Realisticaly, what can you comfortably pull up with 50# test?

Looking to 'bracket' my rod setups. I have a solid 25#-30# setup (Avet MXJ and Phenix BD) and another in 40-65# that I run with a 50# mono leader in front of 65# Spectra braid. That's with a Avet MXJ Raptor on either a Cousins 40-80# rod or my Phenix BD 65# rod. They're both very nice in that range with the Raptor.

So what's my next setup? Should I target 80# or can my larger setup with the Raptor handle that well enough? Now, I know you can kill a 1200# elk with a 22 perfectly placed - don't need to hear how you pulled up that cow on 60# test. Key word is "comfortably", as in - with high confidence.

If I'm hunting 80-150# tuna, sea bass, halibut….what's the setup? I'm partial toward the Avets and sure love that Cousins rod, but they don't make those any more. Any recommendations are appreciated!

 

I got a 156 bft on a mxl raptor 65 braid 50 mono

 

If you want to stick with Avet's and you're hunting 80lb tuna, the HX standard or the JX raptor would do fine "depending on how far from the boat you wanna present the bait" Bump it up to the 150 class and I'd step it up to the HXW raptor.

 

lx raptor is what I fish for that class fish

 

The Rator HX 5/2 will do the 80-150lb class fish with no issues and has the MC for casting light bait. That would be my reel of choice for fish in the 100lb class.

The rods is where personal preference really matters as there are a bunch of great rods that will get the job done each with a very different feel. My choice for 60-100lb line would be a Calstar 770XH.

 

Good info. Thanks all.

 

As a rough baseline:
15-20lb: 300y 30-50lb braid, 10-25/12-30 lb rod
25lb 300y 40-50lb braid, 15-40 lb rod
30lb: 300y 50-65lb braid, 20-50 lb rod
40lb: 300y 65lb braid, 25-60 lb rod
50lb: 400y 65lb braid, 30-80 lb rod
60lb: 400-500y 80lb braid, 40-100 lb rod
80lb: 600y 80-100lb braid, 60-130 lb rod
100lb: 600+y 100lb braid, 60-130/80-200 lb rod, more depends on how hard you can really pull

If you want 50y mono on top, bump up to the next size reel. You can get away with thinner braid for some classes, but you run higher risk of getting cut off in tangles, etc. so better to leave that to those who really know how to stay tight to their bait and on top of their fish. Fish as heavy as they'll bite, not a set up for a given class of fish. Often you don't get to chose whether you get picked up by a 30lb bluefin or a 130lb bluefin.

 

I got a 75lb yellowfin on an MXL with 40 at Clemente a couple years ago. I got it, but wouldn't sign up for that again on purpose. The low gear on that reel is more like a high gear on most others. In comparison I got a similar sized bluefin later in the day with a fathom 25NLD2 and it was basically winched right to the boat in a few minutes. Lesson learned, bluefin are not as strong as yellowfin and that low gear on the MX raptors isn't a big fish gear (it is nice for winding up heavy cod sinkers from deep though).

 

For that class of tuna, I would use the HXRaptor. If you want to limit your fluoro to 50# test, I would use the LXRaptor. Line capacity would be an issue when fishing tuna on a long soak. No problem when sea bass or halibut fishing. A JX Raptor can comfortably handle 80# tuna, but not so sure about a 150#. Again line capacity.

I would not use the Avet MX series. Sorta like loading a 1/2 ton pick up with a one ton load, when a one ton pickup can easily handle the load.

 

"if they'll bite 50#, they'll bite 60#"

lose the 50 and double up on the 40

 

Perfect set up. I have this excact setup but with an after market larger grip on the HX Raptor . Reel has plenty of 80lb braid on it and with that rod combo you can put plenty of drag pressure on a brute if need be.

Personal best is a 170ish BFT on that setup.

 

There ya go. The rod lifts the fish. The reel picks up the line.

 

lX 2 speed...40 -60

 

gotten a 135 bluefin on 50lb in 20 mins
you can pull quite hard on 50 and more pressure on the rod
kill em quick

 

I’d be willing to bet most people cannot break fresh 50lb line pulling on it with a rod.

 

Yup exactly

 

100% agree with this statement.

 

Even 40# would be difficult

 

Good point - thanks

 

From my experience snagging riprap in the bay; 25lb snaps with some force, 30lb even is where it becomes difficult to break, everything above that pulls free. So absolutely, if the fish isn't burning line and hasn't been gnawing on the fluoro, you're not going to break 40, especially if you have it on remotely the correct rod.