Trolling

[th2x]

Originally Posted by Makaira

Hi th2x,

That’s a great reel. Just be aware that the TLDII has a graphite frame & there has been incidences in the US of the TLDII frame cracking under heavy drag.

Regarding Q1, if you intend to use this reel primarily for bottom fishing, my suggestion is to load it with the braided line with a wind-on / shock leader of 20 feet or so of perhaps 80lbs mono. That should provide some stretch for trolling duties. If you load it with full mono, it will be a nightmare when bottom fishing.

Regarding Q2, A customized GF 760 will fit that reel nicely. The exact model depends on what poundage line you plan to load on that reel – don’t go crazy as it has a graphite frame. I suggested the GF760 because I personally prefer a longer rather than a shorter rod so as to get better clearance just in case the fish dives under the boat when fighting close quarters. If you are customizing a rod, you can always configure it for both trolling & bottom bashing i.e. don’t make the butt section way too short like a full fledged stand-up fighter.

Regarding Q3, if you plan to do a lot of trolling, then my suggestion is to build a full roller rod. If you use the heavier poundage braided eg. 65# & above, there shouldn’t be a problem with line jamming between the roller tip. Go for the “round” body braided like Power Pro as opposed to the “flat” body braided like Jerry Brown & you should have no problem. In the event you go full roller, the knot you use to connect the wind-on leader to the braided will be very important because a bulky knot will get stuck easily between the frame & the roller. I would use a loop-to-loop connection. If trolling is generally done when moving between spots, then a full SIC rod will suffice.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Makaira

Hi Makaira,

Have checked the reel's specs.
Will probably do it at Strike Drag 8kg or so, Full Drag at 12kg...
I have tried 8+kg max drag on other reels when we came across a suspected ray at the other end of the line. Very punishing for me, lasted for 20 minutes or so and have to "next better player" to assist the fight.

Gotten the reel which comes with 80lbs Power Pro already loaded, so i figure I will add a 80# shock leader as per your recommendations.

Yes, I will be doing bottom fishing most of the time and trolling will probably be done when we change spots.

For such 80lbs line, am thinking to get a rod with a roller tip as I felt that there is great stress between the main line and the rod tip when a biggies is pulling at the other end.

Will a rod with a roller tip flair better than with a regular tip for bottom fishing? Or is there any difference at all?

Or is the roller tip just to ease the "tension/stress" on the line while trolling.

Sorry for the many further questions!

Cheers!
th2x

[Makaira]

Hi th2x,

No apologies necessary. A forum is for asking & sharing

IMHO, a roller tip is only really necessary if you are trolling for hours at a time. For the uses you have outlined, you don’t need a roller tip.

A point to note is when a rod is at full load. The tip of a rod will not have that much stress on it because the stress will be taken by the other guides along the curve of the blank towards the reel. Another thing is with a roller tip, there is another piece of “equipment” to maintain i.e. dismantle, clean & oil.

Opinions differ of course.

Best regards,
Makaira

[th2x]

Originally Posted by Makaira

[.......If you are customizing a rod, you can always configure it for both trolling & bottom bashing i.e. don’t make the butt section way too short like a full fledged stand-up fighter.

Hi Makaira,

Just did some further asking around and search...
How would the rod be for a trolling and bottom bashing configuration.
The reel seat to be roughly 12" or so from the gimble?
I noticed that the stand-up fighter rods tend to have very low reel seating, that is roughly about 6" from the gimble.

Thanks Again!
th2x

[stickbom!]

If your rod isn't going to be a fulll fledged trolling stick, forget about the short stubby butt because its going to be a real pain in the butt to hold when bottom fishing. I'm no bottom bashing guru but having that longer rear butt to tuck under your arms is really a lot more comfy!

[Makaira]

Originally Posted by th2x

Hi Makaira,

Just did some further asking around and search...
How would the rod be for a trolling and bottom bashing configuration.
The reel seat to be roughly 12" or so from the gimble?
I noticed that the stand-up fighter rods tend to have very low reel seating, that is roughly about 6" from the gimble.

Thanks Again!
th2x

Hi th2x,

6" of hypalon for the rear grip is used for the specialised "radical" short stroker style stand-up sticks that were very popular in the 80's & early 90's. A point you have to not is that with this configuration, the gimbal may not even reach the gimbal pin of the standard rod holders in most gameboats. A gimbal lifter will have to be used in such instances

For my rods, both trolling & bottom bashing, I now have at least 12" of hypalon for the rear grip. In total, from the bottom of the gimbal to the reel foot, the measurement is approximately 15" or so. You will have to adjust it to suit your own preference. If you are using the Black Magic gimbal plate, the rear grip may have to be even longer (more than 12" of hypalon) for the reel to be at a "comfortable" position for cranking the reel. That's because the gimbal pin sits pretty low on the plate.

Just bear in mind that you will have to take into consideration the length of the gimbal as well as where the reel sits on the reel seat when taking the measurements. Just make sure you are comfortable with the setup of the rod before committing to the final dimension with your rod builder.

I hope I didn't confuse you further.

Best regards,
Makaira

[th2x]

Originally Posted by stickbom!

If your rod isn't going to be a fulll fledged trolling stick, forget about the short stubby butt because its going to be a real pain in the butt to hold when bottom fishing. I'm no bottom bashing guru but having that longer rear butt to tuck under your arms is really a lot more comfy!

Hi stickbom!,

I fully agree with you on these.
Not all fishes need to be fought with gimble belts!

Cheers!
th2x

[th2x]

Originally Posted by Makaira

Hi th2x,

6" of hypalon for the rear grip is used for the specialised "radical" short stroker style stand-up sticks that were very popular in the 80's & early 90's. A point you have to not is that with this configuration, the gimbal may not even reach the gimbal pin of the standard rod holders in most gameboats. A gimbal lifter will have to be used in such instances

For my rods, both trolling & bottom bashing, I now have at least 12" of hypalon for the rear grip. In total, from the bottom of the gimbal to the reel foot, the measurement is approximately 15" or so. You will have to adjust it to suit your own preference. If you are using the Black Magic gimbal plate, the rear grip may have to be even longer (more than 12" of hypalon) for the reel to be at a "comfortable" position for cranking the reel. That's because the gimbal pin sits pretty low on the plate.

Just bear in mind that you will have to take into consideration the length of the gimbal as well as where the reel sits on the reel seat when taking the measurements. Just make sure you are comfortable with the setup of the rod before committing to the final dimension with your rod builder.

I hope I didn't confuse you further.

Best regards,
Makaira

Hi Makaira,

Really informative! Fully understand your explainations!

Appreciate it! Million Thanks!

Cheers!
th2x

[th2x]

Originally Posted by Makaira

Hi th2x,

That’s a great reel. Just be aware that the TLDII has a graphite frame & there has been incidences in the US of the TLDII frame cracking under heavy drag.

Regarding Q1, if you intend to use this reel primarily for bottom fishing, my suggestion is to load it with the braided line with a wind-on / shock leader of 20 feet or so of perhaps 80lbs mono. That should provide some stretch for trolling duties. If you load it with full mono, it will be a nightmare when bottom fishing.

Regarding Q2, A customized GF 760 will fit that reel nicely. The exact model depends on what poundage line you plan to load on that reel – don’t go crazy as it has a graphite frame. I suggested the GF760 because I personally prefer a longer rather than a shorter rod so as to get better clearance just in case the fish dives under the boat when fighting close quarters. If you are customizing a rod, you can always configure it for both trolling & bottom bashing i.e. don’t make the butt section way too short like a full fledged stand-up fighter.

Regarding Q3, if you plan to do a lot of trolling, then my suggestion is to build a full roller rod. If you use the heavier poundage braided eg. 65# & above, there shouldn’t be a problem with line jamming between the roller tip. Go for the “round” body braided like Power Pro as opposed to the “flat” body braided like Jerry Brown & you should have no problem. In the event you go full roller, the knot you use to connect the wind-on leader to the braided will be very important because a bulky knot will get stuck easily between the frame & the roller. I would use a loop-to-loop connection. If trolling is generally done when moving between spots, then a full SIC rod will suffice.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Makaira

Hi Makaira,

My TLD30II comes loaded with 80lbs Power Pro Braided Line.
Wanted to match with a Calstar GF760L rod so went "shopping" and asking around further.

Some points which I am still pondering:

1. Was told to replace the mainline of 80lbs to a 65lbs to match the rod better! But I was thinking since rod rating is 30 to 80lbs for the GF760L and that the reel already comes with the 80lbs line, I could simply match the set without much problems. Was told 80lbs braided is "too much" to ask of the reel and rod. Puzzling!

2. Should I be going for the GF760M instead? which is 50-100lbs rating to match my existing 80lbs braided line? (the line is very new, I do not wish to replace.)

3. Also, the rod builder i spoke with told me he is proposing to use single footed Fuji SIC guides for the first few guides after the tip in order to get a more natural feel from the rod. Benefit of doubt given to the experienced of the rod builder. But for such rating, should we not be fitting with double footed guides instead? I have told him I would be doing bottom and occasional trolling with this proposed rod...

Customising my very first rod so dont wish to rush and build something which I may not like fishing with down the road.

Many Thanks!

Cheers!
th2x

[Makaira]

Hi th2x,

If you are fishing 80lb line, the GF760L is not the right choice. You should be looking at the 760M or higher instead. The maximum I use for my GF760L is 50lb line. For me, I estimate the maximum line poundage to use on rod by adding the low & high rating & divide it by 2. In the case of a 30-80 rated rod, it is 110 divided by 2 equaling 55 pounds, If you want to use 80lb line, the GF760M is more appropriate for your requirements.

IMHO, a stock TLD30II is not strong enough to use 80# line if you are fishing it to the max. The maximum I would go is perhaps 50# & 65 is the limit. If you plan to use 80# line, taking the 1/3 rule-of-thumb in drag setting, strike drag is about 27lbs; with a sunset full at probably anywhere between 30-40lbs or more depending on the drag cam of the reel. A very aggressive drag cam may even give you up to 50lbs drags at sunset for some brands of reels e.g. Shimano Tiagra LRS, blueprinted Penn Internationals, Penn International VSW & the Accurate Platinum ATD. I may be wrong, but if you set 27lbs of drag at strike for the TLD30II, you may lose freespool. The only way you can fish 80# line on a TLD30II is if you modify it with a metal frame, upgrade the bearing & the drag plate. You should also consider getting the Tiburon T-bar for better cranking power. IMHO, the stock handle is a on the short side to give you good leverage.

http://www.tiburonengineering.com/html/reel_frames.html

http://www.tiburonengineering.com/html/t-bar_handles.html

With regards to the single foot guides recommended by the rod builder, if he is is using the guides shown in the link below, it should not be a problem at all. Those single foot guides will not collapse on you. In fact, single foot guides will allow the blank to work to its specs without any restriction as compared to using double foot guides. End of the day, it is a matter of personal preference. If you really feel more confident with double foot guides, you can insist on using them.

http://shop.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Cat...st-Boat-Guides

http://shop.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Cat...rolling-Guides

http://shop.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Cat...SG-Boat-Guides

th2x, my advice is not to let the line you ended up with dictate what you are going to do. Fishing line is disposable, a custom rod or a reel is not as disposable, without great monetary loss, if you know what I mean. Ask yourself this question; “How often are you going to use such heavy equipment?” Is it worth spending all that hard-earned money on something which you are only going to use 2-3 times a year? If not, stick with the GF760L & fish with max 65# line. A GF760L matched with a smaller reel will still serve you well for local wreck fishing or when targeting the biggies in the SCS or Indonesian waters. However, if you have budgeted for a heavy duty set & have other equipment for other types of fishing, by all means go for it.

Opinions differ of course.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Makaira

[th2x]

Hi Makaira,

Appreciate your really detailed explanation and advise.
Figure I will reload the TLD30 with a 65# line and made myself a GF760L for trolling and bottom fishing.

The guides recommended were:
HNSG Casting/Boat Guides
Wonder if they will do the job as per your suggested links.
Its different models.

Yes, I should be fishing around the region mostly and have landed a sizeable stingray with my first offshore setup of Penn 320GT2 50# line and a 30-50lbs Surecatch rod. So, as per your advise, figure the GF760L and the TLD30II should be able to bring up most of the fishes the fishing grounds I go to have to offer.

Cheers!
th2x

[Makaira]

Originally Posted by th2x

Hi Makaira,

Appreciate your really detailed explanation and advise.
Figure I will reload the TLD30 with a 65# line and made myself a GF760L for trolling and bottom fishing.

The guides recommended were:
HNSG Casting/Boat Guides
Wonder if they will do the job as per your suggested links.
Its different models.

Yes, I should be fishing around the region mostly and have landed a sizeable stingray with my first offshore setup of Penn 320GT2 50# line and a 30-50lbs Surecatch rod. So, as per your advise, figure the GF760L and the TLD30II should be able to bring up most of the fishes the fishing grounds I go to have to offer.

Cheers!
th2x

Hi th2x,

Those are great guides. Most of my bottom bashing rods which I occasionally use for trolling plugs use those guides.

Best regards,
Makaira