Pelagic Extreme (Omoto) Q16-II reel, take apart pictures

[codhead]

Bryan,

You're correct that a starter is not for continuous use. However, they use them in the 100kg and up fighting robots for robot wars and they keep up way longer as expected if you don't have to crank-up an engine.  Example of one with 2 starters although they changed the design later (http://www.easytreasure.co.uk/robots.htm)

The motors in the deep drop electric reels look like starters although I'm not sure of that and some of them have over 50 LB pull with reasonable speed.

On the other hand the construction might be more of a challenge. I was thinking of an old column drill with pully's and a belt to change speeds. Often they can go low rpm (275 rpm etc) and the drilling head is very sturdy. You could probably fix the axis of your spool much easier and fix the housing of the reel much easier on the "table" You can also use the column to fix the reel wihich will be giving the line under pressure.

I mean something like this: http://www.epple.co.uk/drilling-machines-c-1.html   but you can often buy very good old machines at a scrap price

Now how did we get from a cute little Omoto reel to robot wars and column drilling machines

we're gonna get even further away my friend.

I have used starter motors to power bar stools for drag racing in the past (yes we really are that sad in England), now if they can send a lump like me, down a standing 1/4 mile, they should be OK for spooling.

Reinaard, if you're looking for reasonably priced braid, you could do worse than check out eBay seller luckydolphin168 - I and a number of other UK anglers have ordered from him and had no problems whatsoever. His braid ain't the thinnest around but at his prices no one cries if you have to cut it off.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

@codhead,

I've spooled the 6 strand version of Li-ma braid on the Omoto VS10. They are not all equal, the 20# was ok but the 30# and 40# were very ropy and sometimes inconsistent. I've taken the 40# just of the Omoto Q16 and replaced it by powepro

[Irish Jigger]

Reinaard, if you're looking for reasonably priced braid, you could do worse than check out eBay seller luckydolphin168 - I and a number of other UK anglers have ordered from him and had no problems whatsoever. His braid ain't the thinnest around but at his prices no one cries if you have to cut it off.
[/quote]

Codhead, have you any experience of luckydolphin's 6 or 8 strand Dyneema Braids? I have only seen their 4 strand and as a long time user of Dynon Dyneema (6 strands but 4 times the price of the Chinese Dyneema)  I was considering giving it a try.  BTW their 4 strand looked ok although I would prefer a 6 strand braid.

[codhead]

Codhead, have you any experience of luckydolphin's 6 or 8 strand Dyneema Braids? I have only seen their 4 strand and as a long time user of Dynon Dyneema (6 strands but 4 times the price of the Chinese Dyneema)  I was considering giving it a try.  BTW their 4 strand looked ok although I would prefer a 6 strand braid.

I haven't I'm afraid, I wasn't even aware that he was offering 6 or 8 strand. But at his prices, it's surely worth taking a chance. Many of the professional rod & line bass fishermen down my way are using his line and swear by it

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

You can also check the site of "Paulus just fishing" as he has tested hundred of braids. Usually the strength is ok but the thicknes is nowwhere near the stated thickness. Nevertheless a good site with usefull info

[Irish Jigger]

You can also check the site of "Paulus just fishing" as he has tested hundred of braids. Usually the strength is ok but the thicknes is nowwhere near the stated thickness. Nevertheless a good site with usefull info

Great site that Reinaard, good info on knot strengths too. Where did you source the Li-ma 6 strand  40lb Dyneema ?

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

 6 strand li-ma branded braid: http://shop.ebay.nl/fishingshopworld/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562
Or this on: http://cgi.ebay.nl/New-Dyneema-braided-fishing-line-Spool-300M-40LBS-R-6S-/260749657176?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb5e40458
According to Paulus the 40 lb was not particularly good but still had a breaking strength of 53 lb

Now, is there anyone with comments to the setup of the Omoto Q16 as the reel is spooled with 65 lb braid and with a 50 lb rod. If I read this sentence as a stand alone fact than I would say that I would need a stronger reel but because the reel can take 30# of drag and the rod will be already at a max with something like 25# it might just work fine.

[Irish Jigger]

Reinaard,thank you for the links.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Well, I'm back. I can't tell you how the reel performed because I didn't use it. We have not been ground fishing but only been trolling for the good stuff and the smallest reel used on board are 50W Tiagra's. Most of the stuff was 130 Tiagra's (6 of those).

Not without luck but you can see that in the fishing report.

I need a bigger reel and I need a bigger boat

[Dominick]

I need a bigger reel and I need a bigger boat

Don't we all?   Dominick

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

A long, long time ago I started this topic.

Now, after a couple a years and a couple of fishing trips it was time to do some maintenance and as the reel was open I did shoot some pictures. Not a comprehensive extended report as Alan does but still usefull to those who own or want one.

The reel, although marked as `16` is not comparable woth a penn 16 VSW or something. This reel weighs 790 gram and a Penn 16 weighs 1162 grams.

I have turned the drag to 14 kg (tested with a shimano drag tester) and the reel is probably capable of more. with the 14 kg drag you can feel some binding of the reel and the range of the drag is not that large. I never fished it at this setting. Ussually I fished it at 7-9 kg at strike and 11-12 at full. The range is better than and I think that it is more in line with the reel size.

The largest fish on this reel was an AJ of about 12 kg. Although it did its best and fought hard it was not really a match and the reel could handle this with ease. I have no 60-80 yards of 65 lb mono and 500 yrds of 65 lb powerpro on the reel and than there is room for a small topshot or longer leader. The 65 lb powerpro is not necessary. I used to have 40-50 lb but this was digging in the spool too much.

As the reel was with me on 3 (short) fishing trips i wanted to open the reel and take a look at the bearings. They looked fine with no rust

[alantani]

very simple and very clean.  i like it!

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Feedback:

I love the reel. I hate the rod where its was on.

As you all know very well mediterranean blufin tuna do not bite on rapala's and alike and certainly not when trolled on mono. We were trolling for albacores and skipjacks or maybe an incidental mediterranean spearfish or perhaps an early dorado. So this light tackle was out, far behind the boat in the shotgun position.

With light I mean that I have tied this little size 16 real (and it is much lighter than a penn 16) to a 50 lb penn overseas pro travel rod.

As mentioned in earlier post I have 65 lb powerpro on it. Not because I need it but because I can still get more than 500 meters on it and it doesnt dig into the spool that easily. Because of the expected fish the drag was set at approx 7-8 lb

So we got a bite. It was not a skippy or an albacore and after a couple of seconds we could rule out almost all species apart from submarines on steroids and blufin. The reel was screeming at an incredible high pitch and my angling companion took the rod when I grabbed the belt to put it on him. The captain started shouting that we should go to the front of the boat to enable a high speed pursuit. So we did. I was sitting down on the frontdeck while my fishing partner was standing up and I hold him by the belt while the 800 horses beneath started roaring to follow the fish. Whe had an epic fight, got almost spooled, won line back and have been around the boat on al sides while trying to maintain stability (more or less) in quite a swell.

After 15 minutes we decided to give it more drag as the real could take much more and the line should be fine with 65 lb. (both spectra and topshot, leader was 80 or 100lb) I did not had the feeling that we were pushing it too hard but as a matter of fact the weakest link broke

Unfortunately and with a huge snap the rod broke. and then the line snapped as well as the top end hit the gunwall.

The reel was not even hot.

I measured the drag after comming home (i have been carefull not to change the presets etc) and the drag was something like 18-19 lb with approximate hal of the reel still spooled.

I need a faster boat and a better rod

[Dominick]

Don't you just love by catch like that?  Dominick

[jonnou]

the one that got away
I bet the adrenalin was pumping
thats why they call it fishing
not catching

I think this reel needs a modern jigging type rod with a parobolic action (bends right through the foregrip)
most the traditional game rods are designed for stretchy mono
there are others here that Know more
better luck Next time
Jon