Spinning, gear Advice please.

[Dave]

Hi.

I recently bought a Ron Thompson Tyran telescopic spinning travel rod 9 feet, 10-40g for under £30. [As a cheaper alternative to a shimano exage]

Does anyone have any reel suggestions to match this rod? [Was thinking of an Okuma trio 40s? Or an abu garcia 6000ul? Or an older mitchell 300 pro match? Or exage RC Double Handle 2500?]

[My spinning knowledge is limited & Ive not done it for a while.]

Wanting a good all rounder for rivers, canals, occasional lake, from a boat, light beach casting etc.

 

[redandshane]

Hi
I was in a similar position to you and went to my local tackle shop and asked advice basically for a good all round reel to match with a telescopic rod and they suggested a Daiwa Sweepfire which I purchased and I must admit its a versatile and reasonable quality reel which did not break the bank.

 

[Bumbler]

Can't recomend anything as it is years since I used fixed spool fishing rods and reels. But I think a 6000 size (Shimano sizes) is perhaps overkill. I wiould go for something smaller, like a 4000 size. But that is just personal preferance. Where do you plan to fish and what species is the target? (freshwater/saltwater etc)

 

[troutman]

Shimano baitrunner? used mine for fresh and saltwater without any issues- handled salmon, bass, mackerel- the lot. Also a good little reel for float fishing. It's been a while since I looked at spinning & multiplier reels etc but would recommend the baitrunner!

 

[Dave]

I'll have a look at the sweepfire redandshane thanks.

Can't recomend anything as it is years since I used fixed spool fishing rods and reels. I would go for something smaller, like a 4000 size. But that is just personal preferance. Where do you plan to fish and what species is the target? (freshwater/saltwater etc)

Wanting a good all rounder for rivers, canals, occasional lake, from a boat, light beach casting etc.

Shimano baitrunner? used mine for fresh and saltwater without any issues- handled salmon, bass, mackerel- the lot. Also a good little reel for float fishing. It's been a while since I looked at spinning & multiplier reels etc but would recommend the baitrunner!

What size baitrunner reel do you think will be suitable for the rod troutman? What were you using?

Any other suggestions?

 

[Damascus]

Exage 2500, I have one and its an ideal spinning reel, its never tangled in its gears with line. The bearings are really smooth, try one in the shop and then try cheaper makes you will definitely feel the quality.

bottom line is how much are you be prepared to pay, I have cheaper reels, they work.

lada and Lamborghini are both cars, if you get my point, exage IMHO

 

[Seadog]

Stick to Shimano Exage will not go wrong - last year I bought a cheap Mitchel which did not really last and had to replace with Shimano - so beware false economy-

 

[Dave]

Ah! Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I called in at the local tackle shop this morning, and got a Daiwa megaforce 4000 reel. I had a go with the exage, which was nice, but unless I drop the megaforce, it should work just as well. [and was almost half the price] I think the exage 2500 may have been a bit on the small side for the sea.....?
Also got some sonic shads, huge spool of 10lb mono, some 42g tobys, so all set for a bit of beach/rock casting for bass.

Yum Yum.

 

[Bushwhacker]

For spinning, you want one with quite a high gear ratio, otherwise your hand will be going like a hamster in wheel if you're attempting a fast retrieve - 5:1 or 6:1 would be ideal.

 

[Dave]

This one's 4.9:1 so should be luverly jubberly. I can get 250 metres of 12lb mono on the 4000 size reel, and its not too big.

 

[Bushwhacker]

This one's 4.9:1 so should be luverly jubberly. I can get 250 metres of 12lb mono on the 4000 size reel, and its not too big.

Cool!
Best thing to save on line is to wind some insulation tape onto the spool before you wind it on, so that you pad it out a bit.
You won't need 250 metres with a 9ft rod - 125 metres will ensure you can load up twice, providing you keep the spare line in a cool dark place.

 

[Dave]

Good tip. Cheers. Might try that.

[At the moment I've used some of the bright yellow backing I use for my fly reels, as I had loads of the stuff.]

I bought the bigger reel, because I might end up getting a 13foot beach caster as well. But I'll be using the 9 foot telescopic with it on a river soon.

[Cant wait.......new toy and all that.....] There's a few spots I cant reach on a local river with my 9foot fly rod, and Im sure there are some BIG trout living there....

 

[DavidJT]

The Exage 2500 looks good.

Personally I'm a fan of Abu gear though. It's worth spending enough to get a decent real that will last for years, and wont frustrate you by miss-behaving.

Don't forget to rinse after use in sea water.

 

[Dave]

This is the one I got. On special offer for just £29.99. It feels like a nice little reel.
The exage had the edge slightly, but I felt not enough to justify nearly double the price.
The exage has a bit more graphite, where this has some composite. Both felt very smooth.
Time will tell.

The presence of a quality front drag
and the reassuring security of AirBail see the Megaforce X
perform well above its price tag.

• Airbail
• Twistbuster
• Infinite Anti Reverse
• ABS
• Flat wind oscillation
• Folding handle with T-shape knob
• Twistbuster
• Spare spool

 

[daveO]

It might be worth loading the spare spool up with a lighter line, say 5lbs, in case you want to use lighter spinners.

 

[troutman]

For spinning, you want one with quite a high gear ratio, otherwise your hand will be going like a hamster in wheel if you're attempting a fast retrieve - 5:1 or 6:1 would be ideal.

Not so sure about that- when I used to guide I always saw plenty of people winding far too quickly with a fast retrieve reel- the result? lots of missed fish A lower ratio has its uses in spinning too, if using a fast retrieve take it easy.

Another thing which I have found to be pointless is moving the rod in big swings then taking up the slack- it has virtually no affect on the lure and instead I have found it better to just stop the retrieve for a second or so, let the lure sink (or rise) then start winding again.

I would also suggest using tape if using braid (ideal for spinning due to its sensitivity) due to the cost, but using it with mono is a personal thing.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Not so sure about that- when I used to guide I always saw plenty of people winding far too quickly with a fast retrieve reel- the result? lots of missed fish A lower ratio has its uses in spinning too, if using a fast retrieve take it easy.

Another thing which I have found to be pointless is moving the rod in big swings then taking up the slack- it has virtually no affect on the lure and instead I have found it better to just stop the retrieve for a second or so, let the lure sink (or rise) then start winding again.

I would also suggest using tape if using braid (ideal for spinning due to its sensitivity) due to the cost, but using it with mono is a personal thing.

It's far easier to reel in slowly with a high ratio (you just turn the handle slower!) not so easy or comfortable to retrieve fast with a low ratio all day long. I agree that whipping the rod does very little.