AVET Reels comments needed

[htchng]

Gd day all experts,
Trying to look for a decent bottom reel to replace my PENN 309 as primary bottom reel. Was looking @ AVET EX 4/0 2spd and AVET PRO EX 5/0 2spd. Anyone have tried or heard any comments on these reels? Please help!! Thanks and really appreciate it!!

Regards,
DaviD

[Makaira]

Originally Posted by htchng

Trying to look for a decent bottom reel to replace my PENN 309 as primary bottom reel. Was looking @ AVET EX 4/0 2spd and AVET PRO EX 5/0 2spd.

Hi David,

Are you sure you want to use the 2 stated reels for bottom fishing? If so, you must be targetting real heavy stuff as the 2 reels are heavy duty two speeds that can dish out super duper drags. Perhaps if you can be more specific about what species you are targetting, where you normally fish and what your budget is; better suggestions can then be given for your consideration.

Best regards,
Makaira

[htchng]

Makaira,
Thanks for the reply. I am actually into heavy bottom targeting mainly groupers. Was fishing in Ko Adang/Nok Kiau last year and this was what happened: PENN309 (Spooled with 40lb sufix color braided line) +PENN GTI345 20-50lb Rod = no drag to those giant mamas, snag more than 20 times during the last trip only on PENN309 alone :'( lost some serious rigs on that; decided to switch Accurate 665HXM (Spooled with PE6 Zenaq Jigger Trust white PE line) + Fenwick FenGlass 20-50lb = snag more more than 5 times all non stop oso :@...
my budget is as below:
reel : Sing. 500 - 650
main line : power pro 80lb / 100lb with 60lb berkely big game mono
hook size : 6/0 and above
rod : Sing 250 - 400

hope these info is enough for all experts here to provide valuable suggestions. Thanks!!

Regards,
David

[physlo]

Wow..must be one hell of a monster. I guess you might need the Penn 30SW or bigger which holds plenty of lines. Makaira will be able to advice you futher. Good luck and hope to see your monster catch soon.

cheers!
physlo..

[htchng]

physlo,
thanks alot man still waiting for makaira's opinion :P

[htchng]

guys... wat about the LX4.1:1 single speed?? is it anygood??

[DaFrogman]

htchng,

My crew use three EXW4/02s as their primary heavy bottom bashing gear.

I have one too, but on hindsight, the EX4/02 (non-wide version) would be more than enough to load 500m of 80lb braid on for bottom bashing. I use a 665HXM too and so far have been able to stop most big fish on it including that 14kg Grouper in my latest Catch Report.

The downside is the weight of the EX. It isn't really something you would be comfortable holding for long periods of time, if you are the kinda guy who likes to hold onto to your rig to feel even the slightest bite. I like to hold my rig..... but my crew usually put them in the rodholders if nothing bites after 5 minutes.

As for the drags and freespool, the EX is a great reel for that, 30lbs of drag, very large drag washers and the titanium drag plate really makes maintenance simple. In fact its one of the simplest reels that I have serviced so far and is very overbuilt. The nice sized Power Handle and the other plus of being able to double as a medium sized trolling reel if the need should arise are other points to consider.

Of the other comparable reels, you might want to look at a Tiagra 16 as well, its roughly 230grams lighter than the EX, has twin drag surfaces and is well balanced for what you want to do. It does cost more however. One of my kakis uses one and I have had the opportunity to try it, its a good reel too.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

DFM

[htchng]

DFM...thx for the valuable feedback man.... tried the tiagra 16 dy... but dont really like it .. mayb i prefer US made reels... as you said.. it's more simple & straight forward to service + maintain... just curious... the 30lbs of drag u r referring to is where the strike position? or the max position where u have to push the lever all the way up through the button like thingie?

[DaFrogman]

The 30lbs drag is at max drag position with the preset at close to max position too... The preset is the silver knurled knob next to the drag lever..... Drag at Strike can be tuned up to about 20lbs...

Good Luck dude, need to know more, just post or PM.

Regards,

DFM

[Makaira]

Hi Htchng,

With your stated budget, I believe the GURU DFM hit the nail right on the head. The Avet 2 speeds should do the job; as is indicated on your first post as reels for consideration.

Based on what you have described, perhaps an Avet 50 narrow is may be more needed to stop those freight trains , but do make sure you are personally fit enough to fish super duper high drags -- not forgetting the the fact that kind of boat you will be fishing on may not be condusive or safe for heavy duty tug-of-war. Just remember that such reels are not meant to be held in hand waiting for the take. Put in the the hold & wait for the ratchet to sing!!! All things considered, perhaps the EX 4/0 2 narrow should suffice. It should meet your buget of $5-600 very nicely.

Line wise, for bottom bashing, my preference is for American spectra lines like Power Pro, Jerry Brown or TUF. I find that the Japanese PE lines tend to float a little & therefore you may end up using a bigger sinker to bring the baits down. Opinions differ of course.

Rod-wise, my suggestion is to customize a Calstar, perhaps a GF760M rated 40-100 or GF760H rated 50-130 if you are into fising S&M

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Makaira

[DaFrogman]

Hi Htchng,

Ahhhh, the long awaited words of wisdom from my mentor Obi Wan Makaira..... It is good to hear from you my Master ...Master I would like to know if indeed AVET make a Lightsaber in Pro 50 Narrow.

Hehehe.... I have had good experiences with Jerry Brown Spectra (solid) and Tufline XP. The Fins PRT Braid was ok too.

If you're going for S&M Calstar, why not a GF755H

Regards,

Saimee@DFM

[Makaira]

Hello Obiwan DaFroggy

You really really want an S&M reel, there is in fact a 50 narrow T-Rex Quad drag capable of 100lb strike with freespool. Go take a look.

http://www.avetreels.com/flash/main.html

Are you sitting in front of the PC with s tent forming on your sarong yet??

As for the S&M Calstar, the reason why I opted for a 6 footer is because I find the extra 6 inches gives me a tad more clearance if a fish decides to dive under at boatside. The tip is also more sensitive for bottom bashing applications. My GF755H & XH are full roller for trolling duty.

Best regards,
Makaira

[htchng]

sifu makaira/DFM...thanks alot for the advise... made up my mind to ordered EXW 4/02 blue color.. 2more weeks to go... going to have the rod custom build to 5 1/2 or 6 feet 20 - 80lbs or 40 - 100lbs fast action with fuji SIC/hardloy guides. the blank is from taiwan... same factory with jigging master blank factory i think..

[DaFrogman]

htchng...

If you are going to use 80lb braid on that reel, to stop Mr Grouper XXL, use a medium action H or XH rod blank dude. I just broke my favorite 24kg class custom stroker on what I think was a VERY big grouper, I was on full drag, with thumbs down on the spool, no harness or gimball, rod bent till grip, my shoulder sockets went click, then rod went PIACKKK..... bye bye, the 80lb JB busted too..... hehehehehe.... That was after I brought up a 40kg Shovelnose Ray and got busted off on a lighter preset drag on my 665.

You going for the EXW huh... ok, but for bottom fishing I reckon the EX has enough capacity and is a little better balanced on the rod. If you are going to troll with the reel too, then the EXW will be a little better insurance in case of Mr Marlin....

Good Luck,

Saimee

[physlo]

Siamee,

Broke your rod huh... Now you got a good reason to custom build a new one. See you this Sunday.

cheer!
physlo2..

[htchng]

DFM... sooo sorry to hear bout the rod.... :'( heart pain eh? happened to me once.. broke my 30lbs class fenwick.... the bugger took the bait and i oso tried to strike d hook into it's mouth... then the next thing i heard oso PIAKK .... :P nothin to blame cuz that's my 2nd time fishing... but manage to pull the bugger up with the remaining rod lo... dat was on my PENN10.... sigh 20lbs fireline.. 2kg grouper.... :@..

[Makaira]

Originally Posted by htchng

sifu makaira/DFM...thanks alot for the advise... made up my mind to ordered EXW 4/02 blue color.. 2more weeks to go... going to have the rod custom build to 5 1/2 or 6 feet 20 - 80lbs or 40 - 100lbs fast action with fuji SIC/hardloy guides. the blank is from taiwan... same factory with jigging master blank factory i think..

Hi David,

Did you opt for the wide because you want more line capacity? Hope you are aware that a wide spool reel may result in a lot of side-to-side rocking as you crank. I am with Saimee here, I reckon a narrow EX will suffice in terms of line cap for bottom fishing plus it is more manageable in terms of size.

Another suggestion is choice of reel seat -- perhaps you should opt for a metal seat like the Aftco or Perfection instead of graphites as you will be fishing super-duper drags & for what you plan to do, the setup will be in the rod holder most of the time so weight will not be a major issue.

I am interested to know what Taiwanese blank you are using that has a fast action. All those I have seen so far are slow to moderate at best. The rating of 20-80 seems to cover a very wide range ... very interesting. Perhaps you meant 40-80?

Good luck on your quest for the XXXXL groupers!!!

Best regards,
Makaira

[htchng]

sifu makaira... actually i have not seen the reel yet... i just tembak order.. cuz i need more line cap for multipurpose ie: trolling & bottom + drifting.. i will be using a braid marlin harness to clip on the reel while reeling in so i hope it's ok for me.. THANK YOU for reminding me on the metal seat... i will surely write this down. the taiwanese blank was recommended by the rod builder in KL. I have a multiplier jigging rod customized by him.. good chap... i can try to get more info for you on the blanks if you can tell me which range u looking for..

[DaFrogman]

Edros,

Will call you soon. Hope Alvin can finish the 755 for me, if not I will just have to order another custom Kilwell stroker from Australia as an "interim" option... I really liked that rod and the action.

Hey has anyone had a chance to try out the Shimano T-Curve rods?...... Was looking at their Deep Jig 400 thats rated for 37kg braid, but after many doubtful experiences with the Type J rods, am a bit sceptical about Shimano rods. I may have a good look at the 24-37kg T-Curve Tiagra instead or a custom Sabre Blank build up.

Hmmmm.... I wonder if anyone can build me an "old" style Seeker TS55XXH..... hmm that would be a bottom basher extraordanaire....

htchng,

I totally concur on that reel seat selection by Makaira. All my rods run AFTCO metal seats. I kid you not 30+lbs of drag ain't a joke.... My shoulder joints did go "click", but then I wasn't wearing a harness or even a gimball..hehehehehe. Before you use the rod and harness make sure you adjust the length of the straps from the harness to the reel properly as well as the position of the gimball, lower is better since you can use your legs more to pump. You may need uneven lengths if you are like me and tend to mount the gimball, harness and rod slightly to the left of my body, since I find its easier for me to crank the reel from that position. You may also consider all roller guides, if your budget permits.

Regards,

DFM

[Makaira]

Originally Posted by DaFrogman

I wonder if anyone can build me an "old" style Seeker TS55XXH..... hmm that would be a bottom basher extraordanaire....

Hi Saimee,

One blank you can consider is the Calstar BT6455 series -- full glass. Real wicked blank for bottom bashing. I've got a pair of T6455H rated 30-80 for bottom bashing. If you prefer it a little longer, the T6460 is also an excellent choice. Both go up to XXH ratings to satisfy your S&M tendencies. Even though they are rated X-fast, I think they are much more forgiving than the GF's. Go take a look.

http://www.calstarrods.com/fiberglass.htm

Don't forget to take a look at the new toys at AO. Narrow is GOOD!!!

Hi David,

One of the reasons why I stick to the American blanks is that they have a lot more "meat" at the butt sections. These so called "new" technology full graphite blanks are so slim and I do not have peace of mind when I need to really hammer down on the drags. When the rod bends down to the foregrip on one of my Calstars, I have no fear that the rod implodes into 3 pieces

Best regards,
Makaira

[htchng]

DFM sifu... shoulder went "CLICK"?? O_O dats..errrr scarry....ur left handed? i tend to handle rod like what u did... yeah... i guess i must try to practice the position with my Dogtooth Tuna when i get my hands on the equipments prior to my year end trip....
master makaira.. totally agree on the meaty thingie on US made blanks... i dont really trust thin rods... especially after my fren broke his techna AV ;| wats the price tag for these calstars all the sifus here are toking bout?? i've checked on the pricing on web site.. and it ain't cheap...!! O_O

[DaFrogman]

David@htchng,

I'm right handed. The reason I mount the outfit slightly to left is b'cos I find that most of the time I pump the rod with just my left hand and legs, whilst keeping my right hand on the handle to crank the reel. So with the outfit slightly to the left, my left arm is straighter and more comfortable under strain whilst my right hand seems to have more clearance to crank.

This is just how I do it, you should find what suits you the most, 'cos we are all built differently.

As for the rods, like Makaira, I find the skinny 100% graphite blanks a leeeetllleee scary when they bend all the way to the foregrip (one should not be wincing all the time whilst watching your rod bend like that ).

The Calstar and Seeker blanks are the blanks most used and tested in the US to bring up mega tuna on long range trips (fish from 80-400lbs). If you have ever seen how they use the rail on the ship for leverage, you will understand why Makaira has more confidence in these blanks. Cost wise, let me tell you that a friend of mine broke 2 Japanese jigging rods (from different manufacturers) in a row in the space of 3 months..... Thats over S$1000 or so of rods busted dude. Building a custom Calstar might set you back S$450-650 depending on what you want, it will be a bit heavier, but it will probably last you a looong time.

My Kilwell Stroker lasted me 3 years and brought up roughly 1000kgs of fish before giving up the ghost due to my heavy mistreatment... it was a 24kg class rod, running 80lb braid and when it broke I reckon it was around 35-40lbs of drag pressure with headshakes .... So I reckon it was my fault, but I had no choice unless I wanted to be busted off on the wreck I was fishing.

Good luck dude.

Regards,

Saimee@DFM

[htchng]

sifu DFM.... S$450 is out of my budget.... :'( they certainly looks good... never seen them in action though... wats the cheapest calstar rod i can find?? :P

[Makaira]