Reel for running wire dipseys

[battlehammer]

Hello all,

My head is spinning sorting through all the opinions on what reel to buy. I don't mind spending Diawa saltist or Okuma Catalina money but being a weekend warrior is this overkill? Will a diawa 47 or okuma convector work just as well or is this a case of you get what you pay for. This will be my first year running wire and I'm not gonna lie- I'm a little intimidated- thanks for any help

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[Sk8man]

I've had great luck with the Daiwa SG47LC3B with 1,000 ft 30 lb 7 stranded wire and 30 lb Big Game mono backing with a Daiwa Power handle from Tuna Tom. I had a bunch of kings on it last season and it did great. The Saltist's are nice reals too but I didn't like the line counter location and some folks have reported that it hurts their wrist when reeling.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Sk8man

[GAMBLER]

Buy the best you can afford.  The Saltists and Catalinas are top end reels but are worth the extra money.  The high gear ratios and better drag systems make life easier.  I have runthe Saltist for 3 years now and love them.  No issues yet. 

[battlehammer]

Thanks Sk8man- the price is right on them also- I can spool it up and the cost is comparable to the reels alone that I mentioned. I noticed your from canandaigua- I graduated from FLCC in 1990- I'm a environmental scientist- do alot of fisheries "work". If you want to call if work-owe it all to that place

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[battlehammer]

Buy the best you can afford. The Saltists and Catalinas are top end reels but are worth the extra money. The high gear ratios and better drag systems make life easier. I have runthe Saltist for 3 years now and love them. No issues yet.

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[battlehammer]

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Thanks gambler, got my tax return this week and I just may spend the extra for a top of the line reel

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[BrokeOff]

im using convectors they are pretty nice.  have used daiwa 47s but the handle is too wimpy in my opinion.... however you can upgrade and get a more heavy duty one from tuna toms.

 

new CV30D's are $65 + wire $40-$45 + 10' okuma dipsy diver rod $35.  $140 total for setup

 

or

 

saltist alone $150-$180

[battlehammer]

Thank broke off- certainly makes sense$ wise-

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[Sk8man]

That's cool battlehammer I taught a few courses there in the past (Psychology). They have really renovated the place recently. I think if I had it to do over again I'd be doing what you are doing too. Good luck with the fishing and finding the right rig for your needs. Les

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

I will disclose right up front that I Prostaff for Okuma. I have used their reels since 2000. That being said, if they didnt do the job I would not use their products. I use Catalinas exclusively for wire and they are excellent. You will not need to order an aftermarket drag kit or break it in because it is right out of the box. The same top of the line drag material is used in the convectors in the 30 sized reels, so the decision is yours. Good luck with your decision.

[battlehammer]

Thanks for the response Vince, I ordered the Catalina's this afternoon. They were a bit more than I'm used to spending but after many opinions from others and some internet searching I think I made the right choice. Being as well respected as you are , your recommendation just confirms I made the correct choice- Thanks to all who helped steer me in the right direction. Ive been a member for 2 days and I can't say enough about this site and all the members who welcomed me and offered good solid advice. Hope I can return the favor one day

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[hawkeye625]

Buy the best you can afford.  The Saltists and Catalinas are top end reels but are worth the extra money.  The high gear ratios and better drag systems make life easier.  I have runthe Saltist for 3 years now and love them.  No issues yet. 

Agree 100%.  The money you will save in lost tackle will pay for the reels.  Make sure to keep the wire spooled tight and check it frequently for nicks/loose strands.  If it looks bad cut it and re tie. 

[John E Powell]

Okuma Catalinas. Tension spool control is ideal for deploying divers. Counter on top where it should be, not on the left side as an afterthought. And as Vince noted above, no need to replace the drags right out of the box like with some other reels.

[battlehammer]

Okuma Catalinas. Tension spool control is ideal for deploying divers. Counter on top where it should be, not on the left side as an afterthought. And as Vince noted above, no need to replace the drags right out of the box like with some other reels.

. Thanks john- the Catalina is due to arrive today- I plan on spooling it with 1000' of 7 strand wire- how muck backing should I put on it? Also- I assume the tension screw is what is used to send it out while it is in gear? This is my first time running wire so any help is appreciated

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[battlehammer]

Okuma Catalinas. Tension spool control is ideal for deploying divers. Counter on top where it should be, not on the left side as an afterthought. And as Vince noted above, no need to replace the drags right out of the box like with some other reels.

correction- not in gear

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[Tim Bromund]

I don't think you want to let a diver out with the reel not in gear.  At least the way I do it,  I get the diver in the water, put the rod on the holder and back off the drag just enough to let the diver slowly creep its way out to depth as I'm setting other lines.  you'd be amazed how often that get whacked as it's creeping out, especially first thing in the morning.  maybe you can used the spool tension knob to fine tune the rate of creep.

 

Tim

[battlehammer]

I don't think you want to let a diver out with the reel not in gear. At least the way I do it, I get the diver in the water, put the rod on the holder and back off the drag just enough to let the diver slowly creep its way out to depth as I'm setting other lines. you'd be amazed how often that get whacked as it's creeping out, especially first thing in the morning. maybe you can used the spool tension knob to fine tune the rate of creep.

Tim

Thanks Tim,that makes perfect sense to me. Now I just want to get out and try it. Looking out the window here in Wilson is depressing with so muck pack ice.

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[John E Powell]

Actually, with the Catalina, the tension spool control acts like a drag that works when the reel is in free spool. It allows you to let a diver creep out without having to adjust the reel's main drag. If a fish hits while it's in free spool, you can either engage the main gears and drag by flipping the free spool lever forward or you can actually just turn the handle and it accomplishes the same thing.

In my opinion the features and build quality of the Catalina put it in a class by itself as the single best diver reel on the market. The best Shimano, Penn, Daiwa offerings are good reels, but feature for feature they all fall short of the Catalina.

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