NE Tuna guys - looking for gear input -

[Trayder]

Nick-

The accurates are the smoothest reels I have used thus far. I use them for just about everything and have caught Stripers to Wahoo with them and about everything betweeen. Their pliers on the other hand leave a bit to be desired as they are very flexible.

Ikan Besar has far more experiance with the larger accurates than I but I would really like to get my hands on a pair of their 50's.

[PipeDreamsMarine]

Ok Don i will bite on this one, do you mean that using a TLD20 with 30lb line you would not be spooled by a 500#plus BFT? No experience but common sense would tell me that i do not have enough drag or fast enough boat to slow down that train!

If you are saying cut your line and you are not spooled i understand ... but technically i still say you were spooled!

Give us more detail on you plan if i have this wrong. If you are saying you should not get spooled on 50's and up, i agree

Yes Nick.. my bad.. if you take your 20's to the 100 line trolling for giants you will get spooled.. but I have more thoughts on that too.. but we need to break out the Ouzo and sit for a bit....

[oldbluesplayer]

interesting discussion so far -

I probably should have been more locationally specific, I'll be cruising in cape cod bay, and the SW corner, up to the BE, up on Stellwagen, and perhaps come down out of Gloucester to the NW corner - if it's a good day, might come around the corner to the BD - but I can't see myself ever going out off Chatham - anyways, this is all bluefin territory, no Yellows or Big Eyes - and realistically I'm only targeting schoolies to mids, not giants -

I realize that giants and big mids can mix with the schoolies - I've seen reports elsewhere of pro charter captains getting spooled when they were targetting sbft on 4/0 class gear and a giant grabbed on - no way that isn't gonna be the result - unavoidable - but other reports suggest that 113 - 114's are just right for trolling the schoolie - small mids that predominated this year - guess I'm not that into the run and gun game, so I'm not going to worry about setting up a spin rig -

I hear it about eBay - been doing some judicious sniping there (shhhh!!!) so already picked up the reels I wanted -

Guess I'm trying to be dollar concious, but not penny foolish, that's what lead me to the line related questions I originally posed - but then it seems I get very different stories related in different places - I take at face value everyones reported experiences - I believe CSN had a hard time with a 65#'er on a 113, and yet believe another guy from another board who found the 113's just right, and 114's to be more than needed, on north shore sbft, and several charter boat skips running TLD 20's, 25's, and 30's, and being just fine with sbft on 30 - 60# line - well, anything over 125 - 150#, and I'm not gonna get it in the boat anyways, and if a giant gets me, and I'm geared big enough to hold onto it, I'm probably going for a Nantucket sleigh ride in my 20' Seafari, so I know I'm not worried about going there - get out the knife and let it go.

Well, it's all cool - ya go fishin for smallmouth bass on 6# line and a lunker takes ya into the weeds, you're gonna lose that game too, so it's all relative.

anyways, cool stuff, guys !!

Bill

[cSickNick]

I believe CSN had a hard time with a 65#'er on a 113,

Hey, wait a min .... never said i had a hard time , just that it tried to spool me!

Bill, we hear now where you are coming from. I do not think anyone will disagree here that 113 will do the job on schoolies up to 100# plus? even with an occasional one with a temper. I did that for years with only this one giving me an issue. There are even posts to beef up these on the THT and to Don's point have the drags set correctly is critical. For this reason i would lean to the TLD level drags to make the settings easier for strike and full.

I just wanted to point out that if putting spreader bar on these may entice bigger fish to take your expensive gear away. I would keep it simple with daisy chains/GM/cedar plugs on these if you hit bigger fish that will not stop, no big loss in $$.

I was out on the NWC early one morning with the rest of the circus and i heard Ed pull in a fish on the spreader bar. Moments later i only had 2 GM pulling and also caught one. Most of the fleet was pulling bars and did not see or hear any other hookups.

And don't discount the "spin" thing yet. It is not all run and gun. If you are in the general area where they are breaking cast in a popper or metal .... crank .... crank ....wham ...... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz .... Yasou!!!

Jason and Don thanks for the replies ....

BTW: don't try the live bait thing in the bay now, i livelined 2 dozen macks to the dogs below ... they are relentless ... and BIG too

- Nick

[oldbluesplayer]

thanks, Nick, and all -

another question on this topic - What's the flat line clip of choice out there ??

Bill

[cSickNick]

For me, I thought about buying clips many times, but good or bad i still use simple rubber bands ....

[Ed]

Ditto that...

I keep a bag of rubber bands on my boat. I run them around the line and off the stern cleat.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

Rubber bands work great and if you set them with a certified scale they brake @ exactly the same place every time.... right were the line goes through..i couldn't resist.... if you buy clips buy rollers what ever the brad their worth the extra $ same for out rigger clips. no rollers will ruin your line if your pulling heavy baits and you drop back through the clips. as for the 113's upgrade your drag washers to the new penn dura-drag or to smoothies. I have done some drag research try to find the best replacement drag plates for my single speed internationals and cals 2 speed converts 1 speed to 2 speed for about 180 bucks and they will balance them for about another 60 or 70 bucks. this makes a 50 wide int. cast like a bass reel along with setting up the drag to whatever strike and max drag you want. they also have higher speed gears than penn. alot of the tuna guys out west swear by them. just another option if you pick up on any old internationals. don't think 1 speed is to old. as for the getting spooled i caght 6 60 - 80 # yellow fin tuna on a penn 706z with 20 # from my oil rig. i couldn't chase it because the rig doesn't move i saw the last wrap of line more than once on each fish. it was fun but i probably wouldn't do it again..

[oldbluesplayer]

Speaking of Spreader Bars -

Been doing alot of searching, etc

for those interested in spreader bars aimed at tuna, and especially schoolies / sbft

check out reeldraggintackle.com - some decent looking stuff, and some excellant prices, on spreader bars and daisy chains, w and w/o birds, good colors, good prices

just thought I'd pass it on -

Bill