where to buy new blue water gear!!!!!

HOGGEMIN · 06-05-2003, 02:49 PM

I'm thinking about buying some new reels and rods and was woundering where you guys have been buying your gear on-line or retail. was looking at posibly a 114hlw or maybe a 15kg 2 speed or even a 30vsw 2 speed also what would be a good brand of rod for these reels was looking at the seeker rods. thanks for the input. On the reels I would like to have at least 400yds 80lb spectra and at least 50 yds 80lb mono top shot. Also what's avalible to hot rod a 114hlw reel. Thank for the input. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

HOGGEM'IN

CrazyFish · 06-05-2003, 03:22 PM

Try E-Bay, I've picked up a lot of my gear there. :grin:

kamloops · 06-05-2003, 03:27 PM

Try Gart Sports in Tacoma, I could not believe their price on the 114sp's. I don't have a clue if they knew what they were doing. They had some nice priced roller tip boat rods also.

8knots · 06-05-2003, 05:54 PM

Good to shop around. I recently purchased a 113HLW and it was $10 less at tackledirect.com than Charkbait.com. I just checked one of the reels you were looking at and it is just the opposite as it is cheaper at Charkbait.com.
Charkbait.com $144.84
Tackledirect.com $169.99
That was just a quick look and it gives you something to compare the stores in our area against. Check out the Catchy Tackle Tolling Lures at Charkbait. I picked up a couple in So. CA this year and they claim they kill tuna down there. The spinning head is so smooth when it spins and supposedly puts out a big jet stream. Anyone used these up here yet?

corrirod · 06-05-2003, 08:31 PM

8knots, I saw those down there a couple of weeks ago and they look really cool. The spinning action is amazing. I'm curious to see how well it works after a few saltwater soakings though?

I'm going to order some for this season to try out.

Sensei-san · 06-05-2003, 08:47 PM

Don't waste your money or time. They catch more anglers than fish. Gimme a Mexican Flag or Zuchini Zukers or Tuna Clone. Even a six shooter works better.

Booja 1 · 06-05-2003, 08:52 PM

Seeker rods are an excellent choice but don't know if they have a distributor up here..Are you looking for some trolling gear for albies?? 114 is plenty good but if cost is no object the Tiagra or Penn Internationals are smoothe as silk..Seeker phone no is 1800-3-seeker or SeekerRods.com..Maybe you can let em know what application your looking for,, ie lb test rating,,trolling,,casting whatever and they'll hook you up with the proper rod blank or finished rod to satisfy your wants......Good luck with it..

HOGGEMIN · 06-05-2003, 09:08 PM

Thanks guys putting this data in memory, please continue with more info.

:grin:

Capt. Rich · 06-05-2003, 09:40 PM

Hoggemin, Pacific Pioneer Charters is a pro staff member of Seeker Rods and Okuma reels. We use Seeker rods and Okuma reels almost exclusively.

We just completed our Southern halibut season. Unlike Newport North, we caught our quota in the May season. The May 15-17 catches out of Winchester Bay were all aboard the SYDNEY MAE. The last day we caught Alaska fish for our passengers. They took home fish from 48" to 56".

Many of the fish were caught on Seeker's all roller stand up rod SC655XH 5 1/2' with an Okuma TG15L reel spooled with 80# Tuffline. The same rod can easily double for a excellent albacore rod. All Seeker rods are fast taper. It takes extra care to make a fast taper rod in a heavy duty saltwater rod. They are not broomsticks like other saltwater rods. The finish on Seeker rods will last a lifetime.

I was concerned about the size of the Okuma levelwind but the passengers loved them and said they had enough power to reel in the fish. One passenger caught three fish with the outfit. He got a double on the last drop that we had to let go.

I highly recommend Seeker rods and Okuma reels. they have been very reliable for us and are quality products. The Seeker video on their website is well worth watching. Seeker rods are 100% handcrafted and made by a company that has fishing in its blood.

Gregotis98 · 06-05-2003, 09:41 PM

I bought an Okuma Titus Gold 20 2spd new off Ebay for just under $300. I haven't gotten it wet yet this year but it sure looks and feels like a nice reel. I'd never even heard of Okuma until recently but so far am pretty impressed, you should at least take a look at their stuff.

Sensei-san · 06-05-2003, 10:13 PM

I'm a bad boy... I forgot to read the original post. Hoggemin, The thread about Penn 4/0 reels a few weeks ago had a response from Captain Amana, the owner of Tiburon Engineering. They make excellent hotrod kits for Penn reels. Also Newell and Accurate make hop up kits too.

http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb....;f=21;t=001602

The International VSW reels are great reels too. But they are pricy. Penns response to Shimano stealing customers with their Tiagra line.

Don't know if you need that much horsepower to reel in halibut, sturgeon or albacore here in the PNW. Unless you like to impress your fishing buddies. But gold tends to blind people in the bright sun... Upps... I forgot this is Oregon...

Scaup · 06-06-2003, 06:12 AM

Another place to look for gear online is boatersworld.com.

Sometimes they have some pretty good deals and you can use it to compare prices. If you spend $100 they don't charge for shipping (unless it is an oversize item like a rod).

Popeye · 06-06-2003, 06:56 AM

Hoggeman....Here's another site
http://www.blueoceantackle.com/

avid · 06-06-2003, 06:57 AM

The place to buy Seeker rods is Squidco in San Diego. They have the best price and are happy to ship. I have been buying salt reels at Copeland Sports on their 20% off Thursdays right here in Medford. Not all Copelands have a fishing/hunting department.

Squidco's phone number, they don't have a website but will send a catalog if you ask.
(619)-222-8955

[ 06-06-2003, 02:02 PM: Message edited by: avid ]

06-06-2003, 07:22 AM

Avid,
Where is Copeland Sports located?

Booja 1 · 06-06-2003, 09:33 AM

Another great fishing rod is the Calstar..www.calstarrods.com or 310-538-0535..Like the Seeker it's located in So Cal..The rod Capt Rich talked about is quite a meatstik and will handle anything around here..Calstar and Seeker are very comparable and you will like either. For a little less money the Shimano TLD 20 and 30 works great and sounds like you might be leaning toward a two speed, it comes in that also..They also have the line capacity you are looking for. Like Sensei San said if the Gold reels are too blinding on eyes the TLD's are alot more low keyed but have the fabulous Shimano drag system..

Aqua-Holic · 06-06-2003, 10:11 AM

www.sportco.com (Tacoma)

DriftR · 06-06-2003, 10:26 AM

Don't forget to check out GUSA rods and Accurate Reels. I just finished up two GUSA 711H rods. They are single piece, 7'11" rods. I built them with Aftco handles, Aftco Lightweight guides and roller tip with Hyaplon handles. I set these two twin rods up with two (2) Accurate Boss 270 reels. I run 65 pd Tuff Line XP with a 60 yard top shot of either 40lb Maxima River Green or Chameleon. These Accurate Twin Drag 270 reels are just plain awesome. Made in the USA (CA) and I own three of them. The finest reels for chinook, halibut and albies. I use a 665 h Accurate for Halibut and Albies. As to the Seeker Cal Star Rod mix. I agree both are great but I would go with CAL Star myself.

Sensei-san · 06-06-2003, 10:40 AM

Uhhh... I love those Accurate reels in the new candy colored anodized finishes... The deep purple is a scream.

I guess they have to be different to cater to the SoCal crowd. I could see guys jumping to their rigs on a long range trip when the boat stops on a boil. "Hey You!! that's my CALSTAR Dick Gallia custom wrapped rod with the deep purple Accurate sideplates, blue Accuframes with a yellow spool Boss Magnum 665 HXM reel." "No!! It isn't. You got mine!!"

I guess fishermen are as vain as......

(car collectors???)

[ 06-06-2003, 12:09 PM: Message edited by: Sensei-san ]

avid · 06-06-2003, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Keta:

Where is Copeland Sports located?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">They are in the RV mall upstairs above the Meier & Frank home store, the old Montgomery Ward location. The only salt gear they have is their reel collection. The have few Shimanos, a few Okumas and a Penn or two. I haven't looked carefully through all the rods but I haven't noticed anything obviously substantial enough sticking out of the racks to qualify as bluewater gear.

avid · 06-06-2003, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sensei-san:

I guess they have to be different to cater to the SoCal crowd.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Some Long Range tackle 'hos invest some serious money on their stuff. On the three day trip I was on there was a group of guys that had, at the minimum, 100 rods all wrapped indentically. After breaking them down they had three huge bundles of rods.

Mark Mc · 06-06-2003, 02:46 PM

Hey Hoggemin (interesting name BTW), ditto on the Calstars & Seekers. You can comparison shop all over the place, and you probably won't find better prices than Charkbait. Plus, they don't try to profit on the shipping. In addition, the folks who run Charkbait are just super people. They back up their products & do darn near anything (within reason) to keep you the customer happy. Also, they have a really great selection of most all the tuna gear you could imagine. I'm afraid to tell you how much I've gotten from them (for fear my wife will find out).

charkbait.com

They have the good sea striker cedar plugs (plain and the good colors too), the cool little jet-heads (sumo brand), all the best albacore candy.....

If ya talk to Mark Smith (owner) or his wife Beth, tell them that Mark McCulloch said hi.

p.s. even though Seeker & Calstar use the same model numbers, you will find that on some identical models the Seeker will be rated a little lighter than the Calstar. And if you're planning on being in Corvallis, I'd be happy to show you what some of these Calstars & Seekers look & feel like (yes, you can yank my rods).

p.p.s Not affiliated with Charkbait or Calstar or Seeker, blah blah blah. Just an Oregon tackle ho.

Sensei-san · 06-06-2003, 03:03 PM

Hey Mark... Is that why they call them (stiff or stand up) rods? Or does your wife have a Bobbit knife like Keta's?

avid · 06-06-2003, 03:07 PM

Mark at Charkbait is a great guy. In fact, I just ordered some tuna terminal tackle from him last night. He will take time to answer your tackle question when you call. He also has weekly specials if you aren't in a hurry for that next piece of gear.

For a great catalog and an awesome place to go and gawk, if you are in San Diego, then take a look at Fisherman's Landing tackle.
http://www.saltwatertackle.com/contact.htm.
They aren't know as a discount place but they have EVERYTHING. It's also a good place to go and listen to people talk San Diego and points south fishing. On your way out don't trip over any of the 200+ Yellowfins laying around waiting for the processor to pick up. <g>

DriftR · 06-06-2003, 03:10 PM

Sensei-San,
I don't go in for all the color. I just have the plain old aluminum color. Now being that I have two very nice setups that are almost twins of each other I did opt out. I actually ordered two aluminum AFTCO reel seat assembles, one in silver the other silver with a black insert. Along with one reel spooled with a top shot of Maxima River Green and the other top shot of Maxima Chamelion I can keep them separate. One thing I would caution anyone using the AFTCO Lightweight guides. I think their pretty strong and first rate but just to be safe I ordered backup rollers, bearings and face plates. Never know when or if they might fail so I bought a good backup supply. Hard to get parts when your into albies 25 miles west.

Sensei-san · 06-06-2003, 03:48 PM

Driftr... It's a good idea to have spare parts for the rollers. The screws can back out in a long fight and like you say spare parts are hard to find out on the deep bluewater.

All this talk about albies has my eyes starting to recalibrate themselves.... Do love that azure blue when you know you are in 58-59 degree water.... Green water is for weenies....

Mark Mc · 06-06-2003, 07:21 PM

Mr. Konno-San how are you? You made reference to Keta, his wife, and a certain knife. Then on another thread, Keta said:"Rod, Just one word of warning, Lorena."

Is there some story about Keta that I missed? Or is it that ranchers are always cutting & bobbing something? Tell me tell me!

Cross-leggedly yours,

Mark

Beer Waggin · 06-06-2003, 07:27 PM

Hook-up · 06-07-2003, 11:01 PM

I have been keeping an eye on the Penn 15kg's. There is a guy on Ebay that keeps a constant sale going on them (for almost 2 years now). They usually go for about $250-$260 for the 2 speed. That is at least $50 less than anywhere else. I just bought the single speed 15kg for my friend and we used it for halibut in May. It was great.

avid · 06-08-2003, 08:44 AM

It's hard to beat the Copeland Sports 20% off Thursdays althought they haven't had one in a couple of months. According to Copeland's website it doesn't appear that the Portland area stores stock fishing or hunting gear. If you know anyone that lives near a California Sportmart they also have 20% everything coupons occasionally and the stores I have been in stock all the Blue Water reels. One of them even had a Shimano Tiagra 130.

Do GI Joe's Portland locations have saltwater reels? I mean besides the few Penn level winds and Daiwa Sealines that they carry in thier Medford store? I picked up a Sealine at 20% off during one of Joe's one day coupons deals.

[ 06-08-2003, 10:04 AM: Message edited by: avid ]

Sensei-san · 06-08-2003, 08:27 PM

Mark Mc... I noticed that Keta's postings have been terse lately... maybe he has had his fill of Rocky Mountain Oysters or like you say...
Cross leggedly yours....
I wonder if the honeydew melon is related to Rocky Mountain Oysters???

06-08-2003, 08:33 PM

SS,
I've been busy getting things squared away at home for the 2 month work trek to the Puget Sound area.

jcarufo · 06-09-2003, 05:00 AM

I too would highly recommend Mark at Charkbait. Great products, good prices, built a store and successful business on word of mouth. If your into price shopping also try SQC Corp in San Diego.
As to your reel choice, I'd suggest a Shimano TLD 20 II speed or TLD 20 or 25 single speed on a Calstar 765XL, 765L, or 760L (full Aftco roller) rod. The reels are lever drag, smooth as silk and built like tanks. I like both Calstar and Seeker rods, but the design of the Seeker provides a softer tip better suited to fishing bait. You can't go wrong with either though. Both great rods.
80 spectra/80 mono top shot seems a we bit of an overkill for albacore doesn't it? You are trolling but........My favorite albacore outfit is a Calcutta 400 on a Calstar 700xl light weight Aftco roller rod with 20lb Izor, but that is fishing bait or throwing plastics on the slide. I've been in Oregon 28 years, but it's hard to forget my roots working as a deck hand on the sport boats at Fisherman's Landing in SD. It's fishing meat here, a little different approach.
Jean

HOGGEMIN · 06-09-2003, 07:28 PM

Thanks for all the replys just got back from Ocean Park workin on beach house, On my way down I stoped at England marine and got some Tuna gear. While there I looked at there real selection, they had no Penn KG'S or Internationals but there prices were great on the 113's and 114's they had 114HLW's for $151.95 while the cheapest mail order I found was at Charkbait,They want $144.84. On the segestions on going with a Shimano reel I would but Penn offers a great product and it's made I AMERICA this is important to me for there is a lot of unemployed people out there, including me. If I can get a great product made in America I will even if it costs more. I know it cant be done on every thing but I try hard to keep it in America. Please consider this for yourselfs and maybe we can help turn around this country, before we have to start another TEA PARTY. :grin:

avid · 06-10-2003, 12:47 PM

If anyone is interested Copeland Sports is having a 20% off coupon good on everything this Thursday.

corrirod · 06-10-2003, 01:14 PM

Make sure to go to the people that sponsor this website first for any of your hardware needs. They pay to keep this site going and we should show them our thanks by buying from them first if possible.

Remember to put yourself in their shoes when you're looking at threads like this one. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

I think GI Joes will match pricing as long as it's identical product and advertised.

[ 06-10-2003, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: corrirod ]

HOGGEMIN · 06-10-2003, 01:55 PM

I will try asking GI-Joes but I asked them last year if they would match Englands price on Penn International 965 and 975 and they would not budge Englands price was $45.00 less. I still buy between $3,000 and $4,000 between GI-Joes and if I have to Fishermans a year.

avid · 06-10-2003, 02:15 PM

Oh sorry, I shortcut my post last time waiting to see if anyone was interested. It really finished up like this.

Last time %$#@!&%$s had 20% off GI Joe's followed with a coupon of their own, careful read the fine print. They have Shimano TLD star 20/40 (Maybe 15/30) and Daiwas in 30/40/50 sizes. Sometimes the coupon doesn't work on Shimano.

The reels that the other place sells Joe's doesn't stock and vice versa. Do Joe's Portland locations sell other saltwater reels besides the one's mentioned above. I asked earlier in the thread trying to include Joe's but no one replied. TIA

HOGGEMIN · 06-10-2003, 04:37 PM

I called GI Joes and they could order a Penn 114HLW for me but wanted $208 or $210 even Fishermans was cheaper at $169.95. I will talk with Bob the tackle manager at Hayden meadows GI-Joes to see if we can start getting more bluewater gear in stock and let him know competers pricing on stuff.

06-10-2003, 06:34 PM

I got my lefty 113H-4/0 at Joe's for $120.00

[ 06-11-2003, 08:02 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

WP · 06-10-2003, 10:39 PM

I am sad that the G.I.Joes in Albany doesn't stock much of anything and the service people don't know their stuff at all (except Rick and I haven't seen him for a while) It is sad because they used to be excellant and I could get knowledgable help. Everytime I am in Eugene or Salem I am reminded of the difference...wish we had a good store locally...Joe's or otherwise.
WP

Straydog · 06-11-2003, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by corrirod:
Make sure to go to the people that sponsor this website first for any of your hardware needs. They pay to keep this site going and we should show them our thanks by buying from them first if possible.

Remember to put yourself in their shoes when you're looking at threads like this one. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

I think GI Joes will match pricing as long as it's identical product and advertised.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Good call Corrirod.

I find it intersting that people will pay more to buy American to help keep people employed but seem to have no qualms about buying on ebay or some other internet show that employs hardly anyone compared to the retailers in our region. Local retailers have the ability to order most any tackle made if you ask them to. Most should also let you see their distributor catalog to see what is available.

As Corrirod said, put yourself in their shoes. They have a huge investment in merchandise, employees and overhead. They need to keep their merchandise dollars tied up in those items that provide the best turns. It is difficult to stock everything for every need. If you think about it, to cater to every fishing need that might occur, one would have to stock a mall full of tackle. The problem is, they have to sell it too and when you get into specialty items and then have to compete with the internet sights that have little if any overhead, you are asking a lot of the retailers to be in stock and to be equal in pricing. :smile:

[ 06-11-2003, 06:57 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]