Penn 6/0, First few lures and some other questions

[Redneck7]

First off, pardon the simple mindedness of my questions, but I'm trying to learn from scratch...

I got two 114H's for Christmas (I'm 20, trying to learn myself how to fish, and broke as a joke). I just got the complimentary 50lb mono spooled on them since braid was insanely expensive relative to my budget...will that work for me? I'm in SE Virginia and would either be fishing out of Rudee, Oregon Inlet or Hatteras. Hoping for YFT, wahoo, dolphin...whatever I can catch would make me happy.

In any case, were these reels an ok choice for starting a spread? These are my first and only 2, so what should I go with (cheaply mind you) to round out the rest of the setups assuming I'm going for whatever will hit with an emphasis on meat fish.

Secondly, I asked for lures and my dad is just as clueless as I am when it comes to the specifics of offshore fishing, so I ended up with a few "yummee birds", "aliens", tuna something or anothers, a Bass Pro "offshore assortment", a cedar plug and a tackle bag from Santa. Good start? What else?

Simple question I know, but if/when I actually get around to using these bad boys, how do I go about attaching them to the mono on the reel?

Again pardon my ignorance, and thanks.

[makokiller975]

them 6/0's will get the job done for yellow fin go with a sea witch or mold craft soft head in blue/white with a med ballyhoo that cedar plug will catch basically any pelagic fish i use them often and love them i usually tie a 6 foot Bimini then a offshore ball bearing snap swivel then like a 6 foot leader to the lure fish every thing in your spread as tight as possible but with no tangles hope this helps a little

[ocnslr]

Redneck7, welcome to the board. And congrats with some gear to start your spread. As to budget, it only gets worse (a lot worse) from here..

You indicate fishing from Rudee, OI, or Hatt - but don't say anything about a boat. What will you be fishing on? Is it yours? How much offshore experience do you have? or the folks you will be fishing with?

I am not one of the greatly-experienced folks on here, but have heard these questions asked. The usual advice is go out on some charters to learn - watch, ask questions - learn.

As you are on a limited budget, and local to this area, perhaps you should make yourself available as a willing, hard-working, I-want-to-learn HO. You go out on someone else's boat - you bring energy, a good attitude, an eagerness to learn, your own food and beverage (easy on the alcohol), and $$$ to cover your share of expenses (i.e. fuel, ice, bait - ask in advance).

There are quite a few folks here on SFC from the Tidewater area, and you could try "that other board" (www.tidalfish.com) and post on the Mid-Atlantic Offshore forum.

Once again, welcome to the best fishing board (and community) on the planet (thanks John & Jer), and best wishes as you start your offshore adventure(s).

Brian

[Redneck7]

Go on at least 1 charter a year, usually 2-4 out of HI, or OI. My dad's friend has a 38 Ocean that we're occasionally taken out on, so I've done a fair amount of watching...I have a 24' inboard center console that is currently getting a new engine (that's where my money is going) and I know my days will be a bit limited, but I've fished the stream from a 24' Formula, so I also know it can be done.

You're definitely correct that I need to make myself more available as a boat ho because a lot of my specific questions (in my head) are centering around how to adapt the general concepts I've watched on the big 52+ custom Carolinas we've chartered down to a boat my size, so in that respect, the best way to do it is to watch someone who knows what they're doing.

On the other hand, I dive and spearfish, so I'm often going between 12 and 25 miles out of port for a day of diving and very much enjoy just being out there and driving myself where I want to go and listening to the radio and so on and so forth, so I figure if I've got the boat, why leave it in the driveway. I kinda want to just get out there and try things.
I don't know if you were referring to offshore fishing experience or offshore boating experience...haven't had too much offshore fishing experience, but I've been taking my own boat offshore since I was 16, so I wouldn't really need a course in boat handling, but I'm not exactly an old salt either.



Here's a more specific question though: A friend of a friend has some older International II 50 wides (two of them). They are scratched up, but still work fine (according to him)...he wants $400 for the two of them filled with mono...should I grab those after my next paycheck or is there a possibility that being older and scratched up that they wouldn't be worth the $400?

[ocnslr]

Here's a more specific question though: A friend of a friend has some older International II 50 wides (two of them). They are scratched up, but still work fine (according to him)...he wants $400 for the two of them filled with mono...should I grab those after my next paycheck or is there a possibility that being older and scratched up that they wouldn't be worth the $400?

Well, if they are in workable condition, that is a great price. Really depends on how they were cared for, i.e. washing/rinsing, a little periodic maintenance, etc.

Unless you know the condition of the line, then definitely plan on respooling them. Mono can age and take a set. I run 80# Momoi Diamond on our Penn 50s.

[Finatic]

The 114s will be just fine. That's what I run on my boat and they have handled mahi and BFT with no problem. I'm just now starting to upgrade and have added a few Shimano TLDs to the mix. Lures can be as simple or as complex as you choose. A few cedar plugs, seawitches, and a green machine w/bird and you should be all you need to get into the action. Good luck.

[ocalex]

thats a great deal on the internationals, even if they were not taken care of they can always be serviced and fixed for usually a minimal charge. best advise is to keep things as simple as you can when your first starting. Learn to tie a uni knot and tie a swivel at the end of your mono, then just put loop on the leader into the swivel. the last part is very important, make sure u close the snap before putting the swivel in the water, any one here who claims never making that mistake is a liar. Dont worry about wind on leaders for now just keep it simple and fun, you will learn as you go.

[Hroonk]

I agree with Ocalex. Take this from a guy who was in your position about 4 years ago. Keep it simple, be observant and watch and read everything on boards like these and you'll learn REALLY fast.

For lures, stick with what you have for now and learn how to rig a ballyhoo. As you fish more, you'll end up filling up crates of lures that you "have to have" but for now, fish what you got with some bally's thrown in.

As for the reels, I'd gobble up those internationals for that price. Take them to a local shop and have them serviced and respooled.

Here's one thing I'll point out on the reels.....if you pick up the 50s, stick with that 4 rod spread for now. Save your cash and buy the best reels you can afford, even if it takes time. An international or Tiagra will last the average rec guy forever with a little care and maintenance. Watch for some used sales and go to swap meets, but be picky and only buy the best you can afford.

Also for future reel purchases, a lot of guys will tell you to watch ebay for some great deals. I'm not a fan of this theory. I bought an international 30 off ebay that supposedly was in great working condition. It took $100 worth of service to get it to that condition, luckily the seller ponied up the cash. I now will not fork over that kind of money for a reel without getting the chance to inspect it first.

TLD25s are great reels that will catch almost everything we get nearshore off Md/Va. BassPro and other places will have them on sale shortly. Stay away from the BassPro brand (ocean master) TLD 25 - they look the same, but I was told they are not made by Shimano. For a few dollars more, buy the reel deal.

I just got rid of 3 senators, they do the job, but lever drags are the ticket for ease of use and drag precision.

[Capt-D]

The 114s will work for ya for now, just watch getting over zealous with the star drag with a bigger fish on. Its easy to put too much drag on and pop off the fish.

Also if you are looking at getting relatively inexpensive reels in the future take the advice and look into the tld 25s. THEY WILL BE ALL YOU NEED FOR WHAT YOUR TARGETING. They will do the job on a beefy tuna and are perfect if you get into fishing for Whites.

As far as lures what you described is fine. Run the cedar plugs in or just aft of the boats wash. Do what was suggested above and learn to rig a ballyhoo. Attempting to pull it and doing it not so perfect is better then not pulling them at all! just take your time and learn form others. At the dock ask a couple of the mates that you see around. You may get a few blow offs but someone will take the time to show you how!

As far as the original question about how to connect the lure to the line, connect all of the prerigged lures to the main line via a snap swivel. find the smallest snap swivel that matches the leader. Don't pull large swivels especially while trolling for YFT.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, and if you make it to OCMD look me up, I would be glad to show you anything I know about offshore fishing (which is not everything!!!)!

-D

[ocalex]

a good way to get mates to talk to you is thru the use of beer, you might need alot but it works