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lordvader2107
Posts: 7 Greenhorn
Best line strength and drag for offshore kayak fishing
lordvader2107
Posts: 7 Greenhorn
Hey Guys,
I am planning to fish offshore in a yak in the Gulf of Mexico. I will use braided line, but I´m not exactly shure if I should use 30, 40 or 50 pound. I´m also not shure with the choice of the real either, because I dont know how much drag or line capacity I need.
My dream would be to catch sailfish, Mahi, blackfin, etc.
Thanks for any answers
I am planning to fish offshore in a yak in the Gulf of Mexico. I will use braided line, but I´m not exactly shure if I should use 30, 40 or 50 pound. I´m also not shure with the choice of the real either, because I dont know how much drag or line capacity I need.
My dream would be to catch sailfish, Mahi, blackfin, etc.
Thanks for any answers
Replies
You can do all of that with 30# braid.
The key is the leader:
Fishing for toothy critters like kingfish or wahoo? use wire.
Fishing for mahi or tuna? 40 or 50# flouro leader would be great.
Fishing structure for amberjacks or grouper? use heavier leader, at least 50#.
In open water you and your kayak become part of the drag that the fish must pull against, so as long as your knots are good, you would be surprised at the variety of fish you can land.
I would caution against the urge to fish for sailfish with braid or heavy drag, in my own experience the hooks pull easily if you get carried away here.
If you like Spinning reels, go for something in the 6000-8000 size for the line capacity. If you were fishing inshore you could easily go half that size and half the line strength.
Penn's SSV5500 is kind of a sweet spot for 300 yards of 30# braid, more drag than you'll need, and not much more expensive. The next step up in that size is the 6500 and I used to use that for vertical jigging in 300ft depth.