Newell 338/344, or pro gear 541 for casting off pier/surf for jacks and shark

[Jayden]

Not sure if I should go with either a Newell 338/344 or pro gear 541 for casting off the pier/surf for sharks, jacks, tarpon, kings, cobia, and drums. I fish out of Galveston Texas and people still use the newells to an extent, pro gears however were all the rage before accurate and avets took over. The former state record tarpon was caught with a pro gear in 2006 in Galveston Texas. I like both and I have owned both but I'm not sure which one casts better, is more durable, and produces a smoother drag. I'm pairing it up with an old school Magnuflex 10ft surf rod I just wrapped, Id like yall's opinion on this issue and the pros and cons of both brands of reels.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Welcome to the forum. This probably isn't the best section to get an answer, but that's ok.

I haven't owned either. But I can ask you a question that can help you decide for yourself. Which is more important to you, how shiny a reel is, or whether or not you can find replacement parts when something wears out?

If you want a really shiny looking reel, and you don't mind throwing away when the first part goes bad, go pro gear. (Edit my commentary is based on later pro gear models and is not accurate for this one. I didn't realize that when i wrote my post)

If you want the ability to replace worn out parts, probably better with the newell.

Frankly I don't think either would be my first choice. But that's just me, and I cant begin to pretend that all my choices on which reels appeal to me are firmly rooted in logic.

[Swami805]

Kind of a toss up. The 541 has the same internals as a penn113h which is nice. Plenty of drag and parts are available. All aluminum is nice too
Newells are good too, pretty much all stainless steel internals, drag numbers are fine, parts shouldn't be a problem either   A little lighter than a pro gear
Both reels cast well when dialed in.
A coin toss in my book, resale might be better with a Newell depending on the model

[thorhammer]

Don't rule out a Penn 990, since it has mag control and is as strong as the other two; it came to mind as you are using the vintage Magnaflex Heaver. That combo or a 980 ruled at OBX for a good while. As far as Newell vs. Progear: Original PG are some of the best reels ever made, and a lot of Penn parts sub in as far as internals. I'm not sure what you'd wear out on one surf / pier fishing that couldn't be replaced; drags are readily available and I don't know what else one could break on your target species. The Newell MIGHT cast a bit better just due to lighter weight. I have both and the Newell is fast, so I use other things with mags drum fishing and use the Newell's on occasion on the boat. If you want to go for it, either can be magged out by Matt at ReelKustom. He does great work.

John

[sciaenops]

agree with swami & thor. I have & fish both. Lighter spool on Newell = longer cast. Drive train, spool & single piece AL frame on ProGears are bulletproof. The only thing I ever needed to replace on PG was the rubber o-ring on the clutch lever, so wouldn't worry bout replacement parts. Unless you need more line capacity, the 332 or 545 are narrower/squarer geometry.

[Bryan Young]

Personally, for shark fishing, I would go with the pro gear unless the Newell has an Accurate or Tiburon aluminum frame. The frame will keep the side-plates squared throughout the fight with the shark. If your Newell has an aluminum spool, casting weight will be minimal between the two.

Regarding parts, I see no difference.

In terms of stopping power, ProGear wins with 4/0 sized gearing versus 338/344 jigmaster size gearing. Even upgrading the 338/344 with my 5-stack, you can likewise upgrade the ProGear to my 7-stack drag system.

These are my two favorite reel brands off Penn's design and for this particular fishing technique my bets will be the ProGear reels.

[Jayden]

Personally, for shark fishing, I would go with the pro gear unless the Newell has an Accurate or Tiburon aluminum frame. The frame will keep the side-plates squared throughout the fight with the shark. If your Newell has an aluminum spool, casting weight will be minimal between the two.

Regarding parts, I see no difference.

In terms of stopping power, ProGear wins with 4/0 sized gearing versus 338/344 jigmaster size gearing. Even upgrading the 338/344 with my 5-stack, you can likewise upgrade the ProGear to my 7-stack drag system.

These are my two favorite reel brands off Penn's design and for this particular fishing technique my bets will be the ProGear reels.
would you say the 990 would be good as well? How are the frame , gears, and drags on that reel?

[Bryan Young]

Personally, for shark fishing, I would go with the pro gear unless the Newell has an Accurate or Tiburon aluminum frame. The frame will keep the side-plates squared throughout the fight with the shark. If your Newell has an aluminum spool, casting weight will be minimal between the two.

Regarding parts, I see no difference.

In terms of stopping power, ProGear wins with 4/0 sized gearing versus 338/344 jigmaster size gearing. Even upgrading the 338/344 with my 5-stack, you can likewise upgrade the ProGear to my 7-stack drag system.

These are my two favorite reel brands off Penn's design and for this particular fishing technique my bets will be the ProGear reels.
would you say the 990 would be good as well? How are the frame , gears, and drags on that reel?

The 990 is a solid reel but the sideplates are prone to cracking based on not having supportive rings on the outer surface of the reel. I also think you will be dealing with a 5-stack max drag system. My go two would still be the PG541 myself.

[Rancanfish]

I have both that I would be willing to sell. (PG 541, Penn 990.  Just saying....