By Dave Brown

Three Essential Set-ups for SoCal Fishing

In this weeks Tune-Up Tuesday, Dave will walk us through the three essential set-ups that he recommends for SoCal fishing. 

There are many ways to fish and many types of fishing to do in Southern California.  This article will give you a general idea on what to bring for your trips.  Of course, you can add or subtract as you'd like, but these three should have you covered.

1. The Surface Iron Set-Up

The first set up in my quiver is a Surface Iron set-up.  For this set-up, I like the Okuma Komodo SS 450 size reel attached to a PCH Custom Inshore 8 foot Heavy or X-Heavy rod.  Some people like a lighter rod and some like a longer rod.  It all comes down to personal preference on the rod selection, but the Komodo SS is a must.  You get incredible casting distance and 30 pounds of pure fish stopping drag to go with it. This combo works great as a live bait stick as you can really get your bait out away from the boat which can absolutely be key in getting those stingy bites.

2. Star Drag Live Bait Set-Up

The second setup I always have with me is a star drag, live bait set up.  For me, this consists of an Okuma Tesoro 10 or 12 size reel matched up with a 7 foot or 7 foot 6 inch PCH Custom live bait rod in either Medium Heavy, Heavy or even X-Heavy.  This set up works great for live bait fishing as well and can also double as your dropper loop set up if the bottom fishing, or yo-yo bit is on.

3. Lever Drag Set-Up

The last set up I will talk about is the Lever Drag set up.  This is a bit beefier reel but can definitely come in handy.  If you spool this reel up with 50 or 65lb braid, you can easily change your top shot leader to any weight conditions call for.  This set up works great as a live bait set up if the bigger fish come through, but also as your dropper loop set up for your every day rig.  My choice here is the Okuma Cavalla 12II matched up with an Okuma PCH Custom 7 foot Heavy or X-Heavy Rod.  This happens to be a two-speed reel, but you don't necessarily need that.  Though it is nice if you are doing really deep drops, or if you hook into a big fish, you can drop down into low and really grind that fish to the boat.

Video Run Down

In this video, I walk you through each of these set ups in a little more detail.

 We appreciate you stopping by Okuma and hope that this article gives you a little insight into what you might want to bring on your upcoming trips.

To check out all of the great product from Okuma, be sure to visit okumafishingusa.com.

Good luck, and hope to see you on the water.
Dave