[caption id="attachment_7010" align="alignleft" width="300"] A 30 lb Mono reel set up and the current 30 lb braid set up. What a difference.[/caption] During the late 80's and early 90's a west coast fisherman named Russ Izor who later developed a company called Izorline found some of the first Spectra Fiber lines introduced and told us that fishing as we know it would change in years to come. Man was Russ right. Once Spectra was adopted by fishermen the whole tackle setup, both rod and reel evolved to take into account the strength and smaller diameter of braided line. Braided line is made in different carriers (Line count) some with 4, 8, 12 and so on then woven on machines into a solid diameter line. There are both solid braid and what they call hollow core which is used for splicing line usually flourocarbon into the center for one continuous running line. This is great for larger line sizes but the solid line with the right knots is hard to beat in the lighter line classes. As braid started to become more wide spread, tackle manufacturers started to produce specific products to use with braided lines. Accurate Fishing reels was one of the first to adopt the braid focus, with the patented TwinDrag® Reel, it was a perfect marriage. With drag plates and washers on both sides of reel, and an even amount of pressure on both sides pushing the spool directly in to the center of the frame. There is no distortion like you see on many of todays single speed reels that have all the pressure on one side of the spool. The main problem happening with most reels was their spools spreading due to an inherent problem with mono. Monofilament line when winding it on a spool with pressure will go on tight but as it stretches being put on spool it changes to a smaller diameter. Once on the spool, it will regain its original diameter making the line on the reel expand and often spreading the spool width. For the TwinDrag® reels it pushes the side of the spool towards the drag plate which the end result is a loss of the overall drag spectrum meaning that the initial push into gear with the drag lever will increase drag significantly, limiting your range. With the introduction of braid the problems with mono compaction literally disappeared since there is relatively no stretch in the Spectra. Braid being a much smaller diameter then mono made it easy to start looking at using smaller reels in all situations. [caption id="attachment_7019" align="alignleft" width="225"] Captain Duane Diego with a 200 lb plus Bluefin on a BX2-500 with 80 lb braided line. True Small Reel Big Fish feat.[/caption] Once Accurate adopted braid, we started to design smaller reels to use for bigger fish resulting in "Small Reels Big Fish" Accurate slogan. We found with the TwinDrag® design we could get more drag, the equal drag pads on each side of the spool equated to a greater drag surface, plus with the lubricated drags a much smoother drag with no start up inertia leaving you with a consistently even drag. The result was a much more comfortable experience for anglers with lighter, smaller reels coupled with more forgiving rods to compensate for the no stretch in the line. Anglers were able to put more pressure on the fish and take the pressure off of themselves. The days of fishing larger, bulky reels with monofilament are gone. Anglers looking to fish 50 lb tackle now can take a Accurate 400 size reel with a strong lightweight composite rod and catch bigger fish more effectively then ever. Anglers 10 to 15 years ago spent a lot of their time fighting their tackle versus the fish on the end of their line. With today's smaller more powerful reels/rods and the use of braid, anglers can focus on the fish, not trying to keep their tackle from turning side to side during the fight. [caption id="attachment_7020" align="alignright" width="225"] Sr-6 with 40 lb braid landed this 100 lb plus tarpon no sweat. Small Reel Big Fish.[/caption] Some of the basic outfits (reels and rods) guys are using include Accurate BV-300 with 30Lb braid holding 325 yards with a 15 to 30lb live bait or trigger rod in the 7 - 8' range. A 400 size reel with 50 lb braid holding 400+ yards is standard issue for the guys fishing schoolie tuna but has also landed fish up to the 100 lb mark putting out 24 lbs of drag and fished with a 30 - 50lb 7 -8' live bait rod. The 500 size reel has made a name for itself fishing 65b braid holding 350 yards with a 30 - 60lb rod in the 7' to 7'6" range. This reel has accounted for numerous west coast bluefins in the 150 lb class and puts out 28 lbs of drag. Probably the most popular sizes are the 600 or 600N these reels have been tested throughout the world on various gamefish with good results. The 600 size holds 500 yards of 65lb braid but a lot of people use 80b on it with about 375 yards fishing bigger Tuna as well as AJ's, Groupers, and other worthy opponents of the deep. Depending on what anglers are fishing for they are using rods in the 6'6" to 7'6" range rated for 40 to 80 lb. The 600N size reel has been used a lot for casting poppers/plugs for surface feeding gamefish with good results as well as fishing live bait. The 600N has been a extremely popular live bait casting reel for local stripe marlin on the west coast using 65lb braid with a top shot of 30 lb mono. Accurate(no pun intended) casting is key and all the Accurate reels have a sleeved spool for better castibility. The 600N holds 350 yards of 65 lb braid and coupled with a 6'6" to 7' rod rated 30 to 60 is just the best. Both these reels put out 38 lbs of drag which is plenty of power to stop better tuna, stripe marlin, or whatever adversary you run across in your neck of the woods. All the sizes of reels excluding the 300 size come in both single and 2-speed models. [caption id="attachment_7023" align="alignleft" width="300"] Fishing more drag with a smaller reel with less line. Notice how the rod compensates with the right action. All the pressure is being distributed to the fish.[/caption] There are two schools of thought nowadays with anglers fishing braid. If a reel puts out enough drag, a lot of anglers fishing the right rods with a slow parabolic action with an even taper in the back bone will sacrifice the line capacity(fishing heavier line) to fish a higher drag setting. More drag means less time on the fish putting it on the deck faster by turning their head quickly. These anglers are usually fishing the 2-speed models so as to switch to low for the one to one power once they cannot turn the handle at the higher gear ratio. The other school of thought is to fish reels with more line capacity at a lower drag setting and play the fish at a lower drag setting. This works fine for anglers that cannot fish heavier drags and do not worry about time on the fish. Main point here is the longer you have the fish on the percentages of loosing the fish go up. I think a place in between these two schools of thought is a great way to focus and that is attained by knowing when to fish more drag and when to back off. Whatever you feel comfortable with you should continue to practice. Braid has really helped the evolution of fishing with tackle, techniques, and the enjoyment of the end user having a positive experience. Our focus at Accurate has been Small Reels for Big Fish which would not be possible without the introduction of braid. Thanks Russ Izor for seeing the future and sharing your vision. Tight lines. Team Accurate.

[caption id="attachment_5978" align="alignleft" width="225"] Cousins Jig Rod loaded with a Mexican Yellowtail doing work with a FURY 600N picking up the line.[/caption] The Power of a rod especially during a battle with a gamefish is the single most important factor to landing the fish. Without the pressure resulting from the parabolic bend of the rod its a hand line game which turns out to be a hand to hand combat with no leverage, end result is lots of pain and most likely a lost fish. "Without the rod there is no pressure on the fish." The fishing rod is a very unique piece of equipment once you start to better understand its function as part of your fishing outfit(Rod, Reel, Line) it will help you catch more fish. When people look at fishing rods it is extremely important to understand the function in which you will be using the rod. There are a variety of gamefish people are targeting and the first thing is to identify what your target species is going to be. The variety of rods that exists is mind boggling especially since they are now making rods species specific which includes the likes of Bass, Trout, Bluegill, Calico Bass, Yellowtail, as well as Inshore, Offshore, Rail rods, Jig rods, Jigging rods, and the list goes on. Important thing to understand is the rod when not bent is what they refer to as potential energy which is very similar to a rubber band before it is stretched. Once the rod is bent the energy aka power is put into motion which gives you the lifting power and constant resistance to slow down and initially stop a gamefish so you can begin to slowly keep him coming your way. Without the rods ability to put continuous pressure on the fish it would be extremely difficult to slow down your opponent and keep him headed in your direction. The desired action of a rod is developed through diameter of blank, Thickness of the blank wall, and length of the blank. When looking to develop more parabolic rods less material is put into the wall of the blank up towards the tip then methodically put back into the wall to stiffen the blank towards the butt. The parabolic action of the rod once loaded applies the pressure on the fish. It is key to always keep the rod bent applying constant pressure while wind ing the fish up. If you keep his head up coming your way you will land him. Actions of rods are often designated by XF(Xtra Fast), F(fast), M(Medium), and S(Slow). This is how the rod shuts down form the tip with XF being quickly and S taking more time to reach the loaded state. The other important factor in a rod's successful design is the power of a rod. Rods come in what they call powers and actions. A power of a rod is the built in strength of the rod. This relates to how much power it takes to load the rod and bend it into loaded action. They talk about a power of a rod being designated M, MH, H, XH, XXH, XXXH which also correlates with the size of the line you are fishing on the rod. This lettering is all dependent on what the rod is designed for i.e. Freshwater, Bass, Trout, saltwater, rail rods, troll rods, inshore, tuna, etc. The line rating will come into play once you have the specific rod you are looking to use for your fishing needs. An example of the way the power of a rod is shown on a specific stick comes into play with Stand up rod. They will look at a rod as a Heavy action for lines rated from 60 lb to 100 lb test line. [caption id="attachment_1196" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nice bend Drew[/caption] Two basic things to understand about rods and their function is the action gives you the ability to set the hook and keep the line tight while fighting a fish. The power of the rod gives you the lifting power or strength to continually keep the fish coming your way. The bigger the fish the heavier power rating you will want in the blank and most likely less action in the upper half of the rod. The same with smaller fish targeted there will be probably more action imparted in the blank and the lifting power will be on the back side of the action towards the handle of the rod. The variety of action and power combinations in todays blanks is mind blowing and can confuse the best of anglers. [caption id="attachment_7035" align="alignright" width="300"] Jay Krist putting the screws to a 358lb Bluefin tuna with a OSP 3X power Seeker rod.[/caption] Some basic things to keep in mind is the bigger the gamefish lets say tuna the more you want to have some parabolic action in the rod but power for big fish is important also for lifting the fish through the battle. What action in the tip does, it transfers power back from the angler to the fish. Years ago Mark Sosin a writer for Saltwater Sportsman discussed the Fulcrum and lever dynamics of the rod. As you find your comfort spot for your hand on the fore grip of the rod, or on the rail for a rail rod, this location becomes your fulcrum and the portion of the rod in front of your hand or the rail needs to have some action bending wise. The amount of action a rod has once loaded will take pressure off of you and transfer it to the fish. A rod with little or no action will keep all the pressure on you resulting in a beating and possibly a lost fish. The key to a functional rod is dependent on the action. If the rod has the right action coupled with a reel with decent line pick up the whole fishing experience is a lot more positive and the amount of energy put out to land the fish is considerably less. The action of a rod has to be just right. If its too limber the angler will not be able to lift the fish resulting in a prolonged battle, if the rod is too stiff its going to be very painful trying to hold the rod butt in your middle section and you will be fighting the tackle and not the fish. [caption id="attachment_7056" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Rail is your friend. Constant pressure brings them to the boat. Seeker 6463XXXH doing work.[/caption] There are a couple different thoughts to working a rod while catching gamefish. One is what they call the short pump where you wind down with the rod loaded while keeping enough drag on the spool till the rod is in a horizontal position then lift the rod to a 10 or 10:30 position while holding line. Key is to keep the rod loaded and bending all throughout the fight. Lots of guys like doing the short pump but those not doing it right and letting the rod go straight have chances of losing fish due to coming unbuttoned and having the fish getting its head down making the battle that much more difficult. The other thought is to use a rod with a little more parabolic action that will compensate for the no stretch braid. Once the rod is loaded find a comfortable spot either in a harness, with a your straight arm holding rod, or on the rail, then just wind through the rod action keeping it bent the entire time. If it comes up a couple inches wind back down until it is loaded. This technique is super basic, very easy to do and keeps the fish coming towards you the entire time. It works excellent for women and children but many of the guys not looking to get beat up adopt the technique and catch plenty of big fish doing it. [caption id="attachment_7057" align="alignright" width="225"] This 764 Irod getting it done on a healthy west coast bluefin. Notice how the rod is loaded creating constant pressure on the fish.[/caption] Constant pressure by the rod and using the drag to advantage cuts your time on the fish down as well as keeps you from exerting a bunch of energy during the fight. End result catch more fish with less physical effort and enjoy your fishing experience. Remember, key is finding the rod that is right for you with the right action and power. Plenty of information on the internet as well as rod manufacturers websites. Gather the information, review the data, and figure out what rod is best for your fishing needs. Rods are like golf clubs so you will need more than one so figure out what species you will be targeting and get the rod or rods that fit your technique and feel comfortable to use. We hope this article helps give you a basic outline of rods and their usage. Have fun and take your kids fishing when you can. Tight lines, Team Accurate

#smallreelsbigfish Archives | Page 2 of 5

05FebFebruary 5, 2018

The Details to Successful Fishing

People that do not spend time on the water have no idea the time that goes into a fishing trip. No matter if its on a day boat, multi day boat, or on your own boat if things are not somewhat organized the percentage of failure increases and the possibility of losing a fish or missing the opportunity to catch one is always present. In life details sometimes can make or break you. The probability of success can be greatly...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #catchmorefish, #eastcapefishing, #halibut, #KINGFISH, #madeinamerica, #sailfish, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, #Valiant, fish, fishhard, fishing, marlin, reels, saltwater, twindragComments Off

29JanJanuary 29, 2018

The Right Reel for the Job.

Fishing in the last ten to fifteen years has evolved by leaps and bounds from where it once was with big reels and monofilament line that was the go to set up. Todays tackle with the adoption of braided lines has taken what we perceived as a necessary outfit and made them obsolete. Smaller reels have been redesigned bringing their features like gears, TwinDrag®, 2-speed mechanism, cranking power, decreased weight, and with braided line capacities, the ability to fight...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #Bluefintuna, #dauntless, #DX2-600N, #eastcapefishing, #madeinamerica, #sailfish, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #Stripebass, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #Valiant, #valiantBV2-800, #yellowfintuna, Accurate, accuratefishing, BV-300, fish, fishhard, fishing, marlin, tuna, yellowtailComments Off

16JanJanuary 16, 2018

WITH A VALIANT EFFORT COMES BIG TIME RESULTS by Gary Graham

Sometimes a little inside knowledge helps The largest tuna weighed 424.6 pounds, topping the current IGFA record of 385-pounds, 12 ounces by a click less than 40 pounds flanked by Tony Winkler and angler Jorge Lazo. When commercial fishermen on the Agua Verde lost a cow-sized tuna at Isla Santa Catalan near Loreto and spotted others crashing at dusk on Jan. 5, they shared the knowledge – resulting in a valiant angling effort and a pending IGFA record. Robert Ross, an American...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #eastcapefishing, #eastcapemexico, #giantyellowfintuna, #loretofishing, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #seekerrods, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, #Valiant, #valiantBV2-800, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, saltwaterComments Off

17NovNovember 17, 2017

2017 Los Cabo Tuna Tournament: Came to Play

That smile tells it all. Nothing like getting the monkey off your back right out of the gates. It was the second and last day of the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot. I had stopped Vaquera on the outer Gorda Bank to make our second drift chunking Humbolt squid. Making my way to the bow I pitched out a chunk Diego had pinned on for me. Away went the squid along with my 100 lb test Momoi Hi-Catch top shot into...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #cabosanlucasmexico, #Cabotunatournament, #cowtuna, #eastcapefishing, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #yellowfintuna, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, reel, reels, saltwater, tunaComments Off

10NovNovember 10, 2017

The Coming of Braid.

A 30 lb Mono reel set up and the current 30 lb braid set up. What a difference. During the late 80's and early 90's a west coast fisherman named Russ Izor who later developed a company called Izorline found some of the first Spectra Fiber lines introduced and told us that fishing as we know it would change in years to come. Man was Russ right. Once Spectra was adopted by fishermen the whole tackle setup, both rod and...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #braidedlines, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, Accurate, fishhard, fishing, saltwater, twindragComments Off

03NovNovember 3, 2017

The Power of a Rod

Cousins Jig Rod loaded with a Mexican Yellowtail doing work with a FURY 600N picking up the line. The Power of a rod especially during a battle with a gamefish is the single most important factor to landing the fish. Without the pressure resulting from the parabolic bend of the rod its a hand line game which turns out to be a hand to hand combat with no leverage, end result is lots of pain and most likely a lost...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #actionofarod, #fishingrod, #madeinamerica, #Powerofarod, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, Accurate, accuratefishing, saltwaterComments Off

30SepSeptember 30, 2017

A Visit to White Island, New Zealand with Team Accurate.

Ben with a Nice Kingie from White Island Jack Nilsen and myself just got back from visiting our friends at Decoro fishing Kane Tapper, Matt, and Trevor. The basis of the trip was also to spend some time out at White Island which is an active Volcano 30 miles off the coast on the north island off of Whakatane. Kane had been wanting us to come over for round two after the weather killed the last trip the previous year. We...

By Ben SecrestFishing#KINGFISH, #madeinamerica, #NEWZEALAND, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, #WHITEISLAND, Accurate, accuratefishing, yellowtailComments Off

23SepSeptember 23, 2017

East Cape: The Paradise below the border. By Mark Rayor

Reflecting back to 1991 when Jen and I pulled up stakes from Southern California and moved to Buena Vista. Compared to today that time was like the stone age. There was only one phone in our little town and communication was very limited. No internet, no cell phones and importantly during hurricane season no weather forecasting. In those days all the local resorts pulled their fishing boats and closed up shop for August, September and into October. I quickly found...

By Ben SecrestFishing#eastcapefishing, #eastcapemexico, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #Valiant, Accurate, accuratefishing, BV-300, fishhard, fishing, marlin, reel, reels, wahoo, yellow finComments Off

14AugAugust 14, 2017

Destination Isla Cedros: Dave Marciano visits Bass Bonanza

A cedros Calico with the Hard Merchandise crew Friday morning came early after running around the previous day picking up the Hard Merchandise crew from LAX and getting them settled in San Clemente for a brief stay. Dave and Joe Marciano had made the trek to California to join myself, Sergio, and the rest of the Angler Chronicles crew to board a flight to Cedros Island. We had done this trip the year before with Team Accurate and had phenomenal...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #calicobass, #catchmorefish, #cedrosIslandadventures, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, saltwater, yellowtailComments Off

12MayMay 12, 2017

Destination: Guatemala, Pacific Sailfish Capital of the World

Welcome to Casa Vieja in Guatemala Anglers looking for the ultimate Pacific Sailfish bucket list spot definitely have to visit Casa Vieja in Guatemala. This is one of the finest resorts in central america catering to Billfish anglers with great boats, crews, and an awesome resort to call home base for a fishing trip. Excellent staff with 5 star chefs cooking some of the best meals I have had in years. The bar has a history of photos paying homage...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #billfish, #CasaViejaGuatemala, #pacificSailfish, #sailfish, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, fish, fishhard, fishing, reels, saltwater, twindragComments Off