# Akios 656 CSM



## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

So I've made my decision to learn conventionals properly and start fishing with them to increase my casting range. If anyone owns one of these I would like to ask 1) ease of use and 2)possible range since ima punk out and get the level wind . I am not a noob to conventionals but I wouldn't go so far to say I'm a novice either.


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## jameswebstersc (Sep 20, 2012)

mastrbaitr,
i have never used a level wind, but i have the akios 656ctm and i love it. i think that you would enjoy the ctm, but it just takes practice. this is the first baitcaster that i have ever owned and for the first few minutes, i was frustrated because i always use a spinning reel. after a few minutes of practice, i was able to lay the line on the reel very well and would not consider getting a level wind. akios products are top notch in my book so i'm sure the csm is a beast, but don't be afraid to come over to the dark side lol


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

The 656CSM is a great reel and very user friendly. You'll lose a little distance but not as much as you may think.

FYI, I has a student today that had never cast a conventional reel in his life, only spinning reels. He learned on my 656 Shuttle paired with a CPS 13' 8-12. Within 4 hours he advanced from 225' to 479', making STRONG progress in short order. Oh yea, he was 55 years old.... . My point being that it is not hard to learn with a little guidance.

Tommy


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

to me the biggest problem with a levelwind and surf fishing is making sure you can tie a small enough knot from the main line to the Leader so it doesn't get hung up on the cast. on my Abu levelwinds I have done the dual levelwind bearing upgrade and idler gear bearing and they cast a lot better than stock LW's ... I like LW's when fishing for the smaller fish where you are casting and bringing it in a lot more often. Drum Fishing it is CT all the way


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## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

That SCM shuttle looked nice


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## shughes (Oct 28, 2011)

hard to go wrong with any of the akios reels. I started out with a 656CTM from Tommy. Eventually upgraded to the 656SCM. Both are great rteels. I now have the 555SCM and 666W SCM as well. Great distance out of the box and easy to maintain.


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