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Random Quote: give a man a fish feed him for a day/teach a man to fish feed him for a lifetime
I'm looking for advice on just how to spend my tackle budget for targetting bluefins on and around Stellwagon for next year.
Presently my tuna arsenal consists of 2 penn 114H reels on fairly new but inexpensive standup rods, 1 Shimano TLD50 (brand new) on another inexpensive standup rod and 1 penn9500ss spinning reel on a 'standup' spinning rod.
I think with my TLD50 and my 114s I have enough setups for livelining pogies next year (assuming I can get the pogies).
I realize this is probably a subjective question but what I am looking for advice on is wether to set myself up for trolling by possibly buying another TLD50/standup-rod setup and outfitting myself with outriggers or instead, outfitting myself with one or two lower-end jigging setups (such as maybe a Diawa saltist40 level drag two-speed and good rod to match).
So maybe I can simplify this question this way:
If you could only do one, troll (squid bars, soft plastics, mauraders etc) or go the increasingly popular jigging route, which would it be?
By the way, whatever I decide i can, of course, go the other route the following year. But for now, I am thinking 2010.
I would wait and see what next season brings. There are a few scenarios. Either this year's class of big fish come back bigger so 200+ pounders crashing bait requiring expensive popping set up or they come back, but act like giants, so conventional set up for trolling or livelining or the big ones swim by and go to Nova Scotia and the wide range of smaller guys come back so regular spinning set up for popping.
Me, I am trying to cover all the bases, but i have a good head start. 50W for trolling/livelining for the big guys, expensive conventional for casting topwater or jigging and a regular spinner for the smaller guys. We will see.
Good question and not an easy answer.
First off what has been said is the truth low budget and tuna have no place being together.
This season we saw a large portion of the fish on the bank and out east of chatham in the 60+in class (150+) and a good portion of them pushing 70" (200lb). However we did see a good influx of smaller upper 40" class fish as well. Which is a very good thing for the fishery and the rec fisherman. The fish that return next season will really dictate the gear required.
For trolling i would go with nothing short of 30w class gold reels but 50's and 70's will be doing most of the work.
Graphite framed reels have no place in the 50lb class. Or being fished for 200lb BFT. 114 senators are a bit small and i would not use them for anything north of 100lbs. Can it be done sure just about anythign can. But if i am hanging a 100 to 140 dollar spreader bar in the water with the likely hood of a 150lb+ BFT eating it, it will not be attached to a graphite reel Period. It is like going bear hunting with a .22 and a knife. You may get lucky but do you really want to push your luck.
You also need to consider other things besides rods and reels and they are not cheep either. Gaffs, Harpoon, Spreader bars and other rigs, fighting harness, etc and a host of other things.
If you are looking to get out of it cheep you are better off getting into it slow and spend your $$ on the right gear a little at a time.
You are going to get alot of different opinions and this is just mine but at the end of the day, good gear used in the wrong aplication makes it BAD gear.
I'm looking for advice on just how to spend my tackle budget for targetting bluefins on and around Stellwagon for next year.
Presently my tuna arsenal consists of 2 penn 114H reels on fairly new but inexpensive standup rods, 1 Shimano TLD50 (brand new) on another inexpensive standup rod and 1 penn9500ss spinning reel on a 'standup' spinning rod.
--Mike
Mike - Those are a fine setups for up to 200lb tuna (not sure about the spinning reel). Just get $100 worth of 9" white sluggos, hooks, and some floro leader material . . . that's all you need. Most of the fish off stellwagen are 100 - 150lbs (at least this year). No need for expensive spreader bars unless you want to target larger fish.
Capt. Eric and many others are putting on a tuna seminar on February 26 / 27, 2010 that will be second to none. This is a great place to learn the basics as well as the finer points of BFT fishing. It will be held at the Quincy Marriott---- sign up.
I fish different methods based on the conditions that present themselves.
Trolling when appropriate and casting as well.
For trolling I use Penn 50's and 70's mounted to some custom rods.
For casting I use both Penn 9500's and Fin Nor OFS95's.
In any case the best casting rod you can get is a RipTide Big Gun, which is sold at the Hook-up exclusively. Pricey, but worth every penny !!!! It is proven to break the back of that favorite Tuna !!!
By the way, don't be deterred by the idiots who have responded to your post in a negative way. BirdTurd, has over 10,000 posts and if you go back and look at some of his posts, on a % basis, his posts are negative 2 to 1.
He is an arswipe, so don't let his negative comments destroy your enthusiasm.
Good luck and I hope to see you out on the bank this season.
Fin-
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mijoy2
Hi,
I'm looking for advice on just how to spend my tackle budget for targetting bluefins on and around Stellwagon for next year.
Presently my tuna arsenal consists of 2 penn 114H reels on fairly new but inexpensive standup rods, 1 Shimano TLD50 (brand new) on another inexpensive standup rod and 1 penn9500ss spinning reel on a 'standup' spinning rod.
I think with my TLD50 and my 114s I have enough setups for livelining pogies next year (assuming I can get the pogies).
I realize this is probably a subjective question but what I am looking for advice on is wether to set myself up for trolling by possibly buying another TLD50/standup-rod setup and outfitting myself with outriggers or instead, outfitting myself with one or two lower-end jigging setups (such as maybe a Diawa saltist40 level drag two-speed and good rod to match).
So maybe I can simplify this question this way:
If you could only do one, troll (squid bars, soft plastics, mauraders etc) or go the increasingly popular jigging route, which would it be?
By the way, whatever I decide i can, of course, go the other route the following year. But for now, I am thinking 2010.
Capt. Eric and many others are putting on a tuna seminar on February 26 / 27, 2010 that will be second to none. This is a great place to learn the basics as well as the finer points of BFT fishing. It will be held at the Quincy Marriott---- sign up.
I fish different methods based on the conditions that present themselves.
Trolling when appropriate and casting as well.
For trolling I use Penn 50's and 70's mounted to some custom rods.
For casting I use both Penn 9500's and Fin Nor OFS95's.
In any case the best casting rod you can get is a RipTide Big Gun, which is sold at the Hook-up exclusively. Pricey, but worth every penny !!!! It is proven to break the back of that favorite Tuna !!!
By the way, don't be deterred by the idiots who have responded to your post in a negative way. BirdTurd, has over 10,000 posts and if you go back and look at some of his posts, on a % basis, his posts are negative 2 to 1.
He is an arswipe, so don't let his negative comments destroy your enthusiasm.
Good luck and I hope to see you out on the bank this season.
Fin-
Thanks, and I will certainly be on the bank next season. Probably with some gear others would not recommend but I gotta do what I gotta do, the alternative is not going and that is not going to happen.
Last year I caught an 80+ tuna on a 113H and a 6'6" cod rod with a piece of lead filled electrical conduit (by mistake) that I make myself to save cash on expensive cod jigs so I am not afraid of being a bit under-gunned. I was on my way east of the bank and saw some fish on the SW corner and thought they might be pollack so I let my jig down and it never even hit the bottom before I was tight.
My biggest (boated) was a 350lb 81" (yes I had the general catagory permit) I caught on a 117 "black beauty" Penn reel. So I've always been low budget . Must admit I lost some much bigger fish on the same reel but I think it was because I was too wimpy on the drag and gave them the advantage. Tough to set the drag on those big star drag reels appropriately. I see most everyone out there with penn internationals (or equivalents) and think they're probably not be putting two kids thru college.
Mijoy, I fish Avet's and still have a Senator or two in my arsinal......setting the drag on a star drag is not as difficult as you think. Color one of the "tangs" on the star with permanent marker or layout die. Use this as a reference point. Now you can test your drag, and know at a half a turn my drag increases XX amount. Now realize this is not a science but more of a reference. As you get spooled with a large fish the drag pressure will increase as the spool empties.....you may need to loosen the drag a bit.
Make sure you have the greased HT100 drag washers for a nice smooth drag. Alantani has done many great threads on this if you search it out.
I fish the braid & top shot combo that many here do...80# braid & 80# top shot....this may have to change next year. Those Senators have some capabilities if it's what you have. Besides you can't beat the sound of the clicker on the Senators A good guy on the rod, and a good guy at the helm and you will boat the fish IMHO
Jeeeez the season is just winding down and we're already talkin 2010 fish.....we're not addicted are we
Good question and not an easy answer.
First off what has been said is the truth low budget and tuna have no place being together.
This season we saw a large portion of the fish on the bank and out east of chatham in the 60+in class (150+) and a good portion of them pushing 70" (200lb). However we did see a good influx of smaller upper 40" class fish as well. Which is a very good thing for the fishery and the rec fisherman. The fish that return next season will really dictate the gear required.
For trolling i would go with nothing short of 30w class gold reels but 50's and 70's will be doing most of the work.
Graphite framed reels have no place in the 50lb class. Or being fished for 200lb BFT. 114 senators are a bit small and i would not use them for anything north of 100lbs. Can it be done sure just about anythign can. But if i am hanging a 100 to 140 dollar spreader bar in the water with the likely hood of a 150lb+ BFT eating it, it will not be attached to a graphite reel Period. It is like going bear hunting with a .22 and a knife. You may get lucky but do you really want to push your luck.
You also need to consider other things besides rods and reels and they are not cheep either. Gaffs, Harpoon, Spreader bars and other rigs, fighting harness, etc and a host of other things.
If you are looking to get out of it cheep you are better off getting into it slow and spend your $$ on the right gear a little at a time.
You are going to get alot of different opinions and this is just mine but at the end of the day, good gear used in the wrong aplication makes it BAD gear.
I was thinking of buying a couple of the Shimano 50's with the graphite bodies I was under the assumption that they had the same internal componants as the anodized aluminum Tiagra's both reels look the same.
I was thinking of buying a couple of the Shimano 50's with the graphite bodies I was under the assumption that they had the same internal componants as the anodized aluminum Tiagra's both reels look the same.
Again, it's a budget thing I think. I have a friend who I used to fish with who had 4 or 5 TLD25s that he used for yellowfin and bluefin tuna. He and I and another friend caught 3 150+lb bluefins east of Chatham one day. These fish were 61-63". These reels stood up very well against these fish and (as far as I know) were never a problem for my friend, and many tuna were caught with them. They would have stood up to much bigger fish. I see no reason why the TLD50s 2 speeds cannot handle just about anything they might come across. They are a MUCH bigger beefy'er reel.
I was thinking of buying a couple of the Shimano 50's with the graphite bodies I was under the assumption that they had the same internal componants as the anodized aluminum Tiagra's both reels look the same.
I'd spend an extra $30 and buy an avet 30 wide that is aluminum. I get the money thing, but $30 difference, easy decision.
I'd spend an extra $30 and buy an avet 30 wide that is aluminum. I get the money thing, but $30 difference, easy decision.
How are Avets I really dont know much about them they look nice and I agree $30.00 difference is a no brainer as long as they will hold up as well as Shimano.
How are Avets I really dont know much about them they look nice and I agree $30.00 difference is a no brainer as long as they will hold up as well as Shimano.
I don't want to start an avet vs shimano debate but all I use are avets, but for 2 Penn GLD 30's. Comparing a graphite anything to an aluminum anything the aluminum frame gets the nod IMO (i'm sure there are exceptions). Do an avet search and you will find plenty of info.
As for overall longevity I will say this. My fishing buddy and primary fishing partner who introduced me to tuna several years back has Avets with very many tuna caught on them and the only issue he has on one of them is a worn clicker. he has done zero to them (other than basic cleaning). He has much more time on them than I.
tuna technique - on limited budget
. Must admit I lost some much bigger fish on the same reel but I think it was because I was too wimpy on the drag and gave them the advantage. Tough to set the drag on those big star drag reels appropriately. I see most everyone out there with penn internationals (or equivalents) and think they're probably not be putting two kids thru college. 
