If you had to choose a limited number of setups to target pretty much every fish available to you, what would you choose? My list includes 7 reels and 9 rods to catch almost everything found in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. The only setups I have not included are ones for light trolling (to catch species like dolphin, kingfish, sailfish, blackfin tuna, etc), heavier trolling (for everything from wahoo and larger tuna up to large billfish), and deep drop gear (mostly for catching swordfish in the daytime). My list assumes you have access to a boat, be it yours or a friend's. It does include a few offshore setups, so assume the boat is a bay boat that can go anywhere from the flats to channels to the bay to a few miles offshore.
Setup 1: Light Tackle Inshore Setup
Uses: Inshore and on the pier for smaller species (such as whiting, pompano, sheepshead, croaker, and pinfish), on the flats for bonefish, trout, small jacks, and ladyfish, plus throwing jigs to pompano in the surf
Rod: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (7', medium, 8-17 pound line, 3/8 to 1 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn Spinfisher V 4500 (5+1 bearings, 25 pounds max drag, 6.2:1 gear ratio, 15.4 ounces)
Line: 185 yards of 12 pound test mono
Total Cost: $265
Setup 2: Regular Inshore Setup
Uses: Inshore for medium to large species (such as redfish, smaller tarpon, smaller cobia, trout, snook, tripletail, black drum, bonnethead/sharpnose sharks, mangrove snappers, gag grouper, and bonito); also for throwing lures to spanish mackerel and bluefish in the surf
Rod: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (7', medium heavy, 10-20 pound line, 1/2 to 1-1/2 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn Spinfisher V 5500 (5+1 bearings, 30 pounds max drag, 6.2:1 gear ratio, 20.4 ounces)
Line: 400 yards of 20 pound test braid with 25 yards of 20 pound test fluorocarbon topshot
Total Cost: $340
Setup 3: Tarpon Setup and Surf Fishing Setup
Uses: When combined with Rod 1, used for larger tarpon; when combined with Rod 2, used for redfish, black drum, medium tarpon, jacks, and king mackerel in the surf
Rod 1: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (8', heavy, 15-30 pound line, 1/2 to 2 ounce weight)
Rod 2: Daiwa Emcast surf spinning rod (12', medium heavy, 15-30 pound line, 3-6 ounce weight)
Reel: Okuma RTX 65 (7+1 bearings, 31 pounds max drag, 4.8:1 gear ratio, 17.3 ounces)
Line: 300 yards of 30 pound braid with 150 yards of 20 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $440 (including both rods)
Setup 4: Offshore Setup, Pier Fishing Setup, and Surf Shark Casting Setup
Uses: When combined with Rod 1, used offshore to catch larger snapper, smaller cobia, dolphin, sailfish, amberjack, king mackerel, grouper, and small- to medium tuna; when combined with Rod 2, used on the pier to catch small to medium sharks, smaller cobia, king mackerel, and bull redfish and in the surf to catch small to medium sharks
Rod 1: Shimano Trevala Butterfly jigging spinning rod (5'8", extra heavy, 80-200 pound braid, 4-10 ounce weight)
Rod 2: Shakespeare Ugly Stik Bigwater spinning rod (10', medium heavy, 12-30 pound line, 1-6 ounce weight)
Reel: Okuma Azores 80 (6+1 bearings, 44 pounds max drag, 5.4:1 gear ratio, 25.5 ounces)
Line: 300 yards of 60 pound braid with 20 yards of 50 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $435 (including both rods)
Setup 5: Cobia Setup and Bottom Fishing Setup
Uses: Used offshore and nearshore to fish for larger cobia, plus grouper and snapper
Rod: Daiwa Proteus conventional boat rod (7'6", heavy, 20-50 pound line)
Reel: Penn Fathom 40 Star Drag conventional reel (5+1 bearings, 25 pounds max drag, 6.0:1 gear ratio, 18.7 ounces)
Line: 370 yards of 80 pound braid with 50 yards of 60 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $500
Setup 6: Medium Shark Setup
Uses: Sharks up to 500 pounds from shore, plus large stingrays and the biggest of tarpon (200 pounds plus)
Rod: Penn Rampage conventional jigging rod (6'2", 50-100 pound line, 4-7 ounce weight)
Reel: Shimano TLD-50 2-speed lever drag reel (4 bearings, 37 pounds max drag, 3.5:1/1.4:1 gear ratios, 57.3 ounces)
Line: 725 yards of 100 pound braid with 200 yards of 100 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $685
Setup 7: Big Shark Setup
Uses: Sharks over 500 pounds from shore, plus goliath grouper and big sawfish (could also potentially be a stand-up setup for 500+ pound tuna and swordfish)
Rod: Penn Rampage conventional jigging rod (5'8", 80-130 pound line, 6-10 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn 14/0 Senator trolling reel (2 bearings, 35 pounds max drag, 1.6:1 gear ratio, 136 ounces)
Line: 1,200 yards of 200 pound braid with 625 yards of 100 pound copolymer topshot
Total Cost: $895
My braid preference would be Jerry Brown's Hollow Core in blue (the 20 pound and 30 pound braid would be Power Pro in blue). My monofilament preference would be Berkley's Big Game Monofilament in steel blue. My fluorocarbon preference would be Seaguar's Blue Label in clear. My copolymer preference would be Sufix's Tritanium Plus in clear.
Anyone notice anything that they would change about my setups? The entire cost of seven reels, all filled with line, plus nine rods turned out to be $3,560 - buying tackle to use each of those rods with would probably cost about the same amount. Factor in freshwater tackle as well, and you can have a ton of good gear for about 10 grand (that doesn't include any kind of boat or kayak). I tried to make it the best bang for your buck, with a bit of a budget (ie conventional reels had to be $500 or less, rods had to be $200 or less, and spinning reels had to be $200 or less). The 14/0 senator could have been replaced with something else like a big Makaira, but that's a huge investment that I would never make unless I won the Mega Millions. So, what about you?
Setup 1: Light Tackle Inshore Setup
Uses: Inshore and on the pier for smaller species (such as whiting, pompano, sheepshead, croaker, and pinfish), on the flats for bonefish, trout, small jacks, and ladyfish, plus throwing jigs to pompano in the surf
Rod: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (7', medium, 8-17 pound line, 3/8 to 1 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn Spinfisher V 4500 (5+1 bearings, 25 pounds max drag, 6.2:1 gear ratio, 15.4 ounces)
Line: 185 yards of 12 pound test mono
Total Cost: $265
Setup 2: Regular Inshore Setup
Uses: Inshore for medium to large species (such as redfish, smaller tarpon, smaller cobia, trout, snook, tripletail, black drum, bonnethead/sharpnose sharks, mangrove snappers, gag grouper, and bonito); also for throwing lures to spanish mackerel and bluefish in the surf
Rod: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (7', medium heavy, 10-20 pound line, 1/2 to 1-1/2 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn Spinfisher V 5500 (5+1 bearings, 30 pounds max drag, 6.2:1 gear ratio, 20.4 ounces)
Line: 400 yards of 20 pound test braid with 25 yards of 20 pound test fluorocarbon topshot
Total Cost: $340
Setup 3: Tarpon Setup and Surf Fishing Setup
Uses: When combined with Rod 1, used for larger tarpon; when combined with Rod 2, used for redfish, black drum, medium tarpon, jacks, and king mackerel in the surf
Rod 1: Shimano Teramar Inshore Southeast spinning rod (8', heavy, 15-30 pound line, 1/2 to 2 ounce weight)
Rod 2: Daiwa Emcast surf spinning rod (12', medium heavy, 15-30 pound line, 3-6 ounce weight)
Reel: Okuma RTX 65 (7+1 bearings, 31 pounds max drag, 4.8:1 gear ratio, 17.3 ounces)
Line: 300 yards of 30 pound braid with 150 yards of 20 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $440 (including both rods)
Setup 4: Offshore Setup, Pier Fishing Setup, and Surf Shark Casting Setup
Uses: When combined with Rod 1, used offshore to catch larger snapper, smaller cobia, dolphin, sailfish, amberjack, king mackerel, grouper, and small- to medium tuna; when combined with Rod 2, used on the pier to catch small to medium sharks, smaller cobia, king mackerel, and bull redfish and in the surf to catch small to medium sharks
Rod 1: Shimano Trevala Butterfly jigging spinning rod (5'8", extra heavy, 80-200 pound braid, 4-10 ounce weight)
Rod 2: Shakespeare Ugly Stik Bigwater spinning rod (10', medium heavy, 12-30 pound line, 1-6 ounce weight)
Reel: Okuma Azores 80 (6+1 bearings, 44 pounds max drag, 5.4:1 gear ratio, 25.5 ounces)
Line: 300 yards of 60 pound braid with 20 yards of 50 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $435 (including both rods)
Setup 5: Cobia Setup and Bottom Fishing Setup
Uses: Used offshore and nearshore to fish for larger cobia, plus grouper and snapper
Rod: Daiwa Proteus conventional boat rod (7'6", heavy, 20-50 pound line)
Reel: Penn Fathom 40 Star Drag conventional reel (5+1 bearings, 25 pounds max drag, 6.0:1 gear ratio, 18.7 ounces)
Line: 370 yards of 80 pound braid with 50 yards of 60 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $500
Setup 6: Medium Shark Setup
Uses: Sharks up to 500 pounds from shore, plus large stingrays and the biggest of tarpon (200 pounds plus)
Rod: Penn Rampage conventional jigging rod (6'2", 50-100 pound line, 4-7 ounce weight)
Reel: Shimano TLD-50 2-speed lever drag reel (4 bearings, 37 pounds max drag, 3.5:1/1.4:1 gear ratios, 57.3 ounces)
Line: 725 yards of 100 pound braid with 200 yards of 100 pound mono topshot
Total Cost: $685
Setup 7: Big Shark Setup
Uses: Sharks over 500 pounds from shore, plus goliath grouper and big sawfish (could also potentially be a stand-up setup for 500+ pound tuna and swordfish)
Rod: Penn Rampage conventional jigging rod (5'8", 80-130 pound line, 6-10 ounce weight)
Reel: Penn 14/0 Senator trolling reel (2 bearings, 35 pounds max drag, 1.6:1 gear ratio, 136 ounces)
Line: 1,200 yards of 200 pound braid with 625 yards of 100 pound copolymer topshot
Total Cost: $895
My braid preference would be Jerry Brown's Hollow Core in blue (the 20 pound and 30 pound braid would be Power Pro in blue). My monofilament preference would be Berkley's Big Game Monofilament in steel blue. My fluorocarbon preference would be Seaguar's Blue Label in clear. My copolymer preference would be Sufix's Tritanium Plus in clear.
Anyone notice anything that they would change about my setups? The entire cost of seven reels, all filled with line, plus nine rods turned out to be $3,560 - buying tackle to use each of those rods with would probably cost about the same amount. Factor in freshwater tackle as well, and you can have a ton of good gear for about 10 grand (that doesn't include any kind of boat or kayak). I tried to make it the best bang for your buck, with a bit of a budget (ie conventional reels had to be $500 or less, rods had to be $200 or less, and spinning reels had to be $200 or less). The 14/0 senator could have been replaced with something else like a big Makaira, but that's a huge investment that I would never make unless I won the Mega Millions. So, what about you?
