# Power Pro on an Abu 7000



## Scootster (Aug 3, 2010)

Has anyone run straight braid on their surf rods? If so, how does it hold up? My current rods have power pro with a mono top shot. These are non levelwind reels. 

I have an opportunity to get a couple of Abu 7000s cheep and I was thinking about using them as surf reels. My only concern is the levelwind catching on the shock leader knot and getting torn off. I was thinking about spooling them with straight 80 or 100lb Power Pro and eliminating the need for a mono top shot and shock leader.

Does anyone have any advice or experience in doing this?

Thanks for the help.


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## histprof (Oct 30, 2011)

I ran straight braid (30# TufLine or Cabelas) on my rods for a while this fall. I found that the 30# line cast like a rocket from the 12' rod and a Penn Surfmaster with some magnets in it. I also discovered after about 3 trips that it was abrading from rubbing on the sandbar in the surf. Of course, I discovered that because of a big crack off on a cast. I also had a very bad day casting with a Penn Beachmaster with no magnets. I blew up the reel repeatedly. The Cabelas line cut itself on those blow ups, leading to a crack off on the next cast each time. I have since moved to braid with a long mono top shot on the Surfmasters. They will hold about 300 yards of the 30# and 100 yards of 25 mono as a top shot. That will give me enough line to wade to the first bar to cast in warmer weather. My backup reels for those rods are Penn Beachmasters with just the 25 mono.

As for the level wind reels, I have a Penn 9, 2 Daiwa Sealine 27s and a Millionaire 6HM all spooled with 30# braid. They rotate onto my 9' rod for fishing the first gut. I do not have the top shot on them because I don't think that the knot will pass the levelwind smoothly. I just tie a double drop leader directly to the braid.

All of this is a long windy way of not answering the main question: Should you jump at the chance to grab 2 Abu 7000s cheap? Yes. Those are very useful and versatile reels. I wish I had a few.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

Most people don't like to run straight braid in the surf because of the abrasion problem histprof mentioned. What I, and a lot of people, are doing now is using a braid backing and mono topshot. For instance, I use a 50# braid backing and 25# or 30# topshot. Of course, if you do that, you still have to use a shock leader. If you use a small knot, you shouldn't have an issue with the knot getting hung up in the level wind. One trick you can use though is to take a flathead screw driver and spread the two bars of the level wind just a bit. It doesn't affect the leveling, but helps knots pass.

Another danger of using very heavy braid on the smaller surf reels is that there is the possibility of locking the drag down, getting a tangle, etc. on a big fish and destroying the reel. The ABUs aren't designed for 80 or 100# line. If you get into a situation where something has to give, it's probably going to be something on the reel.

BTW, you didn't ask, but I'll offer this for free. I have a couple of 7000s that I've used in the surf for years, but they come out of the lineup during the summer. They just don't have the line capacity or strength to handle good sized sharks or big rays. When summer rolls around, I go to the Penn Jigmaster sized reels, again loaded with a combination of braid and mono.


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## Scootster (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks for the help guys. Currently I use penn Jigmasters with 65lb power pro with a 30 or 40lb mono top shot with a 80 or 100lb shock leader. It sounds like I should just stick with this approach.

Thanks


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Scootster said:


> Thanks for the help guys. Currently I use penn Jigmasters with 65lb power pro with a 30 or 40lb mono top shot with a 80 or 100lb shock leader. It sounds like I should just stick with this approach.
> 
> Thanks


Why not fish with both.


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## histprof (Oct 30, 2011)

x2 on JR. A man can never have too much horsepower, ammunition, or too many surf reels.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

histprof said:


> x2 on JR. A man can never have too much horsepower, ammunition, or too many surf reels.


I agree, too. I fish my Jigmasters and Daiwa Sealines all year long. During the fall and winter, I rotate the smaller reels, like the 7000s, in, and in summer, I replace them with my 4/0s.

You just have to gear up for whatever you think you might catch.


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## mullethead00 (May 31, 2010)

I currently have an Abu 7000 in my lineup. I've done exactly what BF stated, including using the screw driver to open up the level-wind. A decent Albright knot passes right through. 

Only issue the retrieve ratio, lots and lots of small cranks to get all the line back in.


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## histprof (Oct 30, 2011)

You gotta turn it into a Zen thing... find your peace in the repetitive action of cranking that handle (says the guy with the 3:1 ratio Surfmasters). And, take ibuprofen for the sore shoulder...


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