So it arrived earlier today. It has a tiburon narrow frame and spool. I was thinking of just upgrading the drags and fishing it as is, or is it ideal to get the SS parts? Was planning on using this for bottom fishing and maybe jigging, but it seems slow at 2.8:1. Appreciate all your advice.
You can get quite a bit of drag out of a 114H with HT-100 or Carbontex drag washers. And unless you are **really** pushing it or using it on an ElectraMate, the standard gear sleeve should be fine. The 2.8:1 retrieve ratio isn't fast, but given the size of the spool, it retrieves the same amount of line as a 4:1 Jigmaster 500. People used to think that was plenty...
It will make a great Grouper reel for the big ones. Spooled with braid it can be used for trolling. A little heavy & low geared for jigging. Rudy
Is it pushing it too much to be a 60# outfit with just the drag upgrade? I am aware that the upgrades cost a bit of coin and I could just get a "modern" reel but tinkering and upgrading these old work horses is a lot of fun.
You can still get the faster 3.25:1 gears from Pro Challenger for $70.
For bottom fishing? 60lb won't make that reel break a sweat. We spool them with 100lb braid and 100 mono shock leader in stock configuration for grouper. The reel is perfectly fine trolling 50-80 mono, just won't hold but probably 275yds of 80 mono, or rig as Rudy suggests. Check the drags, if someone cared enough to put a narrow frame on it, it very likely got Carbontex drags at the same time, which last forever with a little drag grease. If you upgraded anything, SS sleeve and dog and keep on getting it. Maybe Alan's 5/0 grip later but stock is fine. Remember this reel has same drive train as a 9/0. It's very solid. The commercial guys in NC use them in stock form. When someone makes a living with them, that'll tell you something.
John
Awesome. I will change the drags only for now. BTW does anyone know how much 80lb or 100lb braid this will hold? It has, what I think it is, dacron and it seems pretty old. I want to change it out.
If you go with 80/100 hollow core braid you can splice in your top shot - no knots - runs through the rings much easier ;)
Just opened it up. Definitely not CF drags. They are all clumped up. I'll try to clean the sides then get some new drags. Maybe carbon tex from smooth drag or the penn ht100s.
That looks like the old style asbestos drag washers. Dump them. Rudy
Changed out the drags. Now, it is reassembled thanks to the tutorial here. Quick question, is it normal for the spool to spin, while in freespool, when I turn the handle? I'm thinking I did something wrong with the reassembly
Does it feel like the spool is engaged with the pinion gear? Or does it stop with light finger pressure on the spool? A little drag on the spool is normal from the grease on the spool shaft & inside the gear sleeve. If it feels like it is still engaged in the pinion gear it probably is improper assembly. Rudy
So the next day I tried it again and it works as it should. Must be the grease as you stated. Tried it out for some rockfishing (overkill I know ;D) and it works awesome.