80's or 130's

[Tunaman 1]

80's for sure, 100yds braid topshot

[jbrob]

I've been in the chair and harness with both 80 and 130 for both bluefins and blue marlin and to me there is no comparison, the 130 is just plain better. One thing not tallked about in this thread is the length of the rod which is usally a little longer on the 130 class tackle. MOst of my fishing with 130 class has had Ande 125 strung on it.

I'm an old guy so I don't try the 75 lbs of drag stuff but the 130 still helps a lot.

Lots of folks in the Carolinas use 80s strung with 100 or 125 lb. test line which reduced the amount of line they have on the spool. When you hear about someone catching a blue on an 80 they have an 80 lb. class reel but 100 plus lb. test line.

Every year you hear of several huge fish hooked up either at Hatteras, Oregon Inlet or off Morhead and a lot of them are lost primarily because they are fishing for yellowfins or whatever their normal trolling setups call for. If you are tournament fishing for blues, like the Big Rock or Hatteras tournaments, you want to be prepared for that fish of a lifetime. You may never hook it but its better than having that big one break off or spool the 80 or the fight drags out for 12 hours plus and you make a mistake etc. etc. etc. You can catch blue marlin on a TLD 25 but its luck more than anything else and one over 500 lbs would be a real tussle.

[Glenn W]

I've been in the chair and harness with both 80 and 130 for both bluefins and blue marlin and to me there is no comparison, the 130 is just plain better. If you are tournament fishing for blues, like the Big Rock or Hatteras tournaments, you want to be prepared for that fish of a lifetime. You may never hook it but its better than having that big one break off or spool the 80 or the fight drags out for 12 hours plus and you make a mistake etc. etc. etc.

Not poking fun but think about what you just wrote----
You have strolled the docks at Hatteras Harbor, Odens, Teaches, MHC Waterfront, MHC yacht Basin, & Beaufort Town docks at tournament time I'm sure--- how many 130's did you see on the Pro boats?--- a very very few. How many 80's?--- a pile.
Damn redneck Carolina charter boats--- when are they going to get with the program?

[clt_capt]

Not poking fun but think about what you just wrote----
You have strolled the docks at Hatteras Harbor, Odens, Teaches, MHC Waterfront, MHC yacht Basin, & Beaufort Town docks at tournament time I'm sure--- how many 130's did you see on the Pro boats?--- a very very few. How many 80's?--- a pile.
Damn redneck Carolina charter boats--- when are they going to get with the program?

What's funny here is that I've fished on a few different charters out of Kona, and never noticed 130s there either... Now - there weren't tournaments going on when I was there, but there have been granders caught in every month

Maybe they only break out the big guns for tourneys...

[austin ensor]

if the fish are over 600 130s but anything under go with the 80s