Would you use a beefed up senator 6/0 for BFT in the 100# range?

Started by SevenYearsDown, May 13, 2019, 04:54:49 PM

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SevenYearsDown

Can a senator 6/0 handle it? The low gear ratio is a plus in my book, but at what point or size of bft would using the senator 6/0 be detrimental? With all the bft bites here in San Diego we set up some heavy trolling rods with 6/0s and will test it out this weekend. If you have experience fighting tuna with these venerable senators please share.

Swami805

I'm thinking a beefed up 114h?  You could but I'd want a good size 2 speed with 80-100 lb if I had a choice. It would be easier in a skiff if you can use the boat to your advantage. On a party boat you'd have your hands full but plenty of big tuna were killed with those back in the day.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

thorhammer

What do you mean by beefed up? The 114H has the same drive train as a 9/0, and loads of big fish were caught with them. An aluminum frame, SS sleeve and carbontex drag stack would you pull on that reel about as hard as you can standing up, so the question is having a rod that can load to the reel strength rather than have you slugging it out on your muscle with a broomstick. I caught a 250 lb, 8 foot shark on a 114HLW and I pulled on it hard enough to permanently torque a solid glas Magnaflex rod out of alignment trying to get the fish off the bottom. BFT is gonna pull harder than most sharks it size more than likely, but you get the point. Were me I'd load with 100lb braid and 130 topshot and give a try

SoCalAngler

Can it be done? Yes. Would it be my first choice? No.

The BFT this year have been real line shy. This is normal for BFT but this year it seems more so. If you have been keeping a eye on the fish counts you will see that more fish are being lost after being hooked than landed. This is not strange but the lost fish numbers seem to be way up this year. People are having to step down to 25-30 lb fluorocarbon just to get bit. There has been some landed on the heavier line but not a lot. For whatever reason the BFT don't seem to be biting the flat fall jigs or the yummy fliers well this year so light line and bait has been the norm. The season is still in it's early stage so this could change. So a reel that can hold lots of 25-40 lb line should work and a 6/0 will cover that.

Like Swami I'd choose a 2 speed. The lower gear in the 6/0 is good once the fish is strait up and down. BFT once hooked many times will rip off line and head toward the surface, change directions several times when on top, massive head shakes, charge the boat and such. This is where a higher speed is nice to keep up with the fish and keep the line tight.

Gfish

I'd think so, but I'd want the HLW model for more line capacity.
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

alantani

no, i'd go with a good quality two speed, a makaira 20 or visx 20, for 100# braid and topshot.   :-\
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

Alto Mare

Well, since you are asking about the 6/0 and not comparing to any other reels, it could absolutely handle  BFT in 100# range.

Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

54bullseye

Tell this guy he is using the wrong reel !!  Lol  Stock 6/0  East coast on Yankee Fleet long time ago.  John Taylor


Rothmar2

Yep, and while I haven't landed a 100lber on it, I have boated a couple in the 70-80lb range on my beefed up 6/0. It was a walk in the park for it.

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=10286.0

One of these days I'll get a chance to deep drop to swords with it. I have no doubt it will handle that mechanically, but the gear ratio of the PC gears may make it a "challenge".


SoCalAngler

With all due respect to everyone I'm not sure you are getting what's going on with the BFT bite here in So Cal at this time. This year it has been a light line fishery, really light. Many times 40 lb fluoro won't get touched so you need to drop down in test. I spent 45 minutes on a estimated 90 lb plus BFT. Silly me I left the 30 and 35 lb fluoro at home so I jumped from 40 lb to 25 lb on another setup as I didn't have anything to fill the gap. As soon as I'm bit the captain comes out of the wheelhouse and says "Mark what are you fishing"? I say "Jeff we are going to loose this fish".

I was fishing my modded SLSH 20 with 300 yards of 40 lb braid to the 25 lb fluoro topper. The reels 6/1 gears really didn't help but I got the fish to gaff range. The deckhand says just two more cranks and we will stick this pig. I mean the gaff was in the water just waiting which most deckhands don't do until it is time to stick a fish. This fish was right there, not at deep color, not 10 yards from the boat but just right out of gaff range. I pull hard and get one crank the deckhand is leaning over ready to stick the fish and then the sound of SNAP/POW of the fish gaining it's freedom. Was I mad? You bet but not because the fish got away but because I knew right from the start I was under gunned. It only took 45 minutes to loose this fish and in reality it should of been gone in less than 10 minutes.

When people talk about 60-80 lb toppers or heavier it sounds great but in reality most of BFT at this time here wont bite the heavier line with bait.

I charter mastered a 3 day trip on the SOA that went for 20 years strait and our target was BFT if any were to be had. I have caught my share on all types of setups but right now it is a light line fishery. Take this for what it is worth and nothing more.

Good luck on your trip and I'm glad to see you on the AT site.

alantani

We actually had some blue fin show up here in the Monterey Bay.  No one has live bait, so the private boats are trolling cedar plugs 200 yards behind the boat. It's all heavy troll gear up here. Very tough fishing.
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

SevenYearsDown

To everyone, thank you for all the input. A lot to digest mentally as I just got back to the computer. I do have a penn fathom 40n2ld and the 2 speed is awesome with yellowtail, we will be trying for BFT soon do I will bring that too. Time to read the replies and watch that video.

SevenYearsDown

BTW mine just has an accurate frame and the cf drag stack from here.

Gfish

If I's thinkin of doin it, I'd ask myself: "is it worth it to take an increased chance that I might lose the fish"? Cost of trip? Cost of a new reel like a Makaira-2 speed 20(Allen's suggestion)?, etc., etc.
Personally, I've never caught BFT, but it sounds like the "shy bite/light leader conditions" would warrent a reel with more finesse...
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

SoCalAngler

Quote from: SevenYearsDown on May 15, 2019, 10:50:18 PM
To everyone, thank you for all the input. A lot to digest mentally as I just got back to the computer. I do have a penn fathom 40n2ld and the 2 speed is awesome with yellowtail, we will be trying for BFT soon do I will bring that too. Time to read the replies and watch that video.

Heck yes, bring that FTM40NLD2. I use mine for 60 lb topshots and if the fish start to bite the jigs again this reel will be great for that. Also it seems to be a late bite into the dark, what we would call a "sun down screamer". When the sun goes down break out the FTM40 with a 60lb topper and good luck.