Big BFT are here!

[castgold]

I never had braid break off except once where I had a braid overrun and the braid cut itself. But I saw a video where testing was done. They pulled line of the reel then tested drag at intervals. It doesn't take much line off the reel to get over 50 percent if you start at 33 percent. I always set my drag, with full reel, at 20 to 25 percent.

Did the lines break at 50%?

[MJB]

BFT Are not here. Look at counts and local SD rockfishing sucks. We are taking our boat out for tune up trip to santa cruz island tomorrow. Anyone dumb enough to take a sd boat out locally there without checking fish counts is probably a backwards autowinder anyway.

????

[castgold]

BFT Are not here. Look at counts and local SD rockfishing sucks. We are taking our boat out for tune up trip to santa cruz island tomorrow. Anyone dumb enough to take a sd boat out locally there without checking fish counts is probably a backwards autowinder anyway.

????

One less PBer driving over the foamers and breezers. That's a good thing.

[waterfern]

Heading out Sunday night for a 1.5 day trip. Haven't figured out which company yet. Either the Pacific queen or the chief. Looks like it should be fun. Would love to catch one of the big ones but honestly just being out on the water is enough for me. I love being out on the ocean. Calms the nerves.

[edgerly779]

What foamers and breezers its a wasteland now out there. WE don't go anywhere near a puker.

[UCT]

Did the lines break at 50%?

When I dropped the bait in the water it took off so fast I didn't get a chance to even get my thumb back on the reel. Got a braid crossover. Tuna picked up the bait 15 feet from the boat. Line went taught and immediately snapped at the crossover. I don't think the amount of drag is relevant because the braid cut itself like a razor

[huntandski]

What's a PBer? And what are foamers and breezers? Haha

[edgerly779]

First thing when underway is to let line out and wind back tight to set up reel. If you don't and get a big fish with soft tension on braid you can seize the line when buries itself in spool under tension. .

[MJB]

What foamers and breezers its a wasteland now out there. WE don't go anywhere near a puker.

Don't look at the Condor video on 976


No pukers on a 6 pack
My buddies rate fo a 1 day 2520...1k wknd 800 wkdy you bring food & drinks he covers fuel, ice, coolers & bait

I'd hit the chief 5 YT and a few lings and a chance to chase the BF before and after the YT bite. Also heard some bad rumors that the crew of the PQ were all at the bow casting along with the 15 passengers. Now they were handing them off but it was a little crowded. I'm sure Drew will get this straightened out quickly

Condor said mega baits & flat falls were working yesterday

[Nick Adams]

That's good news but they sound really finicky, Shogun probably had close to 30 on the boat and they only got 10 of those fish that one day. Sounds a little tough. Good luck everyone.

3:1 odds of winning the fish of a lifetime, minus airfare to and hotel in Cabo?

[jeffafa]

They're within 3/4 range although 1.5 day are the best value right now since it stays light until 8:00 or so. They've also been hitting the surface poppers more than bait.

[castgold]

When I dropped the bait in the water it took off so fast I didn't get a chance to even get my thumb back on the reel. Got a braid crossover. Tuna picked up the bait 15 feet from the boat. Line went taught and immediately snapped at the crossover. I don't think the amount of drag is relevant because the braid cut itself like a razor

An underwrap is one of my worst fears on the boat because there isn't much you can do about it when you are fighting a fish. The one time it happened to me, the deckhand had to cut it and splice it for me mid fight.

If you set it at 20%, say 10# of drag for 40lb leader, it would be the same effective drag if you set 33% at 30#. On a lever drag, you are stuck with the preset whereas you can change it on a star drag during the fight. So, lets say you are on a lever drag and can't change it. Here are some things that concern me with fishing lighter drag settings:

1) Fishing light drag extends the fight and keeps the fish in the water longer, with less control over pointing its head towards the boat. For these larger fish, keeping the fish alive is easier as you can steer it towards the boat. If the fight progresses to the point where the fish becomes sluggish, you are now trying to winch it to the gaff instead of using it's own propulsion to your advantage.

2) The longer the fight, the more time the fish has to either get sawed off, the hook to work its way out, your line to get caught in the anchor or running gear, or sawing off someone else's fish. Captains hate it when passengers drop down to their bass gear when they are biting 50#. Sure, it's more sporting, but if the limit is 5, do it after you've boated 4 and you won't become "that guy".

3) If your rod is rated for a higher drag than what you are fishing, it won't load properly and you won't get the proper bend down the length of the blank. This creates an angle of the line as it exits the tip which can damage monofilament, or the damage eyelet itself if it is braid running through it. When the fish runs and stops, this can sometimes put a small kink in the middle of the monofilament line which is usually fine, but a little unsettling, unless it becomes part of a backlash for some reason. Most modern guides are made to resist abrasion from braided line, but many people don't know what materials can do the job, nor what their eyelets are made out of.

For the smaller fish, it's not that big of an issue. For the larger models, setting the drag properly at strike on a lever drag is more critical. One option is to set the hook short of the strike position to allow a circle hook to move into position and work the barb through, and then move to proper strike to work the fish in, and then going a little past strike if your line is stepped up at the splice (for example, 100# hollow for the capacity stepped up to 130 for the loop and then the leader).

[UCT]

An underwrap is one of my worst fears on the boat because there isn't much you can do about it when you are fighting a fish. The one time it happened to me, the deckhand had to cut it and splice it for me mid fight.

If you set it at 20%, say 10# of drag for 40lb leader, it would be the same effective drag if you set 33% at 30#. On a lever drag, you are stuck with the preset whereas you can change it on a star drag during the fight. So, lets say you are on a lever drag and can't change it. Here are some things that concern me with fishing lighter drag settings:

1) Fishing light drag extends the fight and keeps the fish in the water longer, with less control over pointing its head towards the boat. For these larger fish, keeping the fish alive is easier as you can steer it towards the boat. If the fight progresses to the point where the fish becomes sluggish, you are now trying to winch it to the gaff instead of using it's own propulsion to your advantage.

2) The longer the fight, the more time the fish has to either get sawed off, the hook to work its way out, your line to get caught in the anchor or running gear, or sawing off someone else's fish. Captains hate it when passengers drop down to their bass gear when they are biting 50#. Sure, it's more sporting, but if the limit is 5, do it after you've boated 4 and you won't become "that guy".

3) If your rod is rated for a higher drag than what you are fishing, it won't load properly and you won't get the proper bend down the length of the blank. This creates an angle of the line as it exits the tip which can damage monofilament, or the damage eyelet itself if it is braid running through it. When the fish runs and stops, this can sometimes put a small kink in the middle of the monofilament line which is usually fine, but a little unsettling, unless it becomes part of a backlash for some reason. Most modern guides are made to resist abrasion from braided line, but many people don't know what materials can do the job, nor what their eyelets are made out of.

For the smaller fish, it's not that big of an issue. For the larger models, setting the drag properly at strike on a lever drag is more critical. One option is to set the hook short of the strike position to allow a circle hook to move into position and work the barb through, and then move to proper strike to work the fish in, and then going a little past strike if your line is stepped up at the splice (for example, 100# hollow for the capacity stepped up to 130 for the loop and then the leader).

I spool my reels with 40 to 100 pound braid and use fluoro or mono leader at the test the captain is recommending. If I fish lighter than captain is saying, its maybe only 10 pound lighter. If I set my drag at 25 percent of 40 pound with the reel full, after 200 yards are out drag is 33 percent. It will increase dramatically as the spool diameter gets smaller. I can move my lever drag from strike to full or use my thumb to increase drag if I want when the fish strikes. Later in the fight I don't have to reduce drag as line comes off. Never lost a fish because drag was too loose.

[castgold]

I spool my reels with 40 to 100 pound braid and use fluoro or mono leader at the test the captain is recommending. If I fish lighter than captain is saying, its maybe only 10 pound lighter. If I set my drag at 25 percent of 40 pound with the reel full, after 200 yards are out drag is 33 percent. It will increase dramatically as the spool diameter gets smaller. I can move my lever drag from strike to full or use my thumb to increase drag if I want when the fish strikes. Later in the fight I don't have to reduce drag as line comes off. Never lost a fish because drag was too loose.

But you haven't busted off a fish at 30%?