# Conventional Question



## CobeKing (May 21, 2012)

I'm looking into getting a conventional reel to catch amberjack and grouper with.What reels are pound for pound the best reels for that sort of fishing?


----------



## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

Various opinions, my .02:
Penn 113H (4/0) or 114H (6/0).
Sometimes I use my tuner rod/reel: Penn 50VSW

You can also use spinning reels too in which case I'd suggest all braid with the exception of your mono backer.

Catch 'em up.


----------



## Xpac (Jun 22, 2011)

it depends on what method you plan to use: live bait, jigging? here's a "few" choices:

Jigging: Avet JX, Penn 113HN, Penn TRQ100, 200, 300, Shimano Torium, the list goes on. depends what you want to spend.

Live bait: good ole Penn 113H 4/0 will be fine but you can use the one's mentioned above just as well. Too many choices


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em (Jan 4, 2013)

Penn squall 30 is a blast for amberjack. Match to torque jigging rod in the 50-100 class she'll take amberjack to 80lbs.The 50 is even better and will take small tuna too.


----------



## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

i have a nice 133H.WITH ROLLER TIP ROD.50.00


----------



## Contender (Apr 4, 2012)

Go with one of the newer reels designed for braid -- my fav is the old TRQ 200 (Penn) they were recently discontinued but you can find them on Ebay and Tackle Direct. Second choice Shimano Torium. Others are good too, Avet, Accurate, Boss and higher end Shimano's like Torsa. 

Get an extra heavy or heavy fast rod, I have a 6' All Star and some Shimano trevala's these jigging type rods can handle the pressure of jigging and decent size weights.

50-80 pound braid with a mono leader will give you plenty off strength, plus plenty of line. The reels I mentioned crank in a bunch of line with each turn, will let you put ridiculous amounts of drag and maybe the best part don't weigh much at all. 

I have described something of a jigging set-up but it will work for live bait and dead bait bottom fishing, the converse is not true. 

You can spend a few hundred to several thousand, depends on your budget and what you want. Low end price wise is Torium/Trevala for less the $400 plus line. It is a good set-up, there are several on boat and each of them has caught literally tons of AJ, Cobia, Snapper, Grouper and Tuna. No issues no failures.


----------



## Tunanorth (Feb 22, 2012)

You don't specify what your price range is, but probably the most "bomb proof" reel on the market is the Penn Baja Special 113HN, which LOOKS like just a narrowed-down 113H 4/0 Senator, but has upgraded frame, upgraded gears, upgraded drag, upgraded handle, more ball-bearings, better casting/freespool, etc, etc. 
If you are thinking a bit smaller, the now-discontinued Penn Torque TRQ200 may still be found for closeout pricing if you look around, and the new star-drag Penn models Torque TRQ30, Fathom FTH30, or Squall SQL30 would all fit the bill. 
If you can wait until mid-late March, the Penn Torque TRQ30LD2 should be hitting store shelves if you prefer a lever-drag 2-speed.


----------



## Gotta Gaff 'Em (Jan 4, 2013)

Do yourself a favor and check out this company....

http://www.releasereels.com/

the sg i can personally attest to hauling up 60lb red drum, and 80lb amberjack


----------



## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

conventional: shimano talica/torsa
for star drag hard to beat the trinidad 40n (thats if you're jigging for them)if you can find one
spinning: shimano saragosa/stradic/sustain


----------



## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

go with the strongest reel you can find in the smallest package... my AJ reel is an Avet JX Raptor, 400yds of 100lb braid and 40lbs of drag... but for big baits (5-10 lb bonita) you can still get your butt handed to you on a 50w by a BIG AJ...


----------



## Tunanorth (Feb 22, 2012)

Sounds like a lot of folks like that "narrow 4/0" configuration.
Besides the star-drag Baja Special 113HN, the upcoming Penn Torque series will have a narrow 4/0 size with the TRQ40NLD2 if you want a 2-speed lever drag.


----------

