# Beginner conventional surf set up



## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

Since I've been surf fishing(which hasn't been that long) i've been using spinning set ups. I am thinking about trying a conventional set up. any recommendations on a first time conventional set up. I want something decent to get started but I don't wanna break the bank either just incase it doesn't work out for me.


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, it is gonna break the bank, because once you get a taste of that side of the fence you are going to go goofy with all of the great gear out there.
I only got started on the conventional side a couple of years ago and the spinning side of the reel box keeps shrinking and the conventional side keeps growing.
You are going to get a ton or responces to this, (and there are also many, many similar threads that you will find if you search for them here).
Penn 525 Mag & Daiwa Saltist 20 will no doubt lead the pack for beginner reccomendations, but you will also get a lot of votes for an 
Abu 6500 in many versions, magged and unmagged (do not fear the unmagged - I bought one as my 2nd conventional and I could cast that better than the 525 mag right off of the bat), and some will no doubt vote for the Avet SX MC. 
All depends on what you are willing to spend, but you are going to be able to find Penn Mags & Daiwa Saltists used on the boards at the best $$$ for bang for your buck. 
Tons and tons of used Abus out there too.
Avets are going to be more $$$, so you may want to leave those for further down the line. 
But I will tell you, when you get a taste of the Avets, you may find yourself hooked hard. I just got my first one this year, and no matter how hard I throw it I have not been able to blow it up, and I get the same, or better distance out of it as my 6500's and far better than my Penn 12 Squal. (Althought the Squal is admittidly on a shorter rod)
Don't be afraid to go the used route here on the boards. I've been doing it for a couple of years now and I have never had anything but great dealings.
And if you get something that just does not work for you, you can always flip it for close to what you paid for it after a season or two, and try something different.
Long and rambling, but I hope it helps.
Tom


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## scavengerj (Sep 10, 2007)

Just went to the dark side this year myself. There will certainly be a lot of different preferences and advice given on this.
I'd just like to say that I went with a Penn Squal 15 spooled with #17 mono a Penn Torque Series surf rod and am very happy with the choice(s) I made. I have yet to have any blow-ups with the adjustability of the reel. It was very easy to learn to cast and I actually have fun using it.
I am sure there are things that can be picked apart with the choice(s) I made by more experienced people, but for me, things work just fine.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Akios 656CTM.

Great reel and very tame out of the box.

Tommy


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## slevinkelevra (May 13, 2011)

+1 on the Avet. I just got my hands on a MXL MC last week and it's pretty sweet. I havent thrown a conventional in about 20 years and I did an hour of practice with it over the weekend and it was flawless, even with my inexperience. They are also super easy to tear down and clean.


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## blushin (Jul 11, 2011)

ive been surf fishing in delaware my entire life using spinning setups, and have now finally converted to conventional and i cant wait. im getting all new setups going with avet MXL-MC's you can get them online now for 219.99 and places like chark bait and some others include a reel cover and free mono spooling.

cant really beat that deal


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

Tommy said:


> Akios 656CTM.
> 
> Great reel and very tame out of the box.
> 
> Tommy


One of these is next on my "bucket list". 
I have not read one single bad thing about these reels, and if Tommy says they are the chit, they indeed are the chit!


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks everyone! I'm gonna some more research on the models you all suggested and go from there


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## pierjunky (Dec 7, 2008)

Staylo, Im on the same path as you wanting to convert to the dark side. I have really never thrown a conventional but im starting to get the itch so i have been doing some research. The best bang for the buck that i have found is a Akios 757ctm on a OM 12' 6-10. This setup should cost around 300, is very easy to throw for a noob and should land just about anything from the beach. Just my .02. Good luck and tight lines!


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## Magged Out (Oct 31, 2007)

Daiwa Sealine 20-30's can be found on the Board's for under a $100.. These and the 525 are nearly Blow Up proof. 
If you got the scratch? Spend it!! If your not Happy (u will be) Can always sell it in the MatketPlace Forum
Don't even wanna get into all the stuff in my storage & i just Freshwater Fish


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

pierjunky said:


> Staylo, Im on the same path as you wanting to convert to the dark side. I have really never thrown a conventional but im starting to get the itch so i have been doing some research. The best bang for the buck that i have found is a Akios 757ctm on a OM 12' 6-10. This setup should cost around 300, is very easy to throw for a noob and should land just about anything from the beach. Just my .02. Good luck and tight lines!


Thanks Pierjunky, I've never thrown a conventional either but from what i've read and seen (videos) thats the way to go for distance.


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks again guys for the all the suggestions. Another question, What makes a particular conventional reel good for heaving?


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

I was always a spinner guy and the a buddy of mine turned me on to the 525. Liked it so much I bought three more. After gettin used to it and casting pretty good with it, I am now on the hunt fior a new reel and I do have to say that there planty to choose from. Good luck.


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## snowy (Mar 7, 2008)

staylo17 said:


> Thanks again guys for the all the suggestions. Another question, What makes a particular conventional reel good for heaving?


 The spools on some conventional reels are too heavy for distance casting. Others are too big to get a proper grip on the spool during the cast. All the ones mentioned so far on this thread are suitable for distance casting.


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## joe l. (Jul 31, 2004)

I might be in the minority here - but since you mentioned not wanting to "break the bank", I thought I'd chime in.

I picked up a Penn 140 Squidder from eBay, and LOVE it. Easy to throw, and you can get them pretty cheap off there. Certainly not a heaver reel, but I can throw up to 4oz with it all day long, and it's fairly easy to control. I've got mine paired with a 10 ft Penn Spinfisher rod. I've since gotten other stuff (the Daiwa Slosh 30 mentioned - it's also great), but I find myself still using the Squidder a lot when I surf fish.


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

I deal the akios in nj and have let several fishermen use and cast my rod and reel. Usually 99% of the time they thow it, turn and look at me in wonderment an they say "holy chit" and that is usually followed by stating they have never thrown that far. This is the average guy not the better casters represented here.... nice reel, and it is sweet out of the box as the big man from nc says..... salt shaker


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## Raymo (Jan 11, 2011)

start with a 6000 class Abu and you wont ever go back...very easy to start tame and work your way to distance!


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Raymo said:


> start with a 6000 class Abu and you wont ever go back...very easy to start tame and work your way to distance!


Very sound advice for the original question...


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

SALTSHAKER said:


> I deal the akios in nj and have let several fishermen use and cast my rod and reel. Usually 99% of the time they thow it, turn and look at me in wonderment an they say "holy chit" and that is usually followed by stating they have never thrown that far. This is the average guy not the better casters represented here.... nice reel, and it is sweet out of the box as the big man from nc says..... salt shaker


Is there a particular model? These are new to me


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

As of right now there are three basic: 656 CS. which is level wind, ct which is no level wind and ctm which is no level wind, but has magnets... and the 656 csm which is level wind with the magnets... bout the size of the 6500, the 757 cs ct and ctm is about the same size as the 7000, and the scm 656 shuttle has the solid alum cage and comes with a larger star drag wheel and a power handle.... nice stuff.... just coming out....


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Looking to get into the surf casting scene in the inexpencive kind of way. For a reel start off with a Daiwa SL 30 SH for a rod look at trhe BPS Ocean Master. Can not go wrong with this set up for start up combo.


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## RocknReds (Jun 13, 2010)

The absolute best choice for a conventional reel (new or expierenced caster) is the Akios, flat out in its own leauge.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

RocknReds said:


> The absolute best choice for a conventional reel (new or expierenced caster) is the Akios, flat out in its own leauge.


 Yeap,I would guess distance to be a *part of the equation* when surfcasting.. This would be the question though,and an important one to many who don't just cast for distance, but cast to catch: How does the drag hold up,does it like sand like a diawa or penn (not a penn fan but folks luvem for the surf) does???


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

Ok, so my awesome wife hooked me with a nice sized gift card for my birthday( I gotta say she is a enabler of my fishing addiction). Then she even Chauffeured my to bass pro. So I perused and touched the rood and reel section. With all of that I'm leaning towards the penn squall 15, it felt good in hands,the price is reasonable and it has good reviews. So on to the rod section, and I find her. It was instant love, the st croix 12 mojo rod!!! The specs say 20-60 pound line and The lure weight is 6-16oz. My question is, is that overkill for the squall 15? The the most I've thrown on my spinning set ups is 6oz. I'm in the Maryland area so the biggest thing I'll be targeting is rockfish locally, but I do plan on traveling. My main purpose for trying conventional is to extend my reach over what I can throw with spinners.


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## Jersey Hunter (Jul 26, 2009)

All I can say I don't want to throw anything close to 16oz with a 12' rod ( don't want to hurt myself) the most I ever throw is 7oz if the surf is so big that 7 doesn't hold I'l throw 2oz lures


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

the st croix 12 mojo rod!!! The specs say 20-60 pound line and The lure weight is 6-16oz. My question is, is that overkill for the squall 15?

I have not thrown that rod, but...
Yeah, I gotta say that is a bit of overkill.
They have a 3-8 oz 11' that is new to the lineup this year, and would probably make a better "first rod".
Trouble with rods that are rated for a range as wide as 6-16 oz is that (in my experience) they rarely perform really well at either end of their range, and you struggle to find where it performs best somewhere in the middle.
Can you really see yourself needing to throw more than 8oz? And how often will you need to throw that much?
Dropping down one rod in the Mojo lineup saves you $30 and a whopping 6+ ounces in the weight of the rod. (Which believe me, will make a huge difference in how balanced it feels with a smaller reel like the Squall, and how you will feel at the end of the day.
Plus, you get a rod that you can use for lighter duty to throw 3-4 oz when you do not need to throw the heavy stuff. 
I see the rod with only a 5oz swing between its ratings as much more versatile than something that has a 10oz swing from top to bottom, but probably struggles to load properly at the lower end of its weight rating.
Your mileage may vary!


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

If you are going out for convenchional for the first time the 6-16 bracket seems a bit excessive to me. The reel is pretty good but I would look at rods in the 2-10 range which would give you more lee way. If it is a light surf day and five or six will hold you will have a rough time, in my opinion, getting the best out of the mojo. I looked at them and though I have the 2-10 saltiga did not really see the need for all that weight... if you need 16oz to hold you are also gonna need to tie your butt to the bumper to keep from being blown away yourself... just my dime.... salt... and before you buy the reel, look at the Akios ctm 656......love em and easy to throw and good for the guy changing over to the dark side...... again, just my dime...... salt


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

If you want to throw the akios, email me, I am here in NJ and have all the models for you to check out before you put your money down. You can't really gauge em for yourself till you throw themj. You get good advice here from some very good people,. but you can't tell what they are gonna do in the box.... again,,, just my dime.... salt


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

"if you need 16oz to hold you are also gonna need to tie your butt to the bumper to keep from being blown away yourself... just my dime"

Exactly!!!


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

I see the next one down is rated for 3-8 and 11' long ... might be a better choice and should match up good with the squall ... I've heard lots of good things about the rod and reel both ... my vote is go for it .... i know the feeling of once it gets in your mind and starts working on you ...


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## staylo17 (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice everyone! As you can see I'm a rooky, Thats why i asked cause this is first time crossing over to thee dark side as you guys say. 

Thanks for the offer saltshaker to throw, that would be great to get a chance to try one out but i'm in maryland and probably wont be up that way till sept. "if you need 16oz to hold you are also gonna need to tie your butt to the bumper to keep from being blown away yourself... " that was funny though!

"surfchunker 
I see the next one down is rated for 3-8 and 11' long ... might be a better choice and should match up good with the squall ... I've heard lots of good things about the rod and reel both ... my vote is go for it .... i know the feeling of once it gets in your mind and starts working on you ... "

Your right Surfchunker, my wheels are spinning and I've decided to get something, it's just a matter of sorting through all the options(and theres so many!) and seeing what works for me.


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## scavengerj (Sep 10, 2007)

IMO you'll be happy and better off with the 11' 3-8 rod. And as surfchunker said, it should match up well with the reel.


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