Author Topic: Is 150 yds enough line for salmon  (Read 6325 times)

GAP

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Is 150 yds enough line for salmon
« on: May 13, 2020, 01:48:49 am »
Hello all.
This is my first post. I am trying to get set up for salmon and had heard how Tekota reels were good. So I purchased two barely used 500 models for my downrigger rods. These have no counters. Anyways, I loaded them with 30 lb big game mono and they only hold 150 yds. From what I have read I may be asking for trouble if I get a large fish. I like things to be right.  I mounted them on 8' TDR rods. Looking for your thoughts and hoping that I am just worrying too much.
Thanks!

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bigmac

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Re: Is 150 yds enough line for salmon
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2020, 05:20:24 am »
That seems too low for a 500 series.  It’s def not enough line for a mature salmon.  You can be starting at 120-150’ of line out depending how deep you are fishing of course.  It’s easy for a big king to rip the rest of that line off.   


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TyeeTanic

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Re: Is 150 yds enough line for salmon
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2020, 02:20:35 pm »
In my opinon, 150 yards is not enough.  A salmon will easily peal off 200 to 250 ft of line.
If you have a downrigger say 80 ft deep with 20 ft lead ... you'r probably at least 120 to 130 ft of line out.

So now you're at 380 ft.  You'd be stressing when you see the bottom of the spool, and probably want to crank up the drag ... and then you know what happens after that. Bye bye.

You can salvage the situation though.  Put on a braid backing ... if you can get say 200 to 250 yards total line on, I think you will never have to stress (unless you cut off line).  If you lose 50 yards of that mono, you'll easily put on 100 to 150 yards of braid backing, and then your good.

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BWFish

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Re: Is 150 yds enough line for salmon
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2020, 03:38:08 pm »
I also recommend to only use 75 to 100 yds of big game, only use 30lbs to help keep fleas off, Last spring with 2 similar sized reels I used 15lb big game as backing cause that what I had on hand, cheaper than braid, if I recall its was 80 yds of 30lb mono with 160 yds of 15lbs mono filler, connected with double uni knot. I never saw the knot with numerous fish over 20lbs , here is a link to a great line capacity calculator.

https://www.pattayafishing.net/advanced-fishing-reel-line-capacity-estimator/

GAP

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Re: Is 150 yds enough line for salmon
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2020, 05:04:00 pm »
That's awesome! Thanks guys I really appreciate the input. I used the capacity calculator that you that BWFish sent (awesome link!! thank you very much!) and I can put 193 yds of 50# Power Pro and 100 yds of the 30# Big Game. That will give me 293 yds. That's 879 ft !
Also I will have to recheck how much 30# is actually on the reels. I thought the guy at the shop said he put 150 yds on them but the calculator says that I should be able to get 175 yds(525 ft) on them.   

Anyways, thanks again!! Greatly appreciated!!!!