very heavy spinning tackle

[William Pfeifer]

Hello,
I want to put together a spinning outfit for superbraid line with about 50 pound breaking strength. This is not for giant trevally in exotic places but for tarpon in Florida, I just thought members of this board might be able to give good advice about tackle.
The lures I hope to cast are pretty light-probably between 1 and 3 of ounces. Casts would be between 30 and 60 feet.

1. Would a Penn 650 (750,850?) be adequate or do I need a fancier reel to handle the drag pressure of 10 to 15 pounds?
2. Where could I find a spinning rod that was heavy enough? If nothing like that is made off the rack, what are some blank and guide recommendations?
3. Are superbraids abrasion resistant? Are any clear? Do they cast as well as monofilament of the same diameter?

Thank you very much,
Bill

[Brandon Khoo]

Hi Bill - welcome to the site!

We get some interesting questions from time to time but on tarpon fishing.....! We do get tarpon locally but the ones we get would barely be live bait for the one syou guys get over there. I think we can certainly give you some general advice on options for reels and the braid but I would be reluctant to start giving advice on rods when i do not know what type of rods are suitable for tarpon.

In terms of the reel, you certainly do not need to get to the Saltiga or Stella end of the scale for the level of drag you're proposing to use. The Penns should be suitable but you could also look at something like a Shimano Twinpower 8000. It all comes down tto budget but most decent spinning reels shuld be able to get you to the level of drag you want to fish with. I'm not sure how much line you need for tarpon so the size of the reel needs to be considered in this context.

Braids are not abrasion resistant - period. They are also not clear and bear more resemblance in appearance to sewing thread than monofilament lines. They are, however, of a much finer diameter than mono. For example, 50lb braid may be the diameter of 10lb mono.

On the rod, I think you will have no trouble finding a 50lb spinning outfit that is suitable.. Speak to a local store that has this expertise and they will no doubt point you in the right direction. What I can say generally is that a fast action rod with braid is a tough combination to use for a fish that likes to jump and shake its head like crazy.