There has always been a friendly rivalry between the conventional and the spinning reel diehards. Since the beginning of sportsfishing, going for the monsters means using massive conventional reels. It is still true today, if you're going to target really big monsters in the hundreds of pounds. Massive amounts of high rated fishing line is a must. In this area, conventional reel is king. But with the advent of small diameter braid and spectra lines, the limitation of spinning reels as a monster hauler due to the limited amount of line you can spool on it is diminishing. Bigger spinning reels like the Accurate Twin Spin 50 has been around and proven to be capable of tangling with cow tuna. Even bigger are Penn's new Spinfisher V with the largest size at 10000, and the rumored New Saltiga Dogfight coming out with a bigger 9000 size. These reels have gobs of fish stopping drag north of 40lbs. But then you'll say conventional rod and reel combos have the luxury of getting strapped with a full harness, and spinners don't. Surely a full harness is a must for fighting big fish where success is a matter of an angler's endurance. Well, not anymore...here comes the spin strap. A simple inexpensive strap has increased the capability of spin anglers!
It's a simple contraption that allows the spin angler to strap-on with a full harness. I've only seen two spin straps so far at our local tackle shops--the Braid and Aftco spin straps. I'm quite sure there are other brands out there. Wearing a full harness while playing tug-o-war with a big fish is more comfortable, and increases your endurance to stay in the fight. Of course, there are many young anglers out there who are capable of fighting monsters with just a fighting belt.
Positioning the strap: The ideal position for the strap is under the front part of the reel foot as shown on the pictures below. Although I've seen some anglers position it up on the front grip area of the rod. Make sure the non-slip surface of the strap is in contact with the rod. I've used the spin strap once to put on a full harness while hooked to a striped marlin that bit my PE5 rated casting rod. A bit under-gunned. I used it more to help cradle the rod. It worked without a hitch.
Now that you have the strap in-place, all you have to do is connect the strap to the harness and you're ready to tango with your monster.
Look ma, no hands!
If you wish, you also have the option to strap on a shoulder harness instead.
Aftco spin strap with harness in action with a striped marlin on the line.
Reel: Saltiga Dogfight
Rod: Ocean Revolution Kevlar Stealth PE5
Line: JB Hollow 80lb
Leader: Jinkai mono leader 100lbs
Have you used the same set-up in fighting big fish? How'd you like it?
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