Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

Ok, I have been looking to buy a new reel to cast lures in the surf for jack's and snook and whatever else may be there. I also plan to use it on the pier som eas well.

I plan on using 15lb test line, what would you say should be the minimum line capacity I should use?

250 yds 15 should do it and be light enough to cast constant while not getting fatigue... Most of the time Surf fish will run along the beach rather than shooting straight out... You can chase them down Giving you a change to regain lost ground if a big jack or big tarpon takes a blazing run

yeah most of the reels i'm seeing that aren't big and bulky hold about 200-220 of 15. I thought it would be alright in most cases, wasn't sure though.

yeah most of the reels i'm seeing that aren't big and bulky hold about 200-220 of 15. I thought it would be alright in most cases, wasn't sure though.


Is a 9ft rod to long you think for casting in the surf and from the pier??

you can use say a 4000 sized reel but use braid as backing.. for capacity.. Mono as a top shot.. this way you dont have to worry about windknots and the like..But have capacity of braid.. You could have like 300yds of line with this combo on a 4000 sized reel

250 of 15lb is kinda big..
but 250 yds of 15 will shut down most fish in the surf that will chase an
artifical.

Lenght is i think more of a personal preferance.. Its what you feel more comfortable with..

Length will give you more distance on the cast..and will put more leverage on the fish..

CubanExpress wrote:you can use say a 4000 sized reel but use braid as backing.. for capacity.. Mono as a top shot.. this way you dont have to worry about windknots and the like..But have capacity of braid.. You could have like 300yds of line with this combo on a 4000 sized reel

250 of 15lb is kinda big..
but 250 yds of 15 will shut down most fish in the surf that will chase an
artifical.

Lenght is i think more of a personal preferance.. Its what you feel more comfortable with..

Length will give you more distance on the cast..and will put more leverage on the fish..

Some hate braid - I love it for this type of fishing....
I reverse what CE does and it works for me, though I know he wuld rather piss tacks than mess with braid....lol

I have a 4000 series reel ( Shimano Sahara - good for the $$ but I will replace with sphero's or Stradic when it goes...IF it ever goes)
I put a small backing of 12# Ande - like 20 yards Max then filled the reel to 3/4 capacity 20# Power Pro. ( only fill to 3/4 and you WILL reduce yer wind knows - Do not remember my last one - honestly) I pair this with a 7' Hurricane Redbone rod and LOVE the combination of casting ability and drag smoothness. ONLY thing it lacks is any real stopping power other than drag resistance.......But so what.....lol I love to hear the drag whine and squeel like a chic in heat...Y'know. So in open surf, I am cool with using only drag...Could possibly get spooled, as 150 yards of PP and the 20-25 yards of mono backing gives you almost perfect 3/4 spool capacity.
However I'd prolly palm the spool and put the brakes on and break off before watching my line run out personally.

Can cast a Small Storm Swimbait or 1/2 oz jig pretty damn far, and still not worry about getting broke off.....Only my streached fleuro leader that gets rubbed against the Pilings fails me on a regular basis. In fact I am considering abandoning that stuff altogether.
...PP to piling abbrasion resistance has been EXCELLENT for me - Others hate the stuff.

Just another option.

anyone ever use cabelas' salt striker reel??????

Ive never used any of the cabela reels.. I think the cabela reels are made by diawa but dont hold me hostage over it..

The Daiwa brand of reels are always skipped over by anglers looking
for reels..

Some of there lower priced reels have alot of bang for the buck..

Another reel is the Daiwa Capricorn which has been discontinued and can be had for low prices..

While browsing cabelas i noticed St Croix makes a spinning reel..


Looks good for the price $42 - $49.. I have Never seen or used one.. main thing is the metal frame.. this is a big plus..check out the specs..

St. Croix Premier™ Spinning Reels are made for going toe-to-toe with bruisers that don't respect a fisherman or his gear. The rigid aluminum-alloy body contains precision internal parts designed to take a lot of abuse. Four premium stainless-steel ball and roller bearings and gyro balancing guarantee smooth, wobble-free retrieves. Advanced Ballistic System reversed-tapered aluminum spool. Infinite Anti-Reverse for solid hooksets. High-performance WET drag system for big fish stopping power. The Bailsafe system locks the bail open on outcasts and the Twistbuster (TB) design reduces line twist. Spare spool included. One-year warranty backed by unmatched St. Croix service.

Another reel to look around at is the shimano spheros.. I cant rememer where i saw it but they had 4000 & 5000 spehros on sale $64.99-$79.99 Something like that. Solid reel for the money

Another thing to check for every week is the Sports authority ad in the newspaper.. Every once and a while they have 20% coupons..

If you give me the reel spool specs in millimeters I got a program that will tell what cap. with different line sizes.

i thiink cabelas spinning reels are made by daiwa. their new tournament whatever reel even has a diawa handle on it with the daiwa logo.