I was fishing in 80 ft with a crew of kids from Pennsylvania today and we were hunting for grouper. My Avet is getting serviced so I was fishing with my spinning set up which is a Daiwa Saltist 6500h on a 80-200 5’9" star paraflex with 80 lb braid. I would hook into some sizable fish and after I handed the rod off, the kids could barely crank the handle and lost every single fish. The only one they were able to get up was a small 22" black grouper which was still a giant to these kids who are used to little ass trout and whatnot…
Which got me to pondering… The Saltist boasts a gear ratio of 6.2:1 and 52" of line per crank which I believe is relatively high. The Penn SSV 7500 has a ratio of 4.7:1 with 36" of line, the Fin Nor Offshore 7500 has 4.4:1 gears and 36" of line and the shimano Spheros and Saragossa 18000 have similar ratios of 4.7:1 and 38" of line per crank.
When you are bottom fishing with live or cut bait, not jigging, do you prefer higher or lower gear ratios? I primarily use this rod for bottom fishing, limited jigging and jacking up sharks and Goliaths so I do not cast it often.
Lower gears means more torque. If you are wenching grouper off the bottom, having lower gears helps a lot.
Low gear =the reel doing a bulk of the work.
High gear=you are doing more of the work.
Doesn’t your avet have a low and high gear?
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quote:
Originally posted by 23Sailfish
Lower gears means more torque. If you are wenching grouper off the bottom, having lower gears helps a lot.
Low gear =the reel doing a bulk of the work.
High gear=you are doing more of the work.
Doesn’t your avet have a low and high gear?
That’s my thinking exactly and why I’m looking at replacing he Saltist with a lower geared reel.
The Avet is a 2 speed and the low gear definitely helps.
A little trick when you don’t have low gear… Pull up slow… Wind down fast…
I understand that but it’s hard to teach that to a 14 year old kid from Missouri who’s never caught a fish. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs looking at the gear ratios and whatnot but I’ll take any advantage I can get to help these kids land fish.
quote:
Originally posted by skinneej
A little trick when you don’t have low gear… Pull up slow… Wind down fast…
Agreed, I always buy high gear ratios for bottom fishing and I pump as I retrieve. I hate cranking my wrist off bringing stuff in from 60-120 ft. Keep in mind, I’m talking about fishing on headboats since I do not own an offshore-capable rig. But same principle.
I have been scolded by some “professional types” because supposedly this can rip the hook from a grouper’s mouth, but it depends on how hard you are pumping it.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
jigging/bottom < 5:1 <casting/popping
Ideally about:
4.4:1 for below the surface
5.8:1 for on or near the surface
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My 14 old brother caught plenty of big amberjack on the Fin Nor OFS6500 spinning reel and a butterfly jig the other week. Got is butt kicked for a bit and almost dropped the reel once but we didn’t loose a single fish. Main problem was the weak gimble on the cheap fighting belt.
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quote:
Originally posted by skinneej
A little trick when you don’t have low gear… Pull up slow… Wind down fast…
use the rod!
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
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