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Best Heavy Duty Saltwater Spinning Reels

sunset on ocean with a fishing rod and reel

There are a wide variety of heavy-duty big game spinning reels that can cost anywhere from $100 to $800.

There are so many options because of the growing popularity of jigging popping and the overall increase in saltwater fishing enthusiasts.

If you’re a serious angler aiming to put some bluefin on the deck off the coast of North Carolina you’re going to need a high-quality saltwater spinning reel that can perform under the toughest of conditions.

These saltwater fishing reels are going to be bigger and stronger to withstand the abuse. So we put together a list of our top recommendations that won’t let you down.

Penn Battle II

penn battle 2 saltwater fishing reel without rod

The Penn Battle II is a great looking real with a butter-smooth HT-100 drag which helps to make this reel a favorite among anglers.

The Battle II comes with five sealed stainless steel ball bearings, an instant anti-reverse bearing, and features a full metal body side plate and rotor.

This reel is smooth and impeccably balanced, able to handle some of the larger species found off the Gulf coast like snapper, amberjack, and king.

The Penn Battle II is extremely strong and reliable real with exceptionally fine combat breaks and a lightweight ergonomic handle.

The Battle II will prove to you on your first trip out why so many anglers love the Penn fishing experience.

Click Here to Buy Penn Battle II

Shimano Baitrunner 8000d

shimano baitrunner 8000d spinning reel

The Baitrunner gives you the confidence of this legendary drivetrain with an auto-return Baitrunner feature for better castability.

The Baitrunner feature lets you live line or drift bait with a light drag the tension on the system is independent of the main drag and is controlled by a knob at the back of the reel.

The Shimano Baitrunners are head and shoulders above pretty much every other Baitrunner reel out there. You definitely get what you pay for with this reel.

The quality shows through in the construction. The 8000 d is built to resist sand and saltwater corrosion due to its graphite construction. The anti-rust bearings and the aluminum forge spool can handle years of abuse.

The Shimano Baitrunner is the top of the class. You have to pay for that quality, but it’s worth it.

Click Here to Buy Shimano Baitrunner 8000d

Daiwa BG Spinning Reel

side view of the daiwa bg 2500 saltwater spinning reel

The Daiwa BG spinning reel has a waterproof 33 lb. drag system designed for more aggressive fish.

This latest edition of the popular BG series is built tougher than ever before.

The Daiwa BG is built with a machined aluminum body providing strength and internal part stability. The aluminum will not chip or peel and gives a polished look to the BG spinning line.

This reel is very smooth and durable. It still performs strongly with just rinsing it. While the BG is a bit heavier it is tough and designed to handle abuse and outperforms reels that cost twice as much.

A strong frame, smooth, powerful, with a tough drag. Paired with braid you have a seriously capable lightweight outfit that can handle bull drum Time after Time.

This day will be g offers exceptional versatility for small to large species.

Click Here to Buy Daiwa BG2500 BG Saltwater Spinning Reel

Penn Slammer III Spinning Reel

penn slammer III spinning saltwater fishing reel

You’re going to want to put the Penn Slammer III on a stronger rod. It’s designed for heavy-duty fishing from either your boat or the shore and it’s trusted by charter captains the world over.

The Slammer III features the new IPX6 sealed system which keeps water out of the gearbox and the drag system. This helps to increase the durability and longevity of the reel.

There is almost zero hesitation or stickiness. You can catch everything from big snooks and even hundred-pound tarpon under bridges with this setup. Very impressive for being a well-sealed reel, the smoothness is still there. This might just be the best reel for the money.

Click Here to Buy Penn Slammer lll Spinning Reel

Shimano Stradic Spinning fishing reel

silver shimano stradic fl spinning saltwater fishing reel

This new updated Stradic is the smoothest version Shimano has made yet. Stradics have always been a workhorse reel and this new version is super solid and will hold up well to fishing and saltwater.

This new Stradic model is the result of continuous refinement. You’ll experience rotational smoothness and power transfer never achieved in a reel at this price point.

When you combine micro module gear two with silent drive, which fine-tunes internal components to the highest tolerances possible and you’ll see the new Stradic approaches flagship-level performance.

Thankfully Shimano has removed the anti-reverse lever on this new reel. If you fish for speedy fish like bluefin trevally or bonefish you’re never really going to find much use for the anti-reverse function on spinning reels. Removing the anti-reverse lever makes this real more watertight. Although it is not 100% waterproof, if it gets submerged it will leak a bit but it does hold up really well when getting splashed by surf while fishing in the break though.

This new version no longer has an oil service porch screw in the side plating. If you want to oil this reel you need to take it apart. This reel should see lots of good years of action just like the older model Stradics.

Click Here to Buy Shimano Stradic Spinning fishing reel

by offshore5 Min Reading
Offshore Fishing, Sportfishing

Offshore Saltwater Fishing Lures, Tackle, & Techniques

Offshore angler

Taking a boat far offshore to chase the large and wild open ocean fish is one of the most challenging yet fun types of fishing.

Offshore sportfishing takes a lot of skill and experience. We’re going to tell you all we know in terms of fishing tactics and offshore tackle to improve your chances of success during your day on the water.

Offshore fishing gives you a wide range of options. It really depends on what species you are targeting that determines what techniques and tackle products you will use.  To get a better understanding of what we mean by “offshore” fishing, you may want to read this article: Inshore VS Offshore Fishing?

For example if you are targeting something like yellowtail snapper which is a small bottom fish you will need dramatically different tools than if you were targeting a grouper located in the deep water which you would need beefier 80 lb. gear to go after.

Standard tackle products

You can use your standard or traditional tackle products in most offshore sport fishing conditions. When you are fishing from a boat offshore you generally are not going to be casting, you be you will be trolling your lures.

The beauty of standard tackle products is in the real in the real acts basically as a winch. The standard reel which is really a winch gives you leverage in the form of more power to pull in heavier and stronger ocean going species.

You’re going to need several different setups for a day of offshore fishing. Each one specific to the fishing situations and species you are targeting .

Lighter standard setups with 6 ft to 7 and 1/2 ft rod and reel is effective for light tackle species and also trolling for smaller fish like mackerel and you’re smaller yellow fin tunas and Dorado.

You’re also going to need some heavier tackle products as well, like the tournament quality Fathom Offshore fishing tackle.

You will need a medium sized setup in the neighborhood of 40 to 45 lb weights which enable you to go after both large and small species. A medium weight setup is basically what you would want to use if you could only choose one setup for a day of fishing.

And last but not least you’re going to want a heavy duty setup for targeting the largest game fish like the legendary Blue Marlins and you’ll also need something for trolling for large planers.

Okay let’s talk about bottom fishing first.

Bottom fishing is the simplest and easiest form of offshore fishing.  You can increase the effectiveness of this technique using a spreader bar. The advantages of a spreader bar is that the weight is on the bottom and therefore the bait that attracts the fish is also on the bottom, bringing it closer to the fish’s attention.

The optimal fishing hooks

The hook is the most important piece of the rig. There are a lot of different styles and sizes of hooks to choose from. But these days most people in  sport fishing use circle hooks period and even in places like the Gulf of Mexico circle hooks are required by law.

Circle hooks are a much better design because they reduce gut hooking in fish. Gut hooking is when the fish swallows the bait and the hook and then the hook attaches to the stomach of the fish and will often rip out the stomach during the fight.

When this happens it instantly kills the fish and therefore it negates catch and release. That’s why standard hooks are no longer used because they have been replaced with circle hooks which do not Hook to the insides of a fish.

Although circle hooks are not required everywhere most fishermen encourage others to use circle hooks to preserve the quality and abundance of the fish stocks.

It’s also important to note that the hook size should match the species that you are going after period for example if you are going after a blue marlin you will use a much larger hook size than you would if you were going after a redfish or a snapper.

Here is a good resource to learn more about the importance of circle hooks: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-skills/catch-and-release/circle-hooks-benefits-and-tips#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20circle%20hooks,for%20hook%2Dup%20of%20fish.

Different types of fishing baits

Like everything else it depends. You use different rods reels and tackle products for different water conditions and different species.

A classic bait to use is shrimp both of the live and Frozen varieties. Fish just like humans love shrimp and they are most effective when fishing in areas with shallow water reefs. And they are also effective pretty much all year round.

Another option for offshore trolling is to use either live fish or cut up pieces of fish. The reason is because fish love fish big fish eats smaller fish and that is the law of the ocean. You can use frozen fish such as sardines or mullet but a lot of fishermen prefer to use live baits.

Some prefer to catch their own bait fish on the way out offshore period or some prefer to just pick some up at their local tackle shop. It is popular for the captain of the boat to stop at buoys and fill up the bait well with live baits and smaller fish like mackerel.

How to Troll for Fish Offshore

What is trolling? Trolling is simply driving the boat while pulling lures or baits as you wait around and hope for a fish to bite. As with everything else it’s more complicated than it sounds. There are variables such as the speed you are pulling the depth of your tackle as well as the types of lures that you are using and locations such as deep or shallow water.

There are several different tackle products you can use while trolling. One popular method is to troll with plugs.

Plugs have a specially designed lip on them which determines how deep the plug will hang off of your line.Plugs are very useful for fishermen because it allows them to not have to use other tackles such as weights or leaders. For certain species like wahoo it can be advantageous to use a leader in front of the plug.

Spoons

Another popular tool for trolling are spoons.

Spoons are ideal for slow speed trolling and have an aggressive bubble action when pulled through the water that does a good job imitating live bait fish. Spoons come in a wide variety of sizes and it’s best to have a full range of spoons so you can fit them to the conditions you find yourself fishing in.

Trolling spreads

A more advanced technique for trolling is to use a spread. A spread is used when anglers have multiple lines in the water at one time. a spread does just that it’s a pattern with some of your base being deeper some shallower some wider and some narrower behind behind the wash of the boat. The main point of the spread is to keep the lines from getting tangled with each other.

Everything from plugs to planers to trolling lures can be used in a spreader bar. The key with a trolling spread is to mix it up.  You want to use a variety of links and widths and depths so that you don’t get your lines crossed up.

These are just a few of the myriad of options and thinks to consider when you go out for a day of sport fishing deep into the ocean. Like any skill you can get better with it over time and you will develop techniques that work best for you. These are just some general guidelines to help you get started in your sport fishing journey.

 

 

 

 

by offshore7 Min Reading
Blog, Fishing, Offshore Fishing, Offshore trolling, Sportfishing

Learn to troll

Another boat fishing technique that is very successful, especially in summer and early autumn, is trolling.

On Pesca Fishing Shop you can buy all the rods and reels you need to equip your boat .

The luck of this way of fishing is that the movement of the bait makes it easier to return to land “not empty handed”. Obviously, as in all ways of fishing, those with experience and good equipment make the difference; however, a cork “square” and a filosa may be sufficient to start.

Tombarelli, mahi mahi, tuna fish

Since this article is dedicated to those who are approaching fishing, we will focus above all on that specific trolling technique that is most practiced by beginners, namely coastal surface trolling. The basic principle of this fishing lies in lowering behind the moving boat, in the wake of the engines, one or more lines armed with artificial lures, pulling them to the surface at moderate speeds (between 3-4 knots of the smallest baits to 10 kona and lead-headed feathers).

The prey that can bite range from the tombarello (to which a large article is dedicated starting from page 64) to the colorful dolphin fish, passing through lanzardi, skipjack, tuna, barracuda, bluefish, garfish, glances. As anticipated, to get closer to trolling even a pair of cork (or EVA) bolts wrapped with about fifty meters of monofilament with a diameter of 0.60 can go. To this main line we will connect a swivel and then a piece of transparent nylon (the terminal) that will bring the artificial bait. According to the artificial bait used and the fish we want to catch, we will choose the thickness of the hooklink: we can go from 0,20-0,22 for the fishing of the glances, using a small undulating spoon as bait, to get up to 0 , 50 for fishing on alletterati feeds.

With these fish, however, a pair of close-fitting fabric gloves will not be too much, to protect our hands from cuts and burns (due to the flow of the thread). To this main line we will connect a swivel and then a piece of transparent nylon (the terminal) that will bring the artificial bait. According to the artificial bait used and the fish we want to catch, we will choose the thickness of the hooklink: we can go from 0,20-0,22 for the fishing of the glances, using a small undulating spoon as bait, to get up to 0 , 50 for fishing on alletterati feeds. With these fish, however, a pair of close-fitting fabric gloves will not be too much, to protect our hands from cuts and burns (due to the flow of the thread). To this main line we will connect a swivel and then a piece of transparent nylon (the terminal) that will bring the artificial bait. According to the artificial bait used and the fish we want to catch, we will choose the thickness of the hooklink: we can go from 0,20-0,22 for the fishing of the glances, using a small undulating spoon as bait, to get up to 0 , 50 for fishing on alletterati feeds. With these fish,

however, a pair of close-fitting fabric gloves will not be too much, to protect our hands from cuts and burns (due to the flow of the thread). 22 for fishing for glances, using a small undulating spoon as bait, to get up to 0.50 for fishing on alletterati mangle. With these fish, however, a pair of close-fitting fabric gloves will not be too much, to protect our hands from cuts and burns (due to the flow of the thread). 22 for fishing for glances, using a small undulating spoon as bait, to get up to 0.50 for fishing on alletterati mangle. With these fish, however, a pair of close-fitting fabric gloves will not be too much, to protect our hands from cuts and burns (due to the flow of the thread).

Reduce tangles

In order to fish well it will be essential that the lines we put in fishing tow without tangling with each other. For this it is good to keep them one on one side of the boat and the other close to the opposite side. If we are talking about hand lines we will necessarily have to hold them tightly in the hands, or to fix them to the edge with a resistant elastic making sure that, in case of breakage of the same, the reel cannot be dragged into the water. Obviously, the use of special rods will help to further space the lines. To reduce the risk of tangles, however, it is good to lower the lures at different distances and make sure that one of the two lines (at least two) fish at a greater depth. To do this we can use a particular type of lure, for example a super sinking minnow,

by offshore4 Min Reading
Blog, Fishing, Offshore Fishing, Offshore trolling, Sportfishing

Tips: Learn To Fish In The Sea From A Boat – Pesca Fishing Shop

Learning and starting fishing is less complicated than it may seem, especially if this is done with the right start. Here are useful tips to learn how to fish in the sea from the boat with the main techniques in use, such as: bottom fishing, trolling, longline, spinning, live kab, inchiku and vertical fishing

In this article pages we make a very broad discussion, evaluating the differences between the techniques, always with a careful eye to the equipment and baits that are needed.

Yes, because if the species that can be undermined in the sea are many, the techniques with which to tempt their appetite can be even more.

Are you looking for tips to learn? Read here!

To name the main ones, we mention trolling, bottom fishing, bottom fishing, cephalopod fishing, vertical jigging and spinning. For those who are already experts these pages will only be “a review” while for many novices they will be really important.

From hand lines to rods

To practice fishing from the boat it is not necessarily necessary to resort to expensive reels and high modulus carbon rods: there are techniques such as the hand bottom fishing, the battens and the longline that make the hand line their fundamental starting point. . Let’s start by talking about the longline. It is a fixed fishing system, consisting of a long line, the “beam”, on which several dozen hooks are mounted, on armrests whose length can vary between one meter and four, distant from five to twenty meters. The general indications cannot really be more precise, as a longline can be used both to catch bream weighing a few ounces, as well as to try to catch hake and groupers at great depths. We will shortly deepen the knowledge of a classic coastal fishing line, we just need to know, however, that each longline has, at its ends, two weights, each of which is connected to a line (called “caluma”). It is good to know that this long line can be armed with a maximum number of 200 hooks.

There is longline and longline

For beginners, it is advisable to buy a small longline basket to make a first model with a maximum of 50 or 100 hooks. For coastal fishing, a one-millimeter nylon mother line and armrests are usually used, connected by a seven-coil knot, made with transparent thread in the order of 0.35. The length of the armrest must be a couple of meters while the distance to be left between one armrest and the next must be approximately 14 meters, ten “strokes” to put it in a more practical way. The most used baits are bibi di pescheria, sardine in chunks and cephalopods. The hooks will range from a number 6 to a 1, usually made of long shank steel. Among the most coveted catches, according to the depth and the type of seabed, bream, bream, gallinelle, bream will be included. The right sequence for fishing a longline is to lower the first weight and fix the flag. Then a fairly heavy carabiner is attached to the caluma to which the head of our longline will be connected. The head of the longline will naturally be brought to the bottom, in the meantime we will proceed with the engine at idle (or rowing, for those who use small goiters or lances) letting the line and triggers go into the water, guiding the line out with the utmost attention. An important practical advice during the lowering phase is to put the basket in a low position on the water, so that it cannot fall. If this happened it would be a nice mess: not so cheap because a longline of about fifty hooks (basket excluded) can cost about thirty euros as much as waste of time and inability to fish.

by offshore4 Min Reading
Offshore Fishing, Sportfishing

Our Fishing Project Begins

We are located in beautiful Beaufort North Carolina in the heart of northern North Carolina.

Also located in Emerald Isle on the Outer Banks.

Our store is small but packed with inventory. If we don’t have it we can get it for you!!

If you are looking for a one-stop shop for live bait and name-brand fishing tackle, look no further than John’s Landing Bait & Tackle. We carry a full line of fishing tackle from the simple basics for family outings to specialized gear for the advanced angler!

Our full line of live bait includes canadian nightcrawlers, Leaf Worms, Wax Worms, Garlic Green Crawlers Crappie Minnows, Shiners, and Pike Suckers. In the late spring and summer we carry leeches.

In the Winter we carry Moussies, Spikes and wax worms.

Remember, at John’s Landing Bait & Tackle, “we don’t count the mackerel, we dip ’em”.

John’s Landing

I look forward to giving the best possible customer service. If for any reason you are not satisfied with our products or service please contact me immediately.

I changed the name in memory of my brother John Shingleton. John loved being up north and fishing whenever and where ever he could. He was happy just having a soda pop in one hand and fishing pole in the other and his son Kevin by his side.

by offshore2 Min Reading
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