New 113n or 114

Rivverrat · February 16, 2015, 11:11:22 PM

After rambling about here & swimming through my scattered thoughts I have concluded that what some of you have stated here is the most reasonable approach. I would love to have an HX Raptor, Accurrate BX or an Andros 16 which I believe for the money may be the best in its class. I will at some point purchase all of these reels. But for now I need a reel that will take abuse & come back for more.

I have some questions. First to restate, my end goal is to reach as much drag as possible in as compact a package as I reasonably can get. With a frame & gears that can with stand the forces involved.

First why or why wouldn't the new US made 113n be a good starting point? Verses building a Tank. Or building 114? Am I limited on how much drag I can get from the new 113?

ProChalleger is claiming 50 lbs of drag with appropriate washer set up of their gear set. What size reel would it take to make 50lbs of drag happen?

Shark Hunter · February 16, 2015, 11:23:29 PM

Look through the Senator Section. You can get that with the 113H, 114H and 115L, but it takes more than just a set of gears.
You need an aluminum frame to start to handle that extra drag. Then a stainless yoke, then the custom drags.
It doesn't take long to sink a couple hundred into a Senator.
Probably the cheapest route would be a 114H with a factory aluminum frame. Then upgrade the drags to Hex.

Alto Mare · February 16, 2015, 11:42:52 PM

The US 113N would be a good starting point and probably save you some money. Some of us here, or maybe I should say many of us here, like to upgrade old vintage reels. Are the vintage reels better? I can't really answer that, simply because the US Senator just recently went into production, the vintage reels have been around for over 80 years.
The platform on our vintage reels is always the same.
Here is an idea of the latest drag upgrade on the 113H, I'm showing this one because almost got lost, the others you should be able to find on your own, over by the Senators section, as Daron mentioned.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=12766.msg126071#msg126071

Rivverrat · February 16, 2015, 11:45:36 PM

OK assuming everything thats needed being in order are you all thinking 50 lbs. of drag is doable with the new 113?

Alto Mare · February 17, 2015, 12:11:30 AM

No, no one said that, but you never know what the future will bring $:-\$ . Don't misunderstand some of the information you'll find here. There are many numbers being thrown around, some of those numbers are for testing the gears only, that means the reel should not be fished at those high numbers. Getting 50lb at holding weight isn't the same as pulling weight.

I personally believe the 113H with all of the latest upgrades could handle 30lb.
By the way, what are you after?

Rivverrat · February 17, 2015, 01:03:42 AM

Record size Flathead. I dont need what we are speaking of here 90% of the time I fish for them. However the really big ones lay in various tangle of log jams I fish. When fishing these I cannot afford to give any
line. The fish I'm after will go over 130 lbs.
I really dont want to fish a reel with a completely locked spool with no drag. I just think something will eventually break at the worst time.

fIsHsTiiCkS · February 17, 2015, 01:14:16 AM

113h can push 35lbs of drag and the 114h can do about 50lbs. Now that's with either the new inserts from Adam or a 7 stack from Bryan for the 113h and the hex gears for the 114h from black pearl. Now as Daron stated, to make the reel able to handle those drag numbers it can really add up in costs.

Rivverrat · February 17, 2015, 03:43:07 AM

fishsticks, thanks! Your answer was what I was after. Wanting to which reel will get the highest drag. The 114 is what others have been saying would work best.

Shark Hunter · February 17, 2015, 04:47:39 AM

Even with stock gears, I think a 114H can get the job done with a 7 stack.
Pound for pound, I think it is the most powerful senator for its size in stock form.
If I were going for big Flatheads. I would run a cable leader so I wouldn't get cut off trying to pull him from his lair. Some 60 or 80 lb test. Once you pull him free. Its all over.
130 lbs is a big cat, but its small for a Shark.
30lbs of drag is plenty for a fish weighing several hundred pounds if you have him in open water.

Rivverrat · February 17, 2015, 06:04:48 AM

YUP! It's the lack of open water that is leading this search. Open water this fish could be whooped with 13 lbs. or less of drag.
I used to be amazed at the stories of Jimmy Jo so & so & his second cousin decimating the large Catfish population with a Snoopy pole & wieners for bait. No, now that I think about it stories like that irritated me to an extreme level.

Tightlines667 · February 17, 2015, 06:15:47 AM

I once caught a big Common Carp on a Snoopy pole (my friend bet me I couldn't land a fish over 20lbs on the rig).

I think the 114 will give you more options and will be more fun customizing it to your liking. However, it will likely cost you a bit more to get the specs you want. The new 113 looks like a great little reel and it will likely outcast the 114, and will cost less to get you sum good numbers. All depends on how much, and what type of performance you are looking to get out of the reel. You could always start with a 114, and sum modest upgrades and go from there.

Shark Hunter · February 17, 2015, 06:17:34 AM

Well,
Besides spending several Hundred for one of those new fangled reels, and since a snoopy pole and wieners is out of the equation here. I suggest you get you a 114H. Upgrade the drag stack to at least a 5 with carbon fiber. Put it on a decent rod and I say your chances are 70/30 in your favor on landing one of those big flatheads. I would run a 12 foot 480lb cable leader crimped to 80lb test. If He breaks that off, A bigger gun will be in order. I think it is possible with that setup. JMO

Rivverrat · February 17, 2015, 07:05:59 AM

Tightlines, looking at the schematics & speaking with others who use both reels 113n will with ot a doubt be the better caster of the 2. As long as I can make an overhead lob type cast I will be fine with what ever. Most of the time I wade or use the canoe to drop bait off.
The fact being that precision casting isn't something I do well with a 1/2 lb. or more live bait & even more lead attempting to hit a pocket or come with in a foot of a pile of logs in the river. Attempting this over the years has led me down a path of frustration much greater than I felt upon hearing of the hillbillies with snoopy poles & wieners could ever had.

Daron I'm not quite ready yet to start this reel. But I will give you a holler to see what you have handy when I am....Jeff

fIsHsTiiCkS · February 17, 2015, 07:08:19 AM

Quote from: Shark Hunter on February 17, 2015, 06:17:34 AM
Well,
Besides spending several Hundred for one of those new fangled reels, and since a snoopy pole and wieners is out of the equation here. I suggest you get you a 114H. Upgrade the drag stack to at least a 5 with carbon fiber. Put it on a decent rod and I say your chances are 70/30 in your favor on landing one of those big flatheads. I would run a 12 foot 480lb cable leader crimped to 80lb test. If He breaks that off, A bigger gun will be in order. I think it is possible with that setup. JMO

I agree with Daron. The 114h is a beast with a stock 5 stack. As cost savings, I would not do what me and Daron are prone to and upgrade everything at once but as the need comes along.

Rivverrat · February 17, 2015, 07:21:13 AM

Yup after searching this out most folks that know more than I are pointing me toward the 114. I will make changes as I go along. The 114 is not the perfect reel for what I'm attempting here. However I don't need perfect. I need a hand operated winch that fits in a rod holder & can fling stuff when needed about 30 yards.