# Deep dropping advice



## Out Hookin (Feb 17, 2010)

First I would like to say this is my first posting, I have been reading the forum for a few months now and I'm very impressed by the vast amount of knowledge and the friendly advice.

So I have just got into offshore fishing this past year the the last piece of equiptment i need is an electric for deep dropping, I've decided on a Tanacom Bull 1000 Iknow several readers use this reel and i wanted to know about a line setup what size braid and brand would be best for deep dropping?


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## SUNDAY-FUNDAY (Apr 17, 2008)

i just bought that exact reel mounted on the swivel tip diawa bent butt rod. spooled it with hi-vis yellow PP 100# test. whichever brand you go with get hi-vis stuff. that way whoever's at the helm can see the line angle while holding on the spot. i picked up this tip from one of reccess' previous posts. they are the deep dropping guru's for sure!!


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Can't help ya out w/ deep droppin'.....but you'll have several chiming in to give you help....

Just wanted to welcome you to the mad house and hope you got some chest waders cause it gets deep in here from time to time!!!:letsdrink There is a great group of folks on here who I consider family so welcome to the PFF family:grouphug:letsdrink


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## Out Hookin (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks for the help, I agree I could learn alot from the crew on the reccess.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

The only problem I have with those reels is the LCD tells you everything in Japanese, I had to print the operation manual off the CD in English and refer to the manual a lot to learn how to use them.


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## CATCH-ALL (Oct 6, 2009)

> *Kim (3/22/2010)*The only problem I have with those reels is the LCD tells you everything in Japanese, I had to print the operation manual off the CD in English and refer to the manual a lot to learn how to use them.


You're right. I was usinga Tanacomfor Golden Tilefish and the damn LCD kept saying *Gorden Tirefish.* j/k

I'vedone a lot of deepdropping, both on my boat and on a lot of others' boats, east coast & west coast. I've had the opportunity to use several different brands - Electramate, Kristal, Daiwa (1000 and the top of the line 3000), Lindgren-Pittman, Dolphin Electreel.Most of my experience is on the ElectraMate, the Dolphin Electreel and the Daiwa 1000. On each brand I'm going to tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.I'm sure others will have their own observations - your mileage may vary, objects in mirror are closer than they appear 

*Kristal* -PROS - a lifetime reel. Very quiet. Very powerful. All in one unit. Lever drag system. CONS - they seem to blow a lot of fuses. The levelwinds tend to malfunction.Medium pricey. No line counter (at least on the 651's and 621's that Ive used)

*Lindgren-Pittman* - PROS - a lifetime reel. Excellent customer service & product support. Since it mates up to a Shimano Tiagra or Penn International, it utilizes thereels' leverdrag system. CONS - pricey. No line counter.

*Daiwa3000* -PROS - all in one unit. Gold anodized. Lever drag system. Almost silent motor. Digital line countersystem switchable between English & Metric. Beefy levelwinder. Many east coast deepdrop swordfishermen are switching to this reel. If the motor or batt dies you can still use the manual handle to save the day.CONS - pricey.

*Daiwa 1000* - PROS - all in one unit. Digital line counter. Quiet motor. Lightweight. Manual handle as a backup to the batt or motor quitting. Relatively inexpensive. CONS - the levelwinder is a cheap plastic part that easily breaks if <U>any</U> sideways load is put on it - seen it shit the bed on three different units. The Daiwa rod that Daiwa recommends for this reel is way too wimpy, especially for east coast Tilefish deepdropping that requires up 11 pounds of weight. Go with the next size up Daiwa rod or a Star Rods 50-80 deepdrop rod instead.The 1000 reel motor is also too weak for the heavy weights required for east coast Tilefish deepdropping. This motor is incapable of reeling up a combo of big fish and heavy weights - the breaking point seems to be 7 or more pounds of lead and a fish bigger (or feistier) than a 5 pounder. Numerous times I've seen a 1000 stop reeling in when the weight was a 7 pound bottom weight and 3 pound top weight AND a tiny 5 pound Golden Tile was on the line. Star drag system.

*ElectraMate* - PROS - Good starter unit. Relatively inexpensive, good value, basic Olde Skoole motorpack that bolts onto Penn Senator (shitty star drags) or International reels (lever drags). ElectraMate is the inventor of electric reels meaning there are tons of deals on used EM's available online. Doesnt blow fuses. Probably the most ubiquitous combo out there is the 940XP/Senator 9-0 combo. CONS - metal motor housing for the less-expensive units is cheap metal that rusts easily. Plastic gear housing on rest of unit can fail too. Chain drive gearing inside can strip if you have inexperienced crew not paying attention. Rubber booty on toggle switchneeds frequent replacement.No line counter. No levelwind. Very LOUD motor, like a rotisserie motor on crack. On the Senator/ ElectraMate combos it is highly recommended to pay the extra money($75) and buy a s/s bridge and have a reel repair guy replace thestandard brass Penn part with the s/s ElectraMate part.

*Dolphin Electreel* -Dolphin motorpack bolts onto Penn Senator, Penn International and Shimano Tiagra. Two choices - send your reel to Dolphin for them to mate your reel onto their motorpack or buy the entire reel/motorpack system from Dolphin brand new. Drag system is either lever drag (Penn Intl or Shimano Tiagra) or star drag (Penn Senator). Backup manual reel handle if your batt or motorpack dies. I've used both the Senator 9-0/Dolphin combo and the Penn 50TW/ Dolphin combo - loved both. Robust housing.Spray-shielded switch. Quiet motor. The motorfor the 9-0 combo is easily able to haul up 12 pounds of lead weight, plus a 15 pound Golden Tilefish.CONS - medium pricey. You have to send your reel to them to have it mounted. Wire cable seems to be a little on the wimpy side. 

Is this list comprehensive? Hell no. I said it's only the reels that I've used personally in real world conditions. Motor strength is important if you use a lot of lead weight. People shouldn't confuse large fish with heavy weight- fish are neutrally buoyant in water. They only weigh something when you pull them out of the water.

*Disclosure:* my personal deepdrop reel is a Penn Senator 12-0/ ElectraMate 940XP combo. I have it spooled with four500 yard sections of FINS brand 130 lb braided and mounted on a Star rods 50-80 bentbutt deepdrop rod with a swivel tip. My next deepdrop reel will be a Penn 50 Internatl/ Dolphin ElectReel combo. 

Damn, that was a lot of typing. :hotsun Maybe I should call this post*Catch-All 201 - Deepdrop Reels *

Catch


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## Out Hookin (Feb 17, 2010)

Wow thanks for all the info im sure it took a while to compile all of it, Its great to get that amount of knowledge on the subject. Thanks again for your time!


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Great information catch all! Deep drop reels 101 in it's entirety. Answers a lot of questions about the reels.


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## CATCH-ALL (Oct 6, 2009)

aw shucks. thats nice of you to say that. 

I wouldnt say it the definitive tome on deepdrop reels. For example, I left out Miya Epoch reels. Same for Fish-Ng Reels. I've never seen 'em let alone fished 'em. There's also another deedrop reel, in the el cheapo bracket, called Fish Winch. Don't know a damn thing about them. 

So y'all have been forewarned - batteries not included, your mileage may vary, objects in mirror are closer than they appear, some assembly required and my all time favorite - this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.

CATCH


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