Post by mwardncsu on Nov 3, 2014 19:05:29 GMT -5
My Pfleguer Trion 66 reels have given me good service over the last 5 years, but I have several that are starting to fail - one had some plastic parts inside break and is cost prohibitive to replace and several others that I think are headed the same direction - just had them all cleaned/serviced late summer hoping that would bring them back to life, but I'm having to manually reverse-thumb the spool on several to get the line to let out, one has a nasty clicking sound when reeling and on another the drag seems gone.
If I recall, these reels were in the $85 range back in the day. They were always good smooth reels with good drags and got the job done on SML. But as I look to replace some of these, I'm not clear on what to go with. I like a level-wind reel given a variety of folks that I fish with that would not be used to a non-level-wind. I like reels with a power handle vs. the paddle handles. You can add on a Power handle to many of the reels in consideration, but they run as a $30-$40 adder - silly - add that to the price of the reel and you can step up into the next class of reel easy. I'd also like something strong enough to a) last more than 5 years and b) be able to take out to the Bay to chase some bigger fish from time to time - and handle the salt.
Level-wind Options:
Abu Garcia - my 6500LC's have thus far given me good service, though they mostly get used for down-lines and thus generally a bit smaller fish. I know some that have had some 6500's start to go after a trip to the Bay - and it just seems the Pure-family of products are not as great as they used to be - even for the Abu's made in Sweden..... that said, I've heard they redesigned the 6500 and no plastic inside - at least no plastic gears.... The 6500c3 is about $120 - and they have a "striper" version that comes out of the box with a power handle for $140 - so pretty much a wash when you add the power handle.
Shimano - I generally hear good things on these and I know Bentrod's had pretty good luck with the Cardiff's he has - other than the drag working loose as we are running down the lake in his skiff, bouncing around. I've also found sometimes the line release button will "stick" - but think this has to do with the way it sits in the rod-holder. These are in the $120 price-point. Then you step up to a Calcutta around $200 - ouch. There is a Tekota non-line counter in between - but they don't make a 400 size, and I've heard the bait clicker is a little too stiff to deploy boards the way we do live-bait fishing.
Okuma - they have some in the $120-$150 range - don't know much about them however..... Used the Magda Pro line counters when starting - decent reels that lasted a while before the drags started sticking and the line counters crapped out - but then again those were the bottom end of the line, and $65-ish reels - so you get what you pay for....
Daiwa Saltist - pushes $180-$200 - not sure I can stomach that for a fleet of reels
Non-level wind reels - again - not sure this is the best bet for using at the lake with a mix of folks fishing with me.... but the non-level wind / level drag, all aluminum reels are sexy - and would definitely be candidates that could go to the Bay. I did get a couple of Avet MXL's last year to use at the Bay - they are kind of big for SML - the SX size would better - those go $180 - but have a power handle on them to start....
Of the level-winds, I'm leaning to the Cardiff's but still have some reservations and by the time you put a power-handle on them its a $160+ reel. But I'm open to being influenced.... what else is out there that I'm not considering? Is there a bullet-proof, salt-friendly, level-wind with power handle for $150 that I'm missing?
If I recall, these reels were in the $85 range back in the day. They were always good smooth reels with good drags and got the job done on SML. But as I look to replace some of these, I'm not clear on what to go with. I like a level-wind reel given a variety of folks that I fish with that would not be used to a non-level-wind. I like reels with a power handle vs. the paddle handles. You can add on a Power handle to many of the reels in consideration, but they run as a $30-$40 adder - silly - add that to the price of the reel and you can step up into the next class of reel easy. I'd also like something strong enough to a) last more than 5 years and b) be able to take out to the Bay to chase some bigger fish from time to time - and handle the salt.
Level-wind Options:
Abu Garcia - my 6500LC's have thus far given me good service, though they mostly get used for down-lines and thus generally a bit smaller fish. I know some that have had some 6500's start to go after a trip to the Bay - and it just seems the Pure-family of products are not as great as they used to be - even for the Abu's made in Sweden..... that said, I've heard they redesigned the 6500 and no plastic inside - at least no plastic gears.... The 6500c3 is about $120 - and they have a "striper" version that comes out of the box with a power handle for $140 - so pretty much a wash when you add the power handle.
Shimano - I generally hear good things on these and I know Bentrod's had pretty good luck with the Cardiff's he has - other than the drag working loose as we are running down the lake in his skiff, bouncing around. I've also found sometimes the line release button will "stick" - but think this has to do with the way it sits in the rod-holder. These are in the $120 price-point. Then you step up to a Calcutta around $200 - ouch. There is a Tekota non-line counter in between - but they don't make a 400 size, and I've heard the bait clicker is a little too stiff to deploy boards the way we do live-bait fishing.
Okuma - they have some in the $120-$150 range - don't know much about them however..... Used the Magda Pro line counters when starting - decent reels that lasted a while before the drags started sticking and the line counters crapped out - but then again those were the bottom end of the line, and $65-ish reels - so you get what you pay for....
Daiwa Saltist - pushes $180-$200 - not sure I can stomach that for a fleet of reels
Non-level wind reels - again - not sure this is the best bet for using at the lake with a mix of folks fishing with me.... but the non-level wind / level drag, all aluminum reels are sexy - and would definitely be candidates that could go to the Bay. I did get a couple of Avet MXL's last year to use at the Bay - they are kind of big for SML - the SX size would better - those go $180 - but have a power handle on them to start....
Of the level-winds, I'm leaning to the Cardiff's but still have some reservations and by the time you put a power-handle on them its a $160+ reel. But I'm open to being influenced.... what else is out there that I'm not considering? Is there a bullet-proof, salt-friendly, level-wind with power handle for $150 that I'm missing?
