# Casting Reels



## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

hi guys my names robert im new to this site i want some oppinoins on the best surf reel for bringing in 7 foot sharks and so on i will be sending a 4oz weight off like a rocket so i want something made for casting like a reel with magnetic cast control star drag and lever drag i found one okuma solterra 15cs lever drag open top reel with magnetic cast control for 105 bucks on amazon just give me some oppinions on the best reel to use for under 150 and drag at least 22lbs thanks


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

Spend the extra 50 and get a penn fathom, or look on ebay for a clean used daiwa saltist and upgrade the drag. Both are great reels and the penn will cast a loooong way. Amazing free spool from that reel. I will say that 22 lbs of drag is not necessary for 7 footers and if its going to be on a surf rod its more drag than most surf rods can handle. 22lbs is a lot of drag. If you lower you expectations to around 15 it open up a lot larger selection as there are not many reels that produce 22 lbs that are in your price range. That okuma has a graphite frame and I have read reports of them breaking under high stress. I don't think any reall producing over 20 pounds of drag should be built on a graphite frame. They are just not going to last.


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## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok I also want a reel that will have years of life left in it without replacing any parts and any other suggestions on reel.I'm a make a list and compare thanks


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## pondfisherman (Oct 27, 2012)

Penn jigmaster is a shark fishing classic


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

What size Penn Fathom would be recommended for shark fishing from the surf ?


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## KEVIN (Feb 26, 2009)

Fathom 15 or 30


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

I would go with the 25n or the 30. All the fathoms have 25lbs of drag but the 15 just does not have the line capacity. You can land some big fish with 25 pounds of drag but you need to be able to get 300+ yards of atleast 50 pound braid preferred 65 pound to be able to take full advantage of the drag. You will also need a very stout rod. I have a penn trq25 that I use on a ocean master 6-12. I spooled it with 400 yards of daiwa 55lb boat braid and topped it with 120 yards of jerry brown 60lb hollow core. I still had room for a 30 yard top shot of 50 pound mono to take the sand abrasion on long soaks and give md a little stretch. I haven't really tested this setup on a big fish yet just some 5 foot black tips but the were no match. 

Another option is an avet mx or lx. I also fish this combo. I used to fish a standard lx on a daiwa emcast 8-16. The avet produces 20lbs and has a really good line capacity. I caught a roughly 250 pound bull 2 years ago and never felt over matched. The only reason I sold that reel was to upgrade to a lx raptor. I have not caught a big fish on yet but I honestly don't think there is much I will hook up with on casted baits that it will not handle. I have 600 yards of 80 pound braid with a short 80lb mono top shot on it. It does not cast near as far as the trq(I honestly have never casted a better casting reel) but I can still get the baits out there and also do short kayak drops with it.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

dchfm123 said:


> I would go with the 25n or the 30. All the fathoms have 25lbs of drag but the 15 just does not have the line capacity. You can land some big fish with 25 pounds of drag but you need to be able to get 300+ yards of atleast 50 pound braid preferred 65 pound to be able to take full advantage of the drag. You will also need a very stout rod. I have a penn trq25 that I use on a ocean master 6-12. I spooled it with 400 yards of daiwa 55lb boat braid and topped it with 120 yards of jerry brown 60lb hollow core. I still had room for a 30 yard top shot of 50 pound mono to take the sand abrasion on long soaks and give md a little stretch. I haven't really tested this setup on a big fish yet just some 5 foot black tips but the were no match.
> 
> Another option is an avet mx or lx. I also fish this combo. I used to fish a standard lx on a daiwa emcast 8-16. The avet produces 20lbs and has a really good line capacity. I caught a roughly 250 pound bull 2 years ago and never felt over matched. The only reason I sold that reel was to upgrade to a lx raptor. I have not caught a big fish on yet but I honestly don't think there is much I will hook up with on casted baits that it will not handle. I have 600 yards of 80 pound braid with a short 80lb mono top shot on it. It does not cast near as far as the trq(I honestly have never casted a better casting reel) but I can still get the baits out there and also do short kayak drops with it.


Just wait and see


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Either get one of the new spinfishers or a battle 8000, since your starting off you don't need anything high tech yet. If you dead set on conventional get a daiwa 50


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

or get a daiwa 50 and enjoy your 30 yard casts.


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## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok guys didn't get as much money as I thought I would for my ps3 so I'm gonna have to get the solterra 15cs by okuma I know you said to gwithdaiwobut couldn't afford it so I got the solterra but I did notice on tv animal planet series river monsters jerremy wade caught a 7 foot 300 pound sturgeon on the 15L model which is level wind instead of the cs he pulled it in at 30 minutes with the drag a little under strike and it was ripping line out . But what I don't understand is when I watch people fish with levee drag in videos the lever is never past strike does anybody know why I'm new to lever drag reel thanks


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

The strike setting is just a preset. when properly fishing a lever drag reel, you set your strike at the drag setting that you want when the fish takes the bait by adjusting the preset adjustment knob. you adjust your drag from there according to what is needed to land the fish. In most reels there is not enough drag adjustment in the reel when the strike setting is properly used. Example is say your reel is capable of 20 pounds of drag, fishing 3 pounds of drag at strike you might only get 8 or 9 pounds at max, but if you adjust your strike setting to 12 or 15 pounds you will get the full 20 at max. when you turn up the preset so that the reel produces the full 20 you will have to fish the lever in a lower setting to get that 3 pounds.


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## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok thanks but doesn't fishing full drag wear out the reel or mess it up and how do you know what poundage strike is set at thanks


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

You will never fish full drag unless you are making a last ditch effort to turn a fish. It can be hard on the bearings on a lever drag but that's only when fished at full lock down. I normaly don't even use 75 percent of the drag capable on my big reels. 30 pounds is about the most the average man can handle stand up. 

The only way to tell what your setting is, is to get a scale and pull on the line with it.


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## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok so the solterra I got 15 cs with magnetic cast control and 15lbs at strike and 22 lbs atfull I seen Jeremy wade catch a 7 footsturgeon that weighed 300 lbs ripout about 75 yards of line at strike using the same reel as mine that's 15 lbs so if a fish was pulling line out fast ashould you push the drag past strike sorry for asking so many questions I'm just trying to learn since YouTube has no videos on yhem and what size fish in the grouper,shark,and tuna range could I catch with 15lbs at strike thanks


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

robert63 said:


> Ok thanks but doesn't fishing full drag wear out the reel or mess it up and how do you know what poundage strike is set at thanks


Only if you fight the fish wrong. If it is a well built reel then it should hold up fine. Most of the time i run balls to the wall full lockdown on all big reels to get them in quick for a clean release


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

dchfm123 said:


> or get a daiwa 50 and enjoy your 30 yard casts.


Who pissed in yorr cornflakes and gave you a 5ft rod for your daiwa? Thats how far i can sling my 4/0w with a 2lb blue and a 8oz weight on a 6'6" rod


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## robert63 (Jul 22, 2013)

We'll the reel I have is a okuma solterra 15 cs graphite frame with aluminum reinforcing side plates open top for casting 6.0.1 gear ratio magnetic casting control 15 lbs at stri22lbs at full stainless steel wishbone clicker 5 ball bearing alluminum spool dual anti reverse 310 yards of 30 lb line idk how well built that is to people I'm new to lever drag reels and at 105 bucks New ain't bad in my oppinion I seen Jeremy wade pull in a 300 lb sturgeon with this exact reel at strike but was rippin line fast also as getting spooled but he still got it in


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

NC KingFisher said:


> Who pissed in yorr cornflakes and gave you a 5ft rod for your daiwa? Thats how far i can sling my 4/0w with a 2lb blue and a 8oz weight on a 6'6" rod


Ok so I didn't give you enough credit, but we are not all fishing of off elevated piers either. I will give you 45 yards.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

dchfm123 said:


> Ok so I didn't give you enough credit, but we are not all fishing of off elevated piers either. I will give you 45 yards.


One day I hope we can fish together of the beach


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