Ed.

I also have heard that if you're right handed you should wind with your left, however it has never been a hindrance or a problem to me so as I am 66 years old, why change? I find it quite comfortable to wind with my right hand as it is quicker, plus I am more accurate casting with my right hand forward. Having said that I was born a left hander but my primary school forced me to be a right hander, because in those days we used ink pots and quills (the younger folks here may not know what those are) to write with and using your left hand you might smudge the still un-dried ink as you wrote sentences.
So as the old saying goes, " if it ain't broke... don't fix it". As I have 10 overhead reels, there is no way I am going to replace them with left hand winding versions just for the sake of it! You should wind which ever way you find most comfortable.

Nice Carpet snake, just warming itself up on the warm tin roof! With the weather we are having I don't blame it.

I also have heard that if you're right handed you should wind with your left, however it has never been a hindrance or a problem to me so as I am 66 years old, why change? I find it quite comfortable to wind with my right hand as it is quicker, plus I am more accurate casting with my right hand forward. Having said that I was born a left hander but my primary school forced me to be a right hander, because in those days we used ink pots and quills (the younger folks here may not know what those are) to write with and using your left hand you might smudge the still un-dried ink as you wrote sentences.
So as the old saying goes, " if it ain't broke... don't fix it". As I have 10 overhead reels, there is no way I am going to replace them with left hand winding versions just for the sake of it! You should wind which ever way you find most comfortable.

Nice Carpet snake, just warming itself up on the warm tin roof! With the weather we are having I don't blame it.

Here is a link to a Youtube Video which compares  the Shimano, Daiwa and Abu reels and has a look at the way they are made, it goes for about 54 minutes so you may want to get some pop corn😀.

Hi Hweebe, I had a tough choice to make as I had to justify this reel to the missus, she said I had already had too many reels as it was, as well as having  to justify this one to myself as I had to consider how much use I was intending to give it. So price was an issue as I didn't want too spend too much for a reel that was going to spend 99.99% of it's life on a rod in a rod rack.
As for the Tica brand, there is a distributor in Australia but they only sell a limited number of models and they hadn't even heard of the Uzio model when I asked, the brand is quite big in New Zealand and I think as well in the US. but they don't do as much advertising as they should, they do have a small range in the lever drag game reels, but it seems that over the years their range has been slowly "consolidating" to just a few models. Probably can't or don't want to compete against the bigger 4. In the fishing sales market, advertising is King and unless you have a decent budget your product isn't going to be known so you will sell less, then hard to justify a higher budget, ect, ect.. It's a bit like the Okuma Metaloid 5, I was looking at a 2 speed model and the Aust. Distributor didn't bring it in, as they said their wasn't a market for the 2 speed model in Australia, my view is if you don't have it you can't sell it, so I bought 3 Penn Fathoms 2 speeds instead. I have  bought a couple of Tica  reels before and only just sold a smallish game reel about a month ago, (ST-458) as it was mainly a spare reel for guests on my boat and I think that it was only used once in all the years I owned it.
And as I said, the missus was starting to count the number of  rods and reels I had, so if I wanted to upgrade then some had to go. So after selling a couple, I was looking for a replacement for my very old  Daiwa PMF-57H which I have had for about 40 years, it has good line capacity, but a poor 5kg drag, no ARB and just a single dawg anti-reverse so quite sloppy in the handle. I still have it and keep it for sentimental value as I did catch quite a few nice GT's (about 12-15Kg's) on it in W.A.
Anyway I started to do the research and my preference would have been the Daiwa Lexa but at the time they were about $450 and the Tica Uzio was about AU$150 and I think that was delivered to Australia, so whilst I really would have liked the Mag control, the Daiwa was 3 times the price so I settled on the Uzio.
I just checked and the price has gone up to about AU$192 + delivery, so I must have got it on special or the Aussie dollar has dropped compared to the NZ$. It looks like the Tica Titanclaw is the same reel just with a lower gear ratio.  They are both 300 sized reels.
https://www.actionoutdoors.kiwi/Tica-Uzio-GCB300-731-RH-Baitcast-Reel-1
https://www.actionoutdoors.kiwi/epages/shop.sf/en_NZ/?ObjectPath=/Shops/ActionFishing/Products/TICTC300
The Daiwa Lexa HD in the 400 size is about AU$430 (EBay) the 300 size about the AU$380 plus there are a couple of other variations in the Lexa models.
Good luck finding these sized reels in stores as most won't carry the larger bait casters in stock  to look at. Apparently no demand! 😉
 
 
 

In the big 4 brands you could look at:
1) Daiwa Lexa 400HD (3 different ratio models)
2) Abu Garcia Revo Beast REVO T2 BST60
3) Shimano Tranx TRX400AHG, there may be a 500 model as well.
4) Okuma Komodo KDS-463LX
Undoubtedly there are more but these are the ones that grabbed my attention when I was considering getting one last year but never ended up doing so, instead I ended up with a Tica Uzio  which I got from New Zealand for less than a 1/3 of the price than the above 4. There is now also a Tica Titan but not sure what the difference is between that and the Uzio. Only thing I don't like about  the Uzio is that it only has  centrifugal brakes and I prefer the magnetic. Having said that it has never given me a birds nest. For me, my preference would have been in the order I numbered them and in the highest gear ratio available.

Hweebe: Forgot to mention, if you are local to me (Caboolture area) you're welcome to come and try it out.

Hweebe: Forgot to mention, if you are local to me (Caboolture area) you're welcome to come and try it out.

Hweebe: Forgot to mention, if you are local to me (Caboolture area) you're welcome to come and try it out.

In the big 4 brands you could look at:
1) Daiwa Lexa 400HD (3 different ratio models)
2) Abu Garcia Revo Beast REVO T2 BST60
3) Shimano Tranx TRX400AHG, there may be a 500 model as well.
4) Okuma Komodo KDS-463LX
Undoubtedly there are more but these are the ones that grabbed my attention when I was considering getting one last year but never ended up doing so, instead I ended up with a Tica Uzio  which I got from New Zealand for less than a 1/3 of the price than the above 4. There is now also a Tica Titan but not sure what the difference is between that and the Uzio. Only thing I don't like about  the Uzio is that it only has  centrifugal brakes and I prefer the magnetic. Having said that it has never given me a birds nest. For me, my preference would have been in the order I numbered them and in the highest gear ratio available.

Depending on the reason it broke, if you inserted it in properly and then broke off the chip, and if the rest of the chip isn't too far in you could try using a straightened out big paper clip,  just press the remaining edge of the card  in and release, the card might release and pop out a smidge. They usually lock in place when you insert them, if you still can't get it out, you might be able  to put a small drop of superglue on the end of the same paper clip and carefully hold it against that remaining card edge till it sets and then try to pull it out, making sure you don't get that superglue on anything else.
If however you tried to put that chip the wrong way without realizing it, and then tried to force it in till it broke off,  try to pull it out with the dab of superglue without trying to push it in first. Hope this helps.
If this also fails.... well you did want a reason to upgrade the unit anyway!!😄

Depending on the reason it broke, if you inserted it in properly and then broke off the chip, and if the rest of the chip isn't too far in you could try using a straightened out big paper clip,  just press the remaining edge of the card  in and release, the card might release and pop out a smidge. They usually lock in place when you insert them, if you still can't get it out, you might be able  to put a small drop of superglue on the end of the same paper clip and carefully hold it against that remaining card edge till it sets and then try to pull it out, making sure you don't get that superglue on anything else.
If however you tried to put that chip the wrong way without realizing it, and then tried to force it in till it broke off,  try to pull it out with the dab of superglue without trying to push it in first. Hope this helps.
If this also fails.... well you did want a reason to upgrade the unit anyway!!😄

I think that on my P3 you have go into a menu and tell the controller that you are reversing although I have never done that

Have a look at this in the size 20 it is the cheapest I have found and nice specifications: 
https://www.freddys.com.au/products/okuma-makaira-overhead-reels?variant=29246157226077
or this one at half the price.
https://www.freddys.com.au/collections/overhead-reels/products/penn-fathom-2-speed-lever-drag-reels?variant=32497035608157

I think that Northern conquest charges about $15/day for rod and reel or their condition but you would have to check, all the pics show spinning gear, but can't make out type or brand though. All the larger reels will catch all the fish you probably tangle with but some are nicer/better to use than others. In the olden days  many a humongous fish fish was caught with just a hand line on a spool with 80-100 plus pound line but we have been accustomed to using high end reels which can cost 500 times more, and big reels are much more fun!
Having said that, I once tussled with a huge ray at Shute Harbour that swam up and took my bait intended for Spanish mackerel, it was on a $2 80lb hand line and after about 25 minutes of getting my arms stretched and many times I thought the line would break, eventually it swam under a moored large boat and went around the oyster encrusted pylons on the jetty and the line did part, even though I didn't land that ray I did have massive fun as well! When I was living in W.A as a deckhand on a cray boat I knew a lot of professional fishermen who still used hand lines and they out fished me 10-1 when I was using a rod and reel. I had fun and they caught the fish!😀
 

Because it is so much nicer to catch a big fish using your own gear, and you still get to use it for other purposes when you come back home. If you are a regular fisherman you will use it often as a good reel is a pleasure to use and will last for decades. However if this is going to be  a one trip only, then I agree, save your cash. Just make sure the charter boat has decent gear onboard to use first, I have seen some absolute beaten up junk on some boats. Hence the reason I try to bring my own.
Drop Bear: You still haven't mentioned  what your budget is.

I think that Northern conquest charges about $15/day for rod and reel or their condition but you would have to check, all the pics show spinning gear, but can't make out type or brand though. All the larger reels will catch all the fish you probably tangle with but some are nicer/better to use than others. In the olden days  many a humongous fish fish was caught with just a hand line on a spool with 80-100 plus pound line but we have been accustomed to using high end reels which can cost 500 times more, and big reels are much more fun!
Having said that, I once tussled with a huge ray at Shute Harbour that swam up and took my bait intended for Spanish mackerel, it was on a $2 80lb hand line and after about 25 minutes of getting my arms stretched and many times I thought the line would break, eventually it swam under a moored large boat and went around the oyster encrusted pylons on the jetty and the line did part, even though I didn't land that ray I did have massive fun as well! When I was living in W.A as a deckhand on a cray boat I knew a lot of professional fishermen who still used hand lines and they out fished me 10-1 when I was using a rod and reel. I had fun and they caught the fish!😀
 

Because it is so much nicer to catch a big fish using your own gear, and you still get to use it for other purposes when you come back home. If you are a regular fisherman you will use it often as a good reel is a pleasure to use and will last for decades. However if this is going to be  a one trip only, then I agree, save your cash. Just make sure the charter boat has decent gear onboard to use first, I have seen some absolute beaten up junk on some boats. Hence the reason I try to bring my own.
Drop Bear: You still haven't mentioned  what your budget is.

I think that Northern conquest charges about $15/day for rod and reel or their condition but you would have to check, all the pics show spinning gear, but can't make out type or brand though. All the larger reels will catch all the fish you probably tangle with but some are nicer/better to use than others. In the olden days  many a humongous fish fish was caught with just a hand line on a spool with 80-100 plus pound line but we have been accustomed to using high end reels which can cost 500 times more, and big reels are much more fun!
Having said that, I once tussled with a huge ray at Shute Harbour that swam up and took my bait intended for Spanish mackerel, it was on a $2 80lb hand line and after about 25 minutes of getting my arms stretched and many times I thought the line would break, eventually it swam under a moored large boat and went around the oyster encrusted pylons on the jetty and the line did part, even though I didn't land that ray I did have massive fun as well! When I was living in W.A as a deckhand on a cray boat I knew a lot of professional fishermen who still used hand lines and they out fished me 10-1 when I was using a rod and reel. I had fun and they caught the fish!😀
 

Because it is so much nicer to catch a big fish using your own gear, and you still get to use it for other purposes when you come back home. If you are a regular fisherman you will use it often as a good reel is a pleasure to use and will last for decades. However if this is going to be  a one trip only, then I agree, save your cash. Just make sure the charter boat has decent gear onboard to use first, I have seen some absolute beaten up junk on some boats. Hence the reason I try to bring my own.
Drop Bear: You still haven't mentioned  what your budget is.

That depends on how big your budget is! Also do you want to to cast with it or just drop the bait/jig over the side, balloon, and also troll with it?

That depends on how big your budget is! Also do you want to to cast with it or just drop the bait/jig over the side, balloon, and also troll with it?

I think that if trailer is over the 2000Kg mark you will need brakes on all axles, plus breakaway setup and a method to activate said brakes from within easy reach of the driver. There is a manufacturer that does a brake system which relies just on the brake lights coming on and is connected by blue tooth, so it is a kit that installs on the trailer and also connects to your phone via blue tooth ( for the easy reach part) . Don't know much about it as I saw it briefly on a caravan show. Personally I wouldn't get one as I think that if the blue tooth signal link was for whatever reason broken you may have issues,  as well your phone would have to be on all the time and no blank screen and mounted within easy reach.
On my previous 3.5T tailer, I had a Tekonsha P3 which connected to an electric to hydraulic brake unit. The P3 proportional controller  allowed you to set the brake voltage on the trailer brakes hydraulic  pump to increase or decrease the amount of braking power depending on the load. It also had a manual override lever underneath it and a couple of modes for a  light trailer, heavy and full 3.5T. The actuator was a 1600PSI unit capable of handling a tri-axial trailer. The controller needed to be wired to the braking light wiring in the vehicle and a 50A Anderson plug to the back next to the tow bar hitch. The actuator was supplied power by that Anderson plug and also connected by the trailer plug. Worked very well.
My current 2000Kg trailer has override brakes and is a bit of a pain, every time you hit the brakes hard the trailer bangs once the spring compresses.

Also be aware that Lowrance don't repair any of those devices as far as I know, so if a fault develops it basically a replacement job, which is fine within warranty, but outside of it you are up to buying  another device, I think that they might give you a slight discount but you will still have lost most of your cash with the previous purchase. Something to be aware of!