Small made in USA

[Gfish]

Thanks guys. I like the torque 15! It's priceeeey. So the squidder 146. What's the extra lever for? Are the side plates same diameter as a jigmaster? I already have a 500 & 501 & the narrowed 501 kit from Randy. I'm really interested in smaller diameter reel. If that makes sense. Or how about the Penn #9? Size? I'm not into the level wind but I guess I could gut it if size was good.

You can do a lot with the Squidder. But... the stock gears are only 3:1, kinda slow. The extra lever is to turn on/off the anti-reverse. You godda figure out why or when you'ed wanna do this, though.
Check Pro Challenger & Cortez Classics websites in the "For Sale " section on the home page.

[oc1]

So the squidder 146.

One of my favorites for bait&wait shore fishing and light trolling.  Bone stock it's stout enough to handle just about anything, casts well, feels much more compact than jiggys and 140.  But, yeah, slow.

[PeteRocck]

Ya'll know what I'm gonna say...

Penn Mag 10!
Xjchad, is there such thing as a regular #10? Or all #10 reels mag tuned level wind? Can you confirm a 4:1 gear ratio.
Thanks

[MarkT]

A Pro Gear 255... smaller in diameter than a jigmaster and has 5:1 gears and jigmaster drags.  Sounds like a small leverdrag like an Avet SXJ or an Accurate BV-300 would fit the bill for what you're looking for too... I have both.  The newer Vengeance/Violator Pro Gears were made in Taiwan.  The old 2xx, 5xx, 4xx and Albacore Specials were made in the USA.

[xjchad]

Ya'll know what I'm gonna say...

Penn Mag 10!
Xjchad, is there such thing as a regular #10? Or all #10 reels mag tuned level wind? Can you confirm a 4:1 gear ratio.
Thanks

No regular #10 that I'm aware of.  Just the Mag 10.  Even though you're not casting  much, the magnet will help with overrun when dropping baits down.
Yes, they do have 4:1 gears, and Bryan has a sweet drag upgrade for it!  You can also delete the levelwind if you wanted to, but not not really needed.
The 155 stainless gear sleeve will fit.
You can find them with and without the extra anti reverse on/off lever (I prefer without).
They are about the same size as the sqidder, maybe even a touch smaller.

[thorhammer]

The 9 and Mag 10 are, for all practical purposes, the same size, which is about the same as a Squidder 145.  The 10 obviously has magcast, with larger gears for speed and drag surface. They are also ball bearing, whole the 9 has bushings. I use both livebaiting stripers in freshwater, fish up to 20 lbs with the occasional larger can thrown in. NO ISSUES on these fish. If i wasnt casting for distance or surf fishing I'd leave the LW in. If you take it out you will have an open hole without further mods, and wont affect you dropping straight down. Mag 10's are getting a bit scarce, but you can find 9's all day $30 or less. I upgrade the handle on these to 24S-310's....they are stainless with offset counter balance and rubber ergo knob. The paddle handle on some 10's ok (24-155) but the earlier versions of this have the bakelite football. The 9 has a tiny 24-160 in stock form (this comes from my personal experience; others / schematics may say otherwise). For your application, I might find a 10 and spool with 40 braid and 30 mono shock leader, and grease the carbon drag washers. For this style fishing I don't know what a drag upgrade gives you over stock HT-100's. Sea bass and porgies don't run, and schoolie stripers will be stopped. I would not advise braid on a 9: smaller braid will slip in the spool gap, and the smaller gears have small teeth that aren't designed to stand lock-down drag with 40 or higher braid that has no stretch. I think you will either smash the levelwind cog (nylon) or / then the brass pinion. 20-25 mono is about it, IMO.

[xjchad]

The 9 and Mag 10 are, for all practical purposes, the same size, which is about the same as a Squidder 145.  The 10 obviously has magcast, with larger gears for speed and drag surface. They are also ball bearing, whole the 9 has bushings. I use both livebaiting stripers in freshwater, fish up to 20 lbs with the occasional larger can thrown in. NO ISSUES on these fish. If i wasnt casting for distance or surf fishing I'd leave the LW in. If you take it out you will have an open hole without further mods, and wont affect you dropping straight down. Mag 10's are getting a bit scarce, but you can find 9's all day $30 or less. I upgrade the handle on these to 24S-310's....they are stainless with offset counter balance and rubber ergo knob. The paddle handle on some 10's ok (24-155) but the earlier versions of this have the bakelite football. The 9 has a tiny 24-160 in stock form (this comes from my personal experience; others / schematics may say otherwise). For your application, I might find a 10 and spool with 40 braid and 30 mono shock leader, and grease the carbon drag washers. For this style fishing I don't know what a drag upgrade gives you over stock HT-100's. Sea bass and porgies don't run, and schoolie stripers will be stopped. I would not advise braid on a 9: smaller braid will slip in the spool gap, and the smaller gears have small teeth that aren't designed to stand lock-down drag with 40 or higher braid that has no stretch. I think you will either smash the levelwind cog (nylon) or / then the brass pinion. 20-25 mono is about it, IMO.

There you go!  Nailed it John!

[MarkT]

The Accurate Tern 300 is probably your best bet in a new small USA made star drag conventional.

Model     Weight(oz)  Gear Ratio Braid Capacity  Inches Per Crank  Max Drag
TX-300       14.6          4.7:1      325yds/30lb        30.5"                    31

Penn makes a Fathom 8, 10 & 12 that are tiny to small but they're made in China.

[Dominick]

Penn Torque 100 (TRQ100), mini beast.

Agreed... In my opinion one of the strongest reels ever made.  I don't go to Cabo without my 100 and 300.  Dominick

[PeteRocck]

Thank you all for the input and ideas. It is exactly what I was looking for and opened my views for my next reel. Cost being a factor. I bought a mag 10. 4:1 ratio in the size of platform being deciding factor. I'd love to have bought a torque trq100.  But price is crazy for what I'd use it for. The 146 squidder "Jr" was next choice. The gear ratio is only reason I didn't opt this reel. I plan on upgrading the drag stack, gear sleeve and bearings on this reel just because.Possibly eliminating the level wind. I plan on documenting this transformation here for others beginners like myself.
Thank you all for the input. You all are great!  
Pete

[thorhammer]

Chad, dig out your level wind delete thread on your pimped green Mag 10 for our friend here.


I agree dude, I'm full behind the expense if I gotta throw into orbit or catch a tuna, but I just can't justify it to bang bottom, which I love doing,  but put the difference into the rod.

[Rivverrat]

   The Penn Torque 12 & 15 are the best casters of any non tournament star drag reel made. With drag kept at 13 lbs. & below I firmly believe one could not wear one out in single life time. The other plus is the ability to
  change out gear ratio. However with these size Torques the higher 6.0:1 is for me the best all around choice grabbing 28" of line with each turn of the handle.

  I'll go out on limb here & say these are the best star drag reels for light 40 & heavy 30 line ever made. However with most 30 lines being made today having no issue fished like 40 line I see no reason other than for abrasion to go higher. Sad they are no longer produced. But the reels & all parts are still available if one looks... Jeff

[MarkT]

A made in the USA Newell 220 is the size of a 146 only with 5:1 gears and Jigmaster drags.  It's a Magnum Squidder!