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SWITCHING MY TROLLING SPREAD TO BRAID AND SMALER REELS

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JParanee

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So its the day before XMas eve and its 6 degrees out 

 

I am sure this has been covered before but gear is alway changing and I am hoping to get some good feedback and conversation 

 

I have been at this for a long time so I have gone through many trolling setups. In my youth when Penn and Fin Nor was the ticket that was what I used but when I switched over to SHIMANO TIAGRAS I never looked back and swore by the Tiagras and to be honest besides the weight they never let me down with far less care than an International requires.

 

please no one be offended but I am not a Penn fan 

 

the Tiagras are great reels and were my main setup for a very long time my last spread consisted of 2  Tiagra 30’s and 4 Tiagra 50’s with an 80 as my heavy stick all on Cape Fear rods the reels were and are kinda heavy but i loved the rods. The 30’s were on regular guide rods and the 50’s on 50 to 80 glass blanks with the tiagra 80 on a bent butt. I have a few straight and bent butt Aftco’s that I can play with on 5 of the rods 

 

had a lotta success with these setups fishing the NE canyons with tons of Tuna and whites and a few men in the blue suit 

 

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I sold my last offshore boat a 31 Contender a few years back and sold off all of the Tiagras but a 50 LRS and a 30 lrs. I figured I would eventually put the 30 LRS back in action with 80# braid and I kept the cleanest 50 for posterity.

 

the rods I put on the rack because they are not made anymore and I really like them so I kept them for the inevitable next salt sled 

 

well new boat on the books for a spring delivery and while I am more into popping and jigging these days no northeast salt sled is complete without a trolling spread.

 

so like I said I love my trolling rods so this was all about replacing the Tiagras 

 

over the years I have had the opportunity to win and try a lot of offerings from shimano and Daiwa and AVET  but i have been using a few Accurate reels for SPJ and their spinner  and this past season I set up  Valiant 500 with an SPJ handle as a chunk rod and i really liked it on schoolie size tuna 

 

 

3B5CED23-6A2C-4F48-B4CC-435FD5DB6E23.jpe

 

 

6B0B53FA-7239-4EED-B766-5382ED93E7F4.jpe

 

So this was my dilemma what small powerful reel to go with 

 

i narrowed it down to between the accurate valiant 600 or 800 two speed 

 

the 600 will hold around 600 yds of 65# of JB non hollow core. The 800 is like 800 yds of 80# and an obscene amount of 65#

 

4 of the main rods in my spread are 50 to 80 # class with 2 in the 40# class and one real heavy 80 to 130 # that I ran on an 80 Tiagra with way backs and big bait setup 

 

I ordered 6 600’s and will spool with 65#. This reel will hold plenty of 65# and only weights 20 OZ with 34#’s of drag. 

 

The weight will be interesting and one important reason not that it is needed is that the reel seat clamp on Accurate's iare narrow. The reel butts on my rods are Aftco #4’s and all reel seat clamps on 500’s through 1000’s are the same width. On my Number #4’s the clamp bolts on my 500 slide around the #4 reel seats but the retention bolts just make it. When you go to the 800 the bolt studs are thicker so the retention bolts might make it around the seat but the bolts will not. 

 

I think the 600’s will serve well for the fish I will be fishing and I am setting up the Tiagra 30LRS with 1100+ yds of 80# braid on my heavy stick 

 

so any trolling with braid what are you running and how is it going ?

 

are your baits running deeper ?

 

 I plan on running about a 15 or so foot leader so I have something to handle

 

Merry X Mas and any input would be greatly appreciated 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Joe Paranee
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I dropped down to Okuma Makairas in the 16 and 20 size, filled them with braid but then a 100yd top shot of mono.

I haven't trolled straight braid because if you get wolf packed or something gets hit and say a wide tracker starts going the wrong direction braid is a nightmare to untangle.

Except for wwb and two long lines on occasion I only have mono in the water to avoid the mess braid can create.

With that said I think you'll be very happy dropping the weight, I'm not super familiar with those accurate reels but the few I've used have been great.

 

Word of advice is stay on top of service as you'll be fishing these reels at their extreme, the only real of large frame reels is their ability to dissipate heat and the larger drag surface will be more consistent on long runs which is why I stuck large frame albeit smaller sizes. I run 80# hollow to 100# mono on all those reels, plenty of capacity and they have the drag to fish that line class.

 

I would think loading a tiagra with 1100 yards is beyond overkill and a waste of money, I still have a few 50w I'll shark and sword with and I've never had a problem with 500 yards of hollow backing topped with mono.

 

I would also suggest only using the reel/rod combo if the studs fit and the clamps are used, I would not want to fish them without. Another thing, again unsure of those particular reels, but I would want them to have lugs, being able to strap in takes a lot of stress off the angler during a fight so I find them invaluable 

 

Know that's not really answering many of your questions but having gone through the downsize thing a season ago just thought I'd add some thoughts

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I'm a Shimano guy ,but it's between the Penn Visx series and the Okuma Makaira's if you don't want Tiagra (by far best trolling reel ever made) grew up in Hawaii where senators were it,then Internationals,then Tiagras and it stopped there. I have all the Talica's besides the 50 and they're great for  jigging and can land some big fish. The boys use the Talica 50 for kite fishing in Southern California for big bluefin and for trolling Nomad Madmacs .The Penn VISX series are beasts and you can grind the cam down and get smooth drag transitions surpassing well past 50 on capable models plus they have a topless frame as well which I like.They make a VISW full frame in this International series but they don't carry the same drag capacity as the Visx. Okuma Makaira's have their following too, both are your front runners in lighter mid sized reels IMO. 

 

Edited by J Adams
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1 hour ago, wjtoggin said:

I dropped down to Okuma Makairas in the 16 and 20 size, filled them with braid but then a 100yd top shot of mono.

I haven't trolled straight braid because if you get wolf packed or something gets hit and say a wide tracker starts going the wrong direction braid is a nightmare to untangle.

Except for wwb and two long lines on occasion I only have mono in the water to avoid the mess braid can create.

With that said I think you'll be very happy dropping the weight, I'm not super familiar with those accurate reels but the few I've used have been great.

 

Word of advice is stay on top of service as you'll be fishing these reels at their extreme, the only real of large frame reels is their ability to dissipate heat and the larger drag surface will be more consistent on long runs which is why I stuck large frame albeit smaller sizes. I run 80# hollow to 100# mono on all those reels, plenty of capacity and they have the drag to fish that line class.

 

I would think loading a tiagra with 1100 yards is beyond overkill and a waste of money, I still have a few 50w I'll shark and sword with and I've never had a problem with 500 yards of hollow backing topped with mono.

 

I would also suggest only using the reel/rod combo if the studs fit and the clamps are used, I would not want to fish them without. Another thing, again unsure of those particular reels, but I would want them to have lugs, being able to strap in takes a lot of stress off the angler during a fight so I find them invaluable 

 

Know that's not really answering many of your questions but having gone through the downsize thing a season ago just thought I'd add some thoughts

You answered a ton of questions and your advice is well heeded 

 

the lugs thing really had me but i thought about it and in all the years we had harnesses on the boat I don’t remember using them that much but it was on my mind  and i would rather put the lugs on than not hence the 600’s 

 

since scaling down with my chunking and jigging gear and using more parabolic rods its got me interested on tugging on bigger things again. The old cape fear rods fairly parabolic hence why i like them so much and the 600’s fit the reel seat of the Aftco #4’s 

 

if i change up my rods I would go even lighter and the 600’s lend themselves to that better than the 800’s 

 

i just don't think I need the capacity of the 800’s. I don’t think the advantage of the lugs that I wont use that much out weighted the clamp issue. Id rather have the clamp 

 

i set up a chunking rod with an Accurate Valiant 500 on a Jigstar Twisted Sista and it’s amazing the power you can put on things 

 

9E50B3DD-0BA4-46CC-B0FC-CD0E5420630C.jpe

 

I am mostly targeting whites and the tuna i am hitting of NY to Maryland are manageable. If the man in the blue suit comes we will bleed a bit but i am confident if the Tiagra 30LRS and some boat work sorted a fish in that 350 range the little Accurates will give it a go 

 

the top shot length you mention is also I know the right thing i am just really curious how the braid will run but everything you are saying is my concerns 

 

thank you 

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35 mins ago, J Adams said:

IMHO Accurate valiant reels are great finnesse reels but require maintenance and don't think they'd hold up as well as these others for what you intend to do with them especially transitioning from the Tiagra series reels. I'm in no way badmouthing accurate valiants but they have their limits with this type of fishing. Once you venture past valiant within Accurate then things change longevity wise. 

A lot of great points 

 

Tiagras are beasts and you are a 100% correct they changed the game I’m  just sick of fighting the weight 

 

i could of went with 4 800’s and 2 600’s but if I downsize rods the 6 600’s will be the better fit 

 

thank you 

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Just now, Joe Paranee said:

A lot of great points 

 

Tiagras are beasts and you are a 100% correct they changed the game I’m  just sick of fighting the weight 

 

i could of went with 4 800’s and 2 600’s but if I downsize rods the 6 600’s will be the better fit 

 

thank you 

Did you purchase the reels yet?

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lugs are definitely a nice addition.

my only trolling outfit is a old marfix S5 with lead core which i redid recently.

but any of my larger 600 size jigging reels can double as trolling outfits

since they already have pe3-5 on them

as its like your idea, 500-900m of line.

even with braid. just slap on the weight and anything sinks down far enough lol

 

but its definitely a good idea to keep a real 30 or 50 on the ride

never know when its useful especially with the new boat coming in.

 

one thing i dont like about accurate is some finishing details.

like the god awful SPJ knob in your picture.

like... why the hell couldnt that cap the top off and seal up that hole in the palm side.

 

the saltigas saltpepper knob is such a nicer knob than it. lol

 

Edited by EricL

i use 2/3 rule for trading. join date, posts, or vouch. whoever has less goes first.

(*member formerly known as 'ooeric')

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6 hours ago, bronson said:

following   - great thread. I've been thinking along the same lines...about maybe fathom 2ld40 or torium 30 star drag....reels maybe lighter and more versatile as I don't target real big fish or particularly like trolling all day.....and like small boats where space is a thing....

Thank you 

 

i really have been going over the 600 vs 800  sizes and decided to change the order to 4 800’s to put on the 50-80# blanks and 2 600’s for the 30-40 class rods in my spread 

 

the tiagra 30 lrs will take the place of my 80 Tiagra with the 800’s and the 600’s

replacing the tiagra 50’s and 30’s 

 

Decisions …decisions 

 

tomo is great to deal with and said no problem 

Edited by Joe Paranee
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4 mins ago, EricL said:

lugs are definitely a nice addition.

my only trolling outfit is a old marfix S5 with lead core which i redid recently.

but any of my larger 600 size jigging reels can double as trolling outfits

since they already have pe3-5 on them

as its like your idea, 500-900m of line.

even with braid. just slap on the weight and anything sinks down far enough lol

 

but its definitely a good idea to keep a real 30 or 50 on the ride

never know when its useful especially with the new boat coming in.

 

one thing i dont like about accurate is some finishing details.

like the god awful SPJ knob in your picture.

like... why the hell couldnt that cap the top off and seal up that hole in the palm side.

 

the saltigas saltpepper knob is such a nicer knob than it. lol

 

Thx Eric and after sleeping on it went with 4 800’s with the lugs and you are right I will always keep a tiagra 50 in the collection 

 

merry X Mas buddy 

 

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