wire reels

[Feelin Reel]

looking to buy some new reels for wire divers any suggestions?

[Silver Fox]

Just do a search. This has been gone over a million times. Ford vs. Chevy will start soon.

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Feelin Reel]

silver fox what do you use?

[Silver Fox]

Daiwa saltist lc30

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[JakeyBaby]

Huge line counters on those Dia was that get in the way go with Okuma

[Silver Fox]

See, what did I tell ya!

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Iceman]

Diawa Saltists size 30 high speed

[finsntins]

there has been alot of discussion lately on gear,plenty of info already out there,but my 2 cents are i have run okuma magdas for the last 2 years.i had one fail,but for what they cost,oh well.going with convectors this year.i tried the saltists last year and did not like them.line counter on the side of the reel digs in your wrist,very uncomfortable and i didnt like the high speed gear ratio.

[Silver Fox]

You get used to the line counters and I never heard of anyone not liking a high speed reel with mint drags. To each his own though.

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[John E Powell]

I think the Okuma Catalina 305-Da is the perfect wire line reel. Line counter on top where it should be, and it has a secondary drag in freespool so you can let a diver creep out under tension without having to adjust your main drag setting. Fish hits on the way out, just pick up the rod and turn the handle and main drag auto engages - you don't have to flip the lever. Drags are butter smooth right out of the box.

[Iceman]

I think the Okuma Catalina 305-Da is the perfect wire line reel. Line counter on top where it should be, and it has a secondary drag in freespool so you can let a diver creep out under tension without having to adjust your main drag setting. Fish hits on the way out, just pick up the rod and turn the handle and main drag auto engages - you don't have to flip the lever. Drags are butter smooth right out of the box.

JEP;

 

Looks like a nice reel, but the retrieve ratio is only 4.2, same as the Shimano Tekota 600LC's I used to use.  The other factor with the Okuma's is price, about $40 more each than the Diawa's. I find it much quicker to pull in a dipsey with the Diawa Saltist high speed reels, & as such, now use the Shimano's as rigger, & or board reels. Of course, you need to replace the drag washers on all Tekota's. Diawa reels come with butter smooth carbon fiber drags already in them.

 

finsntins;

 

I don't have any problem with line counter interference with my hands, suggest you try holding the rod higher up on the grip,  which will give you more leverage on the fish.

 

John

Edited March 28, 2015 by Iceman

[longbow]

For wire I am using Magda Pro 30's.  If I could figure out a way to use my 309's for wire I would but they don't make a line counter for a rod yet that works very good. Never had a problem with the 30's for wire though.  I have 6 of them, but only 2 dedicated to wire which might change.  I like them and like I said never had a problem with any of them.  Although off Ginna last year I broke an Okuma Pro GT I think it was called fighting a Salmon, but the reel held up nice.  Landed the fish too.  thanks

[bandrus1]

I use 45 convectors

[Adk1]

I think the Okuma Catalina 305-Da is the perfect wire line reel. Line counter on top where it should be, and it has a secondary drag in freespool so you can let a diver creep out under tension without having to adjust your main drag setting. Fish hits on the way out, just pick up the rod and turn the handle and main drag auto engages - you don't have to flip the lever. Drags are butter smooth right out of the box.

This is what I am buying to replace the magda that **** the bed on me. Anyone provide a place to pick this reel up?

[longbow]

Look on Amazon Prime for the best prices I would think.  Always Ebay too.  I have 2 level wind Catalina  25's.  Holy Mackeral gave me my first one and I just bought another nib off the bay for cheap.  They ain't line counters but they are stellar reels.  thanks

[John E Powell]

I don't believe a ratio of 4.2:1 is a liability. More important than ratio is retrieve rate which takes into account the ratio and spool diameter. Also, there is an ideal balance of handle length, gearing torque, and retrieve rate for diver reels that's different for rigger/planer reels. There's really not much similar between the 305 and a Tekota 600 as reels go, they're very different animals, each being just as different as the Saltist also mentioned.

When you take into account these factors, the oversize gear drive, secondary tension spool control drag system, and auto engage of main drag and top counter, you get a lot more for you're extra initial cost vs the 600. There's less cost difference if you change out the 600s drags, though they're better than the 700/800 drags.

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

Bottom line here is that people tend to get committed to whatever reel seems to work OK for them, their boat. their situation and the way they fish. There is no "one size fits all" or "right answer" to the question. If you buy your equipment based on the opinions of other folks you still have a 50/50 chance of getting it right . It pays to try out or get the feel of reels before you buy them either on a charter, fishing with friends who are using them, or going in to stores and trying out the reels drags where they have specific "setups" displayed etc. It has really helped in the salt water "arena" where making wrong decision can be a lot more "costly"....just a suggestion and it is not meant to diminish anything that has been already said here.

[TyeeTanic]

Convector 30D, reliable and best value for money.

Edited March 28, 2015 by TyeeTanic

[Iceman]

I don't believe a ratio of 4.2:1 is a liability. More important than ratio is retrieve rate which takes into account the ratio and spool diameter. Also, there is an ideal balance of handle length, gearing torque, and retrieve rate for diver reels that's different for rigger/planer reels. There's really not much similar between the 305 and a Tekota 600 as reels go, they're very different animals, each being just as different as the Saltist also mentioned.

When you take into account these factors, the oversize gear drive, secondary tension spool control drag system, and auto engage of main drag and top counter, you get a lot more for you're extra initial cost vs the 600. There's less cost difference if you change out the 600s drags, though they're better than the 700/800 drags.

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

JEP:

 

Looked up the Okuma, & it pulls in 24" of line per revolution, where the Diawa saltiest pulls in 36", which is 33% more line per revolution, as I said it really helps when you have to clear the second wire line after a big King grabs the first wire rod.  The Saltists are also very compact & sit low on the rod.  I have then on Shimano Talora roller rods, & they are perfect for my boat.

 

John

[John E Powell]

Actually, 36" compared to 24" is 50% more per turn, which helps make my point about torque. As retrieve rate goes up, torque goes down. As the reel's torque goes down the force the angler has to apply goes up. Somewhere in between too slow a retrieve and too fast a retrieve is a range of ideal retrieves where retrieve rate and applied torque are in balance.

I'll agree with you that a high speed retrieve is nice for clearing rods. For me though, I'm more interested in how well it works for me fighting a fish and less so about clearing rods quickly.

Working a reel is a lot like riding a bike. You and I can ride the same bike but because I'm old, fat, and lazy I need a lower gear than you.

Now, while we may ride the same bike in different gears, one thing will be similar, when we ride the bike uphill, we'll shift to a lower gear. If we don't shift then we struggle to operate the bike in an efficient manner.

So what I'm saying with a diver reel, compared to a rigger reel, is that given the weight of the wire and the tripped diver, that's like riding the bike uphill and a rigger reel is more like riding the bike on the flat.

Now, we can all have our personal preferences, and if you like 36" of retrieve that's a personal preference that I certainly can't argue. I personally do not like that high of a retrieve rate. I know I don't because a friend that I fish with has that reel and I've actually fished with both reels ( and many more ). On my rigger rods I prefer faster retrieve rates because the load is lighter. On my diver, and inline planer copper and core rods, I prefer the 24-28" retrieves.

For some, value is more important than features. So are they wrong for choosing a more budget conscious reel besides a Catalina, Tekota, or Saltist?

Like what was posted above, when a question like this comes up (frequently) it helpful if we as respondents talk about what we like about what we're recommending. It shouldn't be a Ford vs Chevy discussion though unfortunately it often ends up being just that.

When I post a reply to someone's question it's to help them decide what will work well for them. It's not to say that what someone else is doing is wrong.

But sometimes, people's brand loyalty blinds them to possibilities. It's like a recent post on rod quality, durability, and value. I build rods, I repair rods, I have designed rods for a big mfg. yet because I don't recommend a person's favorite brand they'll argue with me that the quality is high when they've likely never built or repaired a rod and have no basis of knowledge other than their passion to brand loyalty no make such a claim.

So, as reels go with respect to retrieve rate, gear ratios, handle geometry, all things being equal as the load on a rod goes up the more torque and less retrieve a reel should have and vice versa. Now, having said that, we all will have a range that works well for us. But that range may or may not be ideal for someone else.

But one thing is mathematically clear. A reel that retrieves 24" of line per handle turn is more powerful than a reel that retrieves 36" of line (again, all other factors being equal).

Edited March 28, 2015 by John E Powell

[Silver Fox]

Holy crap we need to fish......

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[John E Powell]

Ice has to melt first, it might be mid May before the boom comes out on Lake Erie...

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Edited March 28, 2015 by John E Powell

[Silver Fox]

I'll be out there a month earlier than that!

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Iceman]

Actually, 36" compared to 24" is 50% more per turn, which helps make my point about torque. As retrieve rate goes up, torque goes down. As the reel's torque goes down the force the angler has to apply goes up. Somewhere in between too slow a retrieve and too fast a retrieve is a range of ideal retrieves where retrieve rate and applied torque are in balance.

I'll agree with you that a high speed retrieve is nice for clearing rods. For me though, I'm more interested in how well it works for me fighting a fish and less so about clearing rods quickly.

Working a reel is a lot like riding a bike. You and I can ride the same bike but because I'm old, fat, and lazy I need a lower gear than you.

Now, while we may ride the same bike in different gears, one thing will be similar, when we ride the bike uphill, we'll shift to a lower gear. If we don't shift then we struggle to operate the bike in an efficient manner.

So what I'm saying with a diver reel, compared to a rigger reel, is that given the weight of the wire and the tripped diver, that's like riding the bike uphill and a rigger reel is more like riding the bike on the flat.

Now, we can all have our personal preferences, and if you like 36" of retrieve that's a personal preference that I certainly can't argue. I personally do not like that high of a retrieve rate. I know I don't because a friend that I fish with has that reel and I've actually fished with both reels ( and many more ). On my rigger rods I prefer faster retrieve rates because the load is lighter. On my diver, and inline planer copper and core rods, I prefer the 24-28" retrieves.

For some, value is more important than features. So are they wrong for choosing a more budget conscious reel besides a Catalina, Tekota, or Saltist?

Like what was posted above, when a question like this comes up (frequently) it helpful if we as respondents talk about what we like about what we're recommending. It shouldn't be a Ford vs Chevy discussion though unfortunately it often ends up being just that.

When I post a reply to someone's question it's to help them decide what will work well for them. It's not to say that what someone else is doing is wrong.

But sometimes, people's brand loyalty blinds them to possibilities. It's like a recent post on rod quality, durability, and value. I build rods, I repair rods, I have designed rods for a big mfg. yet because I don't recommend a person's favorite brand they'll argue with me that the quality is high when they've likely never built or repaired a rod and have no basis of knowledge other than their passion to brand loyalty no make such a claim.

So, as reels go with respect to retrieve rate, gear ratios, handle geometry, all things being equal as the load on a rod goes up the more torque and less retrieve a reel should have and vice versa. Now, having said that, we all will have a range that works well for us. But that range may or may not be ideal for someone else.

But one thing is mathematically clear. A reel that retrieves 24" of line per handle turn is more powerful than a reel that retrieves 36" of line (again, all other factors being equal).

JEP;

 

Thanks for correcting my math (a little to quick on the draw)!  Typically, I pump the rod to get line (pull back on the rod or walk backward on the boat deck, then reel down, & or walk forward).  I use the power in the rod or my legs to make line available to be reeled in.  It is rare for me to use just the reel to get line in when fighting a fish, unless it is a small fish.  I understand what you are saying about torque, but part of the torque comes from the handle length, & the rest from the gearing on in the reel.   All of your points are well taken, & I appreciate your follow ups.

 

Thanks, & Good luck!

 

John

[capt ace]

This will be our third year using Tekota 700LC reels for our 30lb dipseys. They are filled with Dacron backing and 1000ft of wire. The larger reel and spool size makes bringing in or fighting fish a breeze. We have videos of ten year old kids catching adult kings with these set-ups. Yes, we do change the drags out with the turny masters that we get off of e-bay for like 9 bucks and free shipping. Once you get used to it, the drags can be swapped out in about 20 minutes.