What reel would you put on this rod?

[chille51]

in my opinion waaaay too heavy a line weight. if you want to use this setup for salmon i would recommend 30lb OR EVEN 20lb per Noah. heavier line weights tend to scope out much faster in strong currents. line pays out much easier with small line diameters as well

I think most of my salmon will still be on downriggers, but I'd like to leave the door open for sure. I imagine ling would be the primary target with this setup, but recognize it will be a game of compromises when it comes to trying to plan for every fishing situation and target I may encounter. What's the lightest you'd go for ling and the occasional halibut? I'll definitely try and go talk to Noah. Believe it or not I've never actually been to the PNT store, only their website. So good excuse to do something that's been on my list for a while anyway.

 

[RiverBoy]

I think most of my salmon will still be on downriggers, but I'd like to leave the door open for sure. I imagine ling would be the primary target with this setup, but recognize it will be a game of compromises when it comes to trying to plan for every fishing situation and target I may encounter. What's the lightest you'd go for ling and the occasional halibut? I'll definitely try and go talk to Noah. Believe it or not I've never actually been to the PNT store, only their website. So good excuse to do something that's been on my list for a while anyway.

i run 30lb metered braid. once you start getting salmon on it you’ll likely not want to troll again. it’s so addicting

 

[littlechucky]

@chille51 - I'm in a similar boat (no pun intended...), and recently picked up won a WCFT PJS63iC at derby - which is pretty much the same rod but with a little lighter action. I wanted to set it up with a conventional style reel and 50lb braid for as an all-round jigging setup. Like @RiverBoy, I ended up going with a Lexa 400 TW (slightly updated version of the HD). I had a slight preference for a left-handed version, but found a great deal this week on a righty from here:

Daiwa Lexa TW Casting Reel | Fishing World | Canada

The battle tested Lexa line has been upgraded and reintroduced- the all new Lexa TW has arrived. Complete with the features that have made the Lexa a staple in markets across the country, now paired with our industry leading T-Wing System (TWS) for a lightweight, heavy duty bait casting reel in...

fishingworld.ca

It has 29 lbs max drag, but only weighs 12 ounces allowing you to jig all day. These aren't the old level winds with fragile mechanisms built for fresh water, guys down south are using these to land 100lb+ bluefin and yellowfin tuna.

The downside of the quick retrieve with the high 7.1-to-1 gear ratio is that you can't winch a big fish in, instead it will be a lot of lifting the rod and then reeling on the way down.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the Avets. I have a two speed JX Raptor with 80 lb braid. Its a nice reel, but I don't like it for jigging as the way it is designed there is always a bit of slack / freespool when you go from jigging to cranking before the anti-reverse catches which makes for a very "clacky" experience. I use it mostly now for albacore trolling and as the third halibut setup where the low gear makes it easy to winch fish in.

I much prefer my Accurates (500 size with 60 lb braid) for general purpose bottom fish jigging. The anti-reverse engages right away and they just feel really solid. Shimano Talicas and Speedmasters in size 12 would be another great option, and I'd go with two speed reels if money isn't an issue as it is nice to use high gear when checking and bringing in smaller fish and then be able to drop into low gear when you have a big one on.

My process is that once I've determined what pound text line I want to run, I look for a reel that holds ~300 yards of this size braid and puts out at least 1/4 (preferably 1/3) of that rating in drag at strike. So for 60 lb line, you'll want a reel that puts out a minimum of 15 lbs of drag at strike - be sure to set and check the drag every few weeks. 60 lb line is a good all purpose set up for lings and halibut, but if you are thinking more lings and salmon with the occasional halibut, then 50 lb or even 40 lb line is probably a better choice.

and I just bought 2

 

[chille51]

i run 30lb metered braid. once you start getting salmon on it you’ll likely not want to troll again. it’s so addicting

I guess I'll have to get some salmon jigging first if I'm going to get addicted. First step will be giving it a shot.

 

[sly_karma]

Pretty much the same usage you described I guess. Mostly ling and maybe rockfish if they are open in abundance, and salmon. But I'd like to be able to handle the odd chicken halibut if I have the opportunity. I'm fishing out of a 17' so won't be headed far offshore chasing tuna or anchoring for halibut. Mostly out front in Nanaimo, in the various sounds on ECVI, and up around McNeil will probably be where I do most of my fishing. Truth be told jigging in general is pretty new to me, so I'm drinking from the fire hose a bit.

I'm doing the same thing on opposite side of the Strait. I've been using Abu Ambassadeur 6500 for my jigging setup. They're really lightweight which obviously is great to pair with a lightweight rod. The flip side of lightweight is more plastic, so maybe there is a durability problem eventually. For my infrequent trips to the coast they've been fine, and the price is decent at under 200$. Also they have a level wind which I'd rather have for line control on a setup not targeting large fish.

 

[bryce]

I bought 4 avets last year and none of them lasted through April….. I would honestly never suggest them to anyone but they seem to last for some people
I went back to my talicas that havnt skipped a beat in years

 

[Wondermur]

Another vote for the Daiwa lexa.
I have 2 older lexa 300 left hand reels.
The new lexa tw 400 mentioned here weigh the same as my 300s but hold 25% more line, one of those would be great on your rod with 40lb braid. I managed to pack 900’ of 30lb power pro depth hunter braid on my 300hd.

We use them for salmon ling and halibut now. I had 3 Hali over 126cm to the boat on my lexa wn300 this year. I have my 30lb braid tied to a 50lb leader with an FG knot and have marked off 5lb, 8lb and 12lb drag settings on the reels so I know what my drag is set at.

 

[blackhawk19]

Another vote for the Daiwa lexa.
I have 2 older lexa 300 left hand reels.
The new lexa tw 400 mentioned here weigh the same as my 300s but hold 25% more line, one of those would be great on your rod with 40lb braid. I managed to pack 900’ of 30lb power pro depth hunter braid on my 300hd.

We use them for salmon ling and halibut now. I had 3 Hali over 126cm to the boat on my lexa wn300 this year. I have my 30lb braid tied to a 50lb leader with an FG knot and have marked off 5lb, 8lb and 12lb drag settings on the reels so I know what my drag is set at.

what rods are you using