Re: tuna trip
 

I find the convo interesting only bc I almost bit the bullet on a mak 30 this year. I've used pretty much nothing but tiagra 30 and 50 lrs on my fathers boat.

The reasons I've considered the mak 30 are as follows:

-The re-engineering by Tiburon and Cal Sheets
-The success west coast guys have had
-The growing success some of the best northeast charter captains are having with them
-And if I've researched correctly, they can hold more hollow core than a tiagra 30w LRS. (Plus the stronger drag, granted I'll never fish 55 lbs lol)

However, I've also read and was given first hand review by a few respected canyon captains out in Montauk re: some of the maks plastic parts which I'm leery of bc I use my gear hard. They've said they're good reels but threw some caution about the plastic parts and handle.

Ultimately it comes down to preference and what you're targeting. I hope the jabs cease bc it's a good pro/con discussion topic.

Re: tuna trip
 

Isn't it a 30WLRS which stands for 30 wide long range special? How is it irrelevant in East coast fishing? I would think that a reel with better freespool would be good for chunking and jigging. I use the same reels and hooks that I did out West and they catch the same on both coasts. A lot of the tackle we use is playtested on Long Range Boats. Irrelevant for you maybe but not for me. It's ok to disagree. I use what works for me. How many monster tuna and swordfish have been caught on Penn 6/0's filled with 80lb mono? Just the ramblings of an old man.