I'm fortunate that I get to saltwater fish a few times each year. I mostly throw lures from the pier with a spinning rod. I do surf fish a little, also with spinning tackle. Over the past weekend I got a heck of a deal on a custom 11' casting rod and I'm trying to pick a reel. I hope to throw lures and bait in the surf and drum fish from the pier. Can I get a reel that will throw 2 oz. lures as well as 6 oz. bait rigs? Should I just set the new rod/reel up for heavier baits and continue using my spinning rod for throwing lures/baits in the surf? Using casting equipment isn't new to me but I have limited experience with it. I'm looking forward to adding this to my saltwater experience and appreciate any advice. I'm not on a tight budget but would like to keep it under $200.
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Saltwater casting reel suggestions
- Thread starter fishiker
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I surf and saltwater fished for years with the Shimano Calcutta. I have had several spinning reels go belly up after getting salt spray and sand in them form surf fishing. The Calcutta worked without a problem for years until it was stolen. I can't say enough good things about that reel. Many a specked trout and redfish was caught with that reel.
Take a look at this page of saltwater reels http://www.eposeidon.com/saltwater-fishing/saltwater-fishing-saltwater-reels
Take a good look at their house brand Kast King. I bought 3 of them and found them to be a fantastic value. I know you said bait caster, but a spinning reel will do better with a wider weight range of baits. This company lists the max drag capacity of the reels they sell, which I find to be useful info. Good look in your search.
Take a good look at their house brand Kast King. I bought 3 of them and found them to be a fantastic value. I know you said bait caster, but a spinning reel will do better with a wider weight range of baits. This company lists the max drag capacity of the reels they sell, which I find to be useful info. Good look in your search.
Ebbtide
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Abu.
Abu.
Abu.
7000 model with the level wind.
After you get used to it, fill it with 30lb braid and don't look back.
I use a 9' with a 6600 Mag X and throw 2oz all day.
For the bait end I'd lean towards the bigger 7000 series.
Or a Penn Beachmaster or Surfmaster... bigger learning curve though.
Abu.
Abu.
7000 model with the level wind.
After you get used to it, fill it with 30lb braid and don't look back.
I use a 9' with a 6600 Mag X and throw 2oz all day.
For the bait end I'd lean towards the bigger 7000 series.
Or a Penn Beachmaster or Surfmaster... bigger learning curve though.
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
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- 7,745
I just got a penn slammer. Simple, cheap and I've been really loveing it. I got the 260 for my little rod, and will likely get a bigger one for my surf rod. no reverse, but that's the first part to corrode I've found.
Anyone have an opinion on the Penn Squall or Akios S-Line? In the surf I have been fishing a Shimano Stradic for heavier bait rigs and a Penn Battle II when throwing lures. Both of those satisfy my current need for spinning reels but I will keep the Penn Slammer in mind if I decide to get another. I'm only looking for a casting reel right now. I don't need top of the line but I would prefer to buy one that will provide years of service. I have an ABU 6500 that I fish on an 7' 11" Shimano Crucial and I'm wanting something a little beefier. My new rod is an OB Custom OBX Series 11', 2-5 oz. rated and I will probably use it only for bait. Thanks again for all the input.
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SCFlyGuy
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I throw a lot of similar size baits and lures on slightly shorter rods for muskies. I second the Calcutta recommendation and would suggest the 400D. If you want a lower profile reel, I would suggest a Shimano Curado 300EJ. It's not as robust as the Calcutta, but if you're going to do a lot of casting, you'll appreciate the lightweight. I keep 6 of them rigged for various conditions and they are as reliable as you'll find. If you're new to casting rigs, the Curado has a proven brake system that will prevent the inevitable, but dreaded 'bird's nest.' You can easily remove some of the braking - and increase casting distance - as your timing and confidence improves. I run 50-80 pound PowerPro super slick on my reels and they have plenty of capacity. With new PowerPro Maxquatro (~25% thinner), you'll have even more line capacity. Tight lines!
To get a feel for the new rod I stuck my Abu 6500 on it Sunday and made a trip to the local park for some practice. I've never fished an 11' rod before and I was impressed with how well it balanced and handled a 5 oz. weight. After 30-45 minutes of casting I have to say I will keep this rod for only throwing heavier bait. I think I'll stick to my spinning rods for throwing lures. The new reel will need to be robust enough to handle the saltwater and fish the size of red drum. Thanks for all the input so far.
afishhunter
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Penn Surfmaster.
11 foot rod, 5 oz weight. How far can you cast with that set-up? Couple of miles?
You have obviously never seen me with a baitcaster
I hope to drum fish with this set-up next fall. It's actually on the light side for the intended application. Many refer to such a combo as a heaver, usually a 12" rod/reel designed to throw "8 N bait" which is an 8 oz sinker with a fish head as bait.My wife just gave me a Diawa SL30SH for Christmas so I have a reel, just need to practice. Thanks for all the input:thumbup:
You have obviously never seen me with a baitcaster
My wife just gave me a Diawa SL30SH for Christmas so I have a reel, just need to practice. Thanks for all the input:thumbup:
The physics of the whole process fascinate me. Can a rod ever be too long, when the goal is maximum distance? This of course is assuming (theoretically) that the rod is not too heavy for the fisherman to handle. I assume rod stiffness is also a variable to consider. Can these characteristics/specs be figured out by some formula? What kind of set up would be optimal for a 2 oz spoon? Also, if the cast bait moves too fast (with the goal of maximum distance), can the line snap, if it's too thin?
I am also intrigued by the process and have much to learn. The majority of my fishing is freshwater ultralight spinning and lighter weight fly rods. We fish the Outer Banks of NC two or three times a year mostly throwing lures from the pier and surf fishing. Over the past few years we've been there in the fall when the drum were biting. Not having the right equipment we could only watch. The more we watched the more desire we had to try it ourselves. I don't know enough about the physics of the rod to answer clearly. I know that most of the rods have a weight rating that is the weight of bait/lure it can throw comfortably. I'm sure stiffness and length come into play as well as the size and type of line, the quality of the reel, and the skill of the user. When I'm throwing lures it's generally in the 3/4 - 1 oz sizes. I use a 7' Key Largo rod and Penn Battle II reel. If I was going up to a 2 oz lure I would go with a longer rod that would handle the 2 oz lure comfortably but not be so heavy that it wears you out when fishing. My first trip practicing with the new reel I was throwing 80-90 yds spooled with a cheap 30# mono and using a 5 oz sinker. I don't know what others throw but feel like I should be at the 100+ yd mark with better line and lots of practice. There's a public driving range near my house that is deserted in the evenings. I can get an idea of my distance every cast unless I hook or slice it too far.
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I don't know where the limits are for weight, but I did try for kicks and giggles some 4lb fluoro as leader once. If I didn't get the cast perfect, the sinker would blow the hook off. I must have not had good knots either, because the only fish I had on broke free, but it did so while the drag was turning. I've blown out the line on my 12 footer when its had a bad cast, that's got 20lb? on it, and that was full power and a snag very soon after release.
Its impressive to watch guys here chuck lead with 13 footers and big alvey sidecasts. its like a hammer-toss, no finesse, just brute strength.
Its impressive to watch guys here chuck lead with 13 footers and big alvey sidecasts. its like a hammer-toss, no finesse, just brute strength.
If you search online for the pendulum cast you will find many videos on the casting technique I'm trying to learn. I watched a bunch of fishermen one day all using similar setups. One was casting further than the others with no physical advantage. I talked with a friend of mine and he told me to watch the technique the guy casting longer was using. I don't know how far they were averaging but it was clear he was throwing further than most others. Compared to the other fishermen he was on the small size.