Headhunter Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 Hey folks, Wife and I will be visiting my niece and her husband in the Caribbean in a few weeks. My niece's husband does some surf fishing and we plan on doing that while we are there. Pickens are pretty slim on their island for anything fishing related (the island has a static population of just under 5k people, so pretty much everything is hard to come by, so hard in fact that Amazon doesn't deliver there. So he asked me to pick up a reel for him to bring with us. I've been looking but don't really have any experience in the salt water world. Hoping for suggestions as to what to get, without braking the bank! Also, is there any difference between salt water reels and freshwater reels? (Corrosion) He's looking for a large capacity reel as it will be used with his "heaviest" rod. Thanks in advance for your kind consideration! HH
Terry Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 One man’s reel is another man’s nightmare the best thing he can do is look on Amazon or bass pro website and he can send you a link that way he gets what he wants No Amazon wow hope they have internet lol
Headhunter Posted January 18 Author Report Posted January 18 54 minutes ago, Terry said: One man’s reel is another man’s nightmare the best thing he can do is look on Amazon or bass pro website and he can send you a link that way he gets what he wants No Amazon wow hope they have internet lol Well, he's not that experienced and is relying on my best judgment. The best reel he currently owns is one I bought him for Xmas a couple of years ago. Yah, they have internet, but most times, it aint that great! HH
Fang Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 main diff with saltwater reels is corrosion resistant parts where you need them and being more sealed, so no water gets in the body. You still need to do more cleaning and rinsing after exposure to the salt so the more maintenance the longer it will last. Will freshwater reels work - absolutely. I've taken my 4000's (even 2500 sized) with me to Florida, Mexico, Antigua,...... with no long term problems but I would say everyday use in saltwater should warrant a purchase with saltwater features. Given the timeline I'd say Amazon would be your best bet. I have bought Piscifun and Kast King brands and for the money they are decent reels. Probably looking more for a 7000, 8000 or larger reel then?? 2
craigdritchie Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 Daiwa BG is hard to beat for a good quality saltwater reel that won't break the bank. The 5000 series is a good size with loads of line capacity, yet still not too big or heavy. They're simple, solid reels with very good drags and no issues. You can find them for around $200 - $235 Canadian ... with reasonable care they will last for many, many years. 4
bassman Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 I surf fish in Florida several times a year. Freshwater reels WILL get destroyed by the salt water, I learned the hard way. The best bang for your buck for salt water gear is Penn. They make solid rods and reels at a very good price. They can be purchased from either Amazon or Walmart. I have various sizes of rods and reels depending on what species I'm fishing. For smaller fish, I use a 7-8' rod with a 2500-3000 reel. For larger species I'll use a 10-11' rod with a 3000-5000 reel. I hope this helps 4
CrowMan Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 If it's specifically for surf fishing, he'd probably want a 6000 to 8000 class spinning reel with a wide arbour spool to facilitate long casts. I currently have a Shimano Saragosa 6000 that's been great for every thing from casting jerkbaits to Striped Bass in New Brunswick to live baiting Sailfish in Costa Rica. It holds well over 300 yds of 65lb braid. I bought it more than 10 years ago from Bass Pro in Vaughn, and it's never missed a beat. As Fang mentioned, religiously rinsing with fresh water after every use is critical. For smaller saltwater applications, I have a Daiwa Ballistic 4000...again it has sealed bearings which are key to fishing the salt. Craig's recommendation of the BG is another one I see a lot of down south. I did have a Penn 6500 Spinfisher prior to the Saragosa...I bought it because I always thought Penn had a solid reputation for saltwater gear...but that reel only made it 2 seasons before it seized up. Frankly it may have been my own abuse, it spent a lot if time in the sand on one trip. Just like the freshwater world, I dont think you can go wrong with Shimano or Daiwa. .
CrowMan Posted January 18 Report Posted January 18 I was looking around and it seems the Saragosa is discontinued. You can get a Shimano Socorro 6000 SW on Amazon for $207.
Headhunter Posted January 19 Author Report Posted January 19 Thanks all for your input. I've been looking at all the suggestions and it is a bit overwhelming! As I mentioned in the OP, I'm not wanting to spend too much in this endeavour. As a matter of fact, I don't even own a $200 reel myself, so I'm kind of trying to keep this in a lower price range, if possible. Again, thanks so much for all the great info! HH
aplumma Posted January 19 Report Posted January 19 Look at Ebay for a used reel if this gets too pricey. Also consider that braid fishing line, good hooks, and lures are also hard to get in the islands. Art
Headhunter Posted January 19 Author Report Posted January 19 10 minutes ago, aplumma said: Look at Ebay for a used reel if this gets too pricey. Also consider that braid fishing line, good hooks, and lures are also hard to get in the islands. Art Yah, I have a list of terminal tackle that I will be grabbing for him as well as line. HH
CrowMan Posted January 19 Report Posted January 19 Try Aikman's (tackle repair in Mississauga). He always has some used reels for sale. Last time I was in there I saw some big spinning reels for sale that might be suitable. 1
GBW Posted January 20 Report Posted January 20 (edited) HH, have you looked at the Diawa line for reels? Lloyd (charter) brings them to FLA for his trips and works them hard. Edited January 20 by GBW
Headhunter Posted January 20 Author Report Posted January 20 13 hours ago, GBW said: HH, have you looked at the Diawa line for reels? Lloyd (charter) brings them to FLA for his trips and works them hard. I have Geoff and likely going hit Sail next week to see what looks/feels good in their line up. Got some gift cards burning a hole in my wallet! HH 1
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