Help With Choosing New Reel

[Kat]

Hi Everyone

Okay so I bought an Abu Garcia Salty Fighter 2-4kg/BMAX30 Combo as my first fishing rod about 12 weeks ago.  Don't laugh but being new to fishing the owner of the tackle shop basically picked it out for me so I didnt look at anything else. Also I didn't know that salt water was so fatal to reels.  I have learnt my lesson but now need a new reel.  Budget is about $100.00.  please provide some suggestions... looking to purchase tomorrow or friday

Cheers Katrina

[ellicat]

For a bit more than $100 you could pickup a Daiwa Revros. I have two and they both cast 'reely' well and are nice and smooth. Happy with my two.

[Brodie_S]

Yeah personally I would go for shimano sedona 1000 as they have x ship and hagane gear which in my opinion is super good if you want a strong gearing system I have 2 Daiwa’s around $100 a aird and legalis lt the legalis lt got in a combo for $150 which is usually $300 was lucky with that ok getting side tracked now back to topic .there’s nothing wrong with them they work really good and I love them but they lose their smoothness fairly quick and to fix this I just added some grease on the gears and with shimano reels you wouldn’t have to do this to keep them smooth and it fixed it daiwa for some reason don’t put much grease in the airds and the both the airds and legalis aren’t very water proof I dunked my legalis not to long ago in saltwater and had to pull it apart to fix it which luckily I was able to fix the reel the anti reverse bearing was rusty and caused the reel to go frozen so yeah I would go for a shimano 1000 even though their small reels that can fit a lot of line on them more then a daiwa 2000 I have a Stradic fl 1000 which is somewhat similar to a sedona it terms of x ship and hagane gear And g free body etc I caught a 69cm queenfish with that 1000 reel  with 6lb braid so a 1000 size reel can handle a lot more then people think personally I think 2500 reels are overrated and to heavy for most estuary style fishing I’ve seen people catch giant flathead GT etc on small shimano 1000 reels so for a 2-4kg a 1000 shimano reel would be awesome I love fishing my Stradic on my 2-4kg rod it feels super light and balanced when you use small reels although their small they have plenty of power and definitely can hold a lot of line for their size 

[Kat]

Thanks @ellicat and @Breaming with bro

@Breaming with bro I will need a little while to digest the info you have given - don't understand some of the lingo - and know absolutely nothing.  Just know that my stepfather gave me a reel to use which I absolutely hate.  Don't know what gears are on a reel either.  Maybe I will have to do some more research....

Cheers Kat

[ellicat]

You don't need to spend a lot of money to catch your bread and butter species.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Kat

I own a some reels that would probably suit your price range, and in my opinion are very good beginner/budget reels. 

1) My first option would be a Shimano Sienna, Size 1000 - 2500. They are well under your budget, and I know BCF sells them. Do yourself a favour and become a club member to get discounts. 

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/shimano-sienna-fg-spinning-reel/M581202.html#q=sienna&lang=en_AU&start=2

If you become a club member, you only have to pay $55 (or according to BCF online you do), so that will leave you with a bit of cash to get some good line, and maybe some more goodies which you might need. Even though it's cheap, I've had mine for seven years (but I think this one is the FG model, which I have not tried, but I can only assume it'd be better as it's newer). I believe @Breaming with bro had one so he may able to give you exact advice on this model. I caught my first Threadfin Salmon on this reel, a solid model at 60cm. It took some good runs but the reel managed it well. 

2) The second option is A Shimano Nasci, which exceeds your price range slightly. I have had mine since Christmas 2018, and it goes just as smooth as the day I opened it up. With a bit of simple oiling and maintenance, most of your reels will last very long. I have a size 2500, which is a pretty good all rounder I reckon. 

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/shimano-nasci-spinning-reel-2500/521760.html#q=nasci&lang=en_AU&start=4

It is $140 from BCF for a club member, but maybe different family businesses around the place could have better prices. I have landed countless bream, the odd cod, some flatties, and many other assorted species on this reel and it handles them fine. You would be able to manage pretty much every bread and butter species on this reel  

Finally, a Diawa Shinobi reel is another option. From BCF, the combo (so a rod and reel) costs $160, so I would say if it was just the reel it would be pretty much perfect for your price. I have caught a good flattie on this reel which both tested the line and drag and it held up very well, so I would certainly recommend it. 

4) Finally, while I have not used this reel, I have heard quite a bit about it. A Shimano Sedona seems to be a good budget reel. Maybe this review could help more than me though! 

Hope that helps,

Cheers Hamish  

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 minute ago, ellicat said:

You don't need to spend a lot of money to catch your bread and butter species.

Too true. In fact, some of the sharks I've caught have come off a Jarvis Walker combo!

Cheers Hamish

[Kat]

Wow - thanks Hamish!

[Another Wazza]

Hi there Kat, as Ellicat has said, you don’t need to spend heaps on an estuary outfit for your bread and butter species, providing you keep it clean after fishing, and lubricate when required, most setups will last quite a while.

There’s nothing wrong with dusting big dollars on glory reels either if that’s what one wants, but to be honest, for most of the fishing I do, the reels I use the most I bought over 20 years ago, and they cost less then $200 back then, I’ve  kept them well maintained and they’ve been rewarding me ever since, moral of the story is, just look after your gear, and it’ll look after you

[Kat]

1 minute ago, Another Wazza said:

Hi there Kat, as Ellicat has said, you don’t need to spend heaps on an estuary outfit for your bread and butter species, providing you keep it clean after fishing, and lubricate when required, most setups will last quite a while.

There’s nothing wrong with dusting big dollars on glory reels either if that’s what one wants, but to be honest, for most of the fishing I do, the reels I use the most I bought over 20 years ago, and they cost less then $200 back then, I’ve  kept them well maintained and they’ve been rewarding me ever since, moral of the story is, just look after your gear, and it’ll look after you

Hey Wazza

Now that you have brought it up - someone please tell me how to look after my gear properly!  How do I clean it after fishing without ruining it?

Cheers Kat

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

2 minutes ago, Kat said:

Hey Wazza

Now that you have brought it up - someone please tell me how to look after my gear properly!  How do I clean it after fishing without ruining it?

Cheers Kat

Hey Kat

Well I have been showed/told how too, and now understand how important it is. Normally you can just oil all the joints in the reel to keep it spinning and from rusting, which is quite simply. A quick wipe over with paper towel before-hand will certainly help as well. I do this after every trip as it keeps my reels going good.

If your reel has been exposed to a heap of water it may pay to take the spool off and wipe everything clean. I will post a more detailed response and some pics tomorrow arvo when I'm free, but right now watching a movie so busy! 

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

7 minutes ago, Kat said:

Hey Wazza

Now that you have brought it up - someone please tell me how to look after my gear properly!  How do I clean it after fishing without ruining it?

Cheers Kat

Yeah we did a thread about it not to long ago and there was heaps of ways on there to look after you’re reel 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

2 minutes ago, Breaming with bro said:

Yeah we did a thread about it not to long ago and there was heaps of ways on there to look after you’re reel 

Yep, here is the thread for your reference Kat.

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

31 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey Kat

I own a some reels that would probably suit your price range, and in my opinion are very good beginner/budget reels. 

1) My first option would be a Shimano Sienna, Size 1000 - 2500. They are well under your budget, and I know BCF sells them. Do yourself a favour and become a club member to get discounts. 

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/shimano-sienna-fg-spinning-reel/M581202.html#q=sienna&lang=en_AU&start=2

If you become a club member, you only have to pay $55 (or according to BCF online you do), so that will leave you with a bit of cash to get some good line, and maybe some more goodies which you might need. Even though it's cheap, I've had mine for seven years (but I think this one is the FG model, which I have not tried, but I can only assume it'd be better as it's newer). I believe @Breaming with bro had one so he may able to give you exact advice on this model. I caught my first Threadfin Salmon on this reel, a solid model at 60cm. It took some good runs but the reel managed it well. 

2) The second option is A Shimano Nasci, which exceeds your price range slightly. I have had mine since Christmas 2018, and it goes just as smooth as the day I opened it up. With a bit of simple oiling and maintenance, most of your reels will last very long. I have a size 2500, which is a pretty good all rounder I reckon. 

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/shimano-nasci-spinning-reel-2500/521760.html#q=nasci&lang=en_AU&start=4

It is $140 from BCF for a club member, but maybe different family businesses around the place could have better prices. I have landed countless bream, the odd cod, some flatties, and many other assorted species on this reel and it handles them fine. You would be able to manage pretty much every bread and butter species on this reel  

Finally, a Diawa Shinobi reel is another option. From BCF, the combo (so a rod and reel) costs $160, so I would say if it was just the reel it would be pretty much perfect for your price. I have caught a good flattie on this reel which both tested the line and drag and it held up very well, so I would certainly recommend it. 

4) Finally, while I have not used this reel, I have heard quite a bit about it. A Shimano Sedona seems to be a good budget reel. Maybe this review could help more than me though! 

Hope that helps,

Cheers Hamish  

I agree with Hamish here if you don’t want to spent $90-100 you can get a sienna FG for $56 at bcf if you’re a club member the gear system isn’t as good as the Sedona but there still awesome reels for their price better then any other reel around $50 . I did own one when it first came out but returned it because it had Some minor issues with it But they don’t seem to have the issues that I returned the reel for anymore so I would recommend checking out the sienna fg reels if your a bit tight with money 

[Another Wazza]

Don’t pressure wash it with a hose, it’ll force stuff in your trying to keep out, if you need to, lightly rinse, then dry, and reapply oil to places like the line roller, handle etc,  the reel you purchase may come with a diagram showing where you should be using a reel oil etc, I don’t use spinning outfits that often, most of mine are overheads, and the maintenance is a little bit different  between the two, same principles though

[Brodie_S]

I will add I do prefer the 1000 size by shimano would recommend them for fish around 1-6kg they can handle a lot .hold heaps of line and are super light and balanced and will feel amazing on rods around that 2-4kg range super strong to there seems to be a lot of people using small reels for big flathead now to such as 1000-2000 

[Kat]

8 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Yep, here is the thread for your reference Kat.

Cheers Hamish

Go watch your movie!

[samsteele115]

Shimano Sienna! 2500 size for your rod. Great value, my first reel to learn on too. If I had my time again I'd choose the same thing 

[Kat]

2 minutes ago, samsteele115 said:

Shimano Sienna! 2500 size for your rod. Great value, my first reel to learn on too. If I had my time again I'd choose the same thing 

What is the difference between the 1000, 2500, etcetera...?

[Brodie_S]

A 1000 size reel is smaller then the 2500 usually the order goes something like this 

500 1000 2000 2500 3000 4000 5000 a 2500 is a good size for chasing fish like jewfish school Mackrell big flathead Smallish GT in my opinion but a lot of people use them for bream flathead whiting etc I just don’t like the way they feel and are more suited for line like 10lb-15lb where the 1000 reels are more for 4-8lb line and sometimes 10lb the 1000 size reels are lighter and much more balanced for a 2-4kg rod a 2500 reel just feels to heavy and unnecessary for simple bread and butter speices like bream and flathead a 1000 can do more then enough for fishing the Estuary unless your chasing mangrove jack then you might want 2500 or 3000 size reel . I would normally match a 2500 reel with a 3-5kg rod or 4-7kg rod 

[benno573]

I’d look at a sienna 2500, throw some 10lb line on it and that will do you perfectly well. Then use the remaining $44 from your budget to buy a couple of bottles of wine or similar. Every kid gets a prize!

[Ed.]

About the only reel I know of that are quite water resistant are the Penn Spinfishers VI as they have a rating of IPX5 so salt spray and light dunking shouldn't cause any problems, unfortunately the smallest size is a 2500 but they are a quite strong and solid reel and you can lightly hose them down after fishing, I have the 2500LL, 4500LL and 6500LL sized ones (sold off the 8500LL one). They are also pricier than your budget with the cheapest price I have found is from Dinga Fishing, and if you sign up (free) they give free postage and a $10 or $20 discount on your very first order.

For most light estuary fishing the Penn 2500 size is still overkill in price, weight and has 6.5Kg of drag. So if you wanted to go lighter and cheaper you would have to look at Daiwa, Shimano, Abu and many other brands as there are a stack of 1000-2000 sized reels that would be better suited for light fishing .

[Kat]

Thanks everyone!  In a few months I will be buying another rod and reel - and won't have a budget! So will be asking opinions again I will pop into BCF tomorrow on the way home and have a look at your suggestions.  Will let you know what I end up with.

Cheers Kat

[GregOug]

For about $90 delivered you can get a Shimano Stradic 5000xg. It will take about four months to get to you, won’t be a Stradic when it does arrive and probably wouldn’t survive a thick mist but hey, what can you expect for 90 bucks!

[Kat]

Just now, GregOug said:

For about $90 delivered you can get a Shimano Stradic 5000xg. It will take about four months to get to you, won’t be a Stradic when it does arrive and probably wouldn’t survive a thick mist but hey, what can you expect for 90 bucks!

Ha ha.  Was wondering when you were going to bring that up!

[Another Wazza]

No budget!, whoa!, go nuts!, you could end up with a very, very nice outfit in a couple of months, or a very, very substandard outfit if you trek down the road Greg traveled, hahaha

[GregOug]

1 minute ago, Another Wazza said:

No budget!, whoa!, go nuts!, you could end up with a very, very nice outfit in a couple of months, or a very, very substandard outfit if you trek down the road Greg traveled, hahaha

I’m going to try it out on the guppies in my fish tank at home to start off with. If it survives that I’ll move on to some tadpoles next time it rains.

[Another Wazza]

You know it won’t survive the guppies, so the tadpoles are pretty safe

[Ed.]

Kat, just out of curiosity, what species of fish are you intending to purchase this reel for? The other thing is, that you might want to choose a specific reel and match it up to a suitable rod that you like, in other word don't get a combo. As they rarely are any good, they are put together for the cheapest price possible.

Having said that, I went to my local BCF store about a week ago and their stock of reels and rods were very minimal, trouble getting stock out of China.

[GregOug]

1 minute ago, Another Wazza said:

You know it won’t survive the guppies, so the tadpoles are pretty safe

Such a defeatist attitude? I put some line on it and the spool didn’t collapse! 

[GregOug]

Well, when I say line, it was really some cotton out of our sewing kit. But still!

[Kat]

2 minutes ago, Ed. said:

Kat, just out of curiosity, what species of fish are you intending to purchase this reel for? The other thing is, that you might want to choose a specific reel and match it up to a suitable rod that you like, in other word don't get a combo. As they rarely are any good, they are put together for the cheapest price possible.

Well.  At the moment I am land based (no surf rod so estuaries, broadwater etc) on the GC and as far as i have been able to tell the only species i could get is Bream, Whiting and Flathead, the odd stingray maybe :-).  I will definitely put together my own rod a reel when I have a better budget in a couple of months.  

[Brodie_S]

11 hours ago, Kat said:

 

9 hours ago, Kat said:

Well.  At the moment I am land based (no surf rod so estuaries, broadwater etc) on the GC and as far as i have been able to tell the only species i could get is Bream, Whiting and Flathead, the odd stingray maybe :-).  I will definitely put together my own rod a reel when I have a better budget in a couple of months.

Yeah for whiting bream and flathead a 1000 size reel is perfect for that 2500 is simply overkill for bream and whiting and even for flatties it’s overkill unless your catching 3 metre flatties of course or a couple of metreies .also I would recommend 4-6lb braid everyone in this topic is probably shaking their head but you don’t want to be skull dragging every fish you catch with 10lb braid and leader I can easily skull drag 40cm flatties  bream whiting . overall I would go with 6lb braid and 6lb leader works well for bream whiting and flatties if you want you can use a heavier 12lb leader if you’re chasing Flathead with bigger lures .and I know people think I’m a silly using 6lb leader for flathead because of their teeth but I’ve been doing it for awhile now and I’ve never been snapped off by flathead even my pb  55cm flathead didn’t snap the line you just have to fight then slow and let then take runs while being careful and making sure their not heading for a oyster racks or a old shopping trolly if you’re watching you’re line and holding you rod firm it’s pretty Unlikely a flathead will take the whole lure down its gob . Overall do what you think is best but for me a 1000 size reel is the perfect all rounder for me and I’ve put heaps of time into using them and have caught heaps of big fish on them and they easily handle it . I also recommend using plastics around that 2.5 inch range they pretty much catch everything bream whiting flathead flounder tailor you name it personally I would go with daiwa bait junkie soft plastics but zman and also really good . Bought a packet of  daiwa bait junkie plastics the 2.5 minnow in white bait yesterday and caught probably 12 pike and a baby cod in 40 minutes before I left can’t wait till I use them in spot where there’s no pike . The main reasons why I hate 2500 reels for light 2-4kg rods is because there to heavy And have to much line capacity and just makes the combo not as balanced unless you’re buying the new Vanford I would stear away from 2500 reels for those speices . Hope that helps i didn’t know people on this forum use such heavy gear for small fish lmao 10lb line for whiting

[Ed.]

Pretty much what Breaming with Bro said, but if you are fishing those areas there will be other species to consider which will turn up there as well, such as Stingrays and Mullaway so you might want to go heavier depending on the size that are around where you fish, same goes for Trevally as all these species can grow to XXL sizes. The smallest size reel I have is a 2500 size sitting with a 4-8kg rod which is filled with 17lb braid but I don't target the smaller species though. If I did I would respool down to about 10lb, purely because Trevally and the others frequent the same sort of areas, or else put on 6lb leaders and 6lb mainline which would be better though and I would just take my chances if a bigger species hooked up.

 I really don't want to buy another smaller reel! so I will just make do with the 2500 setup I have. Should point out that Mullaway and Trevally can be dirty fighters and will reef you the first chance they get, so a heavier line might be preferable. If the area is very sandy then that might not be an issue. Lots of ways to skin a cat as the saying goes but for Bream, Whiting and Flathead a 1000 sized reel would be more fun but get what you would be more comfortable with. Just my 2 cents worth.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

12 hours ago, samsteele115 said:

Shimano Sienna! 2500 size for your rod. Great value, my first reel to learn on too. If I had my time again I'd choose the same thing 

Same here Sam. I still have mine after seven years, but it's due for it's first service! 

Breaming with bro, I do agree with what you're saying about the size 1000, but on the right rod a 2500 feels awesome. I like both my reels (size 1000 and 2500) almost equally for light tackle fishing. It isn't uncommon for me to tie on a heavy leader for the reel, i.e. 20lb, but that's only because I fish in structure when I fish the Brisbane River. 

I will tie on a lighter leader, maybe 6lb, if fishing somewhere like a sandy beach for whiting as I know they are finicky. I'm actually ordering a new spool for my Sienna, which I'm going to spool with 6lb. That way, I can swich spools instead of swiching reels every time I want to go lighter/heavier. 

13 hours ago, Kat said:

Hey Wazza

Now that you have brought it up - someone please tell me how to look after my gear properly!  How do I clean it after fishing without ruining it?

Cheers Kat

Hey Kat

Here is my guide to how I look after it. I'm sure other people would have far different methods, but I hope the videos/series of pics I've put together help. 

Your first step is to get the reel off the rod (easy) and grab three simply items - paper towel, water, and some lube. Many people use specialized reel lube, which is probably ideal, but I just use normal oil. These are all I use to service my reels, but if they have been exposed to a heap of salty water then a spray of WD-40 on them can help (but not on plastic reels, thanks for the tip @Junky). 

After that, step two is to take apart your reel so you can give it a proper wiping. Normally you'd only do this after every few sessions or if it's been exposed to sand/grit/water, but if it hasn't only wipe the surface of the reel. Taking apart the reel is quite easy after you get to know how, with the first thing being the reel handle. You simply turn the knob on the other side of the reel, then when that's off pull the reel handle off. 

Reel Handle

Reel Knob

Taking it off - as you can see relatively simple. 

The next step is to put them aside, and take off the spool. If you think it is too confusing to have two different parts at once when you first do it, that's fine. Some helpful techniques could be taking screenshots/pictures of the reel, like a before and after (once again, thanks Junky and I think Breaming with bro), and to put the different parts in order as you take them out. 

Taking the spool off isn't that hardest thing, you basically turn the same thing you turn to adjust the drag on your reel, and turn it until it comes off. Then you can just lift the spool off! 

This is what you turn to take the spool off

This part here is the spool

Here's a quick vid of taking it off

Well, now you're done that bit, you can wet your paper towel. Wipe off the parts of the reel that are really greasy to clean them, and wipe over all the surface of the reel. This gets any grit out of it, and makes the reel function better. Fold your paper towel into a square so the edges are thin, that way it can reach trickier spots in your reel. 

Something that should've been wiped long ago

Remember to dry this off after it has been wiped, but then you can simply put the reel back together. I have made some more vids on this to make it easier to watch, so I hope that will help! 

You can put the reel handle back on almost the same may you took it off. Just remember that this time you're putting the reel handle back in first then the knob, not the knob then the reel handle. (Actually I don't think it makes much off a difference). 

Putting the reel handle back on!

Alright, now to the spool. After this step, you check the reel is working fine and then give it a good oil, and then it's ready to go! Putting the spool on is just as easy as taking it off - you simply put it back on then the bit you use to tighten it goes back on too. 

Now that you have your reel back together, you can oil it. Just barely a drop is plenty, and spots such as these is where you want to oil it up. 

And wipe off any excess, and then you're done! That's all I do for my reels anyways, so I hope it all helps Kat. It is worth mentioning very simple rod maintenance too. Just with your wet wipe, wipe down the rod, then dry it off. It's as easy as anything as will help keep your rod clean and good looking. 

Good luck, 

Cheers Hamish  

P.S. Sorry for any errors if I've muffed anything up... Especially the order of the vids  

 

[Do$tylz]

There is always multiple opinions on this but the only one that matters is your own We can all share with you the things to take into consideration, but the value of each consideration is up to you. In saying that, here's my 2 cent.

1 - Buy the best you can with the money you have

You've been getting into fishing lots and you've been really enjoying it. Doesn't look like you are going to be slowing down anytime - so consider getting a reel that is likely to last you longer than 1 year. The Sienna or Sedona is about as low as I could recommend. Consider going the step up to the Nasci - it's the replacement for what used to the the Symetre and those were great value for money. They last multiple years if you do the basics of looking after them.

2 - Look after your gear and it will last.

Look after it like you would $150 in cash. You're not gonna just throw $150 in the sand or in the water and if you do, you'll wash it off before putting it into your purse.

3 - Picking up the "balance" conversation.

I will go a little bit against what BwB is saying here. I would go 2500. There is minimal chance a 1000 reel is going to balance well with the rod you have. I'll put money on it that a 1000 reel will make your rod balance with the tip being heavy and naturally pointing down. You may want to consider having the weight more balancing neutral or being bottom heavy (rod tip pointing upwards).  To test this out, put the reel on your rod, hold your rod in your hand with the reel stem between your middle finger and ring finger. Now, slowly release your grip on the rod and which way does your rod tilt?

2500 is also more versatile for your changing fishing needs. If you buy a model that lasts years, you'll find more use for the 2500 than the 1000. It will also generally allow you to cast further than a 1000 as well.

 

To give perspective - I actually prefer a 1000 myself..... but it isn't what I would recommend for your fishing atm.

[samsteele115]

@Do$tylz 100%, all of that 

[Brodie_S]

1 hour ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

 

 

 

37 minutes ago, Do$tylz said:

1 - Buy the best you can with the money you have

You've been getting into fishing lots and you've been really enjoying it. Doesn't look like you are going to be slowing down anytime - so consider getting a reel that is likely to last you longer than 1 year. The Sienna or Sedona is about as low as I could recommend. Consider going the step up to the Nasci - it's the replacement for what used to the the Symetre and those were great value for money. They last multiple years if you do the basics of looking after them.

2 - Look after your gear and it will last.

Look after it like you would $150 in cash. You're not gonna just throw $150 in the sand or in the water and if you do, you'll wash it off before putting it into your purse.

3 - Picking up the "balance" conversation.

I will go a little bit against what BwB is saying here. I would go 2500. There is minimal chance a 1000 reel is going to balance well with the rod you have. I'll put money on it that a 1000 reel will make your rod balance with the tip being heavy and naturally pointing down. You may want to consider having the weight more balancing neutral or being bottom heavy (rod tip pointing upwards).  To test this out, put the reel on your rod, hold your rod in your hand with the reel stem between your middle finger and ring finger. Now, slowly release your grip on the rod and which way does your rod tilt?

2500 is also more versatile for your changing fishing needs. If you buy a model that lasts years, you'll find more use for the 2500 than the 1000. It will also generally allow you to cast further than a 1000 as well.

 

To give perspective - I actually prefer a 1000 myself..... but it isn't what I would recommend for your fishing atm.

For starters the size of the rod guides influences how far you can cast and a 2500 won’t make much difference or no difference at all in fact the best reels for further casting are shallow spool reels such as the Sedona 2000 and I’ve also never had a rod with a heavy tip and facing down with small reels and I personally think a 2500 is overkill Shimano’s 2500 anyway . I know everyone has different opinions and that’s fine but personally i think it’s plain silly for someone to use a shimano 2500 for bream whiting and flathead fishing . I also recommend everyone check out this article it explains more reasons why a 2500 reel isn’t as good as a 1000 for 2-4kg rod 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 minute ago, Breaming with bro said:

I know everyone has different opinions and that’s fine but personally i think it’s plain silly for someone to use a shimano 2500 for bream whiting and flathead fishing 

That's a very interesting opinion then. I think there's nothing wrong with it and I think they are the perfect size to do so (especially for flatties and bream, not so much whiting), and they also suit fishing the GC much more where Kat lives, as they can handle larger species such as jacks, cod, and tailor. (Not sayinga 1000 won't, saying it will be more likely to get busted off).

They may feel more comfortable as well. Since I have some relatively small hands, I like my 1000's as they are good size. An adult, who will probably have bigger hands than me (as they're an adult), will probably find a slightly bigger reel more comfy!  

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

19 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

That's a very interesting opinion then. I think there's nothing wrong with it and I think they are the perfect size to do so (especially for flatties and bream, not so much whiting), and they also suit fishing the GC much more where Kat lives, as they can handle larger species such as jacks, cod, and tailor. (Not sayinga 1000 won't, saying it will be more likely to get busted off).

They may feel more comfortable as well. Since I have some relatively small hands, I like my 1000's as they are good size. An adult, who will probably have bigger hands than me (as they're an adult), will probably find a slightly bigger reel more comfy!  

Cheers Hamish

yeah I do Have quite big hands and I do find it not much difference but yeah everyone’s different so a good point there in terms of being busted off from using small reels and big fish I’ve never had a problem with large fish unless they go straight into Structures but a 2500 reel won’t make a difference it’s more to do with your leader line not your reel size . Here’s just some of the fish that I’ve caught using small reels . Bream 37cm . Flathead 55cm . Trevally 30-40cm silver and GT I’ve caught .69cm 5-7kg queenfish and a batfish around 4-6kg all caught with 6lb braid and leader . I added some photos Of the fish mentioned and just some random photos . I’ve caught others but don’t want to use up a lot of photos and half the fish I don’t even have photos of I know others who have caught way  bigger fish then I have on small reels