epuipment advances

[bad caster]

Several years of spring 8 days , summer and fall 5 days and till this September about the biggest fish we saw were 60 to 70 Yellow Fin Tuna. Finally this year late September at Guadalupe we had Yellow Fin Tuna to 90lbs.
So for the first time I would have liked to be fishing a sardine with heavier than 40# , but captain says the trick with these fish is getting your bait out there. I got serveral nice fish , best right at 90# and second jackpot for the trip. Every good fish I got was on one of my 40# outfits , both Saltiga's 40 and 50. Most all on a long cast and a screaming fast bait bit in the first 10 to 30 seconds. Since these fish were serious work on #40 and single speed reel I tried some other gear . I have a Tiagra 16 cut topless and bigger drags and a tld30 willfish alloy frame topless. Both designed to bait fish heavier line , I keep 60 on the ti and 80 on the tld.
At any rate with my limited skills not only is overhead casting these difficult, Also manipulating my bait very different with the heavier spool weight. I know it can be done and with practice I would improve but am wondering if taking advantage of the latest equipment will help , like golf. I am going 7 days late September and for sure 2010 going on a cow tuna trip.
I checked out the B2 30 and B2 50 at fred hall along with the Calstar 770H and Seeker 2x4.
Some questions :
I read B Haywards article about bait presentation on heavy gear. His take is underhand lob only , no overhead casting. Does a 7' stick and B2 30 change the game on this?
B2 30 or 50 load them with 65 or 80 hollow? Wind on top shots ok for easier change?
Any opinion on Seeker 2x4 and or Calstar 770h?
I saw a 2x4 custom wrap by Baja with fuji titanium guides and roller tip only, seems like it would cast and fish nicely , is that enough roller for big fish?
Can't spend much time in the Accurate and Seeker booth without Wahoodad's name coming up so of course would like to hear what David has on this.

[wahoodad]

Originally Posted by bad caster

I have a Tiagra 16 cut topless and bigger drags and a tld30 willfish alloy frame topless. Both designed to bait fish heavier line , I keep 60 on the ti and 80 on the tld.

Great reels, but too heavy of spools for this scenario.

Originally Posted by bad caster

At any rate with my limited skills not only is overhead casting these difficult, Also manipulating my bait very different with the heavier spool weight. I know it can be done and with practice I would improve but am wondering if taking advantage of the latest equipment will help , like golf. I am going 7 days late September and for sure 2010 going on a cow tuna trip.
I checked out the B2 30 and B2 50 at fred hall along with the Calstar 770H and Seeker 2x4.

IMO, we are talking about two entirely different things here, the September 7 day, and a cow trip. The cow trip can be taken care of with either the B2-30, or B2-50, and the 770H or the 2X4.

Originally Posted by bad caster

I read B Haywards article about bait presentation on heavy gear. His take is underhand lob only , no overhead casting. Does a 7' stick and B2 30 change the game on this?

I am an underhand lobber most the time myself. I see anglers slam the bait on the surface like John Cena slamming a fellow wrestler down on Monday Night Raw.
No, I lob just fine with a 30 sized reel and a seven foot rod.

Originally Posted by bad caster

B2 30 or 50 load them with 65 or 80 hollow? Wind on top shots ok for easier change?

Absolutely not, the B2-30 load with hollow 100#, the B2-50 load with hollow 130#.

Back to the lupe dilemma, I would go for a Boss Extreme 500 or 600 (formerly B2-870 and 665 respectively), load them up with 50# solid on the 500, and 80 hollow on the 600, topshot with 50# and 60# respectively. Rods? I would opt for a SS6470H, and a SS6470XH.

Originally Posted by bad caster

Any opinion on Seeker 2x4 and or Calstar 770h?

I have only pulled on the 770H in a shop, as a blank. I have however landed a few nice fish on a 2X4.

Originally Posted by bad caster

I saw a 2x4 custom wrap by Baja with fuji titanium guides and roller tip only, seems like it would cast and fish nicely , is that enough roller for big fish?

I really don't get the roller, mine is just like the guides.

Originally Posted by bad caster

Can't spend much time in the Accurate and Seeker booth without Wahoodad's name coming up so of course would like to hear what David has on this.

It's all smoke and mirrors, I'm full of @*&%



These are just my opinions, I'm sure there are plenty of other anglers with opinions on this. Just one of many.

[Steve K]

Mike, regarding the trophy Yellowfin fishery at Lupe for your September 7 day, I encourage you and everybody else who has not read it to check out Bruce Smith's
take on things:

The Two Speed

[wahoodad]

Originally Posted by riceman1011

Dave you can pick up the rest.

Oh, guess I went on too early. Now I can post that I have permission

[apcrew45]

Originally Posted by wahoodad

Oh, guess I went on too early. Now I can post that I have permission

[bad caster]

I got you on the lupe / alijos 50 or 60 setup. Business blows so for that I'm going to the garage and move some things around.I have a JX and LX on jig sticks and other stuff I had to have.
My next purchase is a #100 rod/reel to fish big tuna with sardines.I guess my question is will the B2 30 or 50 be easier to cast and fish than an ATD30? Or just more a lower cost alternative in the accurate line? Either way I think I'm going to go with accurate.

[wahoodad]

Originally Posted by bad caster

I got you on the lupe / alijos 50 or 60 setup. Business blows so for that I'm going to the garage and move some things around.I have a JX and LX on jig sticks and other stuff I had to have.
My next purchase is a #100 rod/reel to fish big tuna with sardines.I guess my question is will the B2 30 or 50 be easier to cast and fish than an ATD30? Or just more a lower cost alternative in the accurate line? Either way I think I'm going to go with accurate.

I am glad you have the JX and LX. I think you have lupe covered, just change rods. Nothing wrong with either of those two reels.

I feel better having an ATD30, but realize the business thing (ouch, it's frickin brutal right now).
So, pick either the B2-30 or the B2-50.

[afraser]

How about a little heresy? If the fish are generally under 100 lb and you need to cast a long way, a good spinning setup will own the conventionals. You can underhand a sardine 50-75 feet without it going more than 10 feet high. Even better if you butt hook them on top of that, then you do what the poster said above and make the line tight so the bait swims away from you once it hits the water. I usually get a bunch of grief at first fishing with grinders for tuna, but the comments go away after a few fish . Not to mention, no rod twist,

I find it is usually easier to play these tuna on spinning gear too. At least that is my experience. However some people would never try em. Drags on the top end grinders are higher and just as smooth as the conventionals. Heresy, I know. I do use conventionals on the bigger boys though. Although I will be trying some spiral wrapped rods this year to see if that works better.

[spinner]

on my last trip i hd quite a bit of success overhand casting sardines with a 670h calstar,ultra short top shot and a penn 30 topless by baker with the full drag and bearings program. the freespool is incredible and the soft tip really helped. the rod also loaded up real nice.goo

[afraser]

Well, I don't know how far you can cast a butt hooked sardine with a conventional, but I can never get it to go very far with a conventional. With a spinner, I can flip the bait out underhand at least 50 feet. 90% of the time, mine is the only bait out that distance and that does the trick.

Originally Posted by riceman1011

i can probably cast a conventional farther than i can a spinning reel no problem. i have never been able to cast those stupid things ever since i started with the conventionals. i could have like a 20 foot rod with a spinner and a 7 foot rod with a conventional and id still cast the conventional farther. i have problems.

[spinner]

it called practice. frank talks about this alot and i have done it ever since i was a kid. i practice with my big gear at the park alot. make alot of new friends too.goo

[yft1979]

In my particular opinion id stay away from spinning reels