Sometime after Christmas, I may be in a position to take up saltwater fishing. It will be primarily from the shore, (I think in the US, it would be termed surfcasting?) but boat fishing might figure sometime in the future.

I know very little about this style of shore fishing, but most of the species around the UK coast seem to be sub 50lb. Cod and Bass seem to be popular target species, but we get a lot of others too.

I am looking to be using baits rather than lures and the traditional set-up seems to be a 12-’13’long rod off the beach using what we term a “multiplier” reel but what I think you guys would consider a conventional casting reel .

However in recent years Fixed Spool (spinning?) reels are gaining popularity as with other developments, they can almost reach the distances of a typical multiplier..


I should say I hate multipliers with a passion and I am only interested in a fixed spool.

Anyway, getting to the point, I am looking for input on the Penn Spinfisher V SS series and the US model of the Shimano Baitrunner D series ?

Penn in general doesn’t have a good reputation over here, but that seems to be more their lower end models?? The two reels mentioned are about the same price over here, and about the top end of my budget.

Any thoughts on either of those series of reels?

Spinfisher is a proven solid reel. The new Conflict looks pretty nice as well.

Shimano builds a nice reel, especially their high end spinners, but I don't care for the baitruner series. I'd look at the Spheros if they are in budget.

penn 114hlw on a 10ft surf rod. with some practice you can cast it far, i can cast one over 300 ft. plus you can put it on a shorter rod for boat fishing. if you want to spend more you can go with a avet in the same size range.

(i see you're looking at spinning reels) i like the penns but only use them for throwing lures.

i would go bait caster.

Thanks Gents...Had a look at the Spheros but they were a little more than I want to spend at present, however if the bug bites, I will certainly consider it when I come to buy a second outfit..

stxhunter,

I have a bait caster for lure fishing, and I hate the damn thing with a passion! FS are just easier to use and perform nearly as well especially for someone who will only ever be an occasional user..

With a standard 12'-13' beach casting rod, 300feet with a FS should not be too difficult..

Regards,

Peter

Pete,
the Penns are good. Especially the Battle line and above. The Penn Spinfisher V SS will be quite good.
I have a Battle 6000 on my surf rod and has been holding nicely, pulled in nice fat bull reds in the 35-42" range.
Daiwa also has nice reels that should last a while.
Shimano makes fine reels, but they need a little more pampering than Penn or Daiwa.

Pete-

Google up a couple fellas that do a lot of fun stuff with fishing reels:

Alan Hawk tests and reviews spinning reels and gives a pretty good in depth and objective look at them.

Alan Tani has a web forum and deals with more conventional reels, but lots of good info and very helpful folks on the board.

I have read some of Alan Hawks reviews and found them very enlightening' especially about the generic reels coming out of China...

Not heard of Alan Tani, but will google him..

Thanks again to all,

Peter

PS didn't know FS reels were "unconventional"??

The longer the rod, the more advantage the fish has.

For surf casting I'd stick with a heavy duty spinning reel, though a conventional reel would also work. For fishing from a small boat, you'd want a short rod, 6' perhaps, and a conventional reel, such as a Penn 113.

In the US we typically classify reels as:

Spinning reels
Bait casters
Conventional/Trolling

Or colloquially known as winders and grinders!

Been a fisherman for most of my 72 years and have never heard that. Must be a local phenomenon to Hooter Hollow.

Alan Tani. Guy knows his stuff.

Tell him Rick Bin from the Campfire sent you.

The short boat rod with a "multiplier" reel approach is known as "down tiding" and from what I gather, you're fishing directly over the side of the boat on the "down tide side" using heavy weights to hold bottom.

There is another approach known as "up tiding" where you cast a distance "up tide" of the boat and for this, a slightly longer, lighter rod is used, along with lighter weights.

I've no tried either methods yet, but it is something I'd like to have a go at..

Along the coast, boat fishing is very popular and there are plenty of charter boats that do fishing trips, so one of these days I will no doubt get around to it!

Hah! I've heard "coffee grinder" used for spinning reels for years. Im not even sure why?

As to "winder and grinder", it may just be colloquial in my own head!

The Baitrunners are gonna be about the best return on investment for saltwater at their price point.

Great line capacity, excellent drag, and proven for a long time around the world.

The Stradics are also equal in capability, a bit better built ( no bait runner drag) and are bullet proof in the salt.

I have been using both on my boat for several years. Last Summer I had Pete Millan get me two in RSA for about 1/2 the price they sell in the USA. I've had them in the salt and fresh water rivers here in the states constantly. The drags are fantastic and the feel of the reel in hand is as good as it gets. ( minus the elite level equipment like Accurate twin spin, Diawa saltiga, and the Stella's)

The Baitrunners are going to cost less as they are mostly composite ( can't rust) the Stradics are nicer feel and higher quality materials. Either will likely outlast you. If you can wear them out, your fishing skills will be epic!

Jim,

Which version of the Stradic are you talking about? The GTM or the CI4+ FA?

Regards,

Peter

Pete,
the Daiwa SS Tournament Series reels are also bullet proof.
20yo technology, but still made by Daiwa. Best drag in their class and excellent castability and line lay, even with braid lines.
I have a SS1300 that I got off used ebay for $50 and it is still going. They also make a 700, 1600 and 2600 (you need to look at the capacities, as they don't correlate with other brands/models for that size).
For boats and not huge fish a 1300 should suffice, and it will be very light.
Agree with Alan Tani and Alan Hawk (who by the way rates the Daiwa SS Tournament best reel under $100).

Mine have white metal bodies. Not the carbon fiber. I believe that are the FA version.

Smooth as silk and well made. I think if you pay more then this it's for a marginal gain in function strength and performance.

Reminds me of the saying about fast cars. The biggest amount money is for the least amount of speed improvement once you get to the fastest cars.

Pete,

There are spinning reels that can be used to take saltwater species large and small (not sure about bill fish and sharks) but certainly up to 200 kilos no problem. It just comes down to $ and good spinning reels that have heavy drags and can handle big fish are going to cost.

As to rod length, while longer rods do provide more leverage to the fish, there are a couple of things to remember especially as most fishermen have moved to braided lines which are wonderful due to their low drag in the water and sensitivity. That nearly no stretch wonderful braided line that replaced quite stretchy mono has put the strain that was previously born by the mono onto the reels drag and the rod itself. So the advantage of the longer rod is it can better absorb the stress of the fish as it runs. Also the longer rods will load up to keep tension on the line and keep the hook in the mouth vs. a short rod that just doesn't have the length to load up.

Of course as technology has marched on, rod manufacturers have followed suite with "parabolic" rods i.e. those that bend over their entire length essentially offering the advantage of a longer rod in a shorter rod package.



The parabolics do have a different feel when jigging and fighting a fish.

I can't comment on the heavier spinning reels as I haven't taken the plunge yet but do pan on setting up a pair in the next season or two.

The term "coffee grinder" comes from what happens to a cheap saltwater spinning reel when you hook something big. The gears start chunking apart and when you wind you grind ... and it sounds like a hand operated coffee grinder.

This used happen on the half day boats out of San Diego when a school of yellowtail would breeze in.

Not fishing as much as in the past but I used to fish two fays a week in the salt. Surf, wading and boat fishing. I used spinners almost exclusiving. What I didnt have shimano stellas on I used either Penn SS or Quantum Cabos. Cabos would be in your price range. I used them on both my shark and tarpon rods as well as my guest surf rods. Some of these reels are 12-13 years old and in perfect working condition. I would occassionally ruin a bearing on the bail on the shimanos as I used them for wading and they might spend up to 5 to 6 hrs in the saltwater getting dunked. I never had any troubles with any thing else. The Penns are tough but heavy. The quantums took a beating as sharks are rough on drags. I guess I would say take a look at the quantums and the penns.

You're not going to have a " coffee grinder" condition with a Shimano Stradic, or Quantum Cabo. Nor will there be anything that can ruin an Accurate twin spin.

I think that after using these for a long time and bringing in a lot of big fish primarily lemon, bull, and blacktip sharks, plus decent size groupers too. They still function as if they were brand new. This is from both shore and boat. When from the boat some fish were chased to simply expedite the retrieval process, not because they could not winch them in.

I caught 15 sharks last week all on spinning gear. My wife had one blacktip on her rod when we were fishing for snook with live pinfish. This was a small Shimano stradic FJ with 20lb braid. Not knowing instantly what she had on, she used her thumb on the spool to slow down the departure, The drag knob was already fully tight ( max drag 20 lbs). We did not want the snook to get into the Mangrove roots and we were fishing on the edge of them. So the drag was already tightened down hard. The Blacktip shark came out of the water 4 times during this lightening speed run.

It took 10-15 seconds for the drag to stop screaming, I asked her if he broke off, (we were using a mono leader). She turned to me and said, I don't have any line left! 220 yards of 20lb braid gone in a blink of an eye with 20lbs of drag pressure.

No damage to the reel other then a hella hot spool! I have 100% confidence in the Stradic reels, they are the feel and function of the highest quality reels made by anyone anywhere at any price. However they don't have the bling and name recognition of the saltiga, expedition, the Stella, or the Accurate twinspins etc.

The 2015 Stradic FK now has a forged drive train now as well. They are simply excellent spinning reels at a price that is difficult to believe when compared to those reels that are " famous" for setting insane price levels!

I dont think I would pay todays prices for a Stella. I have a half dozen 4000 stradics , older 2002/4 models. Never had any problem with those so long as we didnt wade with them and dunk them in the water. Sounds like they have improved them. I would buy one for certain.

Pete,

For your purposes, like JJ, I'd recommend the Stradic FJ if you can find them. That will be the one with the white metal body. They've been replaced with the FK now, so you may be able to find them at a discounted price, if they're still out there. I've got (2) 4000's on inshore 7'-0 rods and they work well for speckled trout (2-4#) up to 40"+ long redfish, or red drum, which are known for their fighting. For your purposes, I might step on up to a 6000 for a little more power and line capacity. Find yourself a surf rod of choice and a jigging rod around 6'-0 long and you're set for most anything up to, and likely in excess of, the 50# mark. Simply switch the reel between the 2 rods as needed.

David Walker

Sorry - where in the US are you moving to and what will you be fishing for? That will answer a lot of quesitons, casting far does not equal fish for example....

Wardman,

I am over in the UK and will be fishing the coast and estuaries not too far from my home..

Due to work and other things, not really had time to myself over the last several months. However I've just finished moving house now, so hopefully will be able to get back into shooting, deer stalking and some fishing in the New year..

Regards,

Peter