50w's or 80's

[sears720]

Shimano 50....CMS short-stroke bentbutt with the wind-on guides....packed with braid....your all set. I believe line capacity is the first thing you worry about, drag is second. I have had a few oh SH*T were getting stripped moments, but you usually have time if your on your toes. Good luck! Don't think about it too much, haha, might give ya a headache!

-Taylor

[Innovator]

Taylor is dead on wind-on guides are a must. Even if you don't fish wind-ons, oversize guides help double line, splices, bimini's go through the guides effortlessly. I have changed all my rods over to big foot guides and shorty bent butts

[cape_rover]

I have 50s, 70s, 80s and 130. I would go with standup 50s or bent butt 130s. The 70s and 80s are too big to have *fun* standup IMO. If you going to fish bent butt why not just go with the 130 as the fun factor is gone.

[AlloyToy]

I fish straight butt rods, and am upgrading to Avet EXW 50's with 100# braid and 100# topshot.....I like Avet period

Regarding bent butt rods.....how do they raise the way back bars up out of curiosity??? I have riggers, but I always wondered how far back you can actually set bars with bent butt's and no riggers as the rod tip lies closer to the water plane?????

Also I finally got to use my Smitty's spider harness...WOW!!

[fiberglassmagic]

if you still need reels,call 631 252 6255 I have 8 avet 50w spooled with braid and pinnacle stand up rods (rods and reels are new) and 80s on bent butts used once.

[gman]

80's are not that hard to fish stand up even in bad weather, its all technique and repetition. If you have the right rod, reel and harness its pretty simple.

My son has been fishing 80w's standup in tournaments since he was 12 years old & 100 pounds soaking wet old with zero issues what so ever. We used Captain Doms set ups which were short stroke bent butt rods, bigfoot guides for windons and our own harness system and safety line. works like a charm

This year now that he is 14/150 pounds he actually said that the reels feel smaller. LOL Its just what your used too

[parmentj]

Completely agree with Gman. Just started fishing shorty bents this year with tiagra 80s (thanks to Scratchinbottom/ Sushi42) and I like the setup. When matched with the correct harness there is no greater strain on the body than with a 50 (we use the braid deal).

Fishing the bay in a small boat like mine, it has worked out great having two shorty bents (which I run off the riggers), and two straight butt rods which allow me to run bars of the rod tips (as AlloyToy mentioned).

Jackson

[gmoney]

kid has damn good form in the harness, textbook

great pictures.....

[AT Grimaldi]

kid has damn good form in the harness, textbook

great pictures.....

Of course he has great form. Look at his Dad. I can only wish my 7 yr old gets afflicted with this illness shortly. He already ties more flies and jigs than I do during the winter. Go GMAN and son!

[stew]

On the "Tammy Rose" we fish Penn 70vs. I think this is the perfect size "stand-up" reel, which is what it was designed for. The 130 and 80w's are all designed for fighting fish from a chair. They are heavy and very wide. When you put them in a harness the "average" angler struggles with the weight and the width. As they try and crank the handle under load, the reel wants to tourque over to one side. The penn 70vs is nothing more than a "tall" 50w. You can get all the drag you will need out of the reel. I watched my son, who knows how to fight fish in a harness, almost get dragged over the rail with 40lbs of drag on a big fish. They are still very sporting on the smaller fish too. IMHO, the best of both worlds. I know they can land a big fish and the reels work everyday for me. If they can land a 775lb bluefin then I have faith in them. And they hold enough line without having to use the expensive spectra braid. Still made here in the USA and they will continue to be made here for the future. Some people bash Penn. All I can say is what works for me on my boats and they work well and the hold up. I can fish any reel out there and I will continue to fish the Penns until something changes. The Shimano's are great too but I like the 70vs size. Good luck. Capt. Eric