A newell G229-F or saltist 20H for fishing 20# inshore and from the beach?

[steelfish]

hey guys, I already have the saltist 20H since some years and love it, although Im not using it as much as before or as much as I would like since for inshore I always take the calcutta 400TE and to fish from the beach I always take the abu 6500c3 or 7000c.

well, I have a guy that wants me the trade my st20H (old grey model) for his newell G229-F, he actually gave it to me to clean it and use it and later tell him about what I decide, Im starting to love this old reels that perform as good or even better than new reels, but I really dont know on this one, for me its hard to give away my small killing machine 20H but I have read that this newell reels are jewels also specially for all the SS guts.

I know there are some newell lovers here, but.. what would you do guys?

[Tunacious]

It depends...

IMHO you need to  decide for yourself what your personal preferences are. There's no right or wrong answer here. For me, I go by the "feel" of the reel in my hands while casting and grinding on a fish. I don't care as much when it comes to high tech vs low tech. But then again I don't need or want the "latest and greatest bling" reel for my fishing needs. For me, low tech works just fine. Having said that, I'm also a tinkerer that tweaks my Newells. Do I "need" to do this? Absolutely not, rather, it's just a hobby for me to tweak things. On the other hand, some folks are converting all their reels to 2 speeds, even the small reels. It's all personal preference.

I did a cursory search on the Saltist to get an ideal of how it compared to the G229. I'm assuming you already know how they compare: Multi-piece graphite frame vs stamped one piece aluminum frame; graphite spool vs aluminum spool, handle differences; all the available options you'd have to "tweak" each of them to be more bullet-proof yada yada yada.

Your post infers that you really enjoy your Saltist and that it meets your needs; and that it would be difficult to get rid of it. In your post you never mention anything you dislike about your Saltist. Why would you want to trade for the G229? You say that your friend gave you the reel to use so you could determine for yourself if you like fishing it or not. Have you done so? Fishing the reel should answer your question. IMHO, this is the best way to ultimately determine how you feel about the reel. Your friend is giving you a great opportunity here before a possible trade is made...take it!

So, what's your criteria? How do you determine your personal preferences? I gave you a couple of mine as examples of what I look for but that's me. What's yours? There's no wrong answer and I'm a Newell guy.

[MarkT]

Resale value is higher on the Newell if you're looking down the road.  Otherwise, if you're happy with the Saltist, why change?

[Bryan Young]

They are both excellent reels.  Saltists are strong reels and parts are fairly inexpensive, even for new gear sets.  Newell parts are easy to find for used parts, but new parts are scarce.

Personally, if I'm catching fish with my Saltist, I would not change.  It's an excellent reel.

[steelfish]

well, Tunacious and rest of the guys,

I re-read my own post and well you are right, I almost answered my own question saying that its hard to get rid of the saltist, the main thing here is that I know that big newells 500 series and lower too are really capable reels and I havent seen a smaller newell until this 229, it looks killer, it like seeing a mini 113h or a penn 501, and on those reels how capables are and almost maintenance free with a nice initial service (compared to current high tech models), as well I did a quick search on this small reel g229 and found it that everyone love it.
I must say that even with no service since 4 years ago the spool spins 3x longer than my saltist, Im pretty sure its becuase the ligher spool but is pure fun to see this spool spin and spin.

since Im a tackle ho, if I like it I will try to buy it instead of trade it and convince him to take the money and get a new model saltist BG20H or search for a used fathom 15, better casting and drags than the saltist, that what I would do if I get rid of the saltist one day.

Bryan, I really like the resale value on the newells too.

I will update this thread in few days more

[Newell Nut]

We use the Newell 229 for casting jigs for cobia here and they work great. Little tanks with a tib frame. Same drive system and drags as a newell 440. They also cast a long way and have very fast spools.

[foakes]

Trade your Saltist for the Newell 229 --

Then go buy another Saltist, if you want to.  Plus you will have time to find a really good buy -- or one on sale.

That way you will have a new Saltist, and the Newell -- for less money out of pocket -- and your friend will also be happy having your reel.

Best,

Fred

[steelfish]

Same drive system and drags as a newell 440.

wow that is nice to know.

well, I'll see, first I have to service it and at least make some casts on a 9ft surf rod and 3oz jig.

[MarkT]

That doesn't mean the 229 has really good drags but it means the 440 has weak drags for a 4/0 sized reel. The 200/300/400 series Newells all have Jigmaster-size drags.

Newells in a nutshell...
The 200 series (220/229/235) were designed as improved Squidders (146/145/140) with 5:1 gears and Jigmaster sized drags.
The 300 series (322/332/338) were designed as improved Jigmasters (501/99/500) with spool bearings (like better 506/505's).
The 400 series are for shore fishing in Hawaii, I guess, not good for much else.  The 500's are 400's with better drags.

[steelfish]

well, Im learning something new everyday

[Tightlines667]

That doesn't mean the 229 has really good drags but it means the 440 has weak drags for a 4/0 sized reel. The 200/300/400 series Newells all have Jigmaster-size drags.

Newells in a nutshell...
The 200 series (220/229/235) were designed as improved Squidders (146/145/140) with 5:1 gears and Jigmaster sized drags.
The 300 series (322/332/338) were designed as improved Jigmasters (501/99/500) with spool bearings (like better 506/505's).
The 400 series are for shore fishing in Hawaii, I guess, not good for much else.  The 500's are 400's with better drags.

[Tunacious]

Ah, you didn't say you were a tackle ho in your OP...  In that case, like you say, buy the G229, install Bryan's 5+1 drag system and call it a day.   The improved drags are worth installing. You can also tank them up to be more bulletproof....Tib frames, ss gear sleeves, alum/ss handles etc. It also means that you can use heavier line on the 2/3/4 series and have the drag to support it, though, I personally wouldn't push it too much.

If you'll be casting 3 oz. jigs with a 9 ft. jigstick and you choose to use a Newell, I'd go with a 322, 332 or 440/533 (you must have the improved drags). It would depend on yardage of line needed for application, usage of braid and/or mono, size of fish etc. If you're going to be using 25-40# mono and winging the jig, narrow reels are the way to go IMHO. A 9 ft jigstick with a Newell 332 and 30/40# mono is as SoCal as it gets...ymmv

[Newell Nut]

That doesn't mean the 229 has really good drags but it means the 440 has weak drags for a 4/0 sized reel. The 200/300/400 series Newells all have Jigmaster-size drags.

Newells in a nutshell...
The 200 series (220/229/235) were designed as improved Squidders (146/145/140) with 5:1 gears and Jigmaster sized drags.
The 300 series (322/332/338) were designed as improved Jigmasters (501/99/500) with spool bearings (like better 506/505's).
The 400 series are for shore fishing in Hawaii, I guess, not good for much else.  The 500's are 400's with better drags.

I think Sal got 28 lb of drag from the 220 that I built for him. They are very strong little reels. As soon as I get time to build the rod I am going to use one of my 229s for Tarpon fishing this summer as well as cobia.

[steelfish]

Ah, you didn't say you were a tackle ho in your OP...

well is because is something I dont feel proud of it .. hello guys, My name is Alex and Im a tackle ho.. pffff that was hard.. still shaking ... brrr

If you'll be casting 3 oz. jigs with a 9 ft. jigstick and you choose to use a Newell, I'd go with a 322, 332 or 440/533

not really a jigstick, my jigstick reel is a gold trinidad 16 with 65# braid on it and 6ft 40/60 leader


for light jigs and casting the spoons there is the calcutta 400TE on a musky 8ft rod or okuma inshore stalker rod 8ft, saltist 20h is my backup for light jigs/spoons or beach bait fishing (no monster on my beaches so, its good to go), the newell will take the place of the saltist 20h or will just go to the hidden place (from the wife)  .. weeks later.. talking with myself loud ooooh myyy.. I didndt even remembered this reel, I though I was sold it years ago..!!! (wife give me the hmm sight from the kitchen).

[SoCalAngler]

I have almost the same reels and fish both but my Saltist is a BG 20H (the newer model to the older gray reels) and my Newell is a G220 F (same s the 229 just more narrow). ON my Saltist I fish 25 lb test toppers and on my G220 I fish 15 lb topshots, though 20 lb test would be no problem for the 229. The Saltist is mainly used with sardines for bait and the 220 for anchovies and light plastics. Both reels have a place in my line up, so being a tackle ho don't you think you need both?