Thread: Diawa BG and rod question

Hi all. Excited to be heading back for my 8th annual trip to fort morgan. It's around this time that i start to really think about my gear and what I need to get ready. Over the years I've noticed that it seems like having two large surf set ups would be better than the one I currently run (seems like a logical conclusion). Normally I have the big rod soaking bait (or very occasionally throwing big spoons/jigs/poppers, etc) and i work a smaller 7' rod with a stradic 3500 in the shallows trying for flounder and the like.

Been looking at the Diawa BG reels and trying to figure out their sizing. I currently have an old (impossible to kill) Penn 7500SS on a 10' Star Rod that I like (but the 7500 is overkill for most of what I'm catching in the surf. It casts just fine, but it isn't a reel you want to be casting more than you have to and was built in the 90s when weight apparently wasn't measurable!

That being said, which size Diawa would still feel about right for a 10' surf rod and be able to handle most anything that lurks in the first few cuts but isn't a monster like the Penn. I wouldn't mind it being something i could cast big lures/spoons/jigs with if the fish were a ways out. I had been considering the Penn Spinfisher V in about a 5000 size, but i know Diawa sizing is different, and maybe i can get away with something lighter but still powerful enough. Generally I use mono on the big reels.

Bonus question, is 10' the right size rod or would you go 10"6' or 9'? I tend to wade out up to around chest deep with the 10' rod and give a 4oz pyramid sinker with a fish finder rig a good heave and then walk back to shore and stake it.

Anyway, glad to be back and hope to hear from some of you that have been really helpful over the years. Hope everyone is healthy and doing well.

I bought a diawa bg 5000....thinking similar in size to my penn 550.....but bigger! Smooth and cast good caught a 28lb king with it and did great...also a 20lb broke off at the pier.....good looking reel and not expensive....holds plenty of line(330yrds 30lb braid, with a bunch of mono top shot 15 or 17lb?) drag was real smooth....I like it better then the penn battles I own.....I think the 5000 is manual bail flip....where the 4000 is crank and manual if you prefer.....it was on my trolley king rod for the trial run using it

Originally Posted by ironman172

I bought a diawa bg 5000....thinking similar in size to my penn 550.....but bigger! Smooth and cast good caught a 28lb king with it and did great...also a 20lb broke off at the pier.....good looking reel and not expensive....holds plenty of line(330yrds 30lb braid, with a bunch of mono top shot 15 or 17lb?) drag was real smooth....I like it better then the penn battles I own.....I think the 5000 is manual bail flip....where the 4000 is crank and manual if you prefer.....it was on my trolley king rod for the trial run using it

Thanks Ironman! Would the 4000 or 4500 be way too small? The biggest thing I've ever pulled in was about a 15+# red and while the 7500 had no problems doing that, I'm sure I could have also pulled that in with a 5000 Battle. I was thinking that this set up could be my "light but long" one, that would allow for chucking bait, but also cast and reel. The 7500 is no cast and reel reel and i know the 3000FJ stradic I have isn't big enough to be on a 9 or 10' rod.

I wouldn't be casting the bg 5000 too many times(why used for trolley fishing).....but then I king fish with the 706 live baiting....it was a larger framed reel then what I expected off the internet order....similar to the 6000 or even 7000 battle....larger then the vs 150 or penn torgue 5.....can't say anything on the size of the 4000 bg but would have preferred that after seeing the bg 5000....oh well I own it now....but a nice reel for the money.....believe it would handle most anything out there

If possible go look and hold them....the reels are worth the money, just depends what feels good to you....most likely it will remain my trolley reel (replaced the vs 150)??

I use the 4000 bg on a 9' rod casting up to 2oz spoons and jigs for stripers. I've caught a few 20 lb fish and more smaller fish in the 5-10 lb range than I can remember. It's performed flawlessly for the last year and a half. The 4000 is not a manual flip bail but I've been treating it like it is. It's light enough that I don't mind spending a morning or longer casting with it. It holds around 300 yards of the braid that I put on it, but I can't remember if it was 20 lb or 30. It's one of my favorite reels.

Originally Posted by fordguy

I use the 4000 bg on a 9' rod casting up to 2oz spoons and jigs for stripers. I've caught a few 20 lb fish and more smaller fish in the 5-10 lb range than I can remember. It's performed flawlessly for the last year and a half. The 4000 is not a manual flip bail but I've been treating it like it is. It's light enough that I don't mind spending a morning or longer casting with it. It holds around 300 yards of the braid that I put on it, but I can't remember if it was 20 lb or 30. It's one of my favorite reels.

Thanks fordguy! that is helpful. I'm struggling between the 3500 and the 4000 size and i think i'm going with a 9' rod. I realize the 10' gets me a bit more distance on the cast, but it's just that much more weight and length to deal with. Do you think the 3500 would feel balanced on a 9' surf rod or would it be too small?

I'm guessing that you are saying the 3500 could probably have hauled in everything you've caught so far on the 4000?

yes, the 3500 would probably have worked just as well. The only difference between the 3500 and the 4000 is spool size (as far as i can see). There's only two tenths of an ounce difference in weight and both have a 17.6 lb drag. The 3500 would do well on any of the lighter 9' surf rods that I use for casting 3 oz or less total weight. The 4000 feels a little small on the 8' okuma longitude rod that I have though.

I use an uglystik elite 9' xheavy 3/4-3 oz salmon/steelhead rod. Matches perfectly with the 4000 and it works great as a casting surf rod and it has enough backbone to handle decent sized fish while still making the smaller fish fun. Plugs, spoons and jigs. I've also used it with a pomp rig, but it makes more sense to be casting with it and letting my designated bait soakers do their job.

What was up with all the barricade?

Originally Posted by john g

What was up with all the barricade?

Safety bs, while they were doing the new conduit and wiring for the lights.....now above the deck, under the bottom rail on the railing.....where it always should have been for future repairs (easy access)

Hey fordguy, is it even normal these days to use a reel like the BG 4000 with ALL mono? i use braid on my smaller set up, but I don't fish that often and i know the braid on the big surf rods can tear your hands up something fierce if you mess up a cast or screw up in general. When looking at a lot of reels i've noticed many don't even quote mono yardage capacities anymore. I use 20# Ande Back Country on my Penn 7500 SS and have been generally happy. I realize what I'm giving up with casting distance by using all mono, but i also want to keep my fingers intact. wasn't sure if braid had become more forgiving. Also, finding someone in dallas to spool up a reel with mono backing, braid and possible mono topshot isn't easy.