Rods For Trolling

[MYTraveler]

Avet reels are very good and well priced. More importantly, unlike the vast majority of higher priced / higher precision reels of the most highly regarded brands (Accurate being a good example), they are user serviceable. (I know some will argue that a user can service even an Accurate, but most users cannot. Similarly, some will feel unqualified to service even an Avet, but there are plenty of You tube videos to give instruction and confidence. And in any event, a little fish slim won't gum up an Avet the way it will an Accurate. I have a few Accurates, and they are great, smooth reels, but the vast majority of mine are Avets. One criteria by which reels are judged is the freespool -- how long the reel will continue to spin when in free spool. Avets are very impressive in that regard, but freespool is more important for live bait fishing than for trolling.

One other thought -- with the advent of Spectra line, reels have come a long way in recent years. You no longer need a big reel to hold a lot of line (Spectra is much thinner diameter for any given strength), so a "small" reel holds as much line as a large reel used to hold. And unlike mono, spectra last years and years without taking a set and without degredation of its strength.

I would recommend a couple of two-speed SXJ (lever drag) reels with a "top shot" of 30 pound mono over 80 pound spectra. You can use them for trolling, casting, live bait fishing, though you won't find a single rod that is good for all applications. Get the "magic cast" version, which makes it very difficult to get a backlash/ birds nest when casting. It really is magic (works with a couple magnets but does not impair freespool).

 

[Gdavid]

The charter boat I worked on had Avets 50 wides and 4/0 wides and they were phenomenal reels. They were pretty new to the market at the time (2004). They are at much different price point than the plastic body shimano's that will suffice for most casual boaters but the avets are on par price wise with Penn internationals, shimano tiagras and accurates and as far as I'm concerned, they are the best in performance. The first year or so they had 4/0 models that were comparable to a 30# class reel but they retooled and started making a 30 because the 4/0's didn't market well but they were incredibly nice reels (just like the 50s). There is a 4/0 Avet in the picture I posted with the white marlin, there is also a cheap 50W Okuma that was handling a teaser but if you look closely you will see the silver Avet still in the gimbal of the chair.

 

[Codger2]

Spend a little money for the two speed reels. They save a lot of cranking on fast retrievals.

 

[HopCar]

Can you PM me some options. Looking at just two combos.

Also looking at the GlobalFix™ V4 EPIRB, Category 1, 406 GPS ACR-2830 that you sell. Is that a decent quality EPIRB?

Sent you a couple of PM's concerning Combos and Epirbs.

 

[CPseudonym]

He should call you on the phone and give you his credit card number. If the quotes you gave him are anything like the quotes you've given me over the years he's not likely to find better. He damn sure won't beat your service before, during, or after the sale.

 

[psneeld]

I think the OP should chime back in if these are for serious sport fishing or occasional meat fishing vwhile cruising.

 

[menzies]

I think the OP should chime back in if these are for serious sport fishing or occasional meat fishing vwhile cruising.

The latter.

 

[psneeld]

Great...let Hop car take care of you...as I posted before, I love good stuff, but unless you have coin to toss away, many suggestions are more sporty than needed.

As Hollywood and I posted, simple hardlines often work the best, but getting experienced with them takes a bit to make sure all your fingers get to the destination too.

 

[HopCar]

He should call you on the phone and give you his credit card number. If the quotes you gave him are anything like the quotes you've given me over the years he's not likely to find better. He damn sure won't beat your service before, during, or after the sale.

Thank you Craig! (The check is in the mail.)

 

[CPseudonym]

Sweet!!! Royalties & residuals

 

[FlyWright]

I usually fish for sturgeon in the fresh and brackish waters of the CA Delta. The fish we land routinely exceed 100 Lbs. I use Shimano Tekota 500 Linecounter reels across the back of my boat. The reel retrieve ratio might be a bit low for big water game, though. The linecounter is important to know how far back you're trolling of how close the fish is when they run deep. They run about $170 each.

Each reel is loaded with 65# Powerpro braid and they have served me flawlessly for close to 10 years without maintenance. The braid is over 6 years old and is still in great shape. One caution if you've never used braid, don't ever wrap it on a hand to grab a line. It's extremely strong for its diameter and can easily cut you.

I'd echo the recommendation for a level wind feature. Without it, you need to manipulate the incoming line left and right onto the spool. It's especially a hassle for the uninitiated.

 

[markpierce]

I usually fish for sturgeon in the fresh and brackish waters of the CA Delta. The fish we land routinely exceed 100 Lbs.
...

 

[ranger58sb]

The linecounter is important to know how far back you're trolling of how close the fish is when they run deep. They run about $170 each.

I'd echo the recommendation for a level wind feature. Without it, you need to manipulate the incoming line left and right onto the spool. It's especially a hassle for the uninitiated.

Cheap linecounter, with a level-wind reel: Measure line length on a given reel as the level-wind guide moves across the guide bar from one side of the reel to the other. One "bar" (a full transit one way and then back) is about 10' on our reels. Six "bars" makes it 60' of line out... et cetera.

-Chris

 

[menzies]

Whats the difference between level and lever?

 

[ranger58sb]

Whats the difference between level and lever?

Level is about the way line winds onto/off the spool. A line guide works it's way back and forth across the reel, so you get the same amount of line all across the spool, and so you don't get 9" of line right in the middle and no line at either side.

Lever is about the drag mechanism. The two common drag approaches I'm aware of are star and lever. A star drag is often on the crank axle, and you rotate the star to adjust the drag. A lever... hmmm.... is a lever and you use that to adjust the drag.

-Chris

 

[Gdavid]

Level winds can be a hindrance if you have a large run-off (fish pulls a lot of drag fast). It should not happen but I've had it happen several times over the years, the level wind guide gets out of alignment with the position of the line as it is pulled off of the spool and this can create a lot of chafe on the line. It rarely happens and isn't an issue when fishing inshore with fish that pull less than 100' of drag but it could be a big problem with a decent tuna making a long run. We always fished level winds in the bay counting "bars" just like Chris mentioned, up to 23 rods using planer boards and offshore we used lever drag reels without level winds.

 

[Gdavid]

Level is about the way line winds onto/off the spool. A line guide works it's way back and forth across the reel, so you get the same amount of line all across the spool, and so you don't get 9" of line right in the middle and no line at either side.

Lever is about the drag mechanism. The two common drag approaches I'm aware of are star and lever. A star drag is often on the crank axle, and you rotate the star to adjust the drag. A lever... hmmm.... is a lever and you use that to adjust the drag.

-Chris

Ditto what Chris said. To expand on the difference between a lever and star drag: The lever drag allows the reel to go into free spool by reducing the mount of drag to nothing just like applying the clutch in a car but never taking the car out of gear.
On a star drag reel, you put the reel into free spool with a lever that de-couples the drive mechanism, you could get it to free spool by backing off the star drag all of the way but it is awkward and slow.
This difference may sound small but it comes into play when you want to start applying some resistance and pulling line back in, on a lever drag you can do it smoothly because you are just increasing drag from zero resistance where a star drag reel you need to re-engage the drive gearing.

You can get a star drag reel to perform like a lever drag by just leaving the reel in gear all of the time and just backing way off on the star drag but is awkward because you need to rotate the star about 720 degrees as opposed to a lever drag only needs to move 80-90 degrees.

 

[Steve]

Speaking of drags, here is an early reel with a leather drag pad. Drag applied by how hard you press on the pad with your thumb. The leather rubbed on the line going out for more or less resistance to the fish.

 

[Gdavid]

Star drag level wind:


Lever drag:


Lever drag with level wind:

 

[CPseudonym]

Steve, that is an exceptionally cool rod/reel combo. Is it yours?

 

[menzies]

Thanks. So they are two different things and not mutually exclusive. Got it.

 

[Dougcole]

I too like those level wind GTi reels. I've caught fish up to 50 lbs or so on them.

I load them with braided line so they can hold more line.

I second the braid, and wondered why no one said it earlier. It's not so much the extra strength you need but the extra capacity. With braid's (I like power pro) very small diameter you can pile on a ton of it on a smaller/lighter rig that is much more enjoyable to fish with and less expensive. I even use some heavier spinning combos, they do fine and are nicer to fish with in applications other than trolling (casting, bottom fishing).

Also, the smaller diameter braid allows a deep diving plug to go deeper than mono does.

Lastly, braid doesn't have the problems with line twist like mono does, you can usually even pull a spoon with no issues.

I've found trawler trolling to be a little different, as most of us go too fast for the most effective trolling, ie 8 knots instead of 5 knots. You've got to adjust your tackle accordingly. I have to set lures way back to keep them running true. I've also had some luck using planers to keep lures down, but it is a bit of a PIA.

And guys, unless you are in Hawaii or are a foolish tourist reading a menu, those pretty yellow, blue and green fish aren't mahi mahi, they are dolphin. Or in a spanish speaking country dorado. The dudes on the sportfish boats look down on us enough as it is, let's not give them any more ammo, lol.

 

[HopCar]

Doug, you and I are Florida boys so we can tell each other how many Dolphin we caught today. If one of those damnyankees hear us they think we're catching porpoise.

If you go out on a charter from Miami and the guide tells you you're catching Mahi Mahi, he's talking down to you. He's just tired of explaining it.

I have to admit I've started using the term Dolphin Fish if I'm talking to a damnyankee.
(My mother taught me it was always damnyankee never just yankee. Then I went and bought one of their boats.)

 

[Dougcole]

Doug, you and I are Florida boys so we can tell each other how many Dolphin we caught today. If one of those damnyankees hear us they think we're catching porpoise.

If you go out on a charter from Miami and the guide tells you you're catching Mahi Mahi, he's talking down to you. He's just tired of explaining it.

I have to admit I've started using the term Dolphin Fish if I'm talking to a damnyankee.
(My mother taught me it was always damnyankee never just yankee. Then I went and bought one of their boats.)

The whole "mahi mahi" thing just makes me feel like I'm being taken advantage of by some damnyankee marketer who is telling me what to name a fish I've been catching my entire life. You know, the original name for Orange Roughy is slimehead and Chilean Sea Bass is Patagonian Toothfish. It's not a bass and usually doesn't come from Chilie.

My wife was born in Minnesota. I once refered to something having to do with Yankee's around her parents, and they were like "what's a yankee? You mean the baseball team?"

 

[MYTraveler]

In the Sea of Cortez and Pacific coast of Mexico, and in southern California waters when the fish move up as they do most summers, they are most commonly called dorado, a name that doesn't seem to have been invented by any damnyankee.

 

[Dougcole]

In the Sea of Cortez and Pacific coast of Mexico, and in southern California waters when the fish move up as they do most summers, they are most commonly called dorado, a name that doesn't seem to have been invented by any damnyankee.

Yes, dorado is perfectly acceptable, correct even, given the spanish speaking nature of the areas you mentioned. Mahi Mahi is fine in Hawaii, just not in Florida, or anywhere else for that matter.

 

[MYTraveler]

Yes, dorado is perfectly acceptable, correct even, given the spanish speaking nature of the areas you mentioned. Mahi Mahi is fine in Hawaii, just not in Florida, or anywhere else for that matter.

When my kids were much younger, I found that they were only willing to eat the dorado I caught if I referred to it as Mahi mahi -- which they remembered fondly from Hawaii.

 

[psneeld]

Hey, I am a joisey boy and think Mahi is a rediculous name on the East coast.

Never heard Mahi on the docks or sporties...only in restaurants and only after the 70s or 80s.

I say go simple and inexpensive unless the passion is expected to grow from meat fishing to sportfishing.

 

[Gdavid]

I say go simple and inexpensive unless the passion is expected to grow from meat fishing to sportfishing.

I consider myself a meat fisher, by that I want to get everything I hook onboard the boat with minimal chance of loss. I want to do so as cost effectively as possible but not necessarily cheap as possible. I prefer going after tuna/wahoo/dolphin than billfish. There is no need to oversize equipment but I want something substantial enough to have a safety factor i.e. using 50# test where 30# would do because I'm not going to respool my reels as frequently as a tournament angler.

The guys I know who I would consider sport fisherman aim to catch every fish on the lightest tackle they can, the type of guys chasing IGFA records. They'll us bait casters for sailfish and white marlin. In fact I know a guy who fishes a 60' Spencer in a friendly contest with dockmates for bill fish using "Barbie" spincast rods you would buy in the toy aisle. These guys are fishing on multi-million dollar boats with $10 rods just for a laugh. If I was spending that much on fuel for a day, I would want a freezer full of meat but to each their own.

On the topic of using hand lines, another benefit of a "Cuban yo-yo" is you don't need to buy a rod holder.

 

[AKDoug]

I did several long range tuna and wahoo trips out of San Diego, so I have a few opinions about tackle too. I would stick with a lever drag reel since the drags are very large and not complex (single washer vs multiple discs) and setting the drag is easy. A 200 lb tuna is a brutal fish on stand up tackle, a reel that's suitable for a fish like that takes most of the fun out of a mahi mahi or smaller fish.

30W Penn International or equivalent 2 speed is excellent, roller tips are really nice but you do have to lubricate the roller once in a while and wash them down after use to keep them rolling. Spectra will get you a mountain of line on the reel and a top shot of mono makes knots easy and helps to prevent breakoffs when you are trolling as it stretches bit where the spectra doesn't.

A rod belt is must have, the rod pressure will bruise you for days afterwards on a strong fish. Even the halibut we land up here in Alaska will bruise you without a rod belt to protect you. I think you are asking too wide a range of fish for the tackle, a 30 TW full of 80 lb Spectra will handle everything you want up to about 125 lbs, with a top shot of 60 lb mono (100 yards). A 200 lb tuna is a two hour fight from a stationary boat... My largest was 282.9 so I do have a clue what I am talking about

For really big fish you also want a harness that will clip into the lugs on the reel, a waist belt, not one that goes over your shoulders. Upper body belts pull you over, waist belts pull you against the rail not over it. Buy really good tackle, it will last practically forever.