By: BFT Staff

How many times have you been prepping to go on a boat and have just felt overwhelmed with the amount of options of gear you have to choose from; Or even those just starting out wanting to have the some great setups to go offshore fishing. Well in this BFT Journal we will help you narrow your search of gear into 5 Must Set Ups. Be it that you're 100 miles offshore for giant tuna or just past the islands for yellowtail or rock fish we will get you dialed in.

Set Up 1.  “20 pound rod “ 

Rods- Calstar 800 XLH 15-25 or United Composites XF 80

Reels- Shimano Trinidad 14a or Daiwa Saltiga 20ld2

Line - 50 pound “WHITE” Power pro braid

Leader- Seaguar Gold Label 20 lb

Uses: The 20LB rod setup shown above is a key element when it comes to fishing fly line offshore for line shy bluefin or yellowtail. This setup is ideal when fishing kelp patties or school grade fish from 10-30 pounds. Also doubles as the perfect sea bass and island rod.

Set Up 2. “25-30 pound rod”

Rods- Calstar 800M 20-40 or United Composites RGP Tilefish jr 20-50lb 

Reels- Shimano Trinidad 16a or Daiwa Saltiga 35nld2

Line- 50-65 pound “WHITE” Power Pro Braid

Leader- 25-30 lb Seaguar Gold Label

Uses: The 20-30lb rod is regularly known as an all purpose setup for its light nature but strong personality. This rod will be ideal when the fish are not as line shy and you can step up to thicker line when fly line fishing but would also work for just about all types of rockfishing., This setup is great when it comes to handling fishing up to 50 pounds.

 Set Up 3. “40 pound rod”

Rods- Phenix Axis 78XH 30-80 (HAX-78XH) or United Composites GUS 800 Monster 30-60 which is slightly softer than their GP line spoken about in the last setups.

Reels- Shimano Talica 12ii A or Penn Torque 30ld2 or Saltiga 35ld2

Line - 65-80LB (WHITE) Power Pro Spectra

Leader - 40 lb Seaguar Blue Label

Uses: The 40lb rod is going to be one of those staples in your arsenal since it will cover a lot of the heavier duty applications in your arsenal. Having a solid 40lb rod will allow you to do deep rock fishing especially using those 16-20 oz sinkers without overloading the rod. It will also be great for fly line fishing when they are less line shy or are bigger class 50-100 pounds. Not only that but this 40lb rod would also work for throwing an iron around the island assuming you have the correct line combination. For the purposes of this journal we won't get too deep into iron fishing.

Set Up 4. “50-60 Pound Rod SINKER RIG / JIGS”

Rods- Calstar 875XH 40-80 or RUS76 PREDATOR

Reels- Shimano Talica 16ii A or 20ii A or Penn Torque 40nld2

Line- 80lb (Depth Hunter Metered) Power Pro Braid.

Leader- 50-60 lb Seaguar Blue or Gold Label

Uses - This 50-60lb setup you will quickly find in your hands most of the time while bluefin fishing offshore has become a staple in the industry for its versatility with big fish. Not only will this setup be amazing for sinker rigs for bluefin but it will also be a great yoyo rod for slug yellows at the islands or all the way down south by the ridge. Heck I myself love to pitch out our BFT TG jigs off the stern on the slide when we pull up on schools throughout the day. This is a must have in your arsenal.

Set Up 5. “Rail Rod 100+ Pound Rod”

Rods- Calstar 775 XH 60-120 or United Composites Centaur 60-100 7’6”

Reels- Shimano Talica 25ii A or Daiwa Saltiga 55-60 ld2

Line- 100LB (Offshore Depth Hunter) Power Pro

Leader- Premade leader w/ ring and swivel or 100-200 pound wind on leader

Uses- This is the big boy of setups that is highly recommended to take on any trip over a day and a half. Chances are if you're offshore fishing you will run into a school of Bluefin at night and having this setup will optimize the fish you put on deck while limiting the fatigue you may feel after battle since you have so much power on this type of gear. This setup will be ideal for night time jig fishing for tuna but would also double for Backpack rigging fliers , chunk baiting and trolling certain types of baits offshore.

Here at BFT we strive for everyone to be successful out on the water. We truly hope this list helps you out when you're getting ready for a trip. If you still have any questions please message one of our experts and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as we can.

Thank You