Hi all,
I did a few searches but couldn't quite find the specific info I was after.
I've tried the Penn Slammer & Spinfishers and I 'spose they're ok although kind of chunky & heavy-ish after a while.
I tried the TICA Dolphin surf reel and it too is ok but it has a sort of 'flimsy/not so sturdy' feel to it.
So, if cost was not a major obstacle and you wanted a top quality, long-lasting, reliable surf casting reel (of the spinning reel/eggbeater variety), what would it be & why?
re: for surf applications such as casting pillies & baits for tailor/mulloway etc.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Mate at the moment i am using a Shimano Baitrunner and it seems to be coping with anything i can throw at it .I used to use it on the beaches and rocks around double island point and fraser island and have landed some quality fish with it .I now live in the NT and regularly use it when using large livies for barra and jewies. I think they are about $300 bucks for the 4500 but come with a full 10 year warranty.Seems to be workin for me anyway mate .Good luck on the hunt
in my opinion ... for the money .... PENN slammer/spinfisher is unbeatable. Yeah it may get heavy .... but it is indestructable !!!
I have a PENN Jigmaster o/h that I have used since I was 12yrs old (26 years of use) and it still lands fish & casts pretty well too for a non-BB reel.
The PENN Torque looks a treat too - if money is no worry to you :-)
Just did a search on the Penn Torque. Hadn't heard of'em before. Pretty space age looking. Bet they do the job though. The price would be close to the $700 mark. Available in two colours... (by the way, apologies - this thread should really've been posted in the Tackle & Accessories, not saltwater).
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
What $$$ are you talking? These two will cost you over a grand.
Van Staal, ZeeBaas
The gold coloured Penn above looks like a fair Asian replica of these, for half the price. the Penn Torque series includes some nice overhead nice game reels as well.
Google these two (Van Staal, ZeBaas) for info, and www.striperonline.com for firsthand owners' experiences and opinions.
Very impressive bits of gear, if you have the spare $!
The benchmark for surf spinning for donkeys years has been the Shimano TSS4 I have two and one is close to 15 years old and flogs all the other bulky and expensive reals i,ve had. Bit hard to come by now but for 200 bucks if you can get one jump on it. Do a search in this catergory for posts started by slider he spins more than most and you could say he knows what he is on about hope this helps.
Cheers Adam.
By the look of the gold one, if you wound the spool too fast you might stand a good chance of being elevated above the sand...
The blurb I read about the Penn Torque spinning reels was that they are manufactured in the USA while the other new series (Penn Conquer) is made elsewhere - probably China.
The prices I saw for the Torque series ranged from US$650.00 to $700.00 depending on the size. I think there were three sizes available. The smallst one only weighs 20 ounces and holds 300yds of 15lb mono - more than ample for beach fishing.
After all that - I might start writing a letter to Santa Clause. Or better still, I have a birthday coming up in May...hmmm
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Nope, I aint gonna rush out to buy one of those torques just yet. I read a few reviews and they aren't all positive. Still looks like a good reel though.
At this point, a saltiga might be the go... I mainly want something that looks & feels reliable and doesn't weight a ton and casts well.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Very nice reel with several models, though you are getting into Van Staal territory $ wise -
http://www.########.com.au/index.cfm?pr=product&product_id=1500
if the link doesnt post its larry, curly and **tackle.
Only Aus retailer as far as I'm aware.
If you like Diawa/Shimano, the Japanese domestic models are well priced and well specced.
http://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/d...f-fishing.html
If you are mainly throwing baits, you will get away with the lower gear ratios.
Given the spool diameters, these would still be very suitable for tailor spinning.
Cheers.
Mate i totally agree the best surf reel ever made and what does shimano do they stop making the tss4.Originally Posted by fadd
I had been looking my self for a backup for mine and i found one a pflueger infusion 7660 SS , there shaft is twice as thisck as others i have looked at smooth as and at about $100 ish from over seas max . I bought 2 of them for that reason and it cost me for 2 what it would cost to get one over here . Not that i bought 2 because i needed too but it was worth it for the value . I would go into a tackle world or a bcf or a local tackleshop and see if they have them and check them out they are pretty good reels for the value . But damm i wish ya still could get a TSS4 high speed reel good for surf and spinning for mackeral and any other pelagic species and great for spinning off the rock and into the surf
the lot of you are dreaming.TSS4 old wobbley junk,penn slamer average not that good for casting, shimano 6500 baitrunner good snapper reel forget surf fishing. you guys need to get reels that can cast a mile and retreive quick reasonably priced and reliable as. You cant go past daiwa emblem pro 5500.there are better reels for shore out there but for 200-300 bucks they are unbeatable.
I was looking at a Japan Tackle write up about the Daiwa Catalina.
They say it shares many of the same parts as the Saltiga-Z but its around 40% cheaper.
But, Jap Tack didn't have'em in stock and I didn't see'em at Ichibum or Plat either.
Did see a few on Ebay from Jap sellers from about US$450+ for the 4500 High Speed model 5.7:1
And I came across a few second hand Triton SS4's for sale too but they looked a bit tired.
There are quite a few of the 'new model' baitrunners about for under 200 hundred bucks.
Has anyone had any experience with the Catalina's? Might be worth a closer look.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Mate i have the Catalina 4500H..........very gutsy reel sharing most components of the Saltiga......I use mine for spinning up spanish to GT's......not off the beach though..
Deepfried is another ausfish member who is a mad keen beach/rock fisho he uses a Catalina and he reckon's it's great.
I spoke to Alan Tani about the Catalina's.......he said that they were definatly a smart purchase sharing so much in common with the Saltigas but at half the price nearly.
Cheers Dan.
PS. By the way i have 2 TSS4's......they are wobbly old bit's of junk IMO
I reckon I might give the Daiwa Catalina a whirl... It sounds just about exactly what I'm after and should match up well with with my saltiga 10' surf rod.
fyi, noticed that just for a spare spool for a Saltiga-z the Ebay price was US$160 (crikey!)
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Greetings!
Fish with Deepfried a lot and he loves his Catalina. Good reel as far as I have seen.
Emblem Pro is a great reel for rock spinning but is very "open" and a lot of bearings arn't sealed. Lifetime might be limited if beach sand and grit got into it.
6500b for a rock/beach reel...... crazy!!!! Too many moving parts. An expensive way to burn through tackle!
Try a Shimano Sustain ($300ish from the US). 6000 model might be big enough.
Regards, Rob.
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