avet lx or saltist for distancing casting off the beach

[cmaraj1]

which reel would give me good distance
a avet mxl or a saltist?

[REK]

I would think the star drag Saltist will cast better than a lever drag Avet.

[cmaraj1]

i was looking at the leverdrag saltist...
would a star vs leverdrag  make a difference in casting distance??

[jaypeegee]

i was looking at the leverdrag saltist...
would a star vs leverdrag  make a difference in casting distance??

Your casting style and ability is where you will get your distance so all answers must be given and or received with that as an understanding

What distance do you currently cast and what will you need to reach? That is, are you approximately OK with your distance or are you looking to remove any limitations your current reel might impose?
What type of fish are you targeting and what style do you use (Lures or bait)? This will allow others to understand what dynamics are needed and offer better advice.

My opinion only from this point.

I cast ~150 metres on field and maybe 100 when fishing but likely less. I mainly use baits and sinkers and target smaller fish from shore. I do use lures and other methods as well.


If I want out and out distance I use a SL20SH. It is a poor cousin of the Saltist star drag - Uses centrifugal braking and has a medium spool weight. I fish it with 10Kg line due to terrain being rarely sandy and mainly composed of stones or rocks where I regularly go. I have chosen that reel as I had a limited budget and would replace it with saltiest 20 or 30 H star drag in a heart beat if I had the budget to do so. I have modified it to allow more distance and despite that and using one brake only it works well. Downside is the Anti reverse isn't 100% - This is by design and not a flaw.

The AVET MX MC I use when I am not in need of my upper limits distance wise. Due to the spool being heavier than the SL20SH causing a fly wheel affect and my less than stellar casting abilities I need to use the mag at max to heave it hard. I believe the casting dis ability is more of an obstacle here and I read others reporting that it can compare with the traditional distance reels like the penn sql15 or mag525. As these are read on the internet I take it with a pinch of salt but also cherish the thought I may get better results from this reel with practice. AR is almost 100% but has no IAR to augment the mechanical AR. Downside: Few if any.

If distance wasn't the issue I would use either but likely would choose the SL20SH if I was in a more hostile environment (Sand - Water ingress - rock rash etc) due to the MX being in better condition cosmetically only. However there is no comparison in the AVET being more pleasurable to use due to higher tolerances

I looked to a lever drag for casting due to the reliability and predictability of the drag setting. The saltist star drag gives this to an extent as it has a star clicker allowing you to be aware of how many clicks you hear when tightening the drag

I don't know how well the saltiest LD casts I do read it performs well and if similar to the SD I imagine it is a viable solution. The build quality mechanically of the saltiest sd is very nice I assume the LD is the same.

Casting distance is determined by you before the reel has it's say as I mentioned.

The Avet freespools well and does produce a flywheel affect as mentioned due to the weight. You can modify how the magnets work - Jeri has done so with success. Changing the mag setting mid cast is difficult due to the low profile of the mag adjustment switch/knob. The drag being glued to the side may introduce balance artifacts that you are less likely to see with a star drag as the drag is usually fully disengaged but the drag washer on the avet is light so any amount would be negligible. I don't think it has bothered me yet. I imagine some if not all of these considerations would be present on the saltist as well.


If this is helpful then good. If any of this is incorrect then hopefully cunninghams law will sort that out.


-Edit - Your title says LX your post says MXL. I have both. All observations of the MXL are compatible with the LX except.
The LX has a wider spool and this longer axle I believe this is why the LX shows a smoother drag increase from bait to strike
It has a higher spool profile meaning it is harder to control the spool pre release when the reel is mounted in a high position . I have yet to cast this mounted at the butt of the rod but doing so may show this is easier to get the thumb across the spool.

[Jeri]

Hi Cmaraj1,

I would agree with a lot of what 'jaypeegee' has written on this topic, and rather than get side tracked down the 'star drag vs lever drag' discussion – let's look at what you have asked.

First a couple of 'qualifications'; Length and design of rod is going to be a huge influence in distances achieved, as well as your particular style in casting, and inevitably ability.

Comparing the Avet MXL to The Diawa Saltist LD, is a little like comparing a big factory sports model car to a small company limited edition sports car. The bigger factory version will be sounding right on specs, but the fine quality will not be present.

This is very much the case with the Saltist LD, made at the Diawa mass production facility in Vietnam, punched out in production runs of 10,000s. Perhaps fine when tooling is all sharp and new, and well within the ideal tolerances that the design engineer set, but later models once the tooling has worn, will be less than ideal.

AVET on the other hand, is a very small production facility by comparison, with tighter production tolerances, as well as might higher attention to quality control.

The location of the factory is becoming an issue with a lot of the top end reels from some of the factories, Diawa in particular, as well as Shimano. Their top line reels, like Saltiga and Trinidads are produced in Japan, while the lower scale products for the mass market like the Saltist and Torium are produced in 'out of country' factories, like the Diawa facility in Vietnam.

I have cast with both the MXL and the Saltist LD, and by far the AVET is a better product, the attention to detail, and the tolerance issue of the components, just makes the AVET a better product for casting and fishing. Freespool times on the AVET are astounding straight from the box, treat the bearings to further enhanced oils, and it becomes virtually unmanageable. In distance casting the lack of friction from 0rpm, up to maximum rpm is a critical factor, as it is pure acceleration that is going to ultimately yield the distances. This is where the Diawa suffers, basically poor build tolerances and heavy internal frictions that just don't offer the same sort of free spool as the AVET.

One last factor, that might help your decision, is that the AVET factory, and their after sales service is right with you in the USA; so infinitely more accessible, should the unlikely event of a problem arise.

Off surf fishing now, one rod on the car has my trusty AVET MXL, the other has my new Release SG – all the other reels can stay at home.



Trust that all helps.

Cheers from sunny Africa


Jeri