Yo Kurt,
You will have a blast on the Excel 6 day and welcome to long range fishing.
We have had a charter on the Excel for years in that time frame, infact we just moved up for the second week in Sept. to the Labor day charter 6 day. Historically this trip has seen 2 - 4 days of Yellowfin Tuna fishing to 120 pounds at the Lupe. On rare occasions we have been fortunate to run into wahoo. Additionally you will get in 1 or 2 days of yellowtail up to 60 pounds at the other Islands and perhaps a day of bottom fishing for reds or halibut. Of course this will change with conditions. Generally speaking you will fish 40 pound test line with your choice of smaller reels. Some of the folks like the 2 speed Avets and many of us are fishing single speeds. I fish the Saltist 40 high speeds and love them as well as the 870 high speed Accurate. If you go this route put the crank arm/handle to its longest length. The smaller Avet 2 speeds have really been popular lately but I prefer the single speed in 40 pound. These reels are used about 80 percent of the time.
If you are only doing a 6 day the need for a 30 or 50 size reel would be rare. If this is a have to have situation than stick with the 30 size in a narrow. If you are sold on the Penn then the 30VSX should be out soon. If not the Avet 30 pro 2 speed is a great reel. I happen to fish Accurate's. As I said before, expect to see these rigs in the racks either the entire trip or almost the entire trip.
A 16 or 12 size two speed is a wonderful reel for a 6 day as a heavier line setup and I would go with that over the 30 or 50 with your 16VSX already in your inventory. We all have a Ho written accross our foreheads but make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
I have recently been touting the joys of the Super Seeker 6470H as a true 40 to 60 pound stick which can be used with a single or two speed reel and provides a real solution to one stick covering many conditions. This rod can easily fish your 16VSX or your Torque.
Once you have gotten past your first 6 dayer, you can start making some more informed decisions. I do not doubt you will be hooked and plan some longer range trips especially if you have the money for the gear you are mentioning. At that point you can start thinking about the bigger rigs and reels.
I would also contact Cathy or Betty at the front office as I am not sure if they have loaner gear or possibly the boat will have trolling gear for you to use when your number is up. their rigs will already be set with the proper trolling jigs.
As far as terminal gear. I LOVE ringed hooks for all applications especially in a pick bite. If the fishing is wide open you probably wont need them but the lupe is rarely wide open. Yellowtail at the Islands can be so have both ringed and unringed available for all applications.
I tested Owner Flyliners last year and found they were not sufficient in wire diameter and strength for the tuna over 40 pounds. There are many other choices out there and the expensive, boutique hooks, may not be the best choices. I would call Guy over at Ringedhooks.com where many of us get our ringed hooks. He is an encyclopedia of hooks of all brands and will steer you in the right direction. Get a reasonable assortment of circle and J hooks so you can make your own decision on preference. The Excel recommends circle hooks but you can decide for yourself. You can also talk to Guy about Spanyid Raiders for Tuna, Yellowtail and yoyoing the bottom, though the Lupe is mostly a bait bite.
For Yellowtail I am in love with the Scrambled Egg 6X junior by Salas which always works for me as well as the green booger. Lighter top water jigs are a blast as well since you can see the crash on the jigs. I LOOOOOOVE jig fishing on those trips.
As far as carrying a ton of sinkers... Don't... Bring a small assortment of torpedos and sliders as the boat should have plenty on board and they have very fair prices. Why lug all that around and take up space in your box. I would much rather fill it with jigs...
Spectra is almost a must on all your reels as you can easily respool the top shots when needed as you will only be fishing 10 ft to 50 yds depending on your tastes. Flouro in 40 pound and 50 pound should be considered but practice your means of attaching the flouro to the mono before you leave for your trip and test them with a pull gauge. I happen to like the back to back Uni or seagar knots but like I said practice at home and make sure you are getting a high percentage of line strength in your connection. If it seems you are not getting what you need make sure you ask your local tackle shop to help you or get help from the crew on the boat. Bad knots/connections are the number one reason fish are lost.
The Excel web site gives a very good listing of tackle and clothing to bring on any given range of trip. The Web site will fill in the holes in what is not noted here.
Consider this 6 day a learning session to figure what you might need in the future. Do you like shorter or longer sticks, Circle or J hooks, one speed or two speed reel, stiffer or softer rods, etc. Even Techniques of Rail vs. Harness or just a rod belt. Maybe a combination of the above. You have chosen a fantastic boat with a fantastic crew so there will be lots of teachers. Don't be afraid to ask even if it seems like a dumb question. Make sure you ask early in the trip so you dont miss out on key information. Its probably the same question 15 other guys would like to know the answer to.
One thing new commers rarely ask, but should, is how to properly get a bait out of the wells (The Excel uses a large Pan) and how to gently put the hook into the bait as well as where on the bait to place it. Do this before the fishing starts but at a point the crew is not busy elsewhere. Usually, about the time you are rigging up is a great time. If you are concerned, they will also show you some new cool knots you can practice.
Best of luck on your trip and just have fun.
Jamie
Quote:
Originally Posted by kurt916  Wow! Great advice. Really helps me to connect some dots and get a better feeling for what to expect. So far I've got: RODS: Calstar GFGR 765ML, 700H, 800M, and a 700ML REELS: TORIUM 16, PENN 16VSX, and 300TRQ TACKLE: 7200 SKB Tackle Box with rocket launchers (Seems too big) Things I want: RODS: 2 more, type ?? (maybe another 40 pound, and a 80-100 pound) REELS: 3 more, Avet JX or LX, PENN 30VSX or 50VSX, and ?? With that said, am I on the right track? and what would be the best set up for this gear on a 6 day? Again thanks a ton for the response! Its way more than I expected. |
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