Capt. Mike’s Outfit
Shimano Saragosssa 5000 SW (Reel) & Terez TZSW-70MH (Rod)
Why this outfit?
Capt. Mike Hogan
To keep it simple, I use the same exact 7-foot rod as I do for stripers.
I particularly like this outfit because it is heavy enough to throw 2oz lures if I need to but can also scale down to about 5/8oz if they are eating small stuff. Around our parts, this rod pretty much covers just about every situation you’ll encounter from schoolie to trophy size stripers. The sweet spot for this rod is about .75oz to 1.75oz in casting weight.
I do make one alteration from my striper outfit come albie season — I switch to a spool I keep handy loaded with 12-pound test Yozuri Hybrid line and tie the lure on directly with a loop not. There are times when I find bonito and albies to be so finicky in greasy calm water, that I swear they can see the braid. In windy conditions, I use 20-pound test Suffix braid. If I am using Yozuri Hybrid I tie directly. If I am using braid, I’ll connect a 36-inch leader of 10 to 20-pound test fluorocarbon.
MY Other OUTFITS
LURE / ROD CHART (See alternate chart below)
Casting
- St. Croix Extreme XIS70MHF 7′ M: This rod is a rocket and as I mentioned above, does really well with lures from 3/8 to 1.25oz. This rod is a blast on Albies. Not much else to say about this rod as an albie machine.
- Shimano TZSW-70MH 7′: Sometimes you just get outgunned by the strong SW in September and you need heaier lures, maybe a 2oz Heavy Minnow. If I need to go with big lures (on albie scale) this is y rod. Mainly because I have it in my arsenal, but it does the trick.
Trolling
- Shimano TZSW-70MH 7′: I keep coming back to this rod! It literally does everything ;including trolling for Albies. I either rig a 1.25oz Hogy Epoxy Jig, a 2.5oz Sand eel jig or a deep diver swimmer, set it and forget it.
Surf
- St. Croix Legend Surf HF10153 9’: IF I know I am albie fishing, I will drop down to 30lb test braid. This rod pairs perfectly with a higy 2oz heavy minnow, a 2oz Peanut Bunker Jigs and a 1.25oz Epoxy Jig.
