Overhead Reel

[daveylad]

Been looking at a new reel today after losing the Amberjack I reckon I need an overhead reel. I've looked at a DAiwa reel LD 50H look impressive and wonder what others think to this reel.

SPECS:

Gear Ratio - 6.3

Bearings - 6+1

Weight - 585g

Drag - 12kg

Line Capacity - 30lb/320m, 50lb/200m

Looking at loading it with 50lb braid

[dhess]

Good call on the lever drag Dave. Only way to go to tackle serious fish offshore. Just having the flexibility to change the drag mid fight makes them the only real choice.

I had a serious look at the saltist lever drags when the first came out but wasn't overly impressed. Nice, compact and light but very flimsy compared to comparable shimano reels. I am not a fan of the spongy handle either.

Depending on your budget I would be looking at something like a shimano tyrnos 12 single speed around the $300 mark. (2 speed is not really worth the extra money unless you are after a serious dedicated trolling reel for billfish.) Better drag and more solid construction but a bit heavier. Thats what I use. I own 4 tyrnos' and they all have been flawless. You only need a reel that will fit 300m of 50lb braid and a bit of backing. Anything more than 50lb braid is pointless as you will never break 50lb no matter how far you push the drag. If you want to go cheaper you can get a shimano TLD25 which is also an indestructible reel but doesn't have quite as much raw winching power, weaker drag and slightly inferior ergonomics.

At the top end of the scale you could go to a shimano torsa which is a beast of a reel. Super powerful drag and higher speed retrieve. It also has interchangeable drag cams with different profiles. Its more aimed at jigging but a friend uses it for general offshore duties and it performs very well. Around $650. The only thing about the torsas is that they may be a bit more maintenance intensive as they seem to let in a bit more water.

Also worth considering is the shimano talica which is a fairly recent release. Really nice as its lighter than a equivalent tyrnos with slightly higher retrieve ratio. I reckon I will get one as my next offshore allrounder. Its also designed to be very castable which is nice if fishing with a few people on a boat, as you can flick your bait away from the boat and avoid tangles. you would probably want a 12 or a 16 and in single speed they are around $600.

BTW picked up a new rod today to be my new allrounder. Got a Gary Howard calstar and it is amazing. Have never felt a rod that is so light but has so much power and has a really nice progressive action.

It also has ultra sey bright blue hypalon grips. Can't wait to try it out. You will have to have a go next trip.

Dom

[daveylad]

$300 is about the mark, will have a serious look at the Shimano I know from what I saw they work

[webbfunk]

Dave...did you get to see the Amberjack?

[daveylad]

webbfunk wrote:

Dave...did you get to see the Amberjack?

I saw the one that Dhess brought up missed it due to my lack of experience with a gaff, it was easily over a metre long, the one I got didnt last more than 30 seconds before it broke away

[tugger]

i can speak for the tyrnos as well dave thats what i have on my long rod that i get the spanish macks, yellow tail kings and my boy landed the sailfish on this year. it has toiled away for me now for a couple of years with many mackerel and marlin, coping my abuse i give my gear without a hitch. great retrieve ratio to bring them in quick if the sharks are about

[daveylad]

tugger wrote:

i can speak for the tyrnos as well dave thats what i have on my long rod that i get the spanish macks, yellow tail kings and my boy landed the sailfish on this year. it has toiled away for me now for a couple of years with many mackerel and marlin, coping my abuse i give my gear without a hitch. great retrieve ratio to bring them in quick if the sharks are about

Saying this very quietly Mark, I've just been out and bought the Shimano Tyrinos 20 Combo with a nice rod, also 500metres of 50lb braid, saying it quiet so the missus cant hear me, I'll have to go up the garage and put the line on later tonight :laugh: Looking forward to trying it out looks awswome be jesus I'm startting to get some gear I reckon I've become Compulsive and definatley obssesive. :woohoo:

[Keen-as-fisho]

daveylad wrote:

Saying this very quietly Mark, I've just been out and bought the Shimano Tyrinos 20 Combo with a nice rod, also 500metres of 50lb braid, saying it quiet so the missus cant hear me, I'll have to go up the garage and put the line on later tonight :laugh: Looking forward to trying it out looks awswome be jesus I'm startting to get some gear I reckon I've become Compulsive and definatley obssesive. :woohoo:

[dhess]

Nice one Dave, I will make sure I ask her what she thinks of the new rod next time I phone.

What rod did you end up getting and what braid did you load it with?

With 500m you will be able to have a crack at some deeper bottom bashing up to about 200m if your sounder is up to locating fish. I have never given them a go but the deeper reefs are meant to hold some extra big fish as noone really fishes them because of their remoteness and current.

[daveylad]

Just reading the manual its got 2 settings a 200 and a 50 its says the 50 setting is best for water over 300 feet deep have to read up some more

[dhess]

Sounds like a 2 speed reel.

You pretty much only use high speed. Only time you use low speed is if you have a powerfull fish holding deep andrefusing to come up.

[flexo]

dhess wrote:

Good call on the lever drag Dave. Only way to go to tackle serious fish offshore. Just having the flexibility to change the drag mid fight makes them the only real choice.

Whats wrong with a 5500 Emblem X change the drag setting as much as you want have caught kingies to 50kg on thirty pound daiwa braid . So as for lever drag reels being the only of choice Thats your choice.

[dhess]

Nothing wong with the Emblem 5500 in fact I reckon they are one of the best heavier reels bang for buck wise. Fine for light jigging or casting slugs and poppers but not ideal as an allrounder. Mind you I have seen an emblem get bent whilst used for heavier jigging.

Now imagine these three scenarios.

Scenario 1

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Floatlining for snapper. Try letting out line from a spinning reel with varying weights in different depths. Its doable but you will have far more control with an overhead reel and easier to thumb the spool and set the hooks when you get smacked on the drop.

Scenario 2

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Your bait is near the bottom and it gets taken by a decent AJ or Kingie. By the time you have adjusted the drag knob a few turns the fish has pulled 20 meters or more of line and its all over. You curse and wind up what left of your tattered leader to rerig. If you were using a lever drag overhead you just push the drag to max in a split second while still maintaining full control of the rod. Similarly if the fish is still a bit green boatside you can ease the drag off instantaneously and let it go for a run.

Scenario 3

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Trolling for bigger pelagics. Whats a more suitable reel? The smoother and stronger drag of an overhead. You can have the reel set at strike while you are trolling lures. As soon as you get a hookup you can up the drag. Not saying marlin and wahoo etc. can't be caught using spinning reels its just that its hard work and you won't land as many fish.

I do accept that some people are more comfortable using spinning reels and can land good fish with them.

[flexo]

I belive the post was about a reel for AJ,s?????