Daviddf Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Hi guys, My rod is a 10ft penn 10-15kg heavy action surf spin rod and my reel is a Shimano Thunnus Ci4 12000F baitrunner. The max drag on the reel is 12kg. I recently got my hands on some J Braid Grand 50lb braid. I am wondering if 50lb is too much with this setup? or if i should swap it for 40lb or 30lb? Thanks. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 What are you fishing for & how?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Judging by the rod and reel you mention you're planning on using this outfit for larger species of fish. I think you'll find the 50lb J Braid quite suitable. Its still thin enough to cast a heavy metal lure a long way without cutting into your finger and just gives that bit of insurance if you have to go hard on a large king. I have a similar size outfit and run 50lb braid on it. Used to run 30 but stepped it up for the above mentioned reasons. As kingie chaser said though, it would be handy to know exactly what you're chasing and weather off the rocks or beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Welcome aboard. I have a Penn 11' 8-12KG surf rod with a ThunnusC14 6000. I run 15lb Mono line. Works ok at the beach. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daviddf Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 Thnx for the replies. To be honest i don't really have a target fish, but wanted a setup that is capable of landing big fish. Will be fishing off surf, pier and rocks at places like portland. My concern is potentially snapping the rod, which i am reading is a possibility. I don't know how much drag is enough with 50lb. I'd like to be able to fight big fish without worry of doing damage to my gear. Im thinking that with 50lb / 22kg braid, i should set my drag to about 7kg, and at this setting i won't run the risk of snapping the rod as it's rated for 15kg. But likewise what is the point of using 50lb if i can't take it anywhere near its limit? not taking into consideration the other benefits of using thicker braid etc. So i figure by using 30lb braid i can fight fish as hard as i want and not worry about the drag setting being as high as 3/4, as the line will always break first. thin line in a pain to cast. finger always slips! cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 Are you planning on fishing lures, bait, or a bit of both? Keep in mind, especially around the rocks, that your braid is going to take a few knocks over time and this will decrease the effective breaking strain. When beach fishing, sand can also find its way into weave, harming it as well. Its more about insurance than pushing your gear to the limit. The diameter difference between 50 and 30lb braid is bugger all and to be honest since switching to 50, I haven't noticed any difference in performance other than strength. Casting distance is roughly the same. If you're going to fish a heavy drag, keep your rod angles low and that will concentrate the bend in the rod to the stronger lower half rather than the upper and there's no way you'll snap a rod if you do this. The same principle is adopted by the saltwater fly guys who land quite large fish on long, light rods. While on the topic of fishing 7kg of drag off a 10 foot rod, put 7 litres of water in bucket, tie your line to the handle and try to lift it. You may be surprised how much effort it actually takes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Daviddf said: Thnx for the replies. To be honest i don't really have a target fish, but wanted a setup that is capable of landing big fish. Will be fishing off surf, pier and rocks at places like portland. My concern is potentially snapping the rod, which i am reading is a possibility. I don't know how much drag is enough with 50lb. I'd like to be able to fight big fish without worry of doing damage to my gear. Im thinking that with 50lb / 22kg braid, i should set my drag to about 7kg, and at this setting i won't run the risk of snapping the rod as it's rated for 15kg. But likewise what is the point of using 50lb if i can't take it anywhere near its limit? not taking into consideration the other benefits of using thicker braid etc. So i figure by using 30lb braid i can fight fish as hard as i want and not worry about the drag setting being as high as 3/4, as the line will always break first. thin line in a pain to cast. finger always slips! cheers. ok , i hope you are a big well built bloke- 7kg of drag through a 10 ft rod is entering a world of hurt- set the drag at 7kg and tie the line to a mate and get him to go for a run and see what its like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 sorry cut that post off a bit early, most braid breaks well above advertised , also dont forget that drag pressure increases as you lose line- so if you start with 7kg it could be 15kg by the time the spool is half full- so if you start with 3/4 of the line strenght as your presure then you will bust off - a lot.Learn to "angle the fish"- a fish going for a long run in clear water is a good thing- it tires the fish , when we fish for marlin and get a fish a long way from the boat we actually drop the drag pressure to avoid a bust off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daviddf Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 (edited) thanks guys. i guess i was trying to approach it from a numbers perspective based on what i think i have learned from doing some reading online. obviously there is far more to it than that but eager to learn, and very much appreciate the advice you guys have to give. i was basing the drag calculation on that general 1/3 rule for setting drags. I am planning on fishing a bit of both, lures and bait. I hope that in the heat of the moment i will retain the mindfulness to use my gear correctly, particularly with heavier line. To be honest i'd rather lose the fish than have busted up gear. maybe 30-40lb would be the better option for me if i be careful with where and how i cast my lines. What kind of drag would i be looking to set for 50lb? 3-4kg? Cheers Edited May 25, 2019 by Daviddf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 To be honest I haven't actually tested my drag with scales for years, just relying on my gut instincts but 4kg would probably be a good starting point. Keep in mind when beach fishing there's generally not too much structure for a fish / shark to bust you up on so you can safely let them run and wear themselves out on a relatively light drag. Rock fishing, I'd be tending towards the heavier side of drag pressure, especially if targeting species like groper, kingfish or other species that want to dive straight to the bottom. These are generally short, brutal fights and you can go harder without ripping your arms out of their sockets. If landbased tuna are an option around where you fish, stick with a similar drag that you'd use for the beach. Pier fishing I have no experience with but I assume sharks and rays would be what you'd mostly encounter around Portland. I reckon go with a lightish drag, let the fish tire out wide but up the pressure when you get it closer in around the pylons. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campr Posted May 26, 2019 Share Posted May 26, 2019 Get some scales and see how much (or little) pressure you can pull through that 10ft rod. Unless your built like the Hulk, you will be surprised how little pressure you can apply. I think 50 will just cut down your casting distance and increase warer drag. I would use 30lb tops. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daviddf Posted May 26, 2019 Author Share Posted May 26, 2019 thanks for your replies lads, it is much appreciated. I think i'll go for the 30lb for the time being, if not for any other reason than to keep my mind at ease. If J Braid Grand is as good as the reviews attest, i think i will be happy Tight lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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