Rigging

We like to rig every reel that leaves the shop. We also prefer to rig reels that you intend to use here, and there are a number of reasons for this. Any reel you buy from us comes loaded with either 20# or 30# dacron, and we will discount 50# gel-spun polyethylene (GSP) at 50%. When we rig a reel, usually we put dacron on the base of the spool and then put a topshot of 50# GSP on the outside. In addition to keeping the cost manageable, the dacron will provide a base of softer, more grippy material to hold on to the arbor. The GSP topshot prevents the arbor size from being reduced when a fish runs, thereby maintaining a maximum rate of pick up. We also fill reels to capacity to begin with in order to maintain the rate of retrieve you should experience with a larger saltwater reel. We can’t count the number of times that someone has brought in a tarpon reel purchased somewhere else that looks like it’s rigged for trout. If you buy a reel elsewhere and intend to fish the Keys, let us rig it the way it should be rigged. You’ll see and feel the difference.