Which New Reel For Christmas?

C

CW

New member
I just got a coupe gift cards for Cabelas (and their brand new store near Tacoma is beckoning) so what to do with them? I'm set for salmon and smaller stuff. I want to get a new reel for halibut, oversize sturgeon, and possibly albacore tuna. At this point my "heavy" rod is a Shakespeare Ugly Stick Tiger, so it is a fairly heavy rod, but not super heavy [great for tuna and most halibut & sturgeon].

Guys who I fish with use the same reel for halibut in 500 ft. of water (32 - 48 oz. cannon ball wt., 100+ lb. braided superline) as they do for oversize sturgeon (32 oz. wts. in the Columbia Gorge, fish up to 9+ ft. long, very strong currents). One has a big Penn Senator, another a big Okuma, another a Penn 340 GTI, and another a big two speed Shimano (he had 2 Okumas crap out on our last tuna trip). They all like their reels.

Can one reel adequately cover all three species? Am I best off to focus on a levelwind for halibut and sturgeon? Some guys don't like levelwinds for tuna because they can strip out line so fast. I'm thinking within a price range of $125 -- $250.

C.W.
 
CW,

Having caught halibut in 500' of water, and up to 150 lbs, I recommend any 2 speed reel that has a metal spool. The 2nd speed allows winding large fish in MUCH easier than a single speed reel. The metal spool is so your line will not crush the spool when you bring up a big fish from the deep.

Good models from Cabela's are:
Avet (LINK)

Penn (LINK)

If you do want to spend less, go with any of the old standards like the Penn 4/O, 6/0.

Tight lines, and Happy Holidays.

Jim
 
I've never owned one of those fancy-schmancy two speed reels and I haven't yet bought my wife enough jewelry to justify $400+ on a single reel. If I was you, I'd but one of the Penn level wind reels - like a 320 GT2. Spool it up with 65lb power pro and you'll get something like 300 yards on it. I've brought up several halibut with such a reel (including a 70lb'r at Neah Bay). The cost will be between $90 and $150 depending on which one of the Penn's you get. They'll last for years if you keep clean (fresh water rinse after each use) and oil them a few times/year. The only thing to be careful with is to not pull reel hard on the reel level wind when the line gets hung up on the bottom (wrap the line around a cleat or a VERY thick glove and pull it off). It's possible to break the level wind mechanism if you get hung up with 65 lb line and pull hard with your thumb on the spool. It's an easy repair though and there are many people around who service Penn's if you need repair services and don't wish to do it yourself.
 
A huge halibut from 500 feet?

Sounds like windlass work to me!

I'd have to go with the old man's electric assist reel to avoid cardiac arrest! :unlove

I'd dip into one of my TSA's, IRA's, or the old sock my wife doesn't know about and buy me one of THESE! :gift

Joe. :xnaughty :thup
 
I'm a Shimano fan, the Tyrnos 2 speeds may be over your price, I have a Tyrnos 20 (1 speed) and love it, nailed some marlin in Cabo with it, easliy handled the power, with 80lb braid. My next big reel may be a Penn 30 VSX, but it's in the $500 range, same for a Tiagra 16 (a little less $$), but these are designed for braid. Braid has changed the equations as don't need a big reel capacity wise (80 lb. power pro is same diameter as 16lb mono), so it's not as much line capacity as it is the drag capacity of the reels. Now some of the reels considered "medium" capacity have the 28-33 lb. drag pressure of the classic bigger reels. The 450 yard capacity of 20 lb mono is now over 500 yards of 80lb. braid. It's a new world. But under $300, the Tyrnos is a tough match. I LOVE lever drags.

These lines have also changed to where I more fish the rod rather the the line in terms of strength. Any thing less than 50lb. braid (10 lb. mono diameter) is too thin and tough to work with, IMHO. And a whole new set of knots. I enjoy catching yellowtail on a 12-25 lb. rod, but still use 50 lb. braid on a smaller reel and go easy on the drag. I need a lever drag for that to always have a good feel and subtle control of the drag. So many choices. For the big bill fish, halibut and sturgeon, I use the 80 lb. braid with over 500 yards on my Tyrnos and a 30-80lb Calstar rod. :love

In a little lower price, I have been very happy with the Shimano TLD line of reels, I like those better than the Penns. A TLD 20 can handle a lot of fish for little money, take a beating better than the comparable Penns. My $0.02, the TLD 20 is $149 in the Cabella's catalogue, the Tyrnos 20 is $249, both hold 450 yards of 30 lb mono, or more than 600 yards of 80 lb braid.

I stay away from the level winds for the bigger fish, getting your finger caught is no joy, the mechanism seems to break easily and added resistance when in free spool. But I'm a purist. And I love the double drag (one on each side of the spool) of the Accurate reels, but the price is obscene, as is the maintence
 
I don't fish halibut in that deep of water but, I do fish albacore a lot. I have six Penn Special senators (4/0). I have used them for six years and required only minimum maintenance. Easy to work on and inexpensive parts. I also have Avet's for live bait tuna fishing. Very Very excellent reels. I needed work on it and on my Shimano Calcutta 700 after four years of use. I sent the Shimano to Shimano in Southern California and the Avet to the factory on the same day. The Avet was returned the next week completely rebuilt, like a new reel ($29.00). The Shimano was returned after excellent service three months later ($25.00).

If I could afford it I would get an Avet two speed for your needs. An adequate Calstar rod would make for a great combo. The Calstar's are pretty expensive ($250 to $300). As an alternate rod I would pick the Lamiglas ($90 to $150). Sounds like you're going to have fun shopping.

Gene
 
Back in my youth when I was still in my 70s, a single speed was okay -- now a 2-speed Avet makes deep halibut fishing at least doable. Sounds expensive, but when you look at the total cost -- just a hiccup. And I'd have more than a hiccup if Diane knew what the Avet 2-speed costs. Guess I'd be singing, "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth." :teeth

:gift :xlol :thup

Dusty
 
I started out using the shimano TLD 25's for Halibut and Tuna. They are great reels for the money with a pretty smooth drag. Speaking of drag they are lever drags and this is my favorite drag system for their easy of use. THey are not level winds and work great for all three species you looking to catch as long as you remember to use your thumb to wind it back on. The braid can be a little rough on your finger, especially for deep drops. I've never trolled for Albacore with a level wind but I can confirm the screeming reels. Partly it's due to the speed of the fish but also the boat's going 7knots and usually when you hear one reel screem you keep trolling for 5-10 more seconds (seems like eternity) hoping for more of the school to bite. I think over the long haul the level wind would take a beating, plus the dangers of catching a finger would not be good. This last year I've started fishing Halibut in 750 feet of water and decided I needed a two speed reel. I bought a couple two speed avets that work great. Problem is that 750 feet is still a long ways down and still a lot of work so I might switch to electrics. This was my first year chasing Tuna and the only issue with useing the same reel for both species is when you fish them both on the same day. I put 100' mono topshots on the reels for Tuna so it's kind of a pain to do that on the water after getting our halibut. Anyway's I'm not even sure I helped you but at least i got to talk fishing. :smile
 
I ended up going with the Avet 2 speed LX 6/3. I got it at a local sporting goods store ("Bob's" in Longview, which is local, friendly, more informed than Cabelas salesclerks and cheaper) and then using my gift cards to help buy gifts for the family up at Cabelas. Bob's also had a bunch of Lamiglas sturgeon/halibut rods on sale: a 6' 6" graphite MC66XHC rated for 20 - 80 # line with beautiful eyes and super stout reel seat for a mere $49.97, practically a crime not to pick up one of those to go with the new reel! Merry Christmas! Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how it works out for me. I can't seem to get the pic of it here, but it is the last one on pg. 5 of my album. C.W.

http://www.c-brats.com/albums/Satisfaction/Avet_LX_6_3_two_speed_salt_water_reel.jpg
 
Here's that photo, CW:

Avet_LX_6_3_two_speed_salt_water_reel.jpg

Avet 2 speed LX 6/3 saltwater reel; capacity: 350 yds. of 30 lb. mono

Merry Christmas!

Joe.
 
Sweet, a great choice.

I love the Lamiglas rods, have many and always been happy with them. Got an 8ft Sturgeon rod and a 5.5 foot Billfish/Big Tuna rod (plus 4-5 freshwater rods, they rock).

There are some great Lamiglas deals on eBay.
 
Well, I tried out the new rod, reel and Mr. Heater today in the cold steady drizzle on the Columbia River. Geese were everywhere but within range. I finally hurled some long range flak at them and they kept right on going.

I didn't get a bite from a sturgeon on the sandshrimp in the two places I tried but the dog and I had fun all the same. I got about 670 - 700 yds. of 100 lb. test braided Proline onto the reel and am liking the lever drag (always used a star drag on other reels). Avet refers to the reel as a "casting reel" and I'm here to tell you, it really does cast well - surprisingly so on that stubby 6'6" rod. This ability, as well as its overall size, light weight, and its hefty smooth drag make it much more of an "all around" reel than I was prepared for. Is it the ideal 300 lb. halibut reel or 12 ft. oversize sturgeon rig? No, I don't think so, but its "handiness" puts it into a class where I'll be using it much more often than I would had I bought a specifically super-duty winch. I've only fought one oversize sturgeon; most of the ones I catch have been under five feet. Most halibut likely to be caught in Washington are under a hundred pounds (actually under 50) and for these norms, I bet this rig will be fantastic. For albacore tuna it should be the cat's meow. That 6::1 high speed really brings in the gear quickly and should keep up with a charging fish. The bonus is that, when I put it on my stout Lamiglas 8'6" salmon rod (10 - 30 lb. Kenai King or Killer?), it will make for an awesome trophy chinook set up too. I couldn't be more pleased since I'll be using it much more than I thought, year round. I can't wait to see how it handles a fish. C.W.
 
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