Rod/reel combo for cobia/tarpon
I'm looking for some suggestions for spinning combos that would be good for cobes, tarpon, and maybe work in a pinch surf fishing. Shimano bait runner reels? What about Penn Battles in a 7K or 8K series? 8-8.5 ft rods. Needs to be something that can pitch a pinfish but still have some backbone to put a hurt on the fish instead of me. I don't know a ton about these bigger outfits. Budget is a little tight so let's try to keep it about $200 if possible. Thanks for the advice.:beer
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Reason is , I had some surf type rods and used them for both applications. They were OK for surf fishing and worked for cobia and such but were too long for pitching baits and unwieldy in a boat.
A reel like a Penn SpinfisherV 5500 loaded with 30# braid on a 7 1/2' rod will do both. Watch garage sales and you will see "surf" sticks pretty often for sale. Get one if you don't already have one and swap the reel if you think the longer rod will help. JMO
Basically what I was saying. After re-reading I see the "In a pinch" thing. I agree about casting a mile etc. Lots of time over on the East coast (I like surf fishing) you can cast over the fish. Distance is relative to surf conditions.
The 6000 battle with the Teramar would be an awesome utility outfit able to handle both situations.
Look at a spinfisherV they are pretty nice and appear to be well built. I like mine so far.
It has held up remarkable well considering the abuse we put it through targeting big sharks and rays when the trout bite was off during last summer.
The SpinfisherV is a bit heavier than the battle, but it has a stronger drag I believe. Very bullet proof I would say.
If I save up the money I plan on getting the Live Liner version but that would really push your budget at the moment.
As for size I personally would not want to go much bigger than a 6000 size. They really start getting crazy, and you don't really gain than much drag by going that big. 30lb drag vs 35 going from a 5000 up to a 8000.
Good used tackle is out there but you have to go find it . Cash money is still King