do I need a Baja Special reel?

[conchydong]

I'd get a Baja as not only is it a great reel but since they are discontinued and replaced with the US Senator, that unique reel may be a collector's item for your grandkids and they will be posting pictures of it 50 years from now on Alan Tani's grandkids reel repair forum.

[SoCalAngler]

The 113HN's are fine reels I bought one back after they added the extra bearing in the handle and the cost was $175. What a deal! After a pre-fishing service I spooled it up with 40 lb test to go on a jig stick for tossing surface iron and the reel has not caught one fish. Why? you may ask, its because I mainly use other reels when down in Baja. My pops lives in Loreto and I fish there a couple of times a year, plus my other trips out of San Diego into Baja but still my Baja Special has no fish stink on it....go figure. Would I pass on a 113HN or the newer US 113N's, no...well maybe not the US 113N's because all my reels are black execpt one. For private boating and panga use in Baja I tend to use lever drags two speeds becuase of their fexiblity for slow trolling live bait, moving mean fish from structure and you never know when you may drop a bait for yellowtail, grouper and such to be picked up by a sailfish ot marlin before your bait reaches the bottom.

If I did not have one would I buy another? Yes. Would I use it often? Mostly likely not but at least I'd have one just in case.

Edit: Oh and I caught a 225 lb thresher on a live mackerel when small barrilete fish tried to hide under our boat when some sailfish were slashing through them. I tossed out a mack on a SLD 30II fishing 50 lb test looking to hook a sail and was surprised 45 minutes later when the threasher came to color. So, you never know then you may hook that threasher in Baja. But the bigger two speeds like the 30II's are mainly only used for sails and marlin.

[Maxed Out]

Do we "need" many of the reels we have?    No, but want overpowers need most of the time.

   Lee, I'll take the ones you don't "need"


    I have lost count of my reel inventory, but if you ask my wife she'll tell you I always "need" another reel....or 2

[steelfish]

in Baja I tend to use lever drags two speeds becuase of their fexiblity for slow trolling live bait, moving mean fish from structure and you never know when you may drop a bait for yellowtail, grouper and such to be picked up by a sailfish ot marlin before your bait reaches the bottom.

If I did not have one would I buy another? Yes. Would I use it often? Mostly likely not but at least I'd have one just in case.

thats completely true, here in Baja you never know what you can get... but I never go after sails or marlin on my latituds, so no reason for big off-shore heavy reels.

I think Im set, will start to save some coins for a Baja Special 1st of 2nd gen not the newest one.

[SoCalAngler]

in Baja I tend to use lever drags two speeds becuase of their fexiblity for slow trolling live bait, moving mean fish from structure and you never know when you may drop a bait for yellowtail, grouper and such to be picked up by a sailfish ot marlin before your bait reaches the bottom.

If I did not have one would I buy another? Yes. Would I use it often? Mostly likely not but at least I'd have one just in case.

thats completely true, here in Baja you never know what you can get... but I never go after sails or marlin on my latituds, so no reason for big off-shore heavy reels.

I fully understand about you not needing larger reels, that was kind of my point, though not stated very clearly. I like smaller two speeds and use 40 lb test for about 85-90% of the type of fishing I do in Baja. My 113HN just seems too big, my go to reel is a JX two speed bought around 8 or so yeas ago and seen many trips both in the Pacific and Sea of Cortez. There are alot of very good options out there now, many more than when I bought my JX, so before you lay down some cash for the Baja Special you may want to check them out.

[steelfish]

my go to reel is a JX two speed bought around 9 or so yeas ago and seen many trips both in the Pacific and Sea of Cortez. There are alot of very good options out there now, many more than when I bought my JX, so before you lay down some cash for the Baja Special you may want to check them out.

well you hit on the nail again, for my almost 80% of fishing I like to to as light as possible but with strong reels, thats why all my reels are 100% aluminum and with upgraded drags (except 320gti which is graphite but new drags, tho), calcutta 400TE, saltist 20H were giving me fish here and there with problems, then I wanted something bit bigger for trolling for cheap and got me the 320gti which was really good, a friend of mine offered me his almost NIB fathom 40 with 80#braid for $100 and I just couldn't let it pass, which its strong and very light and its my current my go-to reel, a young friend received a used trini16 gold from an uncle as a gift but he only used it 2 times in 2 years until few weeks ago he wanted to make a trade, his trini16 plus a trevala 6.6 MH for one of my RC cars (a nice one), Im more tackle ho than RC ho, so I did it 

now, I think I only need a medium/compact 2-speed reel but I really cant spend more than $300 right now, in the other side seems like a Baja special will give me nice gear ratio, big power and not too heavy.

I really like the new okuma lineup and the Metaloid 12II will fit my army nicely but do you remember what I say at the beginning ?

but my "real" me which is a poor weekend warrior keeps say no, you dont.

its on $300 mark, I  might actually sell maybe the trini16 to help me get the metaloid 12-II, but then you have the fathom LD 40-II speed with the same price tag, on which case I will have to sell the fathom 40 start drag that I currently have.
like you said, too many choices.


BTW...the JX 2-speed was my dream reel 3 years ago then then a new breed of LD reels with stronger drags and upgraded parts, bearings, etc appeared.

[David Hall]

I need one!.............  Or two?.........probably four!  I like new reels.  Especially in multiples, starting with at least one or  two, and preferably in even numbers......unless there is only one available in which case I will pass because if there is only one then it is to rare and expensive to fish with.  I do not collect reels for looking at leave that to the reel experts.
My reasoning is that since 95% of my fishing is done on my boat and my boat has..........8. Rod holders and it is well known that it is against the laws of fishing to not use them all, then by extension of reasoning it is logical that I must have at bare minimum 2 of any given size, type, or grade of reel?  Well okay maybe not the soundest in terms of science but I have convinced myself of this universal principal and that is good enough for me.
One thing leads to another, or one reel leads to another.
it's a perpetual cycle that begins with one reel and then one more and ends with death!
Has nothing to do with need.

[SoCalAngler]

Yep so many choices you got to love it. If under $300 is what your looking for how about a Fathom 25NLD 2 speed? Their kind of new but in the used market I bet they will start to show up soon. Spectra backed I think those reels would make a nice compact 40 to 50 lb test reel. I have a Fathom 25N star drag that I fish 30 lb on and have plenty of power with its 6:1 gears to fish 10 lbs of drag, maybe more but have not pushed over that. But, like I said if your looking to troll with the reel instead of the GTI think a LD reel would be better than a star.

Half the fun for me when selecting new gear is playing around with all the goodies at the tackle shops until I find the right gear for me. After all is said and done thats what it will all boil down to, selecting the right reel for you. Good luck and happy hunting.

[steelfish]

Yep so many choices you got to love it. If under $300 is what your looking for how about a Fathom 25NLD 2 speed? Their kind of new but in the used market I bet they will start to show up soon. Spectra backed I think those reels would make a nice compact 40 to 50 lb test reel. I have a Fathom 25N star drag that I fish 30 lb on and have plenty of power with its 6:1 gears to fish 10 lbs of drag, maybe more but have not pushed over that. But, like I said if your looking to troll with the reel instead of the GTI think a LD reel would be better than a star.

Half the fun for me when selecting new gear is playing around with all the goodies at the tackle shops until I find the right gear for me. After all is said and done thats what it will all boil down to, selecting the right reel for you. Good luck and happy hunting.

well, bad thing here in my town we dont have any tackle shop with the new 2015 or even 2014 reels, so I have to buy online according to what I read.
I actually though that the fathom 40 was bigger than what actually.

LOL, you know, I needed a good rest and stop thinking on the Baja Special I was about to get one on fleabay, on a third double-thinking I might be actually better with a LD reel since I already have the trini16 or the fathom40, sell any of those and get me a fathom 40LD2 on few months, for casting 30# I really dont feel the need to chance my calcutta 40TE yet.

[steelfish]

well, finally today someone brought me a Baja Special for repair and service, it belongs to a guy that runs a sport fishing charter so it´s bit beat up from the customers.

I have to say that the alloy frame didnt impressed me too much, in the pictures looks a lot more sturdy, because of all the good comments and opinions Im pretty sure the aluminium frame is more than enough for for fishing 50#line.

the guts I wasnt impressed or dissapointed cuz I knew them by memory since I have read a lot about this reel, but even with the "thin" alloy frame I think I it convinced me to get one later,  but I´ll also build a stock size 113h tank as a side project for heavy fishing adding SS parts from time to time without any hurry.

the Trinidad 16 aluminium body feels stronger overall and even better now with the carbontex and DC dog and spring mod.

[thorhammer]

I need one!.............  Or two?.........probably four!  I like new reels.  Especially in multiples, starting with at least one or  two, and preferably in even numbers......unless there is only one available in which case I will pass because if there is only one then it is to rare and expensive to fish with.  I do not collect reels for looking at leave that to the reel experts.
My reasoning is that since 95% of my fishing is done on my boat and my boat has..........8. Rod holders and it is well known that it is against the laws of fishing to not use them all, then by extension of reasoning it is logical that I must have at bare minimum 2 of any given size, type, or grade of reel?  Well okay maybe not the soundest in terms of science but I have convinced myself of this universal principal and that is good enough for me.
One thing leads to another, or one reel leads to another.
it's a perpetual cycle that begins with one reel and then one more and ends with death!
Has nothing to do with need.

a rodholder with no rod is just a pipe full of air.

[TomT]

NO, you do not NEED one, BUT do you WANT one??   I have one that I use a lot in Baja (Sea of Cortez) and my complaint is that there is too much free spool for Baja style trolling.  That being said, that free spool is the reason MANY people buy them.  I still love it and it is my reel of choice most of the time.  It has NEVER failed to bring in whatever has had to offer me--Dorado, YFT, Amberjack, Wahoo, Marlin etc.  So to each his own.  I service my reels and try to take care of them--but I could not do so without all the advice on this site.
TomT

[Dominick]

I sold my Baja Special after I got the Tank from Sal.  The Tank catches everything down in Baja.  It's on its way to Sal for a tune-up.  Sal should post the tune-up procedure for us.  Dominick

[johndtuttle]

You may not need a Baja Special per se...owning a Fathom 40...

But, the Baja is gonna be tougher over time. The frame may seem light, but it is stiffer than the cast frame of a Fathom.

Really it comes down to a "doomsday prepping" sort of psychology for me...I may fish other more fancy dancers the vast majority of the time...put everyone needs some utterly simple and reliable troller/caster/live baiters in 3/0 (tanked up Jigmaster) and 4/0 (tanked up Senator or Baja) around for the end times. 

[steelfish]

I sold my Baja Special after I got the Tank from Sal.  The Tank catches everything down in Baja.  It's on its way to Sal for a tune-up.  Sal should post the tune-up procedure for us.  Dominick

well I just got a pretty decent shape 113hl few weeks ago for a tank project that will be done put money on it every other month, it a project without any hurry, specially when few nice upgrades are in the oven right now, like the double dog bridge or plate, and already few other parts that werent available few years ago without a custom job on a machinist, like octagon drags, etc, etc
I already have the 113hl to tinker, I bought and waiting to install I got a left side accuframe, 2 SS dogs and undergear carbontex drag, that will put my 113h a bit better than stock.

if someone already build their 113h tank and is willing to sell their Baja Special like Dom, Im all ears Im in the Market for one specially at a good price, merely for panga fishing.. guest where? yep, in the Baja, sea of cortez side...

You may not need a Baja Special per se...owning a Fathom 40...

But, the Baja is gonna be tougher over time. The frame may seem light, but it is stiffer than the cast frame of a Fathom.

Really it comes down to a "doomsday prepping" sort of psychology for me...I may fish other more fancy dancers the vast majority of the time...put everyone needs some utterly simple and reliable troller/caster/live baiters in 3/0 (tanked up Jigmaster) and 4/0 (tanked up Senator or Baja) around for the end times. 

those are exactly my same thoughs, the fathom is a nice reel, but its a reel that I might let go as soon as I get money to get something better, maybe something in the same size but 2-speed, I dont feel it like a reel to keep for many years, Im not a shimano guy but my only keeper right now is the calcutta 400TE, its a really awesome small machine, I like everything on it, the Baja it would be a keeper too, as well as the tanked 113h project.


- Alex