Thanks to reading this forum I now have a reel on order second hand ebay type thing. It's penn 6/0 that's has been serviced, but so was my last car and it had its issues too. So now that I have a reel my guess is that I'll need some line and that's where it gets confusing. I'll be fishing from land in and around Sanibel and Ft Myers.
So after reading , it seems everyone has their own formula. I know the odds of hooking a real monster may be slim, and event it it did happen I'm not experienced enough to know how to handle a fish of any real size so I'd probably loose that one anyway.
What is a good cost effective way for me to,spool my reel, braid with a topshot of mono, all mono,and what rating?
Yep lots of questions and thanks for all of your time and patience.
D
First thing you'll want to do with that reel when you get it is take it apart and check it. Plus you wanna know how to service your own stuff. Be sure to check the drag washers. Clean it and regrease it if needed. My 6/0 is spooled 80lb braid (500yds? I think) then packed with 50lb mono.
First thing you'll want to do with that reel when you get it is take it apart and check it. Plus you wanna know how to service your own stuff. Be sure to check the drag washers. Clean it and regrease it if needed. My 6/0 is spooled 80lb braid (500yds? I think) then packed with 50lb mono.
Thanks for responding!
I guess I just don't understand the line ratings that well in terms off how much fish 80lb braid and 50lb mono will hold. It seems light in terms off the size sharks you guys seem to be catching.Granted I have little experience with anything much over 10 pounds, and little knowledge about how to play the fish once I get a strike.
So I get the braid underneath and then the mono on top as the braid takes up less reel space and allows for more line than I could put on with all mono? Is that correct? My guess is that the mono is more abrasion resistant scrubbing against sand and shells off the south florida beaches. Will I still need a mono leader if I am using a mono topshot. If so what size would you recommend?
Yea the braid is there for capacity, the top shot is there for abrasion purposes.And it's cheaper to replace mono. Just put electrical tape on your spool for the braid to bite on or it will slip and not go on nice an tight. Connect the mono to braid with a knot, I use either an Albright or double uni, find one you like from experience. You'll still want a leader, for yakked baits I'll use 500 lb mono about 20ft then #19 single strand wire about 5-7ft, or 480lb cable. Hope this helps and maybe someone else will chime in.
Cost effective and best option don't always go together. You might have to make some sacrifices to be cheap. You might not be able to afford the best gear now, but you can always get it in the future and there's nothing wrong with that. Over the years, you'll strip and respool is several times until you are happy with what you have.
The most cost effective way to spool it would be to get a 1/2 pound spool of 50 pound mono. You'll spend about $12 or more. You can load your reel with 450 to 500 yards which (since you're not targeting enormous fish) is fine. If you're worried that 50 pound test isn't heavy enough, know that a competitor in the Blacktip Challenge caught a 9 foot hammerhead on 50 pound test. My buddy fights 6 footers all season long on 30 pound test, but he also is smart about how to fight and finesse the fish.
Once you use the word "braid" things get expensive, but it's worth it. Braid is the only way to maximize what you can get out of your reel. Basically, you triple how much line you can fit, and when you get into bigger fish, that becomes important. Since you're starting out, I suggest you do what you can and upgrade over time.