Reel for Drum off the end of Pier

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Just got a 6500 Blue Yonder today.....yeah!.....but now I am wondering if it is enough for drum off the end of a pier? reel will have 17 or 20 lb mono with a 40 or so lb shock leader. Should I step up to the 7000 size or stay with the 6500. I have a Calcutta 700 and a Abu 7000 that have more line capacity but those have level winds. The calcutta cast awesome off the end of a pier. so stay with the 6500 or go bigger??? thanks mack .... also I dont want to use braid, mono only. I could take the levelwind off the 700 calcutta. It cast great with 20lb line and a shock leader but my buddy says that knot is gonna get me one day going through the LW. . anythoughts??? 6500 or trade in for the 7000????

Thanks Mack
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
6500 will work, but otherwise the gold standard is pretty much the Daiwa SL30SH or the 30SHV/SHA 30staltist or the old grandwaves.


I'd forget the Calcutta.



Height of pier and an upper end 48"+ drum in heavy fall current could scare a 6500, though I'm not sure I know anyone that's been spooled on a 6500 that figured it was a drum.
 
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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
6500 will work, but otherwise the gold standard is pretty much the Daiwa SL30SH or the 30SHV/SHA 30staltist or the old grandwaves.


I'd forget the Calcutta.



Height of pier and an upper end 48"+ drum in heavy fall current could scare a 6500, though I'm not sure I know anyone that's been spooled on a 6500 that figured it was a drum.

why forget the Calcutta?? it was coming close to throwing what a 525 and a Daiwa 30 would do. those didnt have levelwinds. is t cause it has a slow retrieve???

also I know if I swap the 6500 for the 7000 that I am going to give up some distance.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
The 525s and especially the 30s are build for the abuse of saltwater, don't have the level wind already and are much easier to field service than a shimano.


I'm love shimano reels, but this is where the Daiwas shine. Look at what the majority are using. There is a reason. There's a reason they have some age on them too in a lot of cases.

Even though you're on a pier, they can still get sand in them and the daiwas seem to just take the sand a lot better than shimanos
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
gold standard is pretty much the Daiwa SL30SH or the 30SHV/SHA 30staltist
.

Said it all.

I have had great luck with the SL 30 and saltist.
That is what I would cast..
For a pier would even think about dropping the shock leader and just use a 65 to 80 power pro braid. It will hold up better you can turn a fish when needed and no shock leader will cast longer.
 
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Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Said it all.

I have had great luck with the SL 30 and saltist.
That is what I would cast..
For a pier would even think about dropping the shock leader and just use a 65 to 80 power pro braid. It will hold up better you can turn a fish when needed and no shock leader will cast longer.


No to braid on a pier. There is no advantage to it when casting baits that large. Part of the long distance casting is loading that shock leader and rod in harmony.


Braid on the pier will get you put out of the game by the rest of the guys, no matter how much you say "I paid my money too..." Etc.


Been a while since I drummed off a pier but I seem to recall no braid allowed on some piers at the end and some piers all together.

I love braid but it has no place in the distance game that is big drum fishing. Trust me, there's enough guys out there trying to get an edge and if braid would give it, they'd be using it. People keep coming back to 14-20mono and a 40-80lb Shock leader with 8nbait style drum fishing be it pier or surf.


Sorry Gadget, not to down play you, but have spent many weeks on the piers and beach fishing along beside some of the best drum fishermen in the world, as well as some of the best long distance casters in the world, and not so ironically, some are one and the same person.
 
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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
No to braid on a pier. There is no advantage to it when casting baits that large. Part of the long distance casting is loading that shock leader and rod in harmony.


Braid on the pier will get you put out of the game by the rest of the guys, no matter how much you say "I paid my money too..." Etc.


Been a while since I drummed off a pier but I seem to recall no braid allowed on some piers at the end and some piers all together.

I love braid but it has no place in the distance game that is big drum fishing. Trust me, there's enough guys out there trying to get an edge and if braid would give it, they'd be using it. People keep coming back to 14-20mono and a 40-80lb Shock leader with 8nbait style drum fishing be it pier or surf.


Sorry Gadget, not to down play you, but have spent many weeks on the piers and beach fishing along beside some of the best drum fishermen in the world, as well as some of the best long distance casters in the world, and not so ironically, some are one and the same person.

Could be.
Never had a problem fishing a pier but thing change..That is why I said think about it.
Up to you and other to do what you like.
For the most part I like surf better and its been a year I guess that I hit a pier.

Everyone does things different and things always change.
it was about a year back fishing next to Ryan White, Runs Hatteras Jacks told us to use braid and not a shock leader.
He is one of tye great distance casters in the area.
Followed his lead and pulled some of the leaders and it worked for me and several others.

Lots of different ways to catch fish always open to different things.
 
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Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Could be.
Never had a problem fishing a pier but thing change..
For the most part I like surf better and its been a year I guess that I hit a pier.

Everyone does things different and things always change.
it was about a year back fishing next to Ryan White, Runs Hatteras Jacks told us to use braid and not a shock leader.
He is one of tye great distance casters in the area.
Followed his lead and pulled some of the leaders and it worked for me and several others.

Lots of different ways to catch fish always open to different things.


I find it interesting Ryan said that. Been a while since I've fished near him but he was actually one of the ones I had in mind. Things change I suppose.

The biggest thing is the tangles that could occur on a pier setting vs beach setting.
 
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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Pretty sure Ryan probably fishes the point many many times more than he pier fishes for Drum. One of my lifelong friends "Wuzworth it" is as good a Drum fisherman as any and he told me this fall that braid on a pier is a big no no. I havnt Drum fished since the 80's until this year . I did see him catch one pushing 50 inches. He was using a daiwa 30. I think from what I see that lots of guys use the Daiwas is because of durability, cleaning and PRICE. I can get his 30 for 80 bucks.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I find it interesting Ryan said that. Been a while since I've fished near him but he was actually one of the ones I had in mind. Things change I suppose.

The biggest thing is the tangles that could occur on a pier setting vs beach setting.
It was at cape lookout in Oct.
He let us cast one of his new rods and gave a small clinic waiting for the Ferry to get off the island.

Several friends got rods and reels from him over the years, I have a Heaver his dad made.
Dont know the reason other then what he said and the combo we were casting.
Did not do it to the reels with mono.
Also got several rigs he made that are new for distance casting.
I did not get a chance to try he only shipped a few but plan to get down to see him this year before the big trip.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Decided to go with 7000 blue yonder. wife took it back this evening and they spooled it with hi vis yellow 20 mono. going to put shock leader on and fling some lead this week.
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
Fishing lookout and the mambo line at the point in hatteras are two ENTIRELY different beasts. You can fish braid and not have issues at lookout but it is kind of frowned upon at hatteras......get a fish on and he runs across everyone and cuts em off with braid and you will be persona non grata. I fish braid for trout and for mullet and others but not for big drum. That is a mono game from the piers up north and the point.


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