Gear Ratio/Drag on Reels

[cpew]

Dear All ,

I'm a newbie to fishing and has always been very interested, was hoping for some information and enlightenment from the experienced.

1) What is the meaning of gear ratio on a spinning reel? I have a Silstar Rodex 635 spinning reel with a gear ratio 5:3:1 and currently using 20lb line on it.

2) Will be going out to sea for some boat fishing and wonder if it is a suitable reel for use? The fishes expected to land is 2-5kg (previous catchs by my friends who want on a trip).

3) Welcome any suggestion oradvice from the experienced...

Thanks in advance

[octopus]

Hi Cpew,
Welcome to fishingouting.

1. gear ratio: how many round will the spool spin after you completed spin 1 round on the reel handle. if 5.3 means, when you spin 1 round on the handle, the spool will spin about 5.3 round.

2. may i know what kind of sea fishing? Reef area, wreck area, near to island, depth and so on... What method as well? popping, jigging, bottom or trolling? If just refer to 2-5kg of fish, 20lb should be enough but depend on condition. I do fish on 20lb setup for the drifting method hunt for Mackies.

Cheers,

[cpew]

Dear octopus,

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated.

I'll be doing bottom-fishing for my fishing trip as recommended by my friends.

Appreciate any tips that can be provided, hope I'll have a good catch to be able to post on the CR...

[edylie]

Some tips

1. If there is no current, please use apollo rig instead of ranggong.

2. If there is very poor fish bite and you guys are using ranggong, try to change to lighter weight, set to free spool on the reel and let the rig drift further from the spot every 3 minutes by thumbing the spool... this is what we call (Fishing Searching Technique).

3. FC line is proven to be effective.

That is all for now and happy fishing.

Cheers,
Edy

[octopus]

Cpew,
Edy point out few valuable tips here. For bottom fishing, I normally use 30lb+ line. Cause down there might have some structure that we gonna play "dirty", high drag & pull them out from the structure. 1 of my friend said "bottom means POWER"

Sometime I use apollo rig for "Fishing Searching Technique" technique like what Edy said, the result quite satisfy but you gonna have more spare apollo rigs :P

[cpew]

Dear Oct/Edy,

Thanks again for your sharing of experience and tips on how to prepare for my "virgin" trip to the big sea and yonder.

One quick question - Is it true that a "sea rod" has to be used with a "sea reel" and that a "sea rod" is not compatible with a spinning reel even though it is a heavy-duty spinning reel?

A bit confused right now as I've just bought a "sea" rod
(Ofmer "Stand Up 6511-165" rod, length 1.65m, jig15-30lbs). which I intend to use with my big Silstar CX 70B spinning reel (handed down by my big bro but in very good condition) on new 20 lbs line.

I was informed that the rod which I've just purchased is not compatible with a spinning reel and in using it will cause either the rod or the reel to "break" or difficulty as they are not meant for each other...

I am quite distress about it and hope for your expert opinion which I value rather than from hearsay...

[edylie]

I believe you bought an overhead rod. If it is an overhead rod, please use an overhead reel.


For a begineer, i would recommend to get a (overhead reel) Penn 320LD to begin with your fishing adventure.


Cheers,
Edy

[cpew]

Dear Edy,

Please recommend in Singapore which store would you suggest to go for that carrys the reel and approx. price?

Thanks again

[octopus]

Cpew,
Penn 320LD is a nice reel. Got level wind for easier line laying. Lever drag more easier to adjust than star drag. You can consider it.

However, you might need to look for Avet MXJ. This reel can be used for jigging as well. Disadv is that you need to do the thumbing for line laying. Quite troublesome for beginner... Sorry guy, a bit crazy on Avet reel now

Pls visit those store at Beach Road...

[edylie]

I cant remember the price for 320LD ... i think it is half of Avet MXJ

I would recommend you walk around beach road shops and compare the price.

Btw if you bought any of the abo mentioned reel, please load it with 30lbs Tuf XP line (green color)

Sorry i cant help much

Cheers,
Edy

[stickbom!]

As long as you fill the reel 75-80% full (which is MORE THAN ENOUGH line for most fishing situations), the MXJ is narrow enough to wind without having to guide the line. That's my personal experience with it.

[Dynaway]

Penn 320Ld should be abt $190-$230 region.

or can try the Shimano Charter Special 1000 or 2000 for abt $190

but i think Avet SX is a better buy at $210

[DaFrogman]

Cpew dude,

The next time you buy a rod or reel, tell the owner of the shop or the person behind the counter what you will be matching it to.

E.g. if buying a rod, tell them what kind of reel you want to use with the rod, they might even have that reel in stock in the shop in which case, you could ask to mount the reel on the rod to check that the reel feet fit the reel seat and that the stripper guide (first guide after the reel) is correctly positioned to match the reel.

I don't guarantee that all shops will want to help you do that, but the ones that actually give a damn about their customers will go to extra lengths to help you out. Don't be intimidated by other customers who are there and seem more experienced.... they all started fishing somewhere like me with a handline and a "Quakers Oats" tin ...

Regards,

DFM

P.S. The AVET MXJ is not a bad choice, its all metal with decent drag, light and is easy to maintain... If you want, bring your rod and go to Deepsea Tackle and ask Janice if she will allow you to put the reel on the rod to get a feel for it... I reckon she will.

[stickbom!]

Hiya Cpew, I think we need to take this from the start. Instead of jumping into a shopping spree for tackle, you'll need to know the basics.

A fishing rod is basically an extension of your arm. If you're fishing from the beach and need to cast far in order to reach deeper water, you'll need a longer rod. If you're fishing on a boat and no casting is required, get a shorter rod. The fishing rod is basically made up of a few components-

1. The blank- Either made of glass, carbon or a mixture of both, commonly known as "composite"

2. The guides- The little rings your line passes through. Industry standard would be the ones made by Fuji. The guide has two parts, the frame and the insert. The insert is in direct contact with your fishing line and it's important that you buy a rod with good guides, regardless whether you're using braided lines or nylon.

3. The reel seat- This secures your reel to the rod. Again Fuji reelseats are the most commonly used these days.

4. Grip- The sections before and after your reelseat. Most commonly used material for grip would be EVA, Hypalon or Cork

The blank has a "spine", some might call it "backbone", and this determines how your rod will bend under load. Try to imagine this, a normal human being has no problem bending forward to touch his toes right? Try bending backwards and touching your heels. Most will probably snap their spinal cords while attempting this. Well this is why you cannot use a spinning reel on a "baitcasting" type rod. The rod would be bending to the wrong side, like the guy trying to bend backwards.

Next, when choosing a reel, consider the following things-
1. How big are the fishes you're trying to target?
Example- 5 to 10kg

2. What line class would suit the fishes you're trying to catch?
Example- 10 to 20lb line

3. How deep is the place you'll be fishing most of the time?
Example- 30m (So a reel that holds 70-100m of 20lb line would be big enough)

4. Are you going to use his reel on a regular basis?
Example- Fishing every weekend so the reel must be reliable and sturdy. Very often it pays to invest in a better reel (Note that more ball bearings and a bigger price tag DOES NOT mean the reel is good) It's better to spend $100 on a single, reliable reel than buying 10 reels of inferior quality

It's always better to invest in the right tackle first time round, rather than wasting money to upgrade later.

Do feel free to ask if still in doubt

[jason]

Yo Mike
I think more pp are interested in avatar than your theory....
Getting more and more adventurous liao......
Cannot tahan liao....



Cheers
Jason

[cpew]

To all fishing pals

You guys are great and learning a lot from your experiences, thanks!

Have a question about Okuma reels - Catalina CT-30D, any reviews on the reel.

What would be a good way to determine that the rod is a baitcasting rod?

Tips on the "Fish Searching Technique" is useful, for the apollo rig, the ideal lenth of hook to swivel and sinker to swivel?

Thanks again to all who contribute to the reply

[stickbom!]

Yo Mike
I think more pp are interested in avatar than your theory....
Getting more and more adventurous liao......
Cannot tahan liao....



Cheers
Jason

Jason- Told you solid right :P

Cpew- I have not fished Okuma reels before but I did see some of their new spinning reels at the shops. Not very impressed because the drag was jerking right out of the box :P I think you are far better off with reels made by Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Avet, Accurate etc.

There's no fixed formula for tying Apollo rigs but important thing would be to space the hooks far enough so that they don't snag each other.