Quote:
Originally Posted by I make oil
I vote for the Shimano Stradic 3000's. I like the extra line capacity. Never know when your going to hook into a Jack. They will strip you down to the spool in no time. When one of the kids hook a Jack I start up the big motor and follow them. No way your going to catch a big one on light tackle if you don't. Big Reds will fight and are fun but I don't think anything else inshore will fight like a big Jack Cravelle.
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Good point on the Jack Cravelle's. We've never landed one, but something kept hitting on pogies last summer when we were sitting just off the western jetty at Bell Pass. It would rip off a lot of line and then spit it out when I got the rod out of the holder into my hands. I had a 12" (dead) pogie on a 11/0 Mustad hook. A bull redfish or drum could have gotten the hook and pogie into its mouth, but a Jack Cravelle could probably pull out drag that fast yet not really have the point of the big hook inside its mouth. This set up was on a level wind with 300 yards of 50 lb power pro rather than a spinning rod with 120 yards of 30 lb line, but if they're swimming around in the mix, they can hit any line.
We'll definitely be going with a 3000 or similar reel with comparable capacity just to give the angler enough time to react, tighten the drag and give us a chance to pull the anchor and get the boat moving if spooling is imminent. I also like the retrieve speed of the Shimanos a bit better than the Penns. When you need to get the lines in quickly to avoid tangling with a big fish on, the 35 in per turn for the Shimanos will beat the 25 in per turn of the Penns. It will be nice to have some higher end spinning reels in the boat. I appreciate all the advice.
I'll probably be going with the Symetre 3000 FJ rather than the Stradic. I don't quite see how the added benefits of the Stradic justify the extra dough, and when you're buying 6-8 reels to outfit the whole boat the price difference adds up. The Symetre has also been on the market a bit longer so it has a longer track record for durability. I think I can swing the $600-$800 price tag to outfit the boat with the Symetre, but going over a grand for the Stradic might get some marital resistance.