I know DH in the cattle boats can be harsh in regards to gear, I've been barked at a few times in my choices of rigs. a while ago, I got a small ( i mean small 1.5" diameter) reel from japan, no drag, direct drive daiwa reel, I've been seen some cheap replicas recently here at the states for crappie fishing, never the less, I loaded it with 35# spectra and 30# fluoro top shot mounted on a semi stiff 5' kunan rod, pulled it out twice on the twilights, first time around the deckies laughes so hard at it when they saw me pin a big dine on the circle hook that I thought that the guy on the tanks was going to fall insed with the bait, tossed the firecracker out and 5 minutes later I got bit, 20 something minutes later the jackpot fish was in an 11+ pound scooter, needles to say they stopped laughing, next weekend, same boat, same trip, same rig, same size bait, still some laughs, now the skipper gave out a look of "oh lord, now what" I got bit this time to something more consistent, agood while later after half a thumb gone from pressing on the spool (the only drag on the reel) and a few galons of water that one of the deckhands was pouring on top of my thumb and the reel to cool down, we gout the fish, a 15 pound class yellow tail for jackpot honors, after that they stopped laughing at the "peanut reel"

Also If anybody finds out where to get the jerkits please post the info, been trying to get some more of the small to medium sized ones for the calicoes and sandies, the guy used to sell them everyother sunday at the kobeys swap meet but havent seen him in a while, under certain conditions those little critters have gotten me fish when nothing else worked, rigged on a cottee lead head I've outfished the guys with live bait 6 to 1 a few times.

I Fish...Therefore I Am