tuna setup ?

[pal156]

looking for suggestions on rods and reels without breaking the bank. reel single speed,rod ? going after football size. would like to get 4 setups,but i think the budget will only allow 2.i will be trolling

[paul708]

maybe a TLD25 for a reel. and depending on your budget, pick a decent rod to match..

[shoefish]

Pal-
There are so many variations, it may help to know a bit more. For instance, are you just going to be trolling? Would you like to be able to cast to them if you see them on the surface? How about jigging, would you like to do any jigging for them?
Shoe

[pal156]

trolling mainly, not really interested in jigging at this time

[Bay Fishin]

Shimano TLD 25-169.99
Penn Mariner Stand up rod 6'0 20-50-84.99

Or if your ok with buying on ebay im sure they have some old Penn International TWs or T series reels in the 30 50 range.

[Bluefin22']

Pal,

I am actually selling a couple penn int II 30tws on rods. Just spool them up with 50 lb mono 17lbs drag and your good to go. I will pm you what I am selling them for and if you are local you can come look at them or I can bring them to you.

Anyway, I would be weary of the TLD 25, not that its a bad reel, its actually a great reel. The problem I see is that in the GOM the last few years the fish have gotten larger, 30-48 2 yrs ago, 48-60 last year, and still to find out this year. I would go with something a little larger so your not constantly getting spooled with 12-15lbs drag. And like guys said look at ebay, or check your local shops they sometimes know guys selling used gear.

If you are looking for some less expensive set ups try to find some TLD30's or TLD 50's. I would not fish at graphite reel with more then 22-25lbs of drag. And if your buget only allows 2 set-ups use your money to buy 2 quality ones so next year you can budget 2 more...

This game is not cheap, Bars are 100 a pop, harness 150-250, hooks 2-3 bucks a piece, etc... But remeber this on SFC there are always guys willing to help (priceless)

[shoefish]

Bluefin's advice is right on. I'm not sure what he's selling those penns for, but if they are close the the tld new, you probably want to think about pulling the trigger on them.

Regardless of that, I also agree with Bluefin that you should strongly consider getting two good quality set ups rather than 4 so-so ones.

Good luck!

[Sterling]

Not familiar with the Diawa's but second the recommendation on the TLD 25's for what you're looking to do. Seems like Bluefin's got some good local knowledge there and I'm not that familiar with how big the footballs are that you'll be facing. My general feeling is that I'm comfortable on a 25, with 30lb test, for tuna 50lbs and under. You can certainly land larger fish with them but if you're regularly looking at fish over 50lbs heavier gear is probably in order. Since the TLD 25 is a popular reel for white marlin, there are many stories of large fish tackled with that gear.

Keep an eye out for combo prices, there seems to be some good deals on TLD25 and Penn GLD30 combos.

Good luck

[alantani]

penn 113h with straight 50-60# mono, drags set to 30%, 6 foot rods rated at 30-80 (lots to choose from). i would recommend greasing the drag washers you're good to go for under $100 each, or less at ebay.

here are a couple of posts that go through the rebuild procedure.

http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/...t=penn+rebuild

http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/...t=penn+rebuild

please let us know how this works out. alan

[gradyfish265]

I agree with Bluefin, a TLD 30 used on ebay may be your best value for your needs, I have seen the same thing with the bluefin of NJ, they have been getting bigger each year and the small gear we used to use can be a little hairy. Our fish avg 40-60lbs on my midshore trips and those are the same fish you guys are catching up north, we only get them for a short period, and then they spend the summer up north in your grounds. We also had a 50W 2/3 dumped before the rookie on the rod put the drag to full and popped the hook after being told not to touch it.... There are occasionally some big fish in your waters, a 30 will give you a chance, a 25 probably won't. Also, a 30 will let you fish heavier line which is an advantage. Alan tani is correct, 133h or even a 114h would work, but I'm not a huge fan of star drags for trolling, but thats personal pref. I set my drags to 16-17lbs.