# What's your favorite surf spinning reel and why?



## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

Been looking at a Shimano Ultegra Ci14 Xtc 14000 long cast spinning reel, $340 a little pricey for me but read great reviews?? I like messing around with distance casting but I'm no pro. So anyone ever use one ?, other spinning reels?


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

Penn Battles and Slammers , For the money you'll be hard pressed to find a better value , my spinners do all utility work , catching bait , slinging metal , standing ready 
on the off chance a Cobia needs a jig to eat , fill the cooler with what ever .


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## Woodrow (Feb 5, 2009)

Diawa BGs. They are tanks and have outlasted anything else I have bought. Like a Timex the take a licking and keep on ticking. Just bought a new one. So far it is pretty sweet. Interested if it will last as long as the older models.


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## RobVB (Mar 17, 2012)

Shimano Spheros SW. For a tad over $200 you get high quality gearing and a sealed reel. I like knowing that the occasional wave and/or sand isn''t going to be an intrusion issue. In my opinion, the best bang for your buck.


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## kurazy kracka (Oct 14, 2008)

Van Staal 150


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## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

Penn 4500 spinfisher with braid on dead sticks at the beach. I have a van staal 100 on a trout rod I wade marsh and flats with, it gets the most use.


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## hunter1 (Jul 31, 2009)

I like all the Penn spinning reels. I have been using the BTL l and ll's One 5000 and two 6000's . No problems with them. I use a 704z on an 11' rod. I have about 20 Penn spinning reels alone. SS series, spin fisher, Maybe a new Slammer lll in the future. Can you tell I like Penn reels. There great for the money. :fishing:


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

I've tried big spinners in the surf, can't get into it. My surf spinners are used for tossing jigs and dead sticking stuff under ~3 ounces. Rods range from 7' to 10', and most are paired with Daiwa SS Tournament 1300s, 1600s, 2600s. The SS Tournament is my all-time favorite spinning reel, and mine haven't let me down. 

I keep a couple Daiwa BGs (a 13, 15, and a 30), and a Mitchell 306 for friends and family to use on the beach, since I don't have to worry about those old tanks if they're left in the sand or dropped in the suds. Of course my last couple trips the decent fish have targeted these and left my beloved SS Tournaments to the pinfish.


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## abass105 (Jun 13, 2006)

I have had good success with Penn Slammers from size 360-560. Have been using Penn SSV 4500's and 5500's the last couple of years with no complaints.


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## buster (Nov 16, 2006)

275 Van Staal on 11ft surf rod and Vs 250 on 10ft rod.Fishing Montauk (long island)you needed something to hold up to the conditions as the reel would end up under water 80 percent of the time .Durability,water proof(sealed reels)and great casting distance.


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## Fatback (Aug 6, 2003)

Penn reels! Older ssvs, slammers, and newer generation fives. I even have a couple ol' greenies that will still catch fish.

For me, Penn reels (Black and Gold versions) offer simplicity, ruggedness, continuous anti reverse, great value, and easy to find parts. Many of mine look like crap, but still function very well. With only a bit of care and an occasional part replacement you get many years of reeling in fish. Even the ones made in China seem to catch fish. Two cents.


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## RocknReds (Jun 13, 2010)

EdwardHunt1 said:


> Diawa BGs and Penn 4500


The new Akios reels are high quality, smooth and economical. See Tommy Farmer to get one


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

I’m sure a long cast spool helps but I’ve seen people bomb casts with regular spools loaded with braid. The carp fishermen seem to favor the long cast spools. In my opinion, it is more about technique but the equipment helps.


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

poppop1 said:


> Been looking at a Shimano Ultegra Ci14 Xtc 14000 long cast spinning reel, $340 a little pricey for me but read great reviews?? I like messing around with distance casting but I'm no pro. So anyone ever use one ?, other spinning reels?


I like that reel and the smoothness of Shimano is second to none , as to distance depends on the user , I'm not hitting and where close to distances that reguire a different spool ,, So I cast my Penn 760 slammer the same as my Daiwa emblem pro or my old penn 704z with braid , 

9


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## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Daiwa BG and Penn SSV.


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## terryna (Mar 17, 2018)

Diawa BGs and Penn 4500


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

poppop1 said:


> Been looking at a Shimano Ultegra Ci14 Xtc 14000 long cast spinning reel, $340 a little pricey for me but read great reviews?? I like messing around with distance casting but I'm no pro. So anyone ever use one ?, other spinning reels?


All of my 5oz+ set-ups are distance fishing spinner set-ups.

I have been pursuing distance and perfecting gear for distance for 30+ years.

Some of my favorite reels are oldies but goodies like Daiwa SS3000's and 9000's from the mid-80's and their second generation ST5000 and ST6000.

ST6000:










I have modern distance spinners from Shimano and Daiwa too; the one you are looking at is a great reel for distance with a very strong drag rated to 44lbs. That is more drag pressure than a mortal human can maintain with a surf-rod. 

I have a few of the 14000's brothers and smaller cousins that are only available in Japan. Shimano only in recent years has offered a model or two of their distance surf gear here in the USA.

These reels with big spools and highly engineered line lay do enhance distance but to really take advantage of all they offer you need to view distance as a system of reel, line, rod and guides. The final and most variable component is technique but when it comes together you will catch fish that are normally reserved for boaters.

Daiwa Surf Basia 45:










Shimano Power Aero:










Shimano Aero Technium Magnesium (real super slow oscillation -- 90 rotor turns for each travel of the spool):










Don't let that oddball in the right end rodholder fool you, I bought it when it first came out but don't own it anymore (I still own the Newell on the other end for nostalgia) . . .


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

ReelinRod, if I recall you practiced casting near Oaks, Pa. and sent T. Farmer some of your Shimano Aero spinners to cast and compare distances between spinning and conventional reels, you also got me looking at Basia's. Glad to hear this Shimano 14000 has good reviews both from you and 9 rock, thanks to all,....pop.


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

ReelinRod (Sgt. Slough??),by the way, nice equipment. You mentioned a combination of things for greater distance, would you care to elaborate on some things from your experience ?


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

poppop1 said:


> ReelinRod (Sgt. Slough??),by the way, nice equipment. You mentioned a combination of things for greater distance, would you care to elaborate on some things from your experience ?


Yes, that's me. 

It's just that i see many people think that a single piece of tackle will boost them into real gains in distance. They will buy the reel but spool it with 50lb braid and put it on a 10ft rod and be disappointed that they aren't casting 200 yards.

Saying the approach needs to be a system means that the reel mounted on a longer rod (12-13ft) properly matched to the expected payload will generate the sinker speeds required to cast longer (assuming a high-energy casting motion). That sinker speed translates to line speed and heavy lb test line is actually heavier and eats into that performance -- so a lighter running line is part of the system. I typically use 20lb test for the mainline. 

That high line speed creates line management problems in the guide train, especially for rods with traditional guide styles, sizes and layouts. Line blow-by is the biggest problem when that line speed meets the first (gatherer) guide that's too close to the reel. That's where the line is coming off the spool so fast and it either blows past the gatherer guide (and has to reverse direction to go through) or bunches up around it. Needless to say this hurts distance and can cause guide wraps where a loop of line forms around the guide and tightens, usually resulting in a break-off.

Rods designed for distance will have stiffer butts which transfer more power to the sinker making more speed. That stiffer butt allows that gatherer guide to be pushed farther out on the blank which helps stop blow-by and when the line used is braid, the size of the entire guide train can be much smaller which is lighter which means more speed and better rod recovery. Finally, the style of the guide will avoid guide wraps because its profile won't allow the line to tighten, any loop that does happen just slips off -- these would be LC (Lowriders) on rods over 12ft and K Frame guides for rods under 12ft.

When all these components come together it can be magic, very long casts with minimal energy expended.


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## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

Large diameter gatherers are a thing of the past?


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

ReelinRod, I appreciate all that good information. I did have some line wrapping problems and removed the first guide all together and that helped the problem, I did not gain any distance however. Yep I have 40# braid on my spool, will try some 20#. Any special brand rod you prefer?, length and oz. rating? I thought they were low rider guides on your rod with the Basia reel.


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

dirtyhandslopez said:


> Large diameter gatherers are a thing of the past?


When braid is used, definitely yes.


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

poppop1 said:


> ReelinRod, I appreciate all that good information. I did have some line wrapping problems and removed the first guide all together and that helped the problem, I did not gain any distance however. Yep I have 40# braid on my spool, will try some 20#. Any special brand rod you prefer?, length and oz. rating? I thought they were low rider guides on your rod with the Basia reel.


The style and layout of guides isn't something I would say *adds *to distance, what they do is handle line control problems from the high line speed generated by the high performance rods and longcast reels throwing thin braids. 

Think of these loop-shedding guides like a spoiler on a car. On a Prius it might look cool but it really ain't doing much. On a Porche the spoiler helps handling at high speed. So, they don't make things go faster (or farther), they just make it work better at high speed.


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## dpmkflorida (Feb 21, 2014)

Penn Spinfisher 4500... great reel... Has anyone tried a LEWS reel.... smoothest reels I have every seen....


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## Skullhooker (May 5, 2018)

My favorite light setup is a Daiwa 11' Emcast medium on sale 53 bucks walmart with a shimano stradoc C500xg, 20lb power pro, so light and sensitive, super fun. My heavier is a Gosa 6kSW on a lamiglass insane surf 10' MH. Weather permitting I use regular inshore tackles, 7'6 st crois tidewater, 7' crowder, with Diawa bg 2500, stradic 2500, so fun.


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