# Starter rod/reel for longer casts



## AJ35 (May 15, 2012)

I have been fishing saltwater for a while now, and I think my chances will go way up of being more successful if I am able to pass the outer bar with my casts. Right now, I am getting, at my estimation, 100-120 feet with my 8' Heavy action Ugly Stick with an Okuma ABF 90 reel. I am looking for a decent combo that will allow me to get out past the bar and beyond without breaking the bank. I have looked at some combos, but the lingo surrounding the selections leaves me a bit confused. What would be a good starter rod/reel to be able to heave "8 and bait" out past the breakers and into the sweet spots for large drum, shark, striper etc? I appreciate any help, and I know there will be a significant learning curve in being able to successfully cast a 13 or 14 foot rod, but I am willing to put the time in to learn how to do it. Thanks again for any help, I may be looking to do some striper fishing this fall/winter, and I would like to have a combo by then to do it.


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## GlenS (Sep 8, 2012)

Price is a big part. How much you looking to spend? New or used? Custom or off shelf?


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## zdogk9 (Sep 17, 2012)

I'll piggy back along on this thread. I've got about $150 budgeted for a reel, and would like to stay in that neighborhood for a rod, either manufactured, or buyinf a blank and wrapping it myself.
Thanks
Z


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## AJ35 (May 15, 2012)

GlenS said:


> Price is a big part. How much you looking to spend? New or used? Custom or off shelf?


I am looking to stay within $300.00. I realize that getting something custom would be tough at this price range, so I figure that off the shelf would work just fine. One thing, I am not very good at using a baitcaster, so it would have to be something with a decent braking system if it is a baitcaster. I did look at these, but I am not sure if anything there is good for the money or not. Thanks for any info.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

how 'bout working with the tackle you have? use small diameter braid or fused line in the 30# range. find/test for the sweet spot weight that works best with your rod - the right weight will properly load the rod for maximum casting distance. and most important is casting technique - work on a good off-the-ground cast. your gear will *easily* allow 200' casts, if you do your part. want to go lots longer, 300' minimum? you'll need a longer rod, but all the rest are still required. have at it!


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## RocknReds (Jun 13, 2010)

An Akios reel is in your budget and look for a good used 13' rod on Pierandsurf market place.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Big sharks swim alot shallower then you think. Even saw a 6'hammer in about 4' of water one day


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## AJ35 (May 15, 2012)

NC, you are right. I was in San Simeon California once viewing the incoming Elephant Seals that were starting to jostle for a spot on the beach to breed. There was a volunteer there, and I asked her if Great Whites ever come in close to feed on the Elephant Seals. She said they don't usually come very close to the beach in that area as it is shallow, and the Elephant Seals don't stay long enough for the Sharks to establish a feeding opportunity pattern. So, after I got home, I blew up one of my pictures, and I was surprised as hell to see a set of Shark fins sticking up, cruising just behind the breakers in my photograph. So, you are absolutely right, sometimes, the sharks do come in rather close. I also had a shark nearly brush up against my leg when I was wading in 3 feet of water at Clearwater Beach. It was only about 3 feet long, but it could have taken a chunk out for sure. My buddy didn't see it, I just kept it a secret so he didn't freak out as he was afraid of Sharks.

By the way, thanks for the advice guys. I checked out the Akios reels, they look sharp, RocknReds, but I need to be sure they have automatic braking systems, not the thumb control type, so I don't end up untying more knots than making casts. I will be sure to look into them even more. And, I will be checking out the rods in the Marketplace section as well. As for my current setup, it seems that the reel may be the problem. I am using hybrid mono Suffix line, 40lb. It seems as if there is alot of slapping by the line as it is spooling off the reel during a cast. Maybe I could go to smaller diameter line and more on the reel to make the cast smoother. I use the setup for catfishing as well, I've yet to catch a Flathead on it, but the oncoming bite will give me plenty of time to try your suggestions BeachBob.

Thanks again guys, this will get me pointed in the right direction.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

The Akios reels have both magnetic and centrifugal brakes. They are very tame when set to max braking but can be tuned to cast loooooong distance as your skill improves.

Tommy


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

one of my surf setups uses an avet sx mc reel (magnetic cast control), 30# toro tamer braided line, on a cheap 12' sealine rod and a simple overhead hatteras cast gets me 90 yards with a 4oz sinker. it will do near 140 yards with almost no effort and an easy off-the-ground cast. another lighter setup uses a 6501c3 abu with level wind removed and loaded with 20# fused fireline crystal on an 11' cabelas predator rod - that will do 80 yards with a 3oz sinker and an easy overhead cast, and 100+ yards with an easy otg cast. with a bit more technique and effort, adding 50 yards to all those distances is not uncommon. all testing done at the high school football field and those distances are gospel.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

Tommy said:


> The Akios reels have both magnetic and centrifugal brakes. They are very tame when set to max braking but can be tuned to cast loooooong distance as your skill improves.
> 
> Tommy


What Tommy said. That way you won't have to buy another reel when your skills improve. There is not a better casting reel out there right now than what Akios has to offer. I had on three big rays this morning and I kept the heat on and they never laid down. Winched all three in with ease.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

i've heard some really good things about the akios reels. which models are recommended in a non-lw lefty?


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## BreakTime (Sep 9, 2012)

First time poster with a few simple questions if you don't mind. I'm also intrested in learning about the conventionals so I've been looking for something that's easy to learn on but enough quality that I don't regret wasting the time or money on it. It sounds like the Akios is the way to go in that department. That being said, I'm used to exclusively using spinning reels in the surf using my right hand as the trigger finger. I prefer to keep that "style" so does that mean I should be looking for a left handed reel? After a bit of reading it looks like the CSM is my best bet for learning. Does the 656/651 CSM depending on l/r handed sound like a good starting point? I'll start keeping an eye out for one on the marketplace to play around with here soon. Thanks for the info, great site here!


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## lrs (Mar 6, 2008)

If it's doeable for you, I'd get an Akios shuttle. It has good line capacity, and can be set up for almost any purpose. 
The quality of a store bought factory rod, even at $150, is OK, at best. For a little more, you could get a Carolina Cast Pro rod. These are the real deal. There is a rod that sounds like what you are looking for, 13 ft, that is designed for 6oz and up, if memory serves. I have one, but I have not read the label in a long time. 
You would have to spend a LOT of money to get a better rod.
The proprietor, Tommy Farmer, is on this forum, and responded to your question on this thread.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

i just picked up an akios 651ctm - WOW! what a reel! look out abu!!!


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## lrs (Mar 6, 2008)

I'm expecting an Akios Tourno model in the mail today.
If I didn't have to work, I'd be camped by the mailbox.


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## Creek-SeaConvert (Oct 8, 2012)

Im new to the forum also, and a recent convert from mountain creek fishing in Tennessee to Surf fishing in Louisiana. So my dilemma is similar. I have always used fly rods, and spinning rods. My first surf fishing trial was with an okuma avenger av55b that i cought on sale at Academy for 25$. I really like this reel. My rod was a simple 7' spinning rod medium action. I hooked into a 27" red and realized my rod was outclassed by the fish i was trying to get in. So I went to academy and got a 9' shimano. Damn thing snapped after about the 10th cast with about 4oz's of sinker and bait. Took it back to academy, got my money back, and went to walmart and picked up a Berkley Big Game Spinning Rod. I am really starting to like this berkley, but I can only cast about 50 to 80 yards with it. So, I saw academy had an okuma conventional reel, Convector CV45L reel on sale for 60 bucks! I snatched it up 4 days ago(cause everyone says conventional reels cast further) and went to holly beach yesterday. I'm still getting used to the conventional style, fighting with birds nests etc, but i caught a 25 pound 40 inch bull red yesterday. I was with two of my soldiers and noticed that i did not struggle nearly as much with the big fish as they did (they cought some bulls also) on spinning reels. I pretty much just horsed him in. I freaking love this reel. I was using a $30 shakespear 8' tidewater rod. I can only cast about 50 to 60 yards with the CV45L and the tidewater. I am thinking of putting it on my berkley. SO, here is the question: Am i going to get further than 50 to 70 yards on an 8 foot rod? Or should I budget for a 10' or 12' rod? I would love to know what the biggest bang for the buck is on 10 to 12 foot rods. I am a soldier so I have to budget my money pretty carefully. Any suggestions? By the way, thanks to all for such a good forum.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

IMO, off the beach and in the salt surf is a true test of tackle - the bad die fast and the good keep on keepin' on. if yer gonna fish on a regular basis, at least weekly, it pays to spend the buck$ on good tackle, don't skimp or you'll buy one cheap rod/reel outfit after another. 'nuff said. 

for a good bait surf outfit, i'd want a quality 10-11' rod that's truly rated to at least 6oz and bail. it's important that the rod can efficiently handle/cast the payload weights you need to throw. if the rod is not matched to the weights you'll be casting, distance will suffer. this, imo, is more important than the reel. quality revolving spool reels that are up to the surf task start with the abu 6500c3 (easy to remove the level wind) and go upwards in price (but not necessarily quality or performance) to the penns, akios, daiwa, avet shimano, newell, and lotsa others. for bait fishing, i think low stretch braid is best, but until you have reasonable cast control i'd stick with mono, from 17# to 20# and use a 40-50# mono leader. i just put together another surf bait rod, a tica 11' that throws 4 to 7 ounces very well, an akios 651 ctm reel loaded with 20# fireline (8# diameter and 40# strength). couple the good tackle with good casting technique and have at it!


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## BreakTime (Sep 9, 2012)

Is there any advantage to the shuttle? I assume it would allow the experienced folks the ability to get a little further, but is there any benefit to a guy learning how to use a conventional?


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

BreakTime said:


> Is there any advantage to the shuttle? I assume it would allow the experienced folks the ability to get a little further, but is there any benefit to a guy learning how to use a conventional?


the shuttle has a once piece machined frame, like the avet reels. imo, it is not a specific advantage for casting distance - proper reel tuning is what counts for that.

most decent conventional reels - abu, avet, akios, shimano, daiwa, newell, accurate, etc - are capable of very long casts for fishing. lots depends on how you tune the reel, but more importantly your casting technique and how well the rod is matched to the payload thrown (both weight and shape) and the line diameter. there are good and not so good revolving spool reels to learn how proper casting, and most any of those brands just mentioned will be better than any novice. my strong suggestion is an abu 6500/01 c3 level wind reel (made in sweden). it can even be easily converted (and returned) from level wind to non-level wind. it can be used in the surf, on the jetty and in the boat, with a large range of rod lengths and actions, for typical game and sport surf fishies on most usa coasts, and can be had online for $95/shipped in the usa. i highly recommend it - this coming from an olde tyme caster who caught his first surf fishies back in the mid 1950's on god-awful penn bait casting reels (which were considered "state of the art" at those times  ).


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

i would add this ... IF you are right handed, and a long time spinning reel user, cranking with your left hand, you may prefer a "lefty" conventional reel. do not just assume that because most right handed anglers use right cranking revolving spool reels that you should do the same. i am right handed and have always preferred to crank with my left hand and work the rod with my right hand. SO ... try before you buy to be sure - just go with whatever feels most "natural" to you, there is no right or wrong hand to use for reel cranking.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

BeachBob said:


> i highly recommend it - this coming from an olde tyme caster who caught his first surf fishies back in the mid 1950's on god-awful penn bait casting reels (which were considered "state of the art" at those times  ).


Them ol penn bait casters have soome fightin spirit Caught many a fish on em


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## BreakTime (Sep 9, 2012)

Thanks for the insight BB. I didn't see any 6501 C3s on the marketplace right now but it looks like there are gobs of them used online in the ~$65-70 with plenty of parts for me to mess it up and be OK. I'll keep an eye out on P&S for one. That being said - any rod suggestions to marry up with it? I've tossed right handed reels but really didn't care for them. I'd like to keep using my spinning setups too and would be happy to keep everythong on the same side.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

BreakTime said:


> Thanks for the insight BB. I didn't see any 6501 C3s on the marketplace right now but it looks like there are gobs of them used online in the ~$65-70 with plenty of parts for me to mess it up and be OK. I'll keep an eye out on P&S for one. That being said - any rod suggestions to marry up with it? I've tossed right handed reels but really didn't care for them. I'd like to keep using my spinning setups too and would be happy to keep everythong on the same side.


pm sent on the reel.

first thing i do with a new abu c3 or c4 reel is pull the spool, remove the bearings, clean them in brake fluid 'til they're dry, then put in ONE tiny drop of tsi301 lube (rocket fuel and other lubes are good, too). the rest is in adjusting the spool play and the brakes.

as to a rod, depends on the typical paylpad and purpose. for bait fishing i've been using a a tica 11', 3-7oz, and for plugging i've got three 11' predator rods that handle 2-3ozs with no sweat. if yer looking for maximum casting distance for fishing or tournaments, rods like tommy's carolina cast pro are just plain Killer.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

NC KingFisher said:


> Them ol penn bait casters have soome fightin spirit Caught many a fish on em


agreed! however, comparing a squidder, jigmaster or baymaster to the reels of today, there is no comparison. even penn discontinued the vernerable squiddah.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

BeachBob said:


> agreed! however, comparing a squidder, jigmaster or baymaster to the reels of today, there is no comparison. even penn discontinued the vernerable squiddah.


I dunno, i can sling my penn9 a whole 60yds


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