How should I use my existing Penn reels for trolling?

Started by JA_Angler, January 09, 2022, 12:33:09 AM

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JA_Angler

Hello everyone. Want some advice on hw to use my reels or should I get new ones? I have 2x Senator 114H, 1x Senator 113H, 1x 309 (no levelwind mechanism) and a Daiwa Sealine 400H. My fishing is mostly trolling for kingfish, jacks (20lb - 30lb lines?) in bays and wahoo/dorado offshore with the rare marlin up to 400-500 lbs max (trolling in the Caribbean). I have never hooked a marlin but I put the baits out there (Moldcraft Widerange, Iland etc.). Are my reels okay for this layout? What is the recommended line? I currently have 1 spool of 500yd 65 Powerpro. I usually troll 3 rods max, commonly 2. My thoughts are to put 30lb mono on the 113H and Sealine 400H bay and offshore trolling, 20lb overtest mono (Stren High Impact) on the 309 for 7lb drag max bay trolling with small lures. Then on the 114H's, 500 yd each of 65lb braid with topshot of 50lb Mono (abput 250 yards). Lines 30lb and 50lb are high vis. I do not high speed troll. Any feedback on other methods or comments on better combinations are welcome. I go offshore only 4 times per year, nearshore/bays 6 times a year. 

RowdyW

HI JA, I would use 50-60# braid on a 113H & Daiwa 400 with a top shot of 50# or more. On the 114H I would use 80# braid with a 60-80# mono top shot.  For the 309 I would use it in the bay with up to 25-30# mono & leader of your choice.      Rudy

Ron Jones

If you're in the Caribbean, do you have access to any of those huge groupers? If so, heavier line on one of the 114Hs might be warranted for bottom fishing.

The Man
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Squidder Bidder

If your goal is just to be ready if a Blue comes into your spread, but not necessarily to target Marlin, maybe you could dedicate a Senator as a teaser reel and troll with a hookless large Mold Craft softhead from your short corner at 2-3 waves and pick up an International or Tiagra in 50 or 80 which you would rig with a dead mackerel and keep boatside to feed back to the Marlin. Use the other reels on the outsides and shotgun with smaller stuff to target Dorado and Wahoo etc.

My first big Atlantic Blue Marlin came that way at the North Drop - she came into the spread bill-swiping the smaller lures, then was right off the stern all lit up and hit a large pink Mold Craft soft head teaser repeatedly getting more agitated when she couldn't take it. I dropped the rigged mackerel back right to her and 3 . . . 2 . . . 1.




thorhammer

Agree with Rudy fully. Not to say one couldn't, but it's gonna be a long day if you have a big blue on a 6/0. Setting up as he suggested will tackle dang near anything else down there- main thing is make sure the reels are serviced and have carbon drags in them, and you will kill 99% on earth with those. Def go 80 braid on the 6/0, and 100 might not be overkill, like 500 yards braid and 150 yards of 80 mono topper.

JA_Angler

Thanks everyone. I will go ahead with the suggestion for having that standby LD International and spooling with the braid then mono topshot. 

Patudo

If you are offshore fishing only four times a year you're probably unlikely to hook into a marlin, especially considering that the best areas for them will probably to be further offshore than where you would be targeting wahoo, which probably would be your most worthwhile target.  

I would use hi-vis braid backing with clear mono topshots for all your reels - but you need to be confident in the connection between your mono topshot and backing.  I tie a Bimini twist in the backing, make another short double line section in the mono with either the Bimini twist or Australian braid, and loop the two lines together with a triple loop to loop.  The FG knot should also be good (I use this with braid to 60 or 80 lb mono leader).  

Penn 113H/Daiwa 400H - about two thirds full with 60 or 70 lb hi vis braid (I use the cheap Chinese stuff from ebay) and the rest clear mono about 40 lb test, 50 max.  Good outfits for kingfish and larger jacks inshore and for wahoo, dorado, yellowfin to about 60-80 lbs offshore.  recommended lures - swimming plugs to about 14 cm size (especially inshore but also offshore), small resin head or metal jet head skirted lures to about 7 to 9 inches.  

Penn 114H - 80 lb braid and 50 to 60 lb mono topshot.  Use with larger plugs eg. Rapala CD 18 and skirted lures to about 9-10 inches or so.  

Penn 309 - 40 lb braid and 25 to 30 lb mono.  use with small feather or squid lures for the smaller tuna, or small plugs (Rapala CD 11 size) for jacks and smaller kingfish.  If you fish for dorado near FAD buoys or other floater type structures this outfit would also be suitable for fishing bait to them.  

Where in the Caribbean are you fishing? 

JA_Angler

Quote from: Patudo on January 09, 2022, 07:19:44 PM
If you are offshore fishing only four times a year you're probably unlikely to hook into a marlin, especially considering that the best areas for them will probably to be further offshore than where you would be targeting wahoo, which probably would be your most worthwhile target.  

I would use hi-vis braid backing with clear mono topshots for all your reels - but you need to be confident in the connection between your mono topshot and backing.  I tie a Bimini twist in the backing, make another short double line section in the mono with either the Bimini twist or Australian braid, and loop the two lines together with a triple loop to loop.  The FG knot should also be good (I use this with braid to 60 or 80 lb mono leader).  

Penn 113H/Daiwa 400H - about two thirds full with 60 or 70 lb hi vis braid (I use the cheap Chinese stuff from ebay) and the rest clear mono about 40 lb test, 50 max.  Good outfits for kingfish and larger jacks inshore and for wahoo, dorado, yellowfin to about 60-80 lbs offshore.  recommended lures - swimming plugs to about 14 cm size (especially inshore but also offshore), small resin head or metal jet head skirted lures to about 7 to 9 inches.  

Penn 114H - 80 lb braid and 50 to 60 lb mono topshot.  Use with larger plugs eg. Rapala CD 18 and skirted lures to about 9-10 inches or so.  

Penn 309 - 40 lb braid and 25 to 30 lb mono.  use with small feather or squid lures for the smaller tuna, or small plugs (Rapala CD 11 size) for jacks and smaller kingfish.  If you fish for dorado near FAD buoys or other floater type structures this outfit would also be suitable for fishing bait to them.  

Where in the Caribbean are you fishing? 

Jamaica. I feel confident in my braid backing to swivel to mono topshot connections since my best (main) knot is the palomar. I then would have a snap swivel on the topshot (palomar again) that I would connect to the lures' leader, usually wire for plugs. It makes it easy for me to quickly change lures. Thanks for the tips.