All,
After some ideas on a reel for fishing offshore in up to 60m of water. Something different & lighter then a Trynos 30 (1.090kg)
Running 50lb braid possibly 80lb, big spinner or overhead? Budget up to $500.
Chasing REDS and/or other reef feeding species.
Damo.
I use one of the new(ish) saltist lever drags. i have a 40 but you can get one size bigger. I have the 2 speed version which is handy, low gear for winding big snapper leads up from the deep. High speed for winding up the light weights. I recon constant big weights will kill the bearings over time but not hard to replace when/if it happens.
Talica's are similiar and nicer but more expensive.
Scott
I use a trinidad TN40N and a Torsa to fish the type of area you are talking about and I run 50lb on the TN40n and will win most fish. it is nice and light, I upgraded to carbontex drag washers as the standard ones are not real good, but I have used it for a couple of years now and it still is very smooth and I fish it at about 8kg of drag it will go more but not to much fun fishing over 10kg!!
If a its a big spinner Damo, check out the Daiwa Catalina 6500, (bit over your 500) will pull 30kg drag and easy 300 of 80lb, have one, bloody nice, spoil yourself and match it to a Wilson Venom 350 , can bottom bash, jig and troll with it.
mike
Tangles KFC
Our choice has been the Shimano Tekota 700 series, got four of them for the right money, around $250 each. Spooled up with 40lb braid, but will replace with 50lb next time. They hold 600M of 40Lb braid on a mon backing comfortably.
Smooth operation, quiet (fishing for relaxation, level wind (I prefer level wind for bottom bashing) and used for everything including trolling skirts for Yellowfin Tuna. Specs reckon they get 12Kg drag, but we usually fish them at 5Kg.
Bought the Wench a Saragaso 18000 threadline for her offshore spin outfit which is also a nice reel, 22Kg of drag per the specs, loaded with 500M of 50lb braid it is pleasure to use also, but a couple of ton dearer than the Tekotas.
Choice of Shimano was influenced by having a service agent in the town where we fish, and he carries spares etc adding convenience and minimising lost fishing time.
Intend to acquire 4 TLD30 or 50 2 speeds for trolling and rig them with 50lb mono on 24Kg rods, likely Shimano Backbone series for trolling as thinking a billfish might be fun to play with, but still saving cash for outriggers, so will have to wait awhile.
We generally fish 40-120M of water, so the reels suit the type of fishing we do, and from our experiences, they are good all rounders. Being able to adjust the handles to get more leverage was good for the kids when using 12oz lead, they don't tire as quickly. Admittedly the largest fish we have caught only weighed 26Kg means that they have not been tested to the limits either.
The Tekota's are a bit low geared for jigging, but I find that tiring unless there is a hot bit going on. They do the job. They are heavy @ 700g or so, and if you don't need the line capacity, the 600 would be less effort to fish.
Consider what you want to do. I find the levelwind overheads to be the better reel for flathead drifting, allowing ease of feed for extra line as you keep bottom when the wind gets up. I prefer to have a lever drag reel for trolling tho, as the star drag requires you to wind it up as you strike, running the risk of overdoing it and snapping the line. Pre-set & lever drag is less risk in that respect.
The Saragosa is just as happy dropping bait 100M drifting along a reef as it is dragging poppers across the surface or spinning. It is a bit lighter than the Tekotas, but still quite a large reel. It is nicely balanced on the rod, and has a smooth positive action and plenty of drag.
Your needs will vary, and everyone will have their favorite brand. Avoid the stuff on ebay marketed under Pelagic Omoto etc, unless you wish to pay for your education.
There are a number of high quality brands such as Daiwa, Finn Noir, & Shimano, they are proven over time, and if looked after will last you a lifetime. If you can't afford to have a reel for each type of fishing you want to do, buy a good quality all rounder, or if you really favour one type of fishing, buy a reel for that and compromise for the remainder as we have.
The one observation that I have made with confidence is that the rod makes more difference than the reel (assuming both reels have similar specs). Each one of us chose out own rod, and each is different. The daughter chose a 5' 10-15Kg Abu Garcia, the young bloke has a 6' 10-15Kg Shimano Beastmaster, the wench has the 6'6" 15-20Kg Beastmaster while I chose a 7' Ian Miller Bluewater 15-20Kg T-Curve. I have had occasion to catch 8Kg odd fish on each, and the differences are huge, each rod having its advantages and disadvantages. I find the short rod hard to use, but that may be due to my size also, and yet the daughter has landed an 80cm Kingfish comfortably, smaller and shorter. The 5' rod is also the easiest to transport and stow in the boat.
Have fun, there is a world of choices out there
I use a Torium 16 with 65lb braid over a T curve 200 jig stick. Its almost as light as a baitcaster outfit but packs a huge punch
A Proud Member of
"The Rebel Alliance"
I like the PENN overheads. No drag upgrades needed, no anti reverse problems.
have a look at the Baja Special and the Torque 200.
60m of water i just use a sustain 6000 loaded with 50lb braid mate works fine for reds etc
Mo tac k le has an ocea jigger overhead half price at $499
6500 baitrunner for float baiting reds is more than adequate. The rest is just bling.
Don't forget the smaller tyrnos' as well.
Great feedback thanks guys.
I like the looks of the Saragaso 18000 as it could come in handy casting big popers for GTs, Queenies ect. Perfect for my next destination !
Cheers
Damo.
PS: looks like a nice combo Mike, all $1200 worth
i vouch for the venom mike i love them as a rod see avatar for pic of one loadedOriginally Posted by Aigutso
The only reel that I have found that can stand up to heavy drag and constant abuse for chasing big reefies is the Shimano Torsa's, every other reel i have used has failed within 12 months.... My stella 10000SW has been back under warranty twice in the first year! and it would have only caught a dozen good fish, maybe i got a dud?
I run over 10kg drag constantly and up to 20kg at times, using 85lb braid and the torsa is the only reel that I have found that can handle this type of use, other than the old FA Stellas which seem better quality than the newer SW models. I prefer the torsa 20, as it is the perfect size in my opinion, the 30 is a bit too wide. The 16 is also a great reel if you want something lighter than the 20 and still holds 300m of PE6 braid.
Should be able to get one off ebay for around the $500 mark delivered at the moment. Otherwise I would look at a Stella FA 8000 PG if you can find one in good nick.
Having caught over 50 reds last year and got knows how many 2m+ sharks my gear would get more of a workout than most!
Anthony
Hi Anthony
What are the other reels that you have tried?
Gees Spot, Torsa OK. but have you tried a Saltiga. My trips get pretty severe as well and no Saltiga ever let me down either. I use a Saltiga 40Z on a TCurve Jig 400, in fact all the Saltiga range is excellent but a bit up on the dollers. As commented on by others, the gear ratio is important for deep fishing. All the first series of Saltigas were in a good ratio for deep fishing. A lot of stuff is made with 6 : 1 and above these days but IMO its not the best for deep water heavy work. Ideal range is from 4.5 :1 up 5.5:1
The earlier Saltists were in the lower ranges as well but now they are all above 6"1 ? They were excellent value for money. I cant understand why mainline manufacturers have swung so far to high gearing lately.
Cheers
John.
"let not he boast who puts his armor on, as he who takes it off"
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote