fathom it does have sunset but that could Work on a big yellowtail or tuna or even marlin Where you have time seeing how they are taking line and you decide to loco the drag If you are running out of line but never run for rock caves..
Big cabrillas and groupers Just need 3 seconds to break your line with the rocks
But its better to have some working range on the drag before locking it
The Baja Guy

boon

Braid for abrasion resistance is not going to get you far, short of using maybe 300lb or something... we had a big Yellowtail go under the boat recently on 100lb braid, the braid barely touched the boat under a heap of load and went bang. Loaded braid cuts like dental floss. We use hard fluorocarbon leaders for wreckfish around these parts, usually 200lb+, gives you the best chance if they get into some rough stuff.

steelfish

Thats why Im going to get 130 hollow and learn to add topshots with floro or mono
The Baja Guy

boon

Quote from: steelfish on March 27, 2017, 04:42:39 AM
Thats why Im going to get 130 hollow and learn to add topshots with floro or mono

I can't see the point in spooling a FTH40 with 130 braid; according to the specs the reel will do 40# of drag and that's probably slightly ambitious. Working on the assumption that it will give you around 35# comfortably I would spool with either 50 or 80 braid and enjoy having more capacity and much less cross-section causing drag in the water.

steelfish

Quote from: boon on March 27, 2017, 10:23:42 PM

I can't see the point in spooling a FTH40 with 130 braid;

you know amigo, for me this is one of those situation where I would like to be less techical and follow the phrase " When in Rome.... " and copy-cat almost all things my friends did that day, I was kicked is the arrrss by big fishes while my friends that where both using stock 113h reels and using straight 100#braid where getting nice fishes, I was using 1/3 drag set by scale on my fathom 40ld2 and using 80# and 30ft 80# mono on a nice FG knot, I have some nice fishes too those days but got more break offs and got almost spooled with the drag too low, when I opted to put the drag a bit high it was too late, no more big fishes for me.

anyway, thanks for your input is really solid, I will follow your tips on one of my reels, although I think is the way it is currently (both my Baja and fathom are using 80# braid, Baja with 80yds 60# mono and fathom short topshots bepending the fish we are after), but also want to have a reel that I can just trust on it on a brute fight, maybe on a future I will build a 114h narrow with some SS goodies inside to this task

The Baja Guy

David Hall

Ted just offered the reel your looking for in another thread for a great price.