Retirement gift to myself

[Ron Jones]

We have sold the Hawaii house as part of getting ready for retirement. We did pretty good and I'm going to treat myself.

So, if you could buy 1 modern star drag reel for fly lining live bait and throwing ieon up and down the Pacific coast for albacore, yellow tail etc. What would it be?

[MarkT]

Penn Torque 25nld2 will do it all.

[Swami805]

I'd get a newell but it's an illness I freely admit I have. I'm sure that penn is a fine choice as Mark said and would do exactly what you need. Now if I had a giant chunk of lettuce burning a hole in my pocket I'd call Cal Sheets, tell him what kind of fishing I do, give him my credit card number and let him go to town. That would be a dream reel. Just my .02

[sabaman1]

I would look into either the Daiwa Saltiga star drag or Shimano Trinidad. If you want to buy USA, then check out the Penn torque star drags. These are the upper end of star drag reels and would definately make a great retirement gift for yourself.

[Bill B]

Baja Special......Bill

[Ron Jones]

Thanks all,
I really like the Baja Special, but most all my reels are Penns with Newell kits. I'm looking for something new just to be different. I'll find some place where I can handle the Torque and others side by side and decide what I like. Never has a spendy Penn, they normally have those abominable levers on the side plate.

Thanks
Ron

[r8rs4lf]

Trinidad 16a or 16an

I like the 16an myself loaded with maxcuatro if your worried about capacity.

[Rivverrat]

Penn Torque is the most versatile & may be the most durable with least issues over time.

I believe the Torque to be the best made star drag.


Also I agree with Bill. No one throwing line into to the saltwater for fish should ever be without a
Baja / US113 with the upgraded anti reverse... Jeff

[conchydong]

As mentioned probably the Penn Torque. I am curious about this Okuma, but I haven;t heard much about them.

[Rivverrat]

As mentioned probably the Penn Torque. I am curious about this Okuma, but I haven;t heard much about them.

The Okuma star drag is an interesting peice. I'd really like to take one apart... Jeff

[steelfish]

As mentioned probably the Penn Torque. I am curious about this Okuma, but I haven;t heard much about them.

Ron,
I was about to tell you to check those Tesoro reels from okuma, they call it the Makaraira star drag, so it must be good, I was set my eyes on one of those but when I finally have the funds to get it I changed my mine, I opted to get all the accesories to build me a nice fishing rod for my Mak15, well actually the main reason was that I already have many star reels that fly line bait as a dream, like one tuned-up Trinidad 16 gold, Baja Special, abu 7000c, newell 229f, newell 447-f and few others 

If I was in your shoes I would check those Tesoro reels, saltiga 35 and torque

[Ron Jones]

WOW!
Watching that video has me thinking. It sounds like Okuma has been talking to Alan, I like that. The price point is nice also, you can buy both of those for just a little more money than one Torque. Definitely got me thinking.

As far as the Baja Special. I'll eventually get one with Tom's bridge, but I still have old Penn models I want to finish upgrading. This reel is just something outside my swim lane for the occasion.

Ron

[MarkT]

Oh 'cmon Ron, this is the 21st century! Skip the Baja and other old tech and just get an Avet JX Raptor w/400 yds of 65# spectra and a topshot of whatever is appropriate that trip... or a Shimano Talica 12II or Daiwa Saltiga 40ld2 if you roll that way.  They're all smaller, shinier and more versatile than a Baja that you have to put money into to have a reel that's still not as good.  Sure the Baja can be made to be rock solid but I stopped banging rocks together years ago. YMMV. It's my 2 cents worth and I take change. I have a JX Raptor and Saltiga 40LD2 and sold off my tricked out YTS.

[steelfish]

....... and just get an Avet JX Raptor w/400 yds of 65# spectra and a topshot of whatever is appropriate that trip... or a Shimano Talica 12II or Daiwa Saltiga 40ld2 if you roll that way. 

Mark, he wants a star drag, that give us not many great options to recommend.

Im with you Mark, not much fan of old reels, I sold some beloved reels to fund me a top of the line reel, just to know what it feels  .. and I got me a mak15, now Im spoiled.

few months ago my next high tech reel "was going to be" an andros 12NII, but I dont know, I've been hearing about the okuma mak15T (to feel the space of makaira lineup with a tall & narrow spool reel) and I will want it in my arsenal.

[MarkT]

For a star drag I'd go with the Torque 25n I suggested originally or an equivalent Trinidad, Saltiga or maybe Okuma Tesoro.