NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing Zone => General Fishing Tips => Topic started by: Ski Pro 3 -- Jerry on February 13, 2018, 11:41:53 AM
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After all the nice warm weather, it has finally gotten COLD out. Too cold for me to want to fish anyways. So I decided to check out my new reel!
I won a great reel at Crabfest; a Abu Garcia Revo4 Inshore. Victor bought it left handed, hoping to score, but not to be. I am left handed too and this will actually be my first lefty reel. After I got home, I had a chance to check out what this reel is. First, it's PRICEY! $250 reel for crying out loud. I don't think I've spent anywhere near that on a reel. It's made for salt so that is great.
Now I needed to find a rod that would work for it's first tour of duty; rock and ling fishing at Shelter Cove in May. After a little research, I decided on a Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger casting rod. It dwarfs the reel, however. The things I liked about the rod is the length of the butt section, the medium/fast I think will work well for bottom and salmon fishing on the ocean. I got it 6'6" because I've had troubles getting my net under fish with longer rods this stiff.
I mounted the reel to the rod and the reel sure is compact on there. Time to spool it up. I started with 50 lb mono for a backing for the braid I wanted to use. I've heard that braid sometimes won't grip a reel and will slip. Some folks use electric tape, but I figure mono will also alert me to the fact I'm running out of line if I ever get spooled. For line, I was deciding between KastKing KastPro and Power Pro Depth Hunter. Both made in USA and both on hand in my stock of line. I've never used the Depth Hunter and I was intrigued with the color change for knowing how much line is out. Besides changing color every 25', it's got a white/black 4" section every 5' as well. I seem to forget how much line I have out when trolling and reeling in over pinnacles and letting back out once deep water is back under me. I should be able to better control how far off the bottom I maintain with 5' markings on the line. 3 colors and 2 marks is 77'. My preference is 30lb braid. Plus the top shot. I top with 20lb mono, starting with 20'. I'll cut and retie on lures or hooks as needed and replace the top shot every couple trips. It provides enough give for salmon and it really holds up better than braid to rock abrasions. Fish teeth and gills tear up braid and the mono does a better job between lure changes.
So all set up! New reel won at Crabfest, a Ugly Stik I bought from Bass Pro with Christmas gift cards, a new braid with features I'm looking forward to trying out and top shot, ready for what ever I want to tie on there!
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Sounds like a nice setup. I've been wanting to try the colored line. Line counters don't seem reliable. I net my fish on the left side of my kayak and lefty reels make it easier. I don't have to change hands to switch between reeling and grabbing the net. However when I use two poles I like the one on the right side to be a righty.
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Nice. I have an Orra Inshore---that's pretty awesome, and the one you've got is definitely a step up from that.
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I've been using the colored braided line for 3 seasons. It's nice to know how much line you have out, especially when you are in a fight with a big fish or an octopus or something.
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I put my Daiwa Lexa 400, also a low profile reel, on an Uglystick Tiger and found it to be very unbalanced. I put it on a Shimano Trevalla, which is much lighter and has a trigger, and it was a perfect match.