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Flounder reel/rod setup advice

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sayn3ver

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posted this over on **************** but their reel forum is geared more towards big water...

 

Like a lot of people, I love flounder. I fish from my kayak. I would like get a dedicated flounder rig. Right now I am using an improvised freshwater shimano sedonna 4000 on a 6'6" MH ugly stick with 20lb powerpro and 20lb seaguard flurocarbon leader.

 

I want to upgrade to a dedicated flounder setup when I am on the hunt for the flat fish.

 

Location: Southern NJ

 

Mode of Fishing: Kayak

 

Target Fish: Summer Flounder

 

Style of Fishing: I have been mostly bucktailing (vertical jigging) for my flounder. However I want the ability to drag bait on the bottom.

 

Depth of water: I have been fishing back waters between 4ft-20ft. However I want to be able to fish in the deeper open bay/inlet areas and target the flounder out front in the ocean as well.

 

Spinning or conventonal? star drag or lever?

 

I have only fished spinning gear up until this point. However, i dislike having to constantly open the bail to feed out line when drifting drop offs and such to keep bottom. I think a small conventional with level wind may be my best bet. However, I am a little weary migrating away from the spinning tackle.

 

It seems a lot of people use the low profile baitcasters for flounder too like the abu garcia REVO and the shimano curado. It seems like these might be ideal biomechanically however, how do they hold up in the salt?

 

Easy maintenance and saltwater durability are on top of the list.

 

Rod choice i have no idea. i hear recommendation for rods for flounder fishing range from 6' all the way to 7'6" in everything from light to heavy actions and every combination inbetween.

 

Remember, i am in a kayak. my current gear normally gets dunked or thoroughly moist once or several times an outting cause I am a klutz.

 

Do I need two setups as well? One for dragging bait and weight and another solely for bucktailing?

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good all round rod for what you want in a factory made rod is Seeker BCSW-706. not terribly expensive and wont fall apart or worse yet break. i believe you can get it in either spinning or conventional i'd go "conventional" with a saltwater grade baitcasting style reel . but if your more comforatable with a spinning reel you'll be fine with that.

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I was in a poor quality sporting goods store today after work to pick up a buck tail or two and was looking for those pre-made stinger hook setups (with no luck). I had a 10 dollar gift certificate so it cost me all of 3 dollars for this visit.

 

angel.gif

 

Anyways i never really paid any attention to bait casters before, so i handled and reeled and played around with the cheap ones on display. I liked the weight/ feel and balance compared to a spinning setup. I liked the thumb release. Heck, i even like the right handed handle (however, i am not sold yet. I have more control of the rod when jigging in my right hand. I work lures with the rod in my right hand too, this is why i always have fished my spinners with left handed cranks.)

 

My next question is i really feel a baitcaster is going to fit me right for buck tailing. I like the low profile ones i felt.

 

Are there any saltwater low pro baitcasters worth looking at? what kind of drag settings can be achieved and how easy is the maintenance with this type of reel.

 

I always see the abu REVO and shimano curado being compared on boards. Are either of these worth looking at? Neither seems to inspire confidence in the ability to withstand the abuse of a saltwater kayak experience.

 

Besides these two reels, any other baitcasters worth looking at?

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I use Abu 4600C4W baitcasters for my bucktailing. One is a factory winch model, the other I switched in the 3.8:1 gears. Any baitcaster will work but I suggest staying with one that has a 5.5:1 retrieve or lower. Hi-speed ones loose way too much power and when you're trying to turn a fish, you'll be hating the hi-speed in saltwater.

 

Your thoughts are right on about the conventional over spinning for fluking. I still like a spinner for the light stuff, but for heavier bucktails(2oz+) or dragging bait, a conventional is the way to go. Thumb bar even better.

 

Lots of models to choose from. Personal preference and price are probably the top two determining factors for most.

Team Goats
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I use a Shimano Calcutta 100 cause I like to double it up as a bait rod and have stripped the gears out of a 4600 with heavy sinkers. 4600 is fine obviously cause Gottog has probably caught tons of fish with it. The Shimano will take more abuse.

 

I like a round baitcaster for this applicaiton. I use the slim profile for freshwater baitcasting just find the round reel to be a better application for this type of fishing. 1.5ounce or under MH freshwater spinning set ups are fine.

 

Catch em up!

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That's why I have the winch gears in my 4600s wink.gif Smoothie drag upgrade too.beers.gif

 

Have some 5500 series Abu's that work quite well too.

 

Obviously if fishing deep water and need 8ozs+ all the time, best to step up to a bigger reel. Newell 220 will beat up alot of fish out there, basically everything that swims inshore.

Team Goats
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View PostFisherman's Factory Outlet has some nice refurbed Abu reels for decent money. Bought a few off there and never disappointed. Abu 5600BCX for $37 will work for fluke.

 

Hey GOTTOG, I just saw those reels, I'm thinkin of pairing one up with an ugly stik for fluking out of my yak, how would these reels balance on a conventional ugly stik? I would just like to know since I dont have the opportunity to hold one before I order

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