Penn 70 vs 80

[ktm_2000]

Folks,

I recently found someone getting out of the offshore game and picked up 4 50vsw setups and want to round out a 5 rod spread with one rod that can handle a planer or deep diver lure for trolling as well as do double duty if I wanted to attempt some live bait fishing where I might encounter a giant.

I would hope to do most of my fishing standup, but I have also setup my boat with a pair of 0 degree swivel rod holders in the stern near the outboard.

I would think that I would put the reel on a bent but 50-130 6' rod and would hope to be able to both albeit not perfect.

Seems like an 80 is probably the better answer to fight out of a rod holder but it is somewhat heavy from my limited experience standup on one. It was doable but not ideal, bigger guys wouldn't have a problem others would.

114oz vs 74oz = 2.5lbs lighter, 65# vs 55# max drag (only usable in rod holder), def going to loose line capacity, probably would run 130 hollow core and 130 topshot

would a 70 be good enough?

[Carl]

Depends on what you consider a giant and how much you want to beat up the fish.

Get something big and aggressive your getting spooled or your chasing the fish. From a pole holder your not playing the fish and I'd side with using brute strength of your equipment to bring in the fish in, an 80 is marginal, 130's to get it in to keep n eat/sell or bring in quick and release with a good chance to live.

Could it be done on smaller...of course. Look at the record books, an old friend of ours has several under his belt with crazy numbers.

My .o2 and worth every penny!

[ktm_2000]

Carl,

You are right, kind of like bringing a knife to a gun fight. If I were looking to go commercial it would be 130s.

I do not intend to target giants, won't be sitting out there on the ball with a 3-5# bridled bluefish. I also realize you can't pick who eats a bait so I am more looking for something bigger than a 50 that could cut down the time if I ran into a 70-80" fish and if I hook up to something that is just gonna dump the reel, I would cut the line.

In high school and college I crewed for a captain and giant fished 130s, been there done that. I would prefer to fish stand-up and smaller fish. You can get bigger fish on smaller gear, I have been on a >73" fish on a stella spinning setup, as well on smaller conventional reels none were short fights, spinning was downright no fun stand up in a harness not bad. My legs, arms, back tend to hold up, my wrists don't.

so maybe the question should be what is the largest setup you can reasonably fight stand up?

[Preston Burrows]

ktm......you don't mention your age.............reel size should correspond!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ironworker]

When I was fishing for Bluefin back in the 90's I used an 80 with modified drags on a short 5'-6" stand up rod. Nowadays, you can use pretty much any reel you want because of braid. A 70 will be fine. Add a 100# mono topshot and go to work. Wide reels are a no go on standup. Standard or narrow body reels are best, IMO.

With stand up tackle you can only sustain 25# maybe 30#s of drag for just so long.

[ktm_2000]

my thoughts are a bent butt 70 would be fine stand up and when I get juiced, put it into the swivel rod holder. I would agree with you that I wouldn't push the drag much more than what I would do on a 50, but in a rod holder, having the extra drag would help.

thinking more about it, it seems that I would want to test the drag at multiple points and mark that off on the reel

[ktm_2000]

I went another way with this..... FB marketplace had a seller with an Avet 50TRX-W loaded with jerry brown 130 for a decent price. These reels are about the same size as a Penn 50 VSW and can make 100# of drag. I have a pair of CMS Chatham special rods and will get one of the adjustable bent butts and setup the reel on one of those rods. It will be interesting to setup the drag on this reel with a drag scale and mark off values, I'm hoping that I can set it up with full strike around 30# and treat it like a regular 50, with the knowledge it could be put in a rod holder and cranked up.

I usually get a pair of anything but in this case I will wait on the 2nd reel until I can get a fish on the avet and see how it does.

[Ironworker]

Add backing plates to your rod holders!

[ktm_2000]

I agree

I bought the heavy duty Lees 0 degree swivels and installed them on either side of the motor well. They have had 3/4 ply added under gunnels and glassed in, pic was prior to side of motor well being added and 2 layers of 1708 on the bottom of the plywood.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eyCAKa4RzbADUP6F7

all my other rod holders have the metal backing plates installed.

[Ironworker]

These LT Marine rod holders are the best that I've found.

https://ltmarineproducts.com/

[ktm_2000]

I went to a tackle shop which had the Winthrop adjustable Bent Butt for sale, I wanted the short ones and the the guy thought I'd be better off with the longer ones, he talked me into getting the longer butts and said if I didn't like them I could swap them out for short style butts.

I took them home and setup one rod and did some testing.

I have to say the long butt is not good for standup, I've got long arms and you wouldn't think @2" would be a big deal but it doesn't feel right. On the other hand, stick the long butt in a deep swivel rod holder and it seems like a great setup. So my plans are having some difficulty.... I want a short butt for standup, but I really don't want a knuckle buster if it is in the rod holder.

in the 0 degree rod holder
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2dS8WALUwmq7ttTu6

short butt on a penn 50vsw ( I need to clean handle)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DajqycvRQPBudTCDA


On the avet, I was a bit skeptical on the drag ratings so I took out my drag scale and set the reel to 30# at full strike and it has good free spool at that drag setting. If you push the drag further past strike, it will make 50# of drag with the lever at the first bolt hole after the strike button, I didn't test more as my drag scale maxes out at 50#. The drag lever has more to go but I have no way of testing what it would actually do. I still don't believe 100# and wouldn't go much further than what I have tested.

[Ironworker]

What kind of harness are you using for standup?

I'm sure you know this but when I was doing standup for Bluefin, I always had a safety rope on any angler that was attached to a bluefin or other big fish on stand up. I've had a couple of close calls with anglers leaning over trying to get a view of the fish. I've almost gotten pulled in a couple of times myself leadering a fish while an angler does something stupid or perhaps something unexpected.

30#s of drag is a lot especially as the spool diameter gets smaller. You can fight any fish in the ocean with that rig. What size braid are you putting on your Avet?

[ktm_2000]

Rick,

I fish out of braid harness, don't remember which variant. The reel has Jerry brown 130 on it, will do a 130 topshot. I get the danger of standup, we use reel savers on the rods as well.

[CHolgerson]

Keep the short butt you can always put a golf ball inside the rod holder in a pinch if you want to fight out of the rod holder. We used avet TRX 50s in PEI giant tuna fishing stand up. The reel is incredible. We also used Denis Braid short stroker rods.

[ktm_2000]

I swapped out the long butts for the shorter ones. One can still reel while in the rod holder, the idea of a golf ball or extenders would help.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/h5iMLnJWuz1pdtpv5


I do like the short butts better from a standup perspective.