Good afternoon 2R,
You have really built yourself a beautiful quiver.. Well done sir..
One of the things about fishermen is often times we go out on a trip thinking we have enough gear.. We then see some hot stick fishing something else or landing big fish faster and that gets us thinking about should we purchase the same rig.. The Same thing happens when we see pictures of big fish on these forums and think, oh my I need a bigger boat.....
For those just starting out on their long range addiction, there is little doubt that renting some gear from the top boats is a great way to go.. Just pay for the top shots you use and off you go... Many of the bigger rigs are over a thousand dollar setups that you get to use for the cost of some plastic leader or, if you bring your own leaders/top shots, you will essentially pay nothing for the rig.
However, You have gotten into a great but expensive mode of purchasing outstanding and trip appropriate gear rather than renting.. What is funny is the process we go thru when choosing fish specific gear.. We get excited when we first think about it as we justify the cost to ROI should we need it for that specific size, technique or species of fish. We then we go thru a process of justifying not purchasing thinking we are fine as is... and then we just are not sure.. This applies to most anything from a new car to a new golf club or bowling ball.
Without sounding like a sales person, once you have gear that fits your hand a bit better than your old stuff, you have gear that free spools or has more power than other items you might have chosen, is lighter feeling while retaining great power or your brain is just happier fishing your own gear, then other less costly choices may not meet your needs... I get it, spending over a thousand dollars for a 76 Viper and 20 Size Mak, Penn or Accurate, heavy body reel, makes one think twice or more..
Like most folks, the purchase or lack of purchase is going to nag at you until it either gets used for the appropriate application or it sits in the racks for years without use.. Some folks might go years without coming across those fish where the U.C. Viper/20 combo is needed or very helpful vs those coming out on their first trip and catch a giant on "The Right Gear" and often on "The wrong Gear"... When caught on the wrong gear the angler then comes and visits the tackle shop of choice and purchases the right gear if they are hooked on targeting bigger fish..Of course, that same angler who might have hit the big trip of the year or one of the best trips of the year regrets not having the correct gear for that trip.. And most folks are hooked after their first experience with these jumbos.
These Local, West Coast, Giant blue fin over the last several years caught so many anglers off guard or they thought they were fine with their smaller, lighter and more familiar light tipped gear. However, I cannot tell you how many of those anglers came by to purchase the 76 Viper and 20 Size heavy reel after getting their butts handed to them by these giants.. So many of the Skippers would look at folk's, whose gear was not up to snuff, and shake their heads knowing the outcome was not going to be good.
The variety of techniques for these Jumbo bluefin ran the range of Live bait on 20 - 30 pound test, Drop jigs using 300 pound bite leaders, Kite and Balloon rigs of 130 - 200# plus test lines, floating a dead flier on a fly line type rig, etc. On any given trip one technique might yield the best results while the others.. not so much... The U.C. 76 Viper, when the size of fish and conditions call for it is worth its weight in gold once you hook up to That fish you have been targeting or at least thinking about most all of your fishing life.
Speaking for myself, I always bring a U.C. Viper 76 and Mak 20 or Accurate 30 setup on every trip that either targets big fish or has even a remote chance of catching big fish... With the Blue fin bite we have had, that would mean I would have it even on a 1 day boat that might be in the area of big fish... If it does not get used.. So be it but on my 10 day trips.... I have several aboard.
As a note: There have been many, many years where 10 day trips made and will continue to make the voyage to fish outside of Magdalena Bay (Mag Bay). 200 - 400+ pound Yellowfin have often been seen and or caught in that vicinity..Some of the greatest catches on 10 day trips for Giant Yellowfin Tuna were in this area. There have been times in the past and hopefully will be more in the future where reports from Mag Bay of Big Foamers or Big fish on the chew will bring most all of the 10 days boats scampering down to the bay. If you do not have the right gear, well, you can hope the boat will have enough for everyone. For those Giant Yellowfin Tuna, which pull way harder than most Bluefin, the U.C. 76 Viper and heavy body reel will be a luxury you do not want to be without.
Best of luck on your decision and have a great season.
As always you can call me if you have any questions...
Respectfully,
Jamie
