Long drag taking run with a spinning reel ???

[Nasty Wendy]

OK guys some of the top notch spinning reels have a drag washer that is as big as the lever drag conventionals.  Those reels have drag a drag system underneath the spool where there is room for big drag washers.  What if I'm using a reel that only has the traditional drag stack on the top of the reel and a big fish or small tuna for instance takes my lure for a long ride.....am I screwed?  Can the traditional drag stack of a spinning reel handle LONG drag pulling runs?  I know the smaller washers can't dissipate heat like the larger ones can.  Would a 25 lb Blackfin Tuna spell disaster for a 5000 or 6000 series spinner that only uses the traditional drag stack?

[MarkT]

I have a Penn Battle 6000 with 50# spectra and a 40# leader and have taken YFT and YT to the low 30's with no problem. If they're taking a long run you didn't have the drag set properly! A 30# YFT is easier than a 30# Yellowtail.

[Nasty Wendy]

That is good to know.  I've landed Tuna with spinners before but I use Fin Nor offshore spinners for that.  They have the drag stack up top and the big drag assembly underneath the spool as well.  The outfit I'm thinking of won't be targeting Tuna but that doesn't mean one won't target my jig/bait.  Thanks for your input.  A Battle is a pretty good comparison to what I'd end up with but I think I'm leaning 5000ish size.

[boon]

In this part of the world it's pretty routine to catch YT to maybe 65lb on 6000-8000 sized reels. If they're good quality ones they will handle it. Things like a Shimano Saragosa 6000 or a Stella will absolutely destroy a 25lb tuna.

[day0ne]

In this part of the world it's pretty routine to catch YT to maybe 65lb on 6000-8000 sized reels. If they're good quality ones they will handle it. Things like a Shimano Saragosa 6000 or a Stella will absolutely destroy a 25lb tuna.

It totally depends upon the reel. You mention blackfin tuna. The west coast guys have no idea what blackfin are capable of. They put a YFT of equal size to shame. Thank goodness they aren't common  much over 30 lbs.

[MarkT]

Are they tougher than an Amberjack? From what I hear AJ's are similar to a Yellowtail. YFT are tougher than BFT, we don't have Blackfin out here so I have no idea about them. Regardless, a spectra backed Penn 6000/Shimano 8000 sized spinner should handle any 30# tuna regardless of the species.

[Nasty Wendy]

Ok now lets get back to what the question is about. We've gotten up to 8000 sized reels when the MAX size I'm looking at is a 6000. Were also now talking about reels with the large drag washers on the underneath side of the spool when I'm clearly asking about spinners with the traditional drag stack on top of the reel. I know we all fish different areas of the planet but we can relate the capabilities of reels I'm sure. 

Amberjack and Blackfin are like night and day different fights. The Amberjack will beat you with a sack of bricks while a Black fin will drag your butt down the road at 40mph. In order to get any capacity on a 6000 I'll have to use lighter test line in the thinnest brand (Fins 40g 45lb test).  I'm wondering if the small drag washers can hold up to the heat they'll see. 45lb test will only see 15lbs of drag. Now that is plenty enough drag to catch anything but some fish can and will make jaw dropping runs while pulling 15lbs of drag. I've caught Yellow fin tuna that made LONG runs pulling 24lbs of drag from a 30W spooled with 80lb test.  I'm not trying to set up to catch those but if an untargetted fish takes me for a ride would I have a chance to land it?  That is the question. 

[Nasty Wendy]

I'm thinking about a Shimano Spheros 5 or 6000 now.  Maybe on one of those Light or X Light jigging rods 15-30 or 20-40lb line.  If they are to stiff to cast decently then I'll get away from jigging rods altogether and maybe go with a Penn Carnage II boat spinning rod in a light line wt.

[handi2]

Think of blackfin as little tuny, skipjack tuna, and Bonita. Here in the Gulf they aren't good to eat and used for bait only. Some do eat them anyway.

They are caught with small reels all the time.

[MarkT]

The Shimano Spheros 6000 will hold 290yds of 30# spectra.  That should handle anything up to a 30# tuna just fine.  Just tie on whatever leader is appropriate and have at it.  The 5000 is rated for 225yds of 30# spectra and that should do just fine too.  The Penn's with the same model # as the Shimano's are at least one size larger as compared to Shimano.

[handi2]

I have and use 99% Shimano reels. But you will see the smaller Shimano spinners just dont hold enough line. The Shimano spinners that use the smaller dime size drag washers are the ones to get. They hold much more.

I had a Twinpower 5000SW and sold it. It just didnt hold enough line compared to the drag rating. You can use that reel for big fish because of the solid drag system but you would have to chase the fish with  the boat so not to get spooled.

I dont know the line capacity of the Penn Slammer III 65000 but we love that reel. Everyone on the boat loves it. It is fished right next to a Twinpower 14000SW and it can handle anything the Shimano can handle.

[MarkT]

That Slammer 6500 is the size of a Shimano 10k sized reel.  I use my Saragosa 10k to throw poppers on long range trips to schoolie tuna/yt/wahoo on the Ridge.  I don't want to put words in anyones mouth but I think that's way bigger than he is looking for!

[Nasty Wendy]

I have a Spheros 6000 and 10000 already.  I'm trying not to go over the 6000 size.  I have a spool for a 5000 ordered.  It will interchange on the 6000 body.  So I'll have the choice of either.  That reel also can accommodate the 8000 spool which I have.  I'll pack as much Fins40G line on it as I can fit.  I'll have to choose between 25lb and 45lb test.  The 25lb has a 42lb break strength and the 45lb has a 61lb break strength. It is thin as I've seen and strong as hell but expensive.  I use my 10000 to toss poppers and an 18000 to jig.  I like the Spheros line and I'm using the old "fb" models. 

[Nasty Wendy]

Think of blackfin as little tuny, skipjack tuna, and Bonita. Here in the Gulf they aren't good to eat and used for bait only. Some do eat them anyway.

They are caught with small reels all the time.

I cannot tell the difference in the taste of fresh Blackfin vs Yellowfin tuna.  None of my fishing buddies can either.  I have no clue what these statements about Blackfin being only good for bait comes from.  The ONLY time we'll sacrifice a Blackfin as bait is if the big Yellowfins are running and we are out of Crevalle or Bonita.  At that point its turning a smaller tuna into a couple bigger ones.  Depending on how many people we have fishing we may only keep one as Tuna really loses something in the taste department after its been frozen for a while.

[Tightlines667]

Think of blackfin as little tuny, skipjack tuna, and Bonita. Here in the Gulf they aren't good to eat and used for bait only. Some do eat them anyway.

They are caught with small reels all the time.

I cannot tell the difference in the taste of fresh Blackfin vs Yellowfin tuna.  None of my fishing buddies can either.  I have no clue what these statements about Blackfin being only good for bait comes from.  The ONLY time we'll sacrifice a Blackfin as bait is if the big Yellowfins are running and we are out of Crevalle or Bonita.  At that point its turning a smaller tuna into a couple bigger ones.  Depending on how many people we have fishing we may only keep one as Tuna really loses something in the taste department after its been frozen for a while.

We used to catch a lot of Blackfin Tuna in Bermuda in the 80s.  They would often be the first to show up in Tue cum slick, followed by small Yellowfin, then their bigger breather if they were around.  We often used them as cut bait for the Yellowfin, occasionally bridled them for Blue Marlin or big Yellowfin, and woupd keep them for table fare if we had nothing else in the box.  I recall the meat being darker colored, and stronger in flavor then Yellowfin, and maybe a bit more so then Skipjack (here in the pacific), but still very edible.. unlike the little funny, or Bonito which were strictly used for bait.  We did target Blackfin on 6/8/12&16lb line for newly created IGFA line class records as well.  I remember them fighting very similarly to a Yellowfin of equal size. 


We rarely caught these guys in the GOM, but did run into some when offshore fishing outta the keys.

John