Do I really need a 100lb setup?

[Keta]

I'm far from a large person, most likely we see eye to eye, and I bring more 130lb gear than 100lb. Why risk loosing what might be the largest fish you have ever hooked due to having the wrong gear. Do I think you need 3 or more heavy rigs like on a 15 day trip?....no, one or two will work. I'd forget about the 100lb and bring 80lb and 130lb rigs.

[csmunmun]

OK guys thanks, now I'm gettting some good stuff here. I don't really mind loosing the fish of a lifetime cause he'd be going back in the drink anyway, but I deffinatly don't want to be that guy, thats a good point I hadn't considered. Thanks all for your advise. I will take the 100 and not "fucking stay home". Lee, I don't understand what you meant though? Hell I swear sometimes the short guys with short sticks get more leverage on big fish, and more big dudes whine fish were kicking their asses. But if you and I see eye to eye, your a damn giant.

[REK]

Apologies for the f'ing stay home comment. Ranting. You had to be there. Cows blowing out all over and we couldn't participate. We were right there too. A lot of folks with an Avet 4/0 with 80 spectra for their big gear...."because that's all I needed last year". You never know what you're going to bump into on any given day. Be prepared. At least a 30Wide or 50 with 130 spectra. The boat can supply the leader, hooks. Heck, I even take a 50/60 on Albie trips. A couple of times the 80/120 bigeyes wanted to eat the paint off the boat. The 25 rig had no chance.

[csmunmun]

Originally Posted by REK

Apologies for the f'ing stay home comment. Ranting. You had to be there. Cows blowing out all over and we couldn't participate. We were right there too. A lot of folks with an Avet 4/0 with 80 spectra for their big gear...."because that's all I needed last year". You never know what you're going to bump into on any given day. Be prepared. At least a 30Wide or 50 with 130 spectra. The boat can supply the leader, hooks. Heck, I even take a 50/60 on Albie trips. A couple of times the 80/120 bigeyes wanted to eat the paint off the boat. The 25 rig had no chance.

No worries bro, its fishing its an emotional subject man, hahahaha. And thanks for the advise and sharing your experiance.

[Steve K]

You had to be there. Cows blowing out all over and we couldn't participate. We were right there too. A lot of folks with an Avet 4/0 with 80 spectra for their big gear...."because that's all I needed last year". You never know what you're going to bump into on any given day. Be prepared. At least a 30Wide or 50 with 130 spectra. The boat can supply the leader, hooks.

Ron, were you on the Yo's trip in Sept/Oct '05? I happened to be on my first 10 day and it was on the Angler, 10/2-12. We were at Alijos for our tuna fishing. Heard the stories on the way back up. Seem like even some of the Mid October trips had some guys get caught with their pants donw and no heavy gear. After that, the word was out and as I recall, 50 sized reels were flying off the shelves!

[REK]

Hi Steve K. First, congrats and stoked for your June Heat trip.
Yes, it was.....but a couple years later when things were slow again, we went south to look around. This time, the skip just informed us what and where and to make sure your big rigs were set up. Didn't ask if you had it, just said to get it ready. Got some to 130....I think, but saw some larger. Then, the weather just blew everybody out.

Poster asked....another poster said you don't need it. IMHO, yeah you do.
When Yo was still around and before I got on this charter, things were slow down south. So.....they went to Clarion. You just never know.

[Keta]

I like it when the captain says use nothing lighter than 150.

[tpeach]

On this past June Heat trip I heard the capt. suggest "try 100 lb" and I believe I heard Steve K say "never thought he would hear a capt say that". I fished my two Avet 30 wides with 100 JB a 20' top shot of Izorline then 100 BW flurocarbon mounted on a custom SS6463 4x for my biggest cow. Worked just fine. I am actually thinking about adding a third for the trip next year. Not that I would need it I just like the way it feels anchored to a 2x4 or 6463 rail rod. Our sardines were a little sluggish the beginning of the trip and the lighter gear helped out getting the bait into the strike zone.. Later in the trip it seemed that they had hardened off and were a lot stronger. I just had to mind my gear and change leaders after every bite. I went through a lot of flourocarbon due to sharks but I did not loose any tuna ( knock on wood ) if tuna bit it hit the deck or was released by cutting pliers. Now wahoo was a little different Sharks ate a few and cut a few jigs ok little over a dozen and a half jigs. Being from the east coast I never thought I would be cutting off tuna around 100 lbs or releasing Wahoo. I know you guys have cut off larger but just hard for me to imagine.

[Steve K]

I consider Thad to be a remarkable angler. I watched him buy tackle, build rods, and get rigged up for that trip. We met briefly at the Charkbait booth at the L. B. Fred. Then, I got to watch him at the rail. He absolutely slayed both the tuna and the Wahoo on this trip. His first San Diego based Long Range trip and first trip fishing the Pacific.

I recall the day that Andy suggested using 100 lb. It was early in the trip and we were scratching for tuna. They were around, but not biting very well. I guess it looked like smaller fish than we got later in the trip. And, like I said, we were scrtching. I remember Andy one other time suggesting we drop down in line size to get bit. That was back in '03 on a fiver at Lupe and it was really touchy. But I digress, as usual.

It was later in the trip that I cast out a bait on my 100 lb outfit which was a Penn 30S with a 25-35' topshot of 100 lb Seaguar Fluorocarbon. I got bit and the line started peeling off the reel. I had hooked a big one, or at least one of the nastiest fish I ever encountered. As I looked at the spool, getting smaller and smaller, I had visions of having to put on the back up outfit, getting into the skiff and chasing this big bastard down and a prolonged battle with a good chance of losing the fish due to the line getting chewed off after an hour or so. Fortunately, the line broke down near the hook. Joe's comment: "Brought a knife to a gunfight, eh?"

We were in a spot where cows were being caught daily and the trip finished with 22 over 200 and 2 over 300. The October 10 day does not usually get into this size of fish. However, it would be the savvy angler who had at least a 30 sized reel capable of fishing something like 24 lbs of drag at strike. 80 lb for fishing a fresh dead squid on the anchor with a bobber balloon comes to mind; saw that working on my first 10 day at Alijos in early October of '05. Then, switching to a 100 lb leader for more abrasion resistance would be an option as well. With your Avet 30, you're in business. Call the office and ask Lori to have the guys set aside one of their 50 sized outfits, too. You just never know what you're going to encounter. You are going to have a great time on the Penn trip, I like the dates. There's plenty of coverage at that time of the year with good info sharing. Variety is incredible and you have an opportunity to catch Yellowtail, Wahoo, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Grouper, and Pargo and whatever else the ocean decides to give up. Looking forward to your report.

[aplus2k]

I would totally drive down to SD to meet up with you to take some fresh fish off your hands...

Originally Posted by csmunmun

Thanks for all the advice guys, I appreciate it. I'm hearing it both ways, I like the idea of having the Avet 30 thats what I was planning on going with for an 80 anywya, and changing out the topshot, but I could see where that could suck to if I need it in a hurry. I know the boats have gear, haven't been able to get dates locked in yet but we are trying to ride the american angler penn trip and they have loaner gear they said for no charge. I know that you need to use 80 for dropper loop fishing just because of the rocks, but I'm wondering why 80lb doesn't work for big tuna on this kind of trip? I've boated some big fish around the world on 80 lb you just don't horse them around. I'm not trying to be an arrogent prick and ignore the advice I asked for I'm just wondering why? I,ve never been on any trips this long out of SD. I'm a big time gear queer so I collect more shit than anyone can ever use anyway and plan on doing one of these annually so If I need it I'll get it. Oh yeah and by the way, do the crews on these long trips get pissed if you want to put most of your fish back? I'm comming right back out here to this hot sandy place afterwords so I don't plan on keeping more than a couple fish, maybe one of each type for me madre. Unless anyone wants to meet me at the dock and take them off my hands.

[tclongbeach]

RE: I swear sometimes the short guys with short sticks get more leverage on big fish

IMHO: The short sticks have the leverage and the long sticks have the clearance. Pick your poison here..... I would not go under 6', but my next rod is a 2x4 seeker (7'). I think the rod wrapping is worth the $$, as I've wasted one of my rods sans wrap.

Why not ask a buddy for a loaner?? if I knew ya, I'd loan mine to ya. Its funny that no one in this forum offerred to loan you their 100lb rig.... considering we only use them 8 out of of 365 days a year....

TC

[afraser]

Shoot if its a big cow, you'll be holding the boat up even with 130, saw that twice last trip. Spent 45 minutes watching and that was after fishing for the first 15-20 minutes of the fight. Imagine the time you'll need with only 80?