mouse4x4

I am looking to put together a hand crank sword setup. Where is the cheapest place to get braid put on the reel. I am looking at using a 50w Avet and thinking 80-100# braid. I remember seeing somewhere if you purchased the reel they would spool it for a penny. But can't remember where. Any thoughts on the setup.

VanW

I think that was Pelagic Outfitters, not sure if that was a promotion.

mouse4x4

That is who I thought was doing it.

hamma job

Where are you located?

mouse4x4

Near OCMD

PelagicOutfitters

We will gladly help out, best to give us a call to discuss in detail. 631.225.8862

Texasblue

Lots of schools of thought on this but, IMHO, I'd spend the money on an 80 reel if youre going to really spend time with swords. Just us, but we never go above 80lb braid.

Good luck!

CNBarron

There is plenty of information that I think many of us would need to help guide you in this adventure. Are you fishing for them in the daytime? If so, are you planning on using sacrificial weights, or a single large weight? Are you looking to fight them standup, chair, or rod holder?

John_Madison CT

Please report back how it feels to reel up 2000' + of line every time you want to do another drop, or check your bait.

I know guys who did the same with good intensions, but cried Uncle after giving it a try.

Texasblue

At least give yourself a break winding up bait (no fish)

http://www.innovativefishingtackle.c...l_Crankie.html

mouse4x4

Not really looking to lose weight will be used for both day and night, fish it from a holder. Been there and done it just going to put together my own setup. I was thinking 80 also but with braid and the new reels out nowadays I was thinking a 50w would cut it. You really are not using that much drag considering sword lips are soft. I was always taught no more then 18-20# of drag. There is no way I would do this standing up and I can't see buying a LP just yet.

Southern Hooker

As Texasblue linked, get the reel crankie. Along with that, get a reel that is compatible with it - I know they have penn and shimano models, I'd make sure there is an Avet one before setting up the reel. A 50w is fine. 65-80# braid. Talica 50s and 65# is catching on here in the gulf.

mouse4x4

I will check them out, Thanks

Leeroyjenkins

I'm from the NE but have never fished for swords up there....only down in Florida. At night we use 50's without issue. The swords are closer to the surface, we can drop three rigs, 1 and 100' one at 250' and one at 500' and have done decent in the past. Daytime it's electric or nothing.

mouse4x4

Well I have seen many use hand crank on days up here and that is the setup I am going for. Don't get me wrong an electric would be nice but just not committing that deep into it just yet.

pooldoo73

You get more line recovery per crank with an 80. It makes a difference when you are moving 2000' feet of line at a time. Reel weight won't matter since it will stat in the holder.

hamma job

1. I would go with an 80, especially seeing as you are just trying it out. Superior line retrieve and drag surface area. Fill with 80lb braid and 100' x #250 windon.

2. 18-20lbs of drag is an old wives tale. I use 5-40lbs of drag at different stages. Swordfish have soft parts of their mouths. The hook can only find those parts if you don't use enough drag. Need more than that to drive through a hard part. If you have the reel set at 18lbs with a 10lb lead and 2000' of line out- you are barely able to move the setup through the water = no pressure on driving the hook.

3. From my experience- learning how to do it on a hand crank setup is like learning to hit a baseball for the first time against Randy Johnson. Not to say it can't be done, just the deck is aready stacked against you learning in the first place, and you're significantly adding to the difficulty by hand cranking. To be successful at this requires you to do it a lot. You will do it less if it is a major hassle and you get discouraged.

4. If you are using the drill/handcrank method, beware, a drill battery lasts about 1 drop. It also kills drills. Bring more batteries than you think.

HookMeUpII

Yeah but at the same time how does it feel to just flip a switch and crank an animal up without any effort?

I'm not knocking the guys who do it with an LP or a Hooker. However, it's just not me. We are looking for solutions ourselves to this issue. We have no desire to reel up 2000' of line to check a bait but definitely want to keep it sporting and fight a fish by hand.

You will go through a cordless drill per trip or two using that. I've talked to several people who use them and it's been the same over and over...

"Burnt out a brand new Ryobi in 10 minutes."

This seems like the only option on the market as of now:

http://elec-tra-mate.com/store/store...on=show_detail

hamma job

Don't knock it til you try it! Besides, anyone who hooks the fish and walks away from the reel is not going to catch a heck of a lot. We fight fish as if they were on a manual reel, inch by inch, having our hand on the line most of the time feeling what the fish is doing. Only thing we aren't doing is turning a handle.

My argument is this- you will have to spend time finding where the fish are, patterning them, learning to drive, learning to see the bite, learning to hook them, learning to rig baits. then learning how to properly fight them with the boat. Anyone who has actually put one in the boat, especially in a new area, will understand that. That is 99% of the skill involved with doing this. My point was mostly that you will not do it enough to be successful if you have to hand crank from the getgo. Or you will rig up in a way that hampers your success. You buy an 80 for 1k and an electramate gadget (which is pretty neat) for 1500 you're getting close to a stand alone electric in terms of outlay $$ that can do the job. Leave handcranking for when you get things dialed in. Its like getting into hunting and the next day deciding to hunt for moose with a longbow.

Also, if you live in OCMD I'm guessing you troll a lot as well? The electric you buy could double as a dredge reel.

ogur

Just curious has anyone tried and Anchor buoy for checking bait