Guest ---- Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Hi guys, just picked up a lightly used islander steelheader. now that I have it home.....I am comparing it to my old aventa and the okuma seems to startup twice as quick and spin for twice as long. Is there something I can do without upgrading bearings to improve the performance of the islander......or did I get hosed. I've seen videos online of islanders spinning for like 9 min.....will this improve over time?only been pinning a couple years so still very new to the game. thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) Remove the bearings and flush the whole reel with water. At a drop or two of sewing machine oil to the bearings. I finally bought some, and it makes a world of difference. Then again,the bearings maybe be pouched. Edited November 12, 2012 by Misfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Remove the bearings and flush the whole reel with water. At a drop or two of sewing machine oil to the bearings. I finally bought some, and it makes a world of difference. Then again,the bearings maybe be pouched. Great advise, is there any type of seal at all in these reels?. Or most as far as you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Good advice, but to elaborate a bit further, after removing the bearings soak them in Kerosene first or electric contact cleaner. They're usually packed with light grease which in fact hinders the performance. Doing these degreases them. Once you do that then add a couple drops of sewing machine oil and reinstall. You should see a world of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) Thanks Mike. I forgot about the cleaner. Edited November 12, 2012 by Misfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ---- Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 thanks Guys.....Ok, how do I remove the bearings. Do I need a press? they don't seem to want to come out with my finger? I was told the reel was used once so my guess would be grease on the bearings. it looks brand new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Islander has great customer service, I'd probably contact them and see if they can help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Field Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 If the serial number is 1509 then I know how you feel. Do not try to take the bearings out yourself, but follow Bill's advice and send it back to the factory. There is a person on the FF looking for an Islander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtess Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 I don't know if they still offer the free small sample bottle but I use Militec-1 on the bearings of my JW Young and Stanton. I was turned on to it for use as lubricant for my Spyderco and Benchmade folders. http://www.militec-1.com/ This stuff goes on like a light oil but gives a dry lubricity and will not attract dirt or dust like oil. The Military uses it for firearm lubrication and protection. Burt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super dave Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Islander uses lock tight(blue) on the bearings. If your careful, you can tap them out without damaging the bearings. Then do what mike suggested. Another trick is to tighten the centre nut just enough so that there is little to no play. The screw will be loose so you can wrap some thread on the nut threads to keep it in place. That will probably triple your spin time, if that is what your concerned about. But as long as it starts well when your using it, that is all that matters. I acyually used a tiny drop of blue lock tight on the thread of the nut and tightened it just enough to eliminate play. I'm not suggesting u do this as there is a lot of room for error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ---- Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Thanks for all the feedback guys. I ended up returning the reel and exchanging it for a new one and a few extra $. New one spins like a dream and a great deal for under $300. Misfish..thanks for the pm/link...I have some reading to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemper Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I've always wondered about this obsession with a reel the spins for 3 hours... I actually crank the pin down on my reel so it spins SLOWER. Then again, my rig almost never sees a float less than 10g so I don't worry about the start-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrilla Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Why do you run such heavy floats kemper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Why do you run such heavy floats kemper? Must be fast water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJL Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I remember when I bought my current Islander in the 8th grade, I sat in front of the TV almost ever day after school spinning the heck out of it for a month. I guess the grease thinned out after that.LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I've always wondered about this obsession with a reel the spins for 3 hours... I actually crank the pin down on my reel so it spins SLOWER. Then again, my rig almost never sees a float less than 10g so I don't worry about the start-up. If I am not mistaken here kemp. If you tigthen up like you say,does it not make it hard to wallis cast? Fishing a large float, tells me you are fishing heavy waters. I use from 4 to 6.4 so far. I had to go with a larger float do to the fast and rising waters (heavy bulk shot) this past weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I remember when I bought my current Islander in the 8th grade, I sat in front of the TV almost ever day after school spinning the heck out of it for a month. I guess the grease thinned out after that.LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ---- Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I've always wondered about this obsession with a reel the spins for 3 hours... I actually crank the pin down on my reel so it spins SLOWER. Then again, my rig almost never sees a float less than 10g so I don't worry about the start-up. I don't need it to spin for hours but this one obviously had a glitch...would spin for about 30sec if I got it going like crazy. start-up was non-existent. my cheapo aventa made the islander look like a piece of junk. new one is comparable in spin time to the aventa but way smoother which I assume will improve with use. now to put it to good use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemper Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Why do you run such heavy floats kemper? Small ones are almost always unnecessary. Even in the slowest and most clear water I've found no noticeable difference in hookups by running a tiny little clear float. My entire rig is gorilla sized, you will also never see me run lead below 7.5lb, or hooks smaller than a 10 (and even 10's are rare for me) Must be fast water? Not always. I like to make it easy for myself, heavy rigs cast far and they cast easy. If I am not mistaken here kemp. If you tigthen up like you say,does it not make it hard to wallis cast? Fishing a large float, tells me you are fishing heavy waters. I use from 4 to 6.4 so far. I had to go with a larger float do to the fast and rising waters (heavy bulk shot) this past weekend. I don't mean tight to the point of not spinning, I just mean tighter than spinning for hours on it's own. In the waters you fish, I still run a 10g float and as much shot as it will handle. Believe me, you get some funny looks when you sling a 12g rig anywhere out East but they stop as soon as fish start coming to the bank. I know I sound like a broken record, but these aren't perch we're fishing for. They're big, aggressive, carnivorous, predators. In my experience (limited compared to many here) I've found that any fish I miss out on because of a heavy rig I make up for and then some BECAUSE of the heavy rig once I'm hooked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Believe me, you get some funny looks when you sling a 12g rig anywhere out East but they stop as soon as fish start coming to the bank. Funny you say that,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Seen it,and he was doing well. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Why do you run such heavy floats kemper? I fish exactly the same way myself. As I've progressed over the years I've learned that getting your bait where it needs to be is far more important than finesse. This fall is a perfect case in point. I've purposely been running even bigger and heavier stuff: 12lb main, 10lb fluoro or 8lb Maxima lead, large amounts of shot, big hooks and even bigger baits. I've really hammered the point home to myself that presentation is what counts with these fish as it's been one of my best falls ever. Stupid numbers, and I've been fishing all over the map. The biggest mistake most rookies make is not getting down to the fish. The added bonus of course with heavier rigs is you don't play the fish to exhaustion and casting is exponentially easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemper Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I fish exactly the same way myself. As I've progressed over the years I've learned that getting your bait where it needs to be is far more important than finesse. This fall is a perfect case in point. I've purposely been running even bigger and heavier stuff: 12lb main, 10lb fluoro or 8lb Maxima lead, large amounts of shot, big hooks and even bigger baits. I've really hammered the point home to myself that presentation is what counts with these fish as it's been one of my best falls ever. Stupid numbers, and I've been fishing all over the map. The biggest mistake most rookies make is not getting down to the fish. The added bonus of course with heavier rigs is you don't play the fish to exhaustion and casting is exponentially easier. I think I went to the Mike Borger school of trout fishing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I think I went to the Mike Borger school of trout fishing Im still waiting to enroll.LOL I have a question,but will post a new thread as not to derail more then we have. Enjoy the Islander merkinbrumsky . Im still looking for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Just can't believe I'm not paying for this advice . Great tips guys,a different angle for sure:good:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrilla Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Thanks for the info I pretty much always run 7 gram floats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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