Two different types of fishing | |
For near shore and back bay fishing a 10 wt. rod is sufficient, for bass and blues. Put a 4 1/4" large arbor reel on it. It will hols 200 yds. or 30 lb backing. If you go to 20lb backing you can get 250 yds on it. 30 backing for bass I think is overkill. You will also rarely see a bass show you the backing. It can happen but rare. Inexpensive reels for this type of fishing would be the TFO 4.25, it sells for $250. The other reel is the Nautilus reel I mentioned before. It sells for around $300 and has a sealed drag system. They are decent reels for what your doing. The Able reels are nice but old school in design. Hardy's are nice with a good drag set up if you like reels made in England. It's not necessary to spend big money for inshore fishing.
Now, for offshore game, your in a whole different world. You will snap that 10wt rod on all it's four peices if you hook into anything out there. If your looking for shark, tuna, or anything that will break your wrists, then look into at least a 14wt. rod. You need backbone and lifting power. These fish have nowhere to go but down. You may draw them on the top but once you hook into them they dive. They will also be pealing off line fast. You need a reel which can hold at least 400 yds of backing. Just equally as important is the drag system. This is where I would recommend high end. If you look around and ask around you will here one name come up a lot. Tibor. They have a solid back plate for strength, they offer 5" offshore reels, and they have an extremely powerful drag system. Look into the Pacific, it holds 600 yds of 40 lb backing. If you can afford to go offshore than you can afford the equipment cost that goes with it. This reel sells for $800 with out any options.
__________________
Dean of Admissions, Pikers Club |