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Boat fishing Rod/Reel/Braid setup advice please!

The Third Earl said:
Mr Fish is bang on re Braid and Sloshes . I have a couple of older Sl30’s . They are pretty basic, and I seem to remember they have spools made of plastic or something similar.
That said I have used them for Wreck Pollack and they were fine . I have never used a Fathom but only heard good things about them .
Braid is a no stretch line and you will feel the slightes nibbled using it . The difference between braid and mono re bite registration is huge. Braid wins easily , I have not used mono when boat fishing for years .

Dave
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Cheers Dave, I should have said, unless it’s light boat fishing I always used my Slosh30 SHVs with the metal spool for anything like gilling over wrecks.
Heavier downtide fishing would be with something more robust.
Not that I’ve ever had a plastic Slosh spool break and my versions of those have had double shore conger and all sorts.

As much as I dislike braid off the shore, totally agree on the boat it’s by far the best option.
 
FreddieBaker said:
Hi Chesilpete,

Yes it is my own boat - looking to spend circa £250
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Being your own boat you can fish the lighter setup without getting into trouble with the bloke next to you.
I also agree on the fathom 2 ld.
Do not compromise on the braid.
Buy expensive 8 strand in a slightly higher bs, I use 40lb j braid and would recommend that.
 
chesilpete said:
Being your own boat you can fish the lighter setup without getting into trouble with the bloke next to you.
I also agree on the fathom 2 ld.
Do not compromise on the braid.
Buy expensive 8 strand in a slightly higher bs, I use 40lb j braid and would recommend that.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice. Any preference on the Fathom 2 LD vs the slightly older Fathom LD. Some say the older is more robust??
 
FreddieBaker said:
Hi All,

I am new to the forum and have a question for you all.

I have been sea fishing for quite a few years, but over the past year or so I have started taking my boat fishing more seriously and been trying a few different techniques/marks which has lead to me landing my PB fish an 11.5lbs Pollack this summer.

I am fully hooked now and as the summer season draws to a close I am starting to think that I should be buying a proper setup if I am wanting to continue to catch fish like this.

So, I would like your advice and expertise to aid my decision on the perfect Rod/Reel/Line setup for me.

I am fishing mostly from the boat with: baited boat rigs, heftier wrecking rigs, plaice rigs, baited feathers etc. I am targeting: Cod, Pollack, Ling, Bass, and flatties. Anywhere between 15m and 70m of water.

I am unsure whether to go fixed spool or multiplier? So far I have been advised a Penn Fathom II 25 Lever-Drag.

Rod wise, I cant decide between an Ugly Stik 12-20 or 20-30?

I want something that is fun and going to put a nice bend in the rod with good tip sensitivity but will not break when we have a decent size fish on.

Lastly, Braid. What strength do you recommend? Again I want nice feel through the line but do not want it to break under a good fish.

Thank you very much in advance a look forward to hearing your responses.

Freddie
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Hey Freddie
Great to see you're getting into boat fishing! Here's a setup that works well for me, and it might be helpful for you depending on the type of fish you're targeting and the waters you're fishing in:
Rod:
For boat fishing, I recommend a medium-heavy rod (around 6'6" to 7'6"). This gives you enough backbone for fighting larger fish, but it’s still flexible enough for sensitivity. Brands like Shimano or St. Croix offer some great options.
Reel:
Match your rod with a 3000 to 5000 size spinning reel if you're targeting mid-sized species. For bigger fish, you might want to go for a 6000 or 8000 size. I've had great experiences with the Penn Battle II series for durability and smooth drag performance.
Braid:
For the braid, I like to go with 20-30 lb test for lighter fishing, and 50-65 lb test if you're after heavier species like snapper or grouper. PowerPro or Daiwa J-Braid are solid choices, offering good casting distance and durability.
Don’t forget to add a fluorocarbon leader (around 6-8 feet) to avoid spooking fish. I usually go with a 20-30 lb leader for most situations, but you can adjust based on the fish you're targeting.
Good luck out there! Let me know if you need any more tips or have specific fish in mind. Tight lines!
 
The Dream Girl Charters said:
Hey Freddie
Great to see you're getting into boat fishing! Here's a setup that works well for me, and it might be helpful for you depending on the type of fish you're targeting and the waters you're fishing in:
Rod:
For boat fishing, I recommend a medium-heavy rod (around 6'6" to 7'6"). This gives you enough backbone for fighting larger fish, but it’s still flexible enough for sensitivity. Brands like Shimano or St. Croix offer some great options.
Reel:
Match your rod with a 3000 to 5000 size spinning reel if you're targeting mid-sized species. For bigger fish, you might want to go for a 6000 or 8000 size. I've had great experiences with the Penn Battle II series for durability and smooth drag performance.
Braid:
For the braid, I like to go with 20-30 lb test for lighter fishing, and 50-65 lb test if you're after heavier species like snapper or grouper. PowerPro or Daiwa J-Braid are solid choices, offering good casting distance and durability.
Don’t forget to add a fluorocarbon leader (around 6-8 feet) to avoid spooking fish. I usually go with a 20-30 lb leader for most situations, but you can adjust based on the fish you're targeting.
Good luck out there! Let me know if you need any more tips or have specific fish in mind. Tight lines!
Click to expand...
Nice to get a suggestion from away from these shores... actually that's pretty much how I fish in warmer waters.
 
For 80% of UK boat fishing a nice 7'6" 12/20lb rod, Shimano charter special 200 lever drag reel & 30lb braid, is just about perfect.
Heavy wrecking needs something with more beef to quickly get a big fish off the wreck, maybe 30/50lb rod, TLD20 reel, 50-60lb braid,
& for some real fun an 8lb or 12lb rod is perfect for bream.
 
If it is any help, on my boat I fish all Kenzaki rods, we use them because of the soft tip, but there is plenty of grunt in the butt section.

For plaice and flatties in general then it would be the 8 -15, general wrecking will be the 12 -20's, mainly used for lures on the wrecks /reefs, and also for maccy bashing. Using 30lb braid, I have rarely had to go above 10oz when lure fishing the wrecks, more often using 8oz.

Anchored on the banks, we use the 20- 30's for rays, smoothound, huss, and spurs.

For blues, and conger we use the 30- 50 rods.

Most of the reels are the Marquesa 12's & 16's with 30lb braid, but on the 20 -30 and the 30 -50 rods we use Marquesa 2011 (2 speed), with 50lb braid.

However, I also do a lot of slow jigging, and the rods for that are, temple Reef Gravitate 3, Hearty Rise Slow Jigging 2, and Palmaris power 1. These are used with palm size reels, the Maxel Rage 25,
 

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