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Ben,
You are going on your first 15 with Accurate. You chose well grasshopper. Contact Accurate in Corona, Ca. and find out who will be the charter master for them if it is not already posted on the RR web page. Tell him what you have as far as tackle and see how much Accurate will be bringing. Reserve some stuff from the boat as well once you find out from Accurate how much stuff they are bringing (Which is usually tons). I would also ask the Charter Master if he know most of the folks on the boat to see if most of them have their own gear. Usually folks going on this long a trip already have a bunch of gear. If this is the case you will have much of the Accurate stuff for yourself. Contact the boat as to what top shots you might need or if they will have plenty on the boat, made by the crew. I also would recommend you bringing some Flouro as on your ride down south you will have plenty of time to learn how to make your own top shots. If you want to make mono top shots they will have plenty on the boat. Most of the folks are more than happy to teach you how.
You have a great opportunity to try out some of the very best equipment on the market (Accurates) with no cost to you. The boat will also have some other manufacturer's equipment so you can judge for yourself what is the best gear for you.
As others have stated, it is so easy to buy lots of stuff you will never use and for Long Range that can get expensive. Once you go on an ultra long range trip you will want to go again and this way you can purchase your own gear with the knowledge of how to set up the fore and aft grips at the right distances for the type of fishing (Rail or harness) you will be doing. Ask tons of questions so you will know what to buy for your next trip. Also start looking at color combinations for the threading on the rods. Its great to have your own custom colors so you can recognize your gear while they are in the racks. Your rod builder will also put your name and other information on the rods you can request. You may also find the use of 3M Cold shrink on foregrips work better than the standard hypalon normally found on factory wrapped rods. Looking at how some experience Long Rangers are setting up their rods will help you a ton for your future purchases.
Bring a small tape measure with you to see how long the center or end of the reel seat is in relation to the butt of the rod. Measure the length of the foregrip which works best for you especially if you like rail rodding which I am sure you will. Write down these lengths for the Rods you find work best for you so you can give any of the noted rod builders the custom lengths.
For hooks and jigs I would contact Guy and Annette at Ringedhooks.com (on the net) Not only will they hook you up with all the information on hooks you will need but they can provide you Spanyid Raider Jigs, which are some of the best for Tuna and more importantly Wahoo. Guy will give you the low down on anything you want to know for long range. Additionally, if you are coming into L.A. they are on the way down to San Diego. I would also recommend a few pairs of their fishing gloves which are cheap for around 4 dollars and last for many days. Its way better than putting on tape every day, several times a day. If you are unsure of your hand size buy several in sizes you think you might need as these are cheap insurance against cuts which will ache for days and days. I buy one size smaller than a normal glove you might use but again I would purchase several pairs.
I do not doubt many folks will have Hollow spectra on the boat for you to learn how to do Hollow connections, loops and splices. Make sure you learn all the cool stuff in that regard as I am sure there will be many folks willing to teach you. If they offer, take them up on it.
When you talk with the boat find out if they have plenty of lead on the boat. I am sure they probably do so you don't need to worry about that.
I would suggest a Braid, auto ratcheting, crimping tool for attaching line to hooks on the bigger gauge lines. You will need to purchase the appropriate sleeves as well. These can be purchased at the landing though Fisherman's landing next door to where the RR is moored is better equipped. (I am not sure if they carry the Braid ratcheting tool but you can call the Fisherman's Landing tackle shop). If you have a day or two before you need to be at the landing the shops noted in the other threads are all great and will save you a few bucks over the landing. If you do buy the Braid crimping tool make sure the store shows you how to use them and what slots to use for what size sleeve. You will probably be crimping everything over 80 pound test and if you are fishing for big tuna most of the line you will be using will be in the 135 pound range so get the appropriate sleeves. Your Kite rigs can be purchased from the boat.
I would purchase a Pull gauge that will measure up to 50 or a hundred pounds. It should have a sliding indicator to show what your pull tests at. Shimano makes a good one. With this you can practice your knots and crimping connections. Your hook to line connection is one of the most important things you will need to practice before getting to the fishing grounds. This pull gauge will also be used to setup and check drag settings. Again, others on the boat will show you how.
Im sure you have a ton of questions. You are welcome to P.M. me and I will try and answer any questions you may have over the phone if you choose.
One other note, only go to shops that specialize in long range. There are many shops but only a few really know what they are talking about in this regard. The ones noted in the other threads are good ones. Also, as someone else noted, Buying stuff cheap is not the same as buying the right stuff unless it is good used equipment.
Best of luck
Jamie
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