top shot?

[sharkfisherjoe]

someone told me i should top shot my trolling reel. i was told of wha it is but i am not sure wha line goes on first or how much of each line goes on. could someone plz explain to me wha i should so. it would very helpful

[N2theBlue]

you can but you don't necessarily have to. There are advantages and disadvantages.

What kind of reel and what are you targeting?

[sharkfisherjoe]

i hav a cheap bass pro brand reel which is a 6/0. i target sharks from shore.i am also gonna be getting an avet trx. i want to top shot them both. what r the advantages and disadvantages it?

[N2theBlue]

advantages:
-increased line capacity
-ability to fish reels with the drag capability "up" a class (i.e. fishing a 20lb size reel with 50lb. your T-RX is the ultimate version of that, a 30 or 50 lb size reel capable of fishing 200lb line)
-lower respool cost...spectra lasts up to 10-15 years, the only thing you need to change out every year is the mono topshot
-decreased stretch for increased sensitivity

Disadvantages:
-Very high initial cost
-tangles/bird nests easily
-requires more maintenance than mono that you change out every year. You should reverse the line every two years or so to prevent one end from getting more abraded and also to check for corrosion on your spool from saltwater trapped in the line.


For your application, the BPS 6/0, while it would benefit from the Spectra for line capacity purposes would probably be very adversely affected by the corrosion. The BPS line of reels are not noted for their corrosion resistance. The reel would probably be trashed before you recouped your money from the initial cost also. I would just spool with mono.

Definitely topshot the T-RX. Fill with braid but leave enough room for about 100 yards of mono to go on top which is the actual "topshot". The mono provides some shock absorption for surges as your fish makes runs or headshakes and is much easier to deal with in the surf. It is also much more abrasion resistant than the braid.