Avet Reels vs. Wahoo and Yellowfin

[directdrive8]

Hi, All:

Would like to know your feelings regarding Avet reels.  I've done a significant amount of research on them and am seriously considering purchasing a pair.  I frequently fish for 'hoo and YF's on the "midnight lump" out of Venice, Louisiana.  Typically, the YF's run in the 100 to 150 lb. range.  We either jig or chunk for them.  Unless bound up in a harness, we can land one in 10 to 15 minutes or so on 50 lb. line.  Do you think the MLX series by Avet is capable of handling these fish or should I move up to a JX or LX?  I was thinking of spooling the reels up with 50 lb. braid and a fairly short top shot of mono.  The 'hoo are picked up trolling and run the gamut in size from 15 lbs. on up to 60 or there about.  Thanks for any comments.

Tight Lines

[akfish]

No. The MX is at most a 30# reel. I wouldn't consider one for 100# tuna. The reel I'd pick, if I were getting an Avet, would be either an LX Raptor or an HX Raptor. Avet reels all used to share a problem: Handle bind at high drag settings. This was eliminated with the Raptor series.

[Black Pearl]

Actually, the Raptor still has the binding issue.

[directdrive8]

Hi, AK:  Thanks for the heads up.  I'm not rolling in $ and was hoping the smaller series of reels might do the trick.  I had a sneaking suspicion I was wrong.  I like the Raptor series but didn't want to fork over the moo-lah.  Guess I'll have to save up some more. 

Tight Lines

[directdrive8]

Hi, Black Pearl:  I don't like the sound of binding at high drag pressure.  Is this common in all the Avets?  If so, what would you recommend as a better reel without the binding issues in the same price range as one of their Raptor reels?  AK said the Raptors were the way to go even though I'd prefer to pay less.  Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Tight Lines

[Rare]

I thought this might help you out. 

Avets handled themselves very well on the Royal Star trip that just returned. Second jackpot fish (90+) and I think the third (80+) were caught on Avet JX 6/3 reels. My 75# YFT was work, but ended with a gaff after a bit using a JX 6/3, 40 Seaguar and spectra. I saw a lot of JX and LX reels and even a very busy Avet SX raptor using 40# test on rods to win battles with Alijos rocks yellowfin. The trip moved to the ridge "kinda" somewhere and out came the JX raptors, HX and HX raptors this time using 50 and 60# mono or fluoro. Substantial drag pressure was needed to get the fish in so drags were tightened past where it seemed typical. After the fish, most people could not pull off line and had to readjust back to lesser drag settings before the next fish. The 60-70 pound YFT gave everyone a workout. The reels were well up to the task. Yes, you saw other small and medium two speed reels, but Avets ruled this trip from what I saw. Fishing tight 50 on a LX or JX would not have been my advice before this trip, but it is a no-brainer now. Sixty pound test mono or fluoro and the Avet JX raptor was almost unfair in a wide open bite. The HX was very commonly used and always produced. I never felt or heard about any handle binding with tight drag settings, just "gaff" or "deep color" etc. That rumor must come from "living room fishermen" that don't like to use their toys at sea on a long range boat. The button to low gear was well used by all who had one and missed by those one speed folks. I caught 15 yellowfin averaging 60 pounds on JX, LX HX HX raptor and JX raptor models on bait and jigs. I used an Avet 30 on the kite when possible and that was a businesslike routine on this size fish. Dave P caught a 52 pound yellowtail on a JX with 40# test at the rocks.

[Black Pearl]

I think the best bet is for Alan Tani to verify if the Raptor has the binding issue.

[Bryan Young]

I think Alan would probably recommend the Makaira 8 for the application.

[akfish]

**All** lever drags will handle bind at very high drag pressures; this includes twin drag Accurates. The design of the Raptor eliminates handle bind except at very, very high drag pressures. This is not to say there are no problems with Avets or that they are the reel for you. I personally like them -- but I use them within their specs and grease the drag washers.

[directdrive8]

Hi, All:  

A BIG Thanks to everyone who replied!  Think I've learned a thing or two regarding Avets.  I was surprised to learn that "all lever drags bind".  I've never had that experience.  Perhaps I've never cranked the drag down to "max" but I would have had a fit if one of my reels did bind up or offer resistance while cranking.  I can see how a regular drag might have trouble since the drag is on one side of the reel and torque would cause problems.  However, with the Accurate reels with the dual drags, I don't understand how that can occur.  Just my two bits of ignorance......  Perhaps Alan Tani can clear up some of these issues.

This is a great forum.  Wish I had found it sooner.

Tight Lines!

[Normslanding]

I have been using the Makairas for some time. The thrust bearing make a  big difference, helping to eliminate binding. I sold 3 Raptors, and many other Avets. The Makaira 8, 10 , and 15 are less money than the Raptors. Fish up to 80 lbs. are not a problem on a LX or HX. But line over 60 lb., and fish over 80 lbs. start to push the limits of a LX. You will replace bearings, using heavier drag settings. I have caught a lot of 120 to 150 lb. tuna on a HX Raptor, sold um. My 10 Makaira has 500+/- yds. of 50 lb., and my 15 Makaira has 550+/- yds. of 60 lb. JB hollow. I think the JB hollow actual breaking strength is around 90 lbs. So I fish it with a very heavy drag. It works.

[SoCalAngler]

I have been using the Makairas for some time. The thrust bearing make a  big difference, helping to eliminate binding. I sold 3 Raptors, and many other Avets. The Makaira 8, 10 , and 15 are less money than the Raptors. Fish up to 80 lbs. are not a problem on a LX or HX. But line over 60 lb., and fish over 80 lbs. start to push the limits of a LX. You will replace bearings, using heavier drag settings. I have caught a lot of 120 to 150 lb. tuna on a HX Raptor, sold um. My 10 Makaira has 500+/- yds. of 50 lb., and my 15 Makaira has 550+/- yds. of 60 lb. JB hollow. I think the JB hollow actual breaking strength is around 90 lbs. So I fish it with a very heavy drag. It works.

How long have you been fishing the Makaira 8, how many yards and what pound of spectra did you put on it?

Edit: I had a typo on this post and typed years instead of yards. Sorry for the confusion.

[Bryan Young]

Makaira 8 just came out this year.  It was revieled at the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach.  Many are on back order and  they are waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

[SoCalAngler]

Well I know one shop local to me that has or had some, they just got them in, it seems most were spoken for on preorders. The MK 8 seems to me to have a strange or intersting gearing with the 4.7 and 2.1 to 1 on a reel with such a small spool. With the reel of this size I think it would make for a good jigging reel but I'm not sure with the gearing it has. I guess time will tell

[JGB]

The MK8, MK10 and MK15 share the same gearing and spool diameter. High gear retrieves at 33.5" and low is 15". They are not as fast as the dedicated Jigging reels with around 42" retrieve rate. The low gear works great for YFT up to 85# (just wind it in). Bigger fish may need to be pumped. This was our experience last year at Alijos on 85# - 100# YFT. The Andros 5 has higher gearing - 42" and 25" which sets it up as a 2 speed jigging reel - max drag is 24# with noticeable bearing drag in high gear (bearings are ok at this drag setting).

To get back on thread:

The Makiara, Accurates and HX Raptors all have 1 bearing that is affected by bearing drag and they also use 2 drag surfaces to reduce the bearing load for any given drag setting. That bearing is the right side plate bearings. Almost all of the rest of the lever drags have 2 bearings that introduce bearing drag and most only have 1 drag surface so the loads are twice as large. This results in bearing drags that are up too 4 times larger.

Reels with lower bearing drag will have larger diameter drag with up to 2/3 of the inner drag diameter removed and larger/better bearings.
The 2/3 is a mathematical optimization of drag torque for any given drag pressure (how hard the pull bar is pulled by the drag cam).

Hope this helps,
Jim N.