I know some of you guys have put a lot of time and energy into working on your bottom fishing techniques. Could some of you point me in the right direction on rod/reel combinations that you either use or suggest? More specifically, I want to start my search for some of the larger fish and am interested in buying a setup just for dropping deep whenever we go out. Are you using conventional reels exclusively? What gear ratios and drag capabilities should I be looking for? I like the idea of lighter tackle, but want to be sure I have enough backbone to get some of the big fish off the bottom quickly enough… so how much do I need?
Phin and Sellsfish… you two seem to do a good bit of this fishing. I’m in Summerville once a week, so shoot me a message if you ever have any good setups that you are looking to sell.
I use a Spheros 14000FA that has had an upgrade (CarbonX drag 52 lb, Stella bearings and a Saragosa handle) on a trevala XXH 5’8" spinning rod spooled with 80# Samurai braid. I have caught EVERYTHING from Wahoo to Grouper, Red Snapper, triggers, blackfin, AJ’s it is a beast! It takes up 48" per crank. For my big grouper rod, I use an 50 International 2 speed spooled with 150# Saltiga braid, on a 6’ bent but rod. I can send down a 1 Lb B-liner with 30 ounces of lead and it will stay put. I still prefer fishing with the trevalla, but it is only good for about 12 ounces of lead, and 200’ of water.
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
I blew up two shimano torium 20’s on the same trip. They are not made to be locked down pulling big grouper off the bottom. I have a few fin nor marquesas, accurate boss magnums, and a few tld 30 2 speeds that i have upgraded and all work great for any snapper and grouper up to about 30-35lbs i have 2 penn 50vsw’s spooled with 130lb braid on 60-100 rods. I use 16-24 oz of lead with those The fin nors and accurates are 6 to 1 ratio
PM sent, got something you might be interested in.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
My bottom gear:
Quantum boca 60 on boca jigging rod 65lb braid
Four penn 113hn on star aerial 7ft boat rods 80lb izor braid
Two avet hx5/2 raptors on seeker Hercules xh jigging rods 80lb izor braid
One avet hxj5/2 raptor on seeker Hercules h " " "
Avet exw30/2trx on 100 class bent butt 200lb izor braid
Lever drag with both a low gear to move big fish and a high gear to move an empty hook fast is what I prefer, but a cheap reel with those features will not do the job because of drag and bearings. Similarly, a cheapo star drag will eat up anti reverse dogs or have a drag that pops off big fish. Lever drag with two speeds gives you more control and smoothness. Star drag saves you money…
Sells and Phin - Thanks for taking time to talk and correspond with me earlier about this topic. I am helping my son shop for a new bottom fish rig. I have to say it is more enjoyable helping him spend his money instead of him spending mine. He does not have the budget for a two speed real. He likes the smaller one speed avet but I just don’t think it is big enough for the “day maker” fish. Based on his budget I think it comes down to the Penn 113hn Baja and the Spheros. Is there any advantage of using a spinning reel vs. a conventional real? He wants an all around reel that he can jig, and bottom fish with. I don’t think he would go wrong either way and I guess it just boils dowm to personal preference. Thanks again!!
one of the benefits with the Spheros is that it makes a great pitch rod for dolphin, or even a casting rod for top water plugs. I rig with an 80 lb fluro topshot (albright knot) and then crimp direct to lure or jig
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
I use the same Shimano Spheros setup mentioned earlier but I use medium action 6’6" rod. Makes a good pitch rod when trolling and decent bottom fishing set-up. I use 20 lb mono with wind-on 50 lb, but I need to go with higher test braid, as I get breaks sometimes on deeper drops with decent size fish. On the very economical side, Penn has the Fierce Rod/Reel combos with 7’ medium fast action rods. I bought one this year, put 25 lb mono w/50 lb top shot and had a blast dropping up to 220 ft in the bahamas and making the rod double over with snappers - again I need to go with higher capacity braid and ditch the 25 lb mono.
On the very economical side, Penn has the Fierce Rod/Reel combos with 7’ medium fast action rods.
A large grouper or decent AJ will send that rig home in pieces! This may work with 2 or 3 ounce jigs, but you will never pin a large live bait to the bottom with this setup. this rig is broken lines and lost fish.
Wes…Shimano doesn’t like you!
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
I agree on the large grouper and putting live bait on the bottom…and very economical was my polite way of saying cheap… but it is sometimes my most fun set-up w/up to 8 oz
If you go with spinning, you will want to spend more $$$ on the rod. It has to do more work.
If you go with a 113HN, you can get away with 60 dollar rods like I have mine on.
They will pitch and work great for everything the spinning setup will except casting and being a lightweight setup for you to fish with all day. The 113HN on cheaper rod = heavier setup that’s less enjoyable to fish with all day.
The two types of reels are significantly different styles when it comes to fighting and landing fish. The reason I don’t prefer to use spinning tackle for vertical fishing has nothing to do with the drag numbers or whatever. It is less comfortable to me, and I have better control over my tackle when it’s more compact and more “controllable” for lack of a better adjective. Drop with a conventional reel, your thumb is on the spool engagement for the entire drop. Your hands and arms are compact against your body. Drop with a spinning reel, for the whole drop, you cannot feel hardly anything- you’ve got to use only your eyes. Engage the spool with a more exagerated, slower movement- again, with your body physically in a less desirable position to react to a fish in a split second. Hook up to said fish, and fighting it to the boat is again significantly different. Watch me reeling in fish, and watch Paul reeling in fish. Pretty different. Both obviously work well, so it is preference. If he had to fish my way, he’d be handicapped. If I had to fish his way, I’d be handicapped. With this type of fishing, it’s all about the angler and what is done from the time the bait leaves the surface to the time the hook gets back into the boat. Big grouper WILL find the weak link. That could be timing, attention span, strength, gear, patience, whatever. They will find it, and it will only be in a 5 second window sometimes. So how you’re most comfortable and confident is what you need to go with. Make sense?
You may want to try both styles before dropping the $$$ and never knowing the difference.
I would have all avet and seeker combos if each didn’t cost 4 times what each 113hn combo costs. I will get maybe one more in the future as there might be 4 ppl fishing on my new boat at a given time. That number was normally three on my old boat. The 113hn’s are what I use when someone is likely to throw a rod into the drink too…
I would like to have one more boca spinning setup. It was under 300 total for the combo.
Gear ratio is 4.something to one on the 113hn, and they have more handle to fish torque IMO than a high speed spinner. Like I said, a spinner has to have a rod that’ll do more work. The reel has a nice smooth drag, but you cannot crank a fish to move it how you want. It’s more pump and wind. Again, not how I fish.
Also, the spool is so tall on the 113hn, that I think you will find that retrieve rate is actually not that much dif from the spinners with the jigging gear ratio Wanda grill likes.
Again though, if you like that style fishing, you will get more enjoyment out of the spheros or whatever the bicycle company reel is called.
I have had too many bad experiences with their products and support AND over priceness to ever go there. Will buy ok umma or daiwa if I want Japanese.
Want to try a makaira okuma. Heard okuma has turned into good quality. 5 year warranty and such…
Avet’s 35 dollar flat fee per reel service is hard to beat too. All bearings replaced whether they need it or not, and reel cleaned up and lubed for 35 bucks.
Enough about that. Buy a spheros and trevala. Grab a shimano butterfly jigging DVD from bass pro also.
He does not have the budget for a two speed real. He likes the smaller one speed avet but I just don’t think it is big enough for the “day maker” fish. Based on his budget I think it comes down to the Penn 113hn Baja and the Spheros. Is there any advantage of using a spinning reel vs. a conventional real? He wants an all around reel that he can jig, and bottom fish with. I don’t think he would go wrong either way and I guess it just boils dowm to personal preference. Thanks again!!
