Rod and reel
 

Ok. I need a new set up. My sealine 40 is trashed. The ugly stick tiger rod is to soft for me. Would like to find a set up that is perfect for pretty much wsb yt and halibut. If it's a conventional reel a beginner friendly one would be best lol I have spent years trying to cast the sealine 49 and just can't get it more than 20 maybe 40 ft

Thanks guys

Do yourself a favor a grab a penn fathom 25N star drag reel. Then go to the buy sell trade section and grab one of the Phenix black diamond rods that some nice gentleman is discounting for us BWE members.

25 lbs of drag good for yt wsb or halibut?

25 lbs of drag really doesnt matter. You will never use it at its highest setting. It is a stellar reel though. My 2 cents. Buy a saltist or the penn. all star drags are really easy to maintain. You can fish anything locally on those reels even tuna. Couple that with the phoenix tod you got one mean bait stick. If those rods are gone. I like 30-40# stick 7 feet or so to use for small baits and boat fishing when not on my kayak. Check seeker classic series, calstar 700 m or ml. You really cant go wrong with whatever gets you out there.

Good advise here. If youre looking for a reel.
to fish live bait, fly line or dropper loop, you might want to consider a lever drag. I started using a lever drag several years ago and will never go back to a star drag for fishing big baits like mackerel. Free spool and max drag aren't issues because I never cast my big bait out fit. Just drop the bait back or drop it down. As for max drag, I've increased The drag to the point my kayaks gotten unstable. Maybe in a note stable yak more drag would work.

If you want a reel for casting the Penn fathom 25 or daiwa saltist would be excellent. I've had several sealines over the years and always found them to be great casters. Maybe practice with your new outfit in a bay off the shore.

Lots of quality rods out there. The Phoenix rods are great. I prefer calstar and seeker. Graphite composite are better IMO than glass for bait. 6-7' is about right for bait. Maybe 8' if its going to dedicated for casting irons. Mike

Penn Fathom Lever Drag is where its at. I can cast them as far as any of my older star drags, partially engage lever for big baits and massive drag power so you can fish whatever you want. I'm a Calstar guy. I'm happy with the factory wraps and I am a big advocate of stainless steel guides with no inserts. My favorite rig is a Fathom 30 on Calstar 8' heavy west coast deckhand. It is heavy which isn't a concern on the kayak(IMO) but if you are working baits at the rail on a boat all day and you're not in shape, you're arms with be beat.

Oh, E-Glass, not graphite. I do not like graphite rods. The E-Glass is what contributes to the extra weight.

Are lever drags more susceptible to water than star drags? Seems like my 'charter special' lever drag does not like the kayak environment much.......had to replace drag system due to water in the reel. What are the advantages of lever drags when trolling macs? Also wondering how difficult it is to service lever vs star reels.

Penn Fathom Lever Drag is where its at. I can cast them as far as any of my older star drags, partially engage lever for big baits and massive drag power so you can fish whatever you want. I'm a Calstar guy. I'm happy with the factory wraps and I am a big advocate of stainless steel guides with no inserts. My favorite rig is a Fathom 30 on Calstar 8' heavy west coast deckhand. It is heavy which isn't a concern on the kayak(IMO) but if you are working baits at the rail on a boat all day and you're not in shape, you're arms with be beat.

Oh, E-Glass, not graphite. I do not like graphite rods. The E-Glass is what contributes to the extra weight.

thanks for the info. funny that we had posted previous posts at the same time so I missed your comment re:partially engaging lever for bigger baits. any input regarding other questions I had?

Not sure on the water suseptibility, but my avet mxl is a breeze to service compared to some of my other reels.

The Fathom is a really well sealed unit. No vents, peep holes or anything. Can't speak for other models other than a POS Okuma I had. It did not like fishing let alone water. No difference on service if you are a do it yourself person.