Best spinning reel for tailor under $200

[iTopCati]

Hey guys,
I currently have a Shimano Saragosa, I am planning to use it for GTs with 80LB braid, up at fraser island, and buy a spare spool with 30lb line for tailor spinning. However I have realized that Saragosa spools are not cheep, in excess of $150 for a spool.
So I would like to buy another reel preferably under 200, what do you recommend for tailor, what give me best bang for buck?
Note, I will be using it with my pen prevail 10-15kg graphite.

Thanks in advance!
-Mat.

[ben475]

How big are the tailor your catching?
That gear sounds heavy to me.

[gazza2006au]

Hey Top i hear over in western australia they get tailor the size of our salmon!! We only get tailor to about 45cm here in sydney

10-15kg rod sounds extreme even for those big tailor in WA

Im a light fisher i use 1-2lb rod for 60cm king fish i would maybe use a 6-8kg flexy rod with a nice matching reel

Shimano make some great cheap reels with good smooth drag or u can upgrade to carbon drags

Sent from my SM-G900I using Ausfish mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91595)

[ben475]

2-4kg rod, 2000 reel, 6lb braid or mono is probably better, 10-20lb mono leader tied to a snap swivel and metal lure for trolling, does well for me on 40-65cm tailor.

Or 6-8kg 9ft rod 4000 reel for casting metals off the beach.

Obviously a million choices of reel these days, ive not really used any around the $200 range but u should get a really good reel for that price. Maybe ask ur local tackle shop for a recommendation.

[ben475]

Perhaps choose a reel with around 6:1 gear ratio for faster retrieves if ur thinking of casting.

[gunna]

Just wondering where you are fishing for the GTs at Fraser. Are you casting from the beach?

[BigE]

In that price bracket i like the penn slammer 760L and the finnor Lethal 100 (dead set some of the best bang for buck on the market)

BigE

[gazza2006au]

Penn is a great brand i have 2x good reels and 1 not so good tend to find the SSM model is heavy after a draining day in the sun it may just be me tho when i fish i leave the rod leaning upside the gunnel i would probably pick it up 80-100 times in a days fishing

I use to use the little Penn Slammer 260 bloody fantastic reel but favored using a Shimano Sienna over the Penn just for its lightness and less weight on the wrist u strangely feel the bites more sensitive

Sent from my SM-G900I using Ausfish mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91595)

[Noelm]

I think you are way over gunning yourself, there's some good fishing on Frazer, but there's not a Tailor alive that can't be taken on light spinning gear and 8-10KG line.

[shortthenlong]

I think you are way over gunning yourself, there's some good fishing on Frazer, but there's not a Tailor alive that can't be taken on light spinning gear and 8-10KG line.

All of this. I've cast 5g slugs on 4lb braid on Fraser and landed tailor. Mostly just to annoy my alvey weilding mate. But seriously you won't need anything like you have planned.

Also interested in your GT plans
Matt

[gunna]

Might have been a gee up.

[scottar]

Take your rod to your chosen tackle store and find the highest spec reel within your budget that balances. A long cast spool w.ill have advantages potentially if anything has one in that price range. If you are going to fish 30lb in case something bigger shows up, pay attention to how much flex is in the reel frame. I find it off putting personally when a reel squirms around under load.

[Darren J]

I use a custom made light 13’ graphite spin rod, made by an ausfisher that fishes Fraser a lot.
By light, it makes an awesome whiting rod for bait fishing...

On his advice, I bought a Shimano aero 4000 reel (small for a 4000) and run 10lb braid), 20lb flouro leader. Throws 25-30g lures a mile.

I avoided the higher gear model, as he advised it was too fast. He is right, in my experience cranking the reel I have is too fast and I get more strikes at a moderate to high speed.

Biggest tailor (easily) landed is probably about 55cm. It would deal with the big ones. My 4 year old Can wind a chopper in on it, put a few grown ups to shame!

My mates run heavier In The 6-10kg range gear and throw the typical 60 gram lures and the light gear equals or out fishes them I think. Plus it’s nicer to use. But maybe a touch harder in poor weather with light braid.

So I second all The comments on not needing heavy gear like that described.
PS. I have a mid weight penn prevail 12 or 13’ model, Daiwa emblem pro 5500 surf reel with 15lb mono, etc. i don’t even take that gear to Fraser for lures, it’s just too heavy I think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darren J]

Shimano aero fa4000. Right in your price range.
Probably d one 8 Fraser trips or more. Going strong, only with a light fresh rinse (but never been in the sand or dunked), but has had a fair whack of salt splashes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NAGG]

I just had a look at this post ….. yeh , even the thought of using the same reel for GTs & tailor has me thinking - either the GTs are little pups or there are monster tailor up that way .

Unless you are belting out 100m + casts with a metal slug & you need capacity …… A small spin reel 2500 - 3000 will suffice with 6kg braid or mono .

The choice of reels are endless …… Daiwa , Shimano , Abu will all have you on the money & in the game. ….. something more agricultural like a Penn Slammer …. it doesn't matter - not for tailor ……. just look after the reel with good maintenance. .

Chris

[CT]

Mostly just to annoy my alvey weilding mate.

Blah blah fkn blah!

I've only ever caught one GT off the eastern beach, saw one caught off Waddy and one caught at Sandy Cape. All three were babies. I've seen one horse on video and it came off the beach.

Was really surprised at the lack of structure out from Indian and Ngala when we took the boat up.

[EdBerg]

I only have one small spinning reel and that is a Penn Spinfisher 2500 liveliner and I would not have any concerns targeting Tailor with it.

It can hold about 240m of 0.2mm line and with the 6.8kg of drag would be more than adequate for tailor and even other larger fish. Either the Liveliner or just the plain non Liveliner version would suffice, with added bonus of being wave resistant if the reel gets dumped in a wave.

As NAGG said there are a heap of reels out there that can handle large Tailor, this is just my reel of choice that I would use. You can get the plain Spinfisher VI for about $160 delivered and about $175 delivered for the Liveliner VI version (E-Bay).

[Darren J]

Blah blah fkn blah!

I've only ever caught one GT off the eastern beach.......


I have caught one on the eastern beach. Just over the 1m mark, guesstimated around 20-25kg.
The light spin gear was needed.....to catch the live tailor used for bait. A 7” Alvey stopped the gt. [emoji6]
I caught a few small gt up north at cape Melville, maybe 40cm at largest, on the same aero spin reel and 9’ rod. I couldn’t imagine catching them too much bigger on that gear..... but it was rocky to all sides of me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gazza2006au]

Alvey geez i aint used one of those since the early 90's use to catch 30-40cm mullet on it was a good reel i couldnt be picky back in those days i had to use hand me downs and the alvey was one of them

Use to tie 2 or 3 fishing rods to a bmx frame and ride from bonnyrigg to lansvale and back every saturday and sunday when i was 12-13 some times i would ride over to the chipping norton side

Wish we had todays technology back than as in drag advancements on the egg beaters

Sent from my SM-G900I using Ausfish mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91595)

[shakey55]

Alvey geez i aint used one of those since the early 90's use to catch 30-40cm mullet on it was a good reel i couldnt be picky back in those days i had to use hand me downs and the alvey was one of them

Use to tie 2 or 3 fishing rods to a bmx frame and ride from bonnyrigg to lansvale and back every saturday and sunday when i was 12-13 some times i would ride over to the chipping norton side

Wish we had todays technology back than as in drag advancements on the egg beaters

Sent from my SM-G900I using Ausfish mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91595)

I still use alveys


Sent from my iPhone using Ausfish mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91595)

[iTopCati]

Sorry for the delay, I posted the thread, read some responses a few days later, I meant to respond. And I got side tracked..🙄

Anyway I took your replies into account, visited freddies fishing, looked at a few reels and decided on the Okuma Distance Surf 60.

Once again, I meant to reply, but I have barely been able to scratch myself between work (bloody shift work 🙄 ,The Missus and planning for fraser. Oh and that thing called sleep People talk about..😴

Thanks again to everyone who replied!

[iTopCati]

Replied with out quoting please ignore reply, not sure how to delete replies

[iTopCati]

Just wondering where you are fishing for the GTs at Fraser. Are you casting from the beach?

Sorry I missed your question Sandy Cape or indian head, I will be using my saragosa 8000 with poppers,.. really unsure exactly where yet I havnt fished fraser before so I guess it depends on conditions etc..

Anyway if you see my previous reply, I went with a daiwa surf distance 60 for spinning tailor..

[shortthenlong]

If you find time when you get back post a report I'm keen to know about the GT and if you get a result

Cheers Matt