Lets hear it guys, as a reel fanatic, I wanted to start a discussion about your reels of choice for spinning and casting. I am sure the list will vary from old school to the latest and greatest. Feel free to ask any questions you may have
I have already seen some of Chad and Daniels arsenal as I have had the pleasure of keeping them in top form. The amount of fish those guys bring to the net is astounding
No such thing as too many photos of our toys, so photos are welcome

i think one of the best reels to come along in awhile is the ambassaduer revo. i have a winch and a couple of sxt's. im using them on my salmon rods now. for a low profile reel, dont let the size fool you. they have 22#'s of drag, i'm not sure but i think thats more than a calcutta. pack em with braid and you're good to go. they're the ultimate backbouncing reel. diawa is making some really nice spinning reels know. i have several shimano's and i love em, but i think my diawa's are smoother. as far as durability time will tell.

A great topic John! To all that are reading, John has been very free with information whenever I have had a "real" question.That goes a long
way in my book of good business and all that are not sure whats goes on inside them there metal(plastic too)things that bring in fish should send their
dollar to REALTECH For me it's Shimano for all casting... Abu when in the rod holders.

And nice hen! in the avatar

Thanks for the kind words Dave
I am hoping more people with fire away with the questions.......I am here whenever you guys need me!!
As a guy who sees reels works of art, I own many different ones from many different manufacturers.
Your choice of Shimano certainly is a good one, as is Daiwa, and those Revo's Dew has I am VERY impressed with. Those things ROCK!!! Dew is referring to the new Daiwa Exceler High Speed spinning reel which now have a 6.2:1 gear ratio.
I like higher gear ratio spinning reels too for rapid line retrieval between casts, you can cover more water that way!!!
The only casting reel I do not like in high speed is the round Abu 6500/5500 C4's. This is not a high efficiency gearing system like the Shimanos. Daiwas, and Revos.
There are lots of great options out there for everyones price range, thats for sure Lots of choices

Here is a question: I recently aquired a Shimano Chronarch 101. Is it strong/big enough for winter stelhead? Looks pretty tiny on my casting rod.
Thanks for your opinion, NM

Nitro,

Lucky you Outstanding reel and yes, plenty good for Steelhead. Dont know if its one of the newer versions CH101D7 or the older versions CH101B. The older B's will hold approx 20 more yards of 10# line (mono). The newer D's have a larger spool arbor which cuts line capacity a bit. They advertise 110 yds of 10# mono on the D's which to me is plenty of line. More line obviously if you go with a thinner diameter braided line. The only way I see this capacity to be a disadvantage is if you are fishing for giant steelhead from the bank, with limited room to move, and the fish goes over a big break.
The B's have a 6.2:1 gear ratio, and the D's have a high efficiency 7:1 gear ratio. Either one will be awesome to cover water quickly!!
As far as strength........either one is a bulletproof precision piece of machinery my friend .
I happen to be a big fan of lower profile reels for steelhead. It may look small, but it is BIG on performance!!

It is the 101D. I thought this was the case, but was not sure. Will probably be used out of the DB most of the time (if I can cast it without too many birdnests).
Thank you for your input.
NM

Reel Tech,
For a lower budget reel, what is your take on the the new line of TRIOS that Okuma has put out?

Im curious what your overall thoughts are of this reel.

Thanks

Jsheava:

Though I have no first hand experience with them, those that have used them seem to like them. Have heard no complaints as of yet. I am sure it will serve you well!
I prefer a faster spinning reel, one with a 6.2:1 gear ratio. The high speed Trio 30S would be my choice rather than the regular Trio 30 which has a 5.0:1 gear ratio. I think there is only a $10 diff between the two, it would be $10 well spent for the higher ratio. You get line in much quicker between casts .

Hope this helps.

THE REEL TECH wrote:Lets hear it guys, as a reel fanatic, I wanted to start a discussion about your reels of choice for spinning and casting. I am sure the list will vary from old school to the latest and greatest. Feel free to ask any questions you may have
I have already seen some of Chad and Daniels arsenal as I have had the pleasure of keeping them in top form. The amount of fish those guys bring to the net is astounding
No such thing as too many photos of our toys, so photos are welcome

John, I mistakenly ordered a 10 foot noodle rod from Bass Pro Shop. I am not sure if I will keep it, it!

(geeez, as I am typing this, somebody knocks on the door and guess who itis: Mailman with the noodlerod! It just came in)!!

Any, my question to you was: what reel would you recommend for a 10 feet ultra light rod? I have no experience with that. Criteria: Not the cheapest but not very expensive either. Also, I cleaned my Ambassadour bait caster and now it doesn't cast worth a damn, so I got to find some local pro to clean and reassemble them. You do that kind of work? Thanks John

If you mistakenly ordered it and dont think you will like it, send it back and exchange for a diff one that you will like.
Daiwa, Shimano, Pfleuger and Okuma all have reels that will suit your needs. The only suggestion that I would make is to keep the reel gear raitio above 6:1, this is a great assest when covering lots of water.
Every reel weighs different than the other. When you get the rod you like, take it into the store with you and put diff ones on there to feel the balance and feel of the combo together. If you like the way it feels.......THAT is the right one!

Thank you. I will keep this in mind