Folks,
As a newcomer to this board, I am hesitant to post the following questions for one reason: I do not fish for GT. However, I chose much of my tackle for fishing in the Gulf of Mexico from the lighter GT equipment, just to build in a little bit of overkill. (Also, I just love beautifully made equipment). I am well-stocked with popping gear (Souls 90HH, Smith 80P/35, Calstar 700H and Calstar 700XH plus 3 Stellas and a Twinspin SR-30.)
My questions have to do with jigging gear which I am now laying in. I will be jigging primarily for Amberjack, Grouper, and Yellow fin tuna up to maybe 150 pounds (we have trouble getting past the Black fin in this area.) Nothing horribly scary like the stuff you folks have down under.
I have a Smith Nirai on the way to match with the Twinspin 30 for my heavy jigging rig. I want to purchase one other rod to go with say, a Twinspin 20 or 12 or a Stella 8,000:
First: For those of you familiar with the Nirai, it is rated up to 500 gram jigs. What would be the lightest jig I could expect to work effectively with it?
Second: For those of you who have some experience with the Calstars, is there any way I could justify using one of those for a jigging rod for jigs between 150 grams and say, 250?
Finally: If the answer to my second question is negative, what would be a good rod to choose for that weight range?
I appreciate your help and if questions on these species are inappropriate to the board, please don't hesitate to set me straight. Best wishes from Texas.
Russ