Spinning gear for tuna/yellow fishing?

[mybada]

Does anyone here use spinning gear for tuna/yellow fishing?

I’m a lefty and don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to conventional reels.
I currently have Avet SX for 20lbs setup and MXL for 30lbs setup both lefties of course.
But I’m getting tired of casting small anchovies and having nasty tangles while all others are fighting fishes. Yeah I suck at casting anchovies.  (Sardines are OK)

Anyways, I’m thinking about to sell all my conventional gears and getting good spinning combos.
I’m thinking about Daiwa BG30 for 20lbs setup and Daiwa BG60 for 25lbs setup and BG90 for 30lbs setup. I’m wondering how they hold up with tunas/yellows?
Anyone with similar setups w/ success?

All answers are appreciated.

[Ricky-Ray]

Does anyone here use spinning gear for tuna/yellow fishing?

I’m a lefty and don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to conventional reels.
I currently have Avet SX for 20lbs setup and MXL for 30lbs setup both lefties of course.
But I’m getting tired of casting small anchovies and having nasty tangles while all others are fighting fishes. Yeah I suck at casting anchovies.  (Sardines are OK)

Anyways, I’m thinking about to sell all my conventional gears and getting good spinning combos.
I’m thinking about Daiwa BG30 for 20lbs setup and Daiwa BG60 for 25lbs setup and BG90 for 30lbs setup. I’m wondering how they hold up with tunas/yellows?
Anyone with similar setups w/ success?

All answers are appreciated.

Sorry to hear about your tangles. It takes practice and alot of it. When I first started out I was birdnesting quite often. Here's a few tips that can help reduce your chances of tangles.

1. Before casting wet the line. Just go to the bait tank and dump a few scoops of water onto the line. Dry line will guarantee a "professional overrun".

2. When your casting watch your bait, just as it's about to hit the water put your thumb on the reel to stop/slow it down.

3. The Avet reels have a cast control system on there to help prevent backlash, take a look at the manual.

Above all else it takes practice. Tie a sinker on and start practicing in the backyard or go to the park if you don't have that much room in the backyard. Start with little underhanded tosses and then work your way up to tossing it a mile away.

Good Luck

[mrjonez]

i bought / used a shimmano baitrunner spinning reel with 25lb line last year for albacore. worked well. damn well actually. drag was pretty good, and you can flip the baitrunnner switch and it puts the reel in a controlled freespool. im going to try to load some spectra on it and hoping to use it for wsb soon.

[Brian_GSC]

The only time I use spinning gear with live bait is if I'm fishing 6# or less. I also use spinning gear when fishing for trout.

Conventional reels are much better, and are much kinder in the way of line twist. I have 4 bait-runner reels and for small fish they are fine. However I would never use them to go after yellows or tuna.

Another disadvantage of using spinning gear for tuna/yellows....the crews of the sportboats will more than likely look down on you. I am not necessarily agreeing with that attitude, I am just stating a fact. I have seen it almost everytime somebody has used a spinning reel offshore.

You can argue the point...you can say you caught xxx fish that weighed xxx. But honestly their stock in you will decline as soon as they see that reel. If you try to argue the point, your stock drops even lower. I don't recommend having "low stock" with a deckie when he is trying to gaff your fish! Don't get me wrong....I am not saying this is right. I am not saying ALL deckies or boat crews are like this. These are just observations I have had fishing on many different boats in our fleet.

Most of the guys that I have seen argue the point are east coast guys that have been transplanted out here and are still hanging on to east coast habits. This is not Florida dudes. ;)

My suggestion....practice, practice, practice. One thing to note is that you may have a mismatch with your rod and reel. If your rod isn't paired correctly with your reel no matter how educated your thumb is you are not going to cast well. Once you match up your rod and reel, go to your local lake and cast out some swimbaits with the same weight as a chovie. Have the mindset that you are just practicing, that way if you get bit it is a bonus! :)

[Ricky-Ray]

Next time you go to your tackle shop see if you can purchase a copy of Inside Sportfishing called Advanced Casting. Or see if your friends have a copy that you can borrow. Really great tips and techniques taught by Frank LoPreste and Randy Tousant. I think it run's about $20 bucks or so but well worth the money.

[sansou]

MyBada,

At around $220 you can get the Thunnus by Shimano. I have one left of the two I started fishing with for YT, as I just don't seem to use them as much these days...and tend to use them more and more barracuda fishing as I amuse myself tossing very light lures with them which I cannot do so well with a conventional yet. Perhaps that'll change when I get an Avet SX lefty and put #15 on it.

The large size Thunnus will do the job fine for the firecrackers and maybe a hair bigger....but beyond that, it's really not the best thing to bring on a cattleboat. If you fish private boats, you'll be okay. Drag is decent but not great. It's basically a luxury & beefed up version of the Shimano Baitrunner series. I've actually caught good size YT on them in years past (maybe #30+/-) but it's a chore (much more rod pumping needed) and consequently takes longer than with a conventional with same lb test.

The Thunnus (meaning "Tuna" in latin) was designed for what you're looking for. I personally would NOT recommend you give up on your conventional lefty reels.

On the very high end there are some excellent high performance spinning reels (e.g. Van Staals) that'll do fine for YT/Tuna....but it's a bit pricey considering all you have to do is spend a little more time learning a conventional.

Good luck.

[ahi]

There are many spinning reels capable of taking on and catching tuna and yellowtail. Just like other gear, it depends on your budget and what you're willing to spend. You asked about spinning gear and NOT how you will be perceived by your fellow anglers or sportboat deckies. On the East Coast and the Gulf states, people use spinning gear to take on tunas and amberjack which are similar to yellowtail...

The bigger Shimano Stellas can put out over 40 lbs of drag and been used to take on 100 lb tunas. Same for Accurate twinspins, Van Staals, etc. The price range for those are $700+. The amounts go down from there...I will be using a Quantum Cabo 60 and 80 this summer on my charters (my charter, my choice...lol). For a 2 dayer, those should work fine. Seeker has factory Super seekers spinning rods that can handle 30-40lb line and Calstar has up to 970 spinners.

The Daiwa's you mentioned should be capable of taking school sized fish. If new, they should be ok; if not, have the drags checked out. I recommend closing the bail manually instead of turning the handle. I would also suggest using more spectra and a shorter mono or flouro topshot to eliminate the coiling on the line.

IF you have conventional gear already, like others have mentioned, practice should pay off. The gear you mentioned is pretty good; to sell it and invest in new equipment is something I'd hold off on until you get more time on the water for practice.

Good luck.

[weldinorfishin]

spinning gear should be outlawed on yt or tuna trips....

[Ricky-Ray]

I recommend closing the bail manually instead of turning the handle. I would also suggest using more spectra and a shorter mono or flouro topshot to eliminate the coiling on the line.

IF you have conventional gear already, like others have mentioned, practice should pay off. The gear you mentioned is pretty good; to sell it and invest in new equipment is something I'd hold off on until you get more time on the water for practice.

Good luck.

I agree with Ahi on closing the bail manually. If you turn the handle to close the bail it will add half a twist to the line. Using spectra will give you the extra line capacity if your spinner can't hold alot of line.

Above all else, practice, practice, practice.

[ToadsToadsOnly]

There are many spinning reels capable of taking on and catching tuna and yellowtail. Just like other gear, it depends on your budget and what you're willing to spend. You asked about spinning gear and NOT how you will be perceived by your fellow anglers or sportboat deckies. On the East Coast and the Gulf states, people use spinning gear to take on tunas and amberjack which are similar to yellowtail...

The bigger Shimano Stellas can put out over 40 lbs of drag and been used to take on 100 lb tunas. Same for Accurate twinspins, Van Staals, etc. The price range for those are $700+. The amounts go down from there...I will be using a Quantum Cabo 60 and 80 this summer on my charters (my charter, my choice...lol). For a 2 dayer, those should work fine. Seeker has factory Super seekers spinning rods that can handle 30-40lb line and Calstar has up to 970 spinners.

The Daiwa's you mentioned should be capable of taking school sized fish. If new, they should be ok; if not, have the drags checked out. I recommend closing the bail manually instead of turning the handle. I would also suggest using more spectra and a shorter mono or flouro topshot to eliminate the coiling on the line.

IF you have conventional gear already, like others have mentioned, practice should pay off. The gear you mentioned is pretty good; to sell it and invest in new equipment is something I'd hold off on until you get more time on the water for practice.

Good luck. Ditto.. Im a conventional guy myself but I've seen a bunch of videos of guys jigging for Huge tuna,GT, Amberjacks on spinning setups. Even though its frowned upon by many guys here on the West Coast. But the guys in the south, back east, Hawaii, Japan, Australia just to name a few hold their own with all the big game on Spinning gear. I might actually go try it out this year in Venice. Looks fun... If you still got faith in conventional though my opinion is Trinadad reels are really easy to cast and hard to birdnest with try that route. The avet takes a little longer to learn with the awsome freespool they have. (Search Youtube "jiggin for tuna")

[mybada]

Thanks for the input guys!
Well, it seems like I should give my conventional gears one more chance.

I've been practicing with my AVETs for past a couple years and I thought I was pretty good but still not perfect. You know... one bad tangle at the right time... nothing could be worse that that.

BTW where is cast control on AVET reels? I've never known there's such thing.
I tried everything, I even magged my Avets which helped but still I do get tangle once in a while especially with small anchovies.

Any tips on good, easy casting?

[mybada]

BTW thanks for the PM Ahi!
Good info there.

[Brian_GSC]

You asked about spinning gear and NOT how you will be perceived by your fellow anglers or sportboat deckies.

A crew's perception of you is very important-it directly relates to their treatment of you. Your treatment on a boat is part of the whole experience. Like I said, I am not saying their attitude is right, I am just saying what it is.

But to explore WHY they may feel the way they do:
The following applies to Southern California
1) Spinning reels typically have weaker drags, or drags that do not function as well as conventional. Yes it is true that there are incredibly powerful spinning reels on the market, but the majority of spinning reels seen on the water are not the high-end spinning reels.
2) You have more leverage on a fish with a conventional rod/reel
3) Baits will swim/move better with a conventional reel
4) You will be able to feel your bait better; more sensitivity
5) Anglers fishing with spinning gear generally have more line-twist and can cause tangles and create problems for the entire boat.
6) More often than not, the anglers that choose spinning gear over conventional do so because they are new to the sport, cannot cast well with conventional gear, or both. This will inturn raise the "noob" flag to many crewmembers and more than likely you will be treated as a noob.---again, I am not saying this is right.
7) The conscious choice to use spinning gear over conventional gear shows a resistance to the "norm"; it displays that the angler chooses to use inferior gear/methods. This can manifest itself in a resistance to follow instructions from the crew and/or captain. I have yet to meet boat crew that likes it when passengers don't listen to them.

The crews want you to catch fish. They want you to catch a lot of fish. The more fish you catch=the more fish available for them to clean=the more money they will ultimately make. In addition, the more fish a boat catches, the more anglers will want to fish on that particular boat. Fish caught increases the "fishy" reputation of the boat. These guys are competitive; fish caught=bragging rights. I'm not sure about anyone else but I prefer to fish on "fishy" boats.

However you can't just go on "fish caught" as a reason to fish on a boat. You DO have to take in to consideration the CREW. A boat may be the fishiest boat in the fleet, but if the crew is not to your liking, why fish on that boat? There is a balance...everybody has to weigh the different options when picking a trip. Some anglers only get to fish a couple times a year and are happy to be on the water. Other anglers fish every weekend and want to catch as many fish as possible. Other anglers just want to drink beer all day and maybe do a little fishing on the side. Whatever. You just need to choose the right boat for YOU. It is YOUR money, and YOUR time. Choose wisely.


On the East Coast and the Gulf states, people use spinning gear to take on tunas and amberjack which are similar to yellowtail...

Dude, this is not the East Coast or the Gulf states. This is SoCal and we do things a certain way here. I am not saying that our "way" is the only way, but it is our way. When anglers come aboard and go against the grain it can and usually does ruffle feathers. This isn't a slam against the East Coast or Gulf states...it is just a possible explination of why people act the way they do.

mybada...keep practicing buddy. It will come. Put in the time and the fish gods will reward you! Are you sure you have your rod/reel paired correctly? If your rod is too stiff you are going to have major problems casting lighter-weight chovies, no matter how good you are at casting conventional gear. Keep in mind that even guys well-versed in conventional reels still get "professional overruns" once in a while. It happens. HINT: bring a small comb with you--use it to pick at the bird's nest to help loosen it up without damaging your line.

[mrjonez]

nick, the deck hand on the old no 7, told me to practice casting a conventional reel with a paper clip on the end of the line.

[mybada]

nick, the deck hand on the old no 7, told me to practice casting a conventional reel with a paper clip on the end of the line.

I can cast a paper clip a mile with spinning reel :)


BTW.... you are joking right? You get me scared now

[ahi]

If you ever get a chance at listen to Frank Lo Preste, he'll say practice with a clothespin or a 4 or 5 inch swimbait, without the jighead of course.

[fuj]

BTW where is cast control on AVET reels? I've never known there's such thing.

It's a pseudo-cast control. It's the first detent of the drag lever up from the freespool position. (Some older Avets may not have this.) If the drag is set to the recommended value for strike, the "cast control" position of the lever should allow for some drag-controlled freespool.

[mybada]

It's a pseudo-cast control. It's the first detent of the drag lever up from the freespool position. (Some older Avets may not have this.) If the drag is set to the recommended value for strike, the "cast control" position of the lever should allow for some drag-controlled freespool.

Oh, that was it! I was wondering what that position is for. I think I used that position when I cast out small baits a few times but didn't make much difference. May be my drag was set to a little too light?
It's kinda interesting though... they made a position uses a bit of drag pressure and called it cast control? I thought every lever drag reels can do that easily.

Thanks for the good info BTW. I will try to use that position from now on and will see how long if I can live with these conventional reels.

[fuj]

May be my drag was set to a little too light?
It's kinda interesting though... they made a position uses a bit of drag pressure and called it cast control? I thought every lever drag reels can do that easily.


For the SX and MX reels, set your drag at strike to 9# and see what kind of freespool you get in the "cast control" position. 9# is the Avet-recommended maximum amount at strike for these reels and still retain freespool.

In theory, all lever drag reels could offer this kind of casting control. In reality, it depends on the drag cam and how the drag ramps up as you move the lever forward. Some lever drag reels ramp up quickly, which may not allow enough freespool to cast light baits.

[Hawkeye]

Hahaha, now I heard it all, let's leave the east coast and west coast rivalries to the rappers. I personally use both depending on the circumstances. Both reels have advantages and disadvantages all backed up with generalities and claims, so use whatever is comfortable for you and don't let this "earning respect" to be a factor in your decision, rather being versatile-in-both-reels-giving-you-more-options be the factor in sticking with learning the conventional reel.

Why would I care about earning respect from strangers who I do not know? Whether deck hands or anyone that matter? I am not starving for respect and do not need that daily affirmation from strangers telling me what a stud I am for using a conventional reel, as ridiculous as that may sound I use it only to illustrate my point about how ridiculous this whole "respect" thing is based on a mere reel. If respect is given, then fine, if not, I am not going to cry over it. If they treat me different based on what kind of equipment I use to fish, man, there are far more important things in life then that.

The boats with professional deck hands will treat you for who you are, e.g. if you are courteous to the deck hands and other fishermen, they will treat you the same but if you treat the deck hands like you are own the place and are rude to other fishermen even if you are some expert conventional reel user, you are not going to get the warmest reception. Conversely, a fisherman who uses a spinning reel, treats the deck hands and other fishermen with courtesy and takes care of the crew via tips will be appreciated by all and gosh, maybe even respected. Behavior and character will change anyone's preconception.

[mrjonez]

nick, the deck hand on the old no 7, told me to practice casting a conventional reel with a paper clip on the end of the line.

nick says a lot of things.

[migfrias]

June of 2003, I boarded the Royal Star for a 8 day trip. The game plan was to fish the rock for tuna and yellows. The tuna we were told were running between 40 - 110 lbs and the yellows were 20 - 50lbs. A fisherman new to long range fishing stunned everybody with a spinning rod as his primary rod for tuna and yellowtail. Fellow fisheman and crew both offered this gentleman the use of "appropriate" gear to fight tuna of this size. He however, declined the offers and readied his equipment for the up comming battles.

The reel was a Fin-Nor, not sure of the model and the rod was a custom 6' 6460xh by calstar with spinning eyes wraped to the rod. He was using Trilene 50lb with a double hitch knot tied to a 4/0 eagle claw circle hook. (how in the -ell did I remember that?) For a harness he had a contraption that crossed his chest and attatched itself to his rod. He of course used a belt gimbal for support during a fight.

As is with most circumstances when your fishing at anchor, the bite turns into a plunker bite and the fish get very selective to their offering. Well, Mr. Spinner came into his own. He at this point had lost several fish after lengthy battles with his gear. But he was determined that he would at least boat one fish over 100lbs on this trip. He was able to cast a fly lined bait (med. sardine) on 50lb farther than anyone else using conventional gear and the result was getting bit non stop for the rest of that afternoon.

His landing ratio over time got better as he was learning to use his gear. But watching him fight his fish was painfull. His harness strap only allowed his upper body to be used when fighting a fish and many times simply bent him over the rail. I don't think I have every witnessed one angler break so many fish off. But by days end he managed three fish over 100lbs. Yes, he had managed to also **** off many passangers and crew members becuase of many burn offs that he caused for not following his fish properly. But I am sure he made alot of people think at the same time.

miguel

[mybada]

As is with most circumstances when your fishing at anchor, the bite turns into a plunker bite and the fish get very selective to their offering. Well, Mr. Spinner came into his own. He at this point had lost several fish after lengthy battles with his gear. But he was determined that he would at least boat one fish over 100lbs on this trip. He was able to cast a fly lined bait (med. sardine) on 50lb farther than anyone else using conventional gear and the result was getting bit non stop for the rest of that afternoon.


Nice story!
Thanks

[sansou]

Good story Migfrias!

Score one for the coffee-grinder!

[SanDimasLMB]

Theres nothing wrong with using spinning gear for tuna. In Japan, where everything is crowded being a small island, including ships, ALL JDM conventional saltwater reels are narrow spooled or subnarrow spooled.

So some people didn't like the narrow spool, which is why Daiwa came up with the Saltiga Z, the Dogfight, and the new Catalina. Even some US marketers carry saltwatter spinning equipment, like Van Staal.

[Z-TUNAKILLER]

Good story Migfrias!

Score one for the coffee-grinder!



:rofl: MAN ....

I'VE BEEN ON MORE THEN A FEW 1 1/2, 2 & 3 DAY TRIPS, WIT GUY'S FISHING THE COFFEE GRINDER .... AND I'LL HAVE TO SAY THEY WON JACK-POT ... $$$ ...WITH THE BIGGEST FISH ... WTF :confused: .... :rofl:

HEY WHAT EVER WORKS FOR YOU ... IS COOL WIT ME :thumb:

Z

FISH ON !