Can anyone tell me what would be a good reel (at a reasonable price) for casting poppers from a boat (targeting kingis).
Second thoughts.... what's would be a good complete setup - line weight, trace weight, rod length & weight... and reel ;-)
Thanks
Tim
how much you spending tim??
i use the 9500ss for poppers, 8kg or 15kg, got a shakespear intrepid for 15kg and a ugly stick for 8...or an overhead if you can cast good, torium on a beastmaster..
I think the Mitchell Nautil GV7500 reel is a superb reel for poppering. It is certainly the one I use, and I know they should be a pretty reasonable price, like in the 250-300 range.
They have a solid reel stem, good line cap/spool size, good retreive speed, and their black rubber coated bodies are waterproof. The distributor is Purefishing, if you go to a shop and ask for one and they don't have one, tell them to order one in from them.
Line? I use fireline for my poppering. Casts further, more line cap on the spool and has a superb hook-set. Go 30lb, on the GV7500 you will get 300yrds of 30lb fireline loaded on.
Rod? Those Penn clear tip Tri-Fibres are a very nice piece of rod.
Poppers? Fishwest pencil poppers for a sinking pencil popper type, or yo-zuri Surface Bull GTs for really serious fish/floating popper/chugger.
Trace 150lb mono. flemish loop and crimp ontopopper, have trace 3 ft long, flemish loop and crimp onto a size 5 b/b black swivel.
It works for me! :-)
cheers, Stu.
Capt. A....the above fish looks like the same as this one?...
Hey Stu,
you're supposed to put the undersized ones back. That poor little Sprat! Shame on you!
Buy the way, do you boys know what the actual breaking strain of fireline is?
20 pound breaks closer to 20 KG or 45 pounds.
Stu - agree with the Penn tri fibres. I now have four of them and the action is awesome. I have landed fish to 18lb (sorry, not a patch on your beauty up the top of the page) on my 6-8kg and the rod just dealt to them.
When Penn discontinued the ProSabre range I was disappointed but the replacement is very bloody good. range - the TriFibres - are very good. I hope the 24kg versions are just as good with a big beaky on.
Yeah Hellfish, you are right, the fireline does way over test, which is a good thing I reckon, but it rated so low because of its poor knot strength.
It is very satisfying to know though that when a barn door attacks your popper, it should be able to handle the pressure! :-)
The TiCA Taurus that Bob was using is indeed a very sweet reel, but at around 550-600 or so I think, perhaps not in the range that Tim is looking for.
If TiCA made a Taurus a coupla sizes larger, I would grab one in a shot for my heavy duty poppering, it is a very very sweet, smooth reel.
cheers,
Stu.
Do you use a short topshot of mono when you're using braid on a spinner?
I've never used braid on a spinner and wonder how my index finger will react to a few hours of casting poppers as it seems to be fairly abrasive.
Thanks
Murray
Quote: Originally posted by murrayt on 09 September 2004
Do you use a short topshot of mono when you're using braid on a spinner?
I've never used braid on a spinner and wonder how my index finger will react to a few hours of casting poppers as it seems to be fairly abrasive.
Thanks
Murray
Murray,
I've been experimenting with small bibbed lures and poppers (10gms or less), and braid (10pd) is my preference at the moment. I don't bother with a long topshot but would use a short (less than 1m) mono leader so that I can leader the fish in.
I've no problems with getting a sore index finger but like I said, I've only been using light lures.
(At this stage Shimma from this forum would be chiming in with the virtues of the Letago contraption )
Braid is typically used in Asia for popping work using spinning reels so I guess it shouldn't be a problem or they use gloves???
Tim,
In answering your question, I've read on overseas forums that the Daiwa Freams and TwinPower are excellent cheaper alternatives to the likes of Saltiga. Not sure if they are available here though.
Cheers.
Fireline will do a lovely job of removing the tip of your finger if you are not careful. If when under full load at the top of the cast, just before you release the line when the centrifugal force on a fairly weighty lure is greatest, the pull of the lure pulls line off the drag setting on the spool, it will slice open your trigger finger faster than you can say "Cheese wire".
So always make sure your drag is done up to max strike drag before casting. That is lesson one. Lesson 2 is to always, if casting with spectra, use a short length of paster around your trigger fingers tip to prevent the line cutting into your skin. No need for gloves or anything like that, just 3 inches of plaster is heaps.
For flicking light lures on 10lb or less fireline? No, no need to worry about this at all. It is only when you are getting into heavier gear that it becomes a problem. I use 10 and 6lb fireline spinning for trout or trevs etc on the sand flats in the islands, no worries at all.
I do not top-shot any mono onto the fireline before the swivel, as I figure it is just anotehr knot to possibly fail at the worst possible moment. I just tie my fireline straight to the swivel. I get as many if not more popper hits than everyone else, so obviously this does not scare the fishies!
hope this helps, cheers,
Stu.
Why thank you! :-) I liked it myself, yes.
Cheers, Stu.
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