Offshore Game

[CubasFinest12]

Hey Guys,

i just got into the offshore trolling game and am looking to get 6 setups. Does anyone have recommendations? Avet vs Penn? Connelly rods vs Penn vs Bogan?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by CubasFinest12

Hey Guys,

i just got into the offshore trolling game and am looking to get 6 setups. Does anyone have recommendations? Avet vs Penn? Connelly rods vs Penn vs Bogan?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

I have 4 Penn squalls 30 wides listed here in classified .
Also have a squall 50 wide .
They are pretty good reels for the money .
This set for sale hasn’t seen much use , I upgraded to international’s.

The penn Ally rods are a very good rod for the money

[Gerry Zagorski]

Hard to go wrong with Avets because of their price/value compared to other solid solid aluminum framed reels in their class and made in the USA.

I’d get a mix of four 30s and two 50s for trolling heavier or targeting heavier fish... That should be all you need for trolling and the 30s you could use for bait fishing if you decide to do that.

Get 30 and 50 pound class rods to match the reel specs. Nothing too fancy needed for trolling and does not matter how heavy in terms of weight the rods are. Make sure the rods have slick butts so they’re easier to get out of your rod holder when needed.

[Jigman13]

What kinda budget you got?

30 and 50w 2 sp reels are the way to go. If you have Tiagra money it's worth it. Penn International 2 sp will suffice too.

I'm a fan of the Talica series by shimano too. Sooooo much lighter. I'm curious of their long term durability though.

If you have budget for custom rods they're good but theres a lot of trolling rods readily accessible without customizing. Most will do the trick; just dont cheap out bc itll cost you a fish in the long run

Back to reels, I've got a thing against Avet. I've had nothing but problems with them. I now avoid them like the plague offshore. If investing in the offshore game, invest in gear thatll last and you can rely on every season. No cheap line. No cheap crimps. No cheap swivels. No cutting corners anywhere. Maximize your time and investment out there and hope it yields success.

It ain't cheap being out there. And it ain't cheap getting there. When that 200+ eyeball dumps a 50w on your port flat line or the 750+ blue marlin destroys your wwwwwww back schute and bally, have the gear and tackle in place to up your odds.

[Capt. Lou]

There is plenty of good used sets around , an save you big $$ ! Set of 30 & 50 are a good start for troll . In fact 50w’s & 30 w’s in today’s reels have braid capacity and drags to best anything out there on private boats .
Pens are a great value for the money , also I see no need for 2 speed reels , single speeds work fine especially on private boats where you can run to fish .
Save money , until you feel committed to offshore I would look at good used equipment !
Chunking & jigging setups vary from the troll set ups , have evolved into much lighter gear that’s another story .!

[CubasFinest12]

Thank you all for the advice. I know not to go the 30w route, as I have had bigeyes/bigger over BFT smoke the small stuff close to the boat and dump a reel before you can even blink.

My big question was for the penn internationals. Every boat I work on, every where i look i see internationals. Now if it aint broke, dont fix it, but last trip I had gone out I fished with Avets. They were so smooth, and so much lighter that I was honestly blown away.