jdmls Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm bored of reading about drop shots , so I thought I would hatch a post for the float fisherman...Feel free to get off topic , as long as it revolves around float fishing LOL !!! Alright guys, I need some opinions on the Hardy Conquest...By far the best looking Centrepin reel on the market in my eye's. I am truly in love with it..Is it worth the 500-600 it is going to cost to bring one over from the UK ??? I am looking at picking up the black 4.5"..... all opinions welcome Also, anyone have any websites that sell floats in bulk for good prices ?? .....Need to re-stock and don't want to pay 3-$4 a float Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Jdmls, you're not going to like this but I have a problem with folks who want a $600 reel but balk at a $3 float. You'll find that lots of float guys will post a pic of their catch but the reel will invariably be included in the picture. Is there a reason for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanangler1990 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 ^^^^ gonna ask same thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdrifter Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 GREAT TITLE.. Do I hear Bob Marley?? :wallbash: :wallbash: HD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanangler1990 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 GREAT TITLE.. Do I hear Bob Marley?? :wallbash: :wallbash: HD yes sir! JAH BLESSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdmls Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Jdmls, you're not going to like this but I have a problem with folks who want a $600 reel but balk at a $3 float. You'll find that lots of float guys will post a pic of their catch but the reel will invariably be included in the picture. Is there a reason for that? You loose a few floats an outing and at $3 each it hurts......A good reel is for life if you maintain it. My last centrepin was 17 years old ,passed down from my father, and is still in good working condition...You've probably seen it stapled to a steelhead in some of my pics, LOL Float reels vary from $69.99 on e-bay up to $600 plus dollars.....Realistically, and I know I am gonna get blasted for this , but "They all will get the job done"...I think crafstmanship and design are the main factors to what gets these reels their hefty price tags... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm a tool and die maker and found it hard to spend $200 for my pin... thought about making 1, then looked at cost of materials/bearings/time... and in the end... i said screw it and bought 1... $600 is a lot, but it'll last if taken care of... same can be said for big boats with big motors/expensive fishfinders... do we need them? no, but they're nice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 You'll find that lots of float guys will post a pic of their catch but the reel will invariably be included in the picture. Is there a reason for that? Roy, it's the car and girlfriend thing . . . from our younger days :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to float reels. Personally I like the Green Islander...For some reason or another it catches my eye like a red devil wobbling by a hungry pike..Just got to have one but since I'm in control of my instintive attack and kill responce I've let up to a more practically priced reel with all the smoothness of a more expensive units. I chose the Raven Classic .To me it looks and feels like the type of a reel that can take some abuse. I trip and fall down alot while fighting steelhead on the rocky bottom full of bolders river I fish(non alcohol related) so I need that extra confidence that the reel will take getting dropped now and again. The Hardy as shown above looks to me like a real that will get bent easily and never run the same ever again....Nice reel,big bucks but not for me...... Cheers !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Absolutely not worth the coin at all. Tolerences are bad on it and it's flimsily constructed IMO. If I were you I'd take a close look at the new 5" Kingpins that recently hit the shelves. Much much better reel IMO. I've got a local source for them if you or anyone's interested. Cheers (beyond that I've got a gold Islander with brand new barden bearings and wood handles you (or anyone else) can have for $200 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiel Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 ....My new float reel looks like this.... and it was less than $600.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Well Chris I thought I was the only one that was going to try this. I seen on a show where a guy used a bait caster as a float reel and it appealed to me. I will be trying it out before I go to a float reel. Just what made you decide on this? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnb_cbr Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 ....My new float reel looks like this.... and it was less than $600.00. What rod are you putting this on?? I started pinning in late winter. Up untill then i used a calcutta 50. It did the job beautifully. I would have liked the reel in your pic, but opted for the Raven matrix with Raven IMX 12'6". So far i love the combo. I has performed flawlessly in flows as great as Niagara, and as little as The Nottawasaga headwaters. I dont know if a $600 is necessary, but i will more than likely own one within the next few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Try it, I have been using a baitcaster for a bit float fishing and it works great, not very photogenic though. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Roy, it's the car and girlfriend thing . . . from our younger days :o Is the girlfriend the float or the pin? JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Sorry John, the girl is the fish and the pin is what you got her with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jace Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 ill post a pic of their catch but the reel will invariably be included in the picture. Is there a reason for that? I like seeing rods and reels in a picture for scale. Too many pictures are so cropped that you don't know what you're looking at other than a fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdmls Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 I like seeing rods and reels in a picture for scale. Too many pictures are so cropped that you don't know what you're looking at other than a fish. Good point....never thought of it that way but it is a good tool of judgement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 ....My new float reel looks like this.... and it was less than $600.00. Speil, I think the first time I saw levelwinds used for float fishing was on TV. It was a show done in BC where the river fished was fast and deep and they were using these sponge like floats that looked like a long white tube with bright orange on the end for visibility I guess....I can't help to think that the levelwind was more suited for the enviroment they were fishing in... From what I remember the fisherman were using heavy line and stout poles as well so they could at least stand a fighting chance against a big fish in fast moving water...Huge chunks of skeen with larger hooks....... So it seems like everything that was being apllied down there was like we were doing up here but on steriods. Now you bring those steroidal methods to lets say a lake Huron trib and the fish will scatter on first site of your float rig comin down the swift.... Cheers !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdmls Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 (edited) Absolutely not worth the coin at all.Tolerences are bad on it and it's flimsily constructed IMO. If I were you I'd take a close look at the new 5" Kingpins that recently hit the shelves. Much much better reel IMO. I've got a local source for them if you or anyone's interested. Cheers (beyond that I've got a gold Islander with brand new barden bearings and wood handles you (or anyone else) can have for $200 ) $200 is a steal !!! I picked up a mint condition Gold Islander in the spring with a half decent custom rod for $300 and I thought that was a deal.....Which Kingpin are we talking about...pics ? The Kingpins I have seen looked similar to my Stanton...Hopefully they have come out with a new more appealing design ? Edited August 1, 2008 by jdmls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 $200 is a steal !!! I picked up a mint condition Gold Islander in the spring with a half decent custom rod for $300 and I thought that was a deal.....Which Kingpin are we talking about...pics ? The Kingpins I have seen looked similar to my Stanton...Hopefully they have come out with a new more appealing design ? Brand new reel, completely different from the older versions. Cosmetically similar to the Mykiss reels, same diameter, similar porting but much stronger clicker. Here's mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbo Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 That Hardy is "pretty" but awfully exposed to grit getting into the guts. My old GLoomis was great. Islanders get good reviews for less cake! Angling Specialties has an interesting model of their own too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickNblock Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 ..$6 Bills Thats just under 12 days Trolling in Fuel. Hmmmmmm?????? What to do??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danc Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 ....My new float reel looks like this.... and it was less than $600.00. Nice Spiel, Mine looks like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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