Hi, This is Moe, I'm new to this great forum.
Currently, I have a Daiwa Sealine900H conventional reel that I bought from flea world for 15 bucks!. It was very dirty but with the help of Alan's great tutorial here, some schematics, tooth brush and some acetone it is now looking and performing like new!
Mainly, I am a freshwater fisherman. trophy Blue and flathead cats are my targets. I do a little (once a year) saltwater fishing when I'm in Florida on vacation. every year, my family rent a charter boat for deep sea fishing and go without me. Because I am very susceptible to severe sea sickness :'( :'(
So, even when no one I know actually love fishing more than I do, I find myself fishing off the pier. :'(
I have a few good Abu Garcia Ambassadeur baitcasters in my arsenal and I'm really good at using baitcasters but never had trolling or conventional reels before. They obviously very similar to a baitcaster except they are more robust and lack the oscillating guide mechanism. My question is: are those conventional reels castable? if so, how reliable ? Any special techniques or tips to consider?
Thank you!
Moe, welcome!!!!
For starters, a 900H in good shape for $15 is gonna get some people's left eye all twitchy on site....thats a GREAT find.....we'd all take a pallet load at that price.
to answer your question on casting, YES conventional reels can be cast very well and for over 200 yds if set up properly for that task...and of the right size. youre not gonna hurl a 900 that far but you could get reasonably proficient with it to lob a big bait and weight off the pier. the Daiwa's like that are beasts in terms of construction, and any parts that may wear can be replaced (drags); check the drags out. you'll just have to learn the sweet spot to educate your thumb, but really not all that different from the Abu (ecellent reels) in that regards. if it were me I'd thumb the spool flange instead of that big spool of line tho.
casting convetional boat reels from the shore its being done from many years ago but take into considaration that not all big conventional reels are capable of long cast from piers, rocks or beach but some of them cast as good and as far as the best spinning rig.
some of the best "boat" casting reels from shore are:
- Saltist 20h /30h gray model or new BG
- Newell reels 220 / 229/ etc
- Sealine SHA 20, SHA 30 or the famous Sealine SLOSH (SL20SH, SL30SH)
- Calcutta 400 / 400TE
- Abu garcia 7000c3
- Penn fathom 15
- Penn 525mag
- Penn squidder
- Penn squall 12 / 15
and few others bigger casting reels with few tricks on the bearings can help you to cast 8oz for many yards from rocks or reefs
also, most of them are used to fish with cut bait, cast and wait, and the ones with levelwind are used to cast and retrieve irons, spoons, plastics, etc, if you are going into the world of casting big heavy conventionals you will need a proper long casting rod to help the reel to reach better distance.
you will never reach the same distance with a 8ft boat casting rod than with a 11ft surf conventional rod.
Thorhammer,
Thank you for the quick response. Yes, I believe I was quite lucky with my find as soon I punched in the model number on my phone when I was at flea world that day. The guy selling had no clue what it was worth.
I have managed to disassemble the 900H completely (down to the last removable detail) and gave all the non composite parts an acetone bath. re-polished the chrome, upgraded the drags to carbon fiber. and synthetic lubed are the movements.
Regarding practicing good casting techniques, and since the spool is quite wide and spooled with 130# line, do you think I should use a leather tongue? ( a leather flap you can attach to the reel frame and flip on top of the spool to protect your thumb while casting) Do you think it would make casting more manageable than with the thumb on the spool body? Thank you for your advise!
Quote from: steelfish on July 01, 2015, 06:48:25 PM
casting convetional boat reels from the shore its being done from many years ago but take into considaration that not all big conventional reels are capable of long cast from piers, rocks or beach but some of them cast as good and as far as the best spinning rig.
some of the best "boat" casting reels from shore are:
- Saltist 20h /30h gray model or new BG
- Newell reels 220 / 229/ etc
- Sealine SHA 20, SHA 30 or the famous Sealine SLOSH (SL20SH, SL30SH)
- Calcutta 400 / 400TE
- Abu garcia 7000c3
- Penn fathom 15
- Penn 525mag
- Penn squidder
- Penn squall 12 / 15
and few others bigger casting reels with few tricks on the bearings can help you to cast 8oz for many yards from rocks or reefs
also, most of them are used to fish with cut bait, cast and wait, and the ones with levelwind are used to cast and retrieve irons, spoons, plastics, etc, if you are going into the world of casting big heavy conventionals you will need a proper long casting rod to help the reel to reach better distance.
you will never reach the same distance with a 8ft boat casting rod than with a 11ft surf conventional rod.
Torium 30, Saltist 50, Penn Fathom 40, Jigmaster 500, even Trinidad 50 size reels cast very well, you just need the right rod and sinker weight, in case you are in need of heavy tackle to cast with. To handle the setup better, place the reel at the bottom, that way you don't have a heavy reel sitting half way up the rod
hmmmmm......casting 130...thats gonna likely have memory and look like weedeater string coming off....good points made above about proper rod choice...since i posted first response, ive been thinking about casting my 9/0 when I get home and what i would put it on for that purpose. i have 100 lb on it, which is still a bit heavy. If i were gonna cast from shore I'd think 50 or 65 mono with 80 lb shock leader will work, not to mention anything you may fish for with that rig is going to make a long run that you cant chase down. you probably wont have but 200 yds of 130 on it. you could also back with braid and topshot with 100 yds for casting, and kill most anything you might find.
re casting, i'm def going on spool flange; with that heavy of line the spool surface will be "bumpy" and harder to control smoothly than on the flange. i know what youre talking about re a finger cot or post tongue (guys used to make them from old boot tongues) but personally i'd rather have the "feel".
I have a bunch of the reels the guys described with exception of fathom and saltist, all are great. you would find the Abu 7000
an easy move up from your 5500 / 6500's.
i have a real-deal 11' Heaver that i think i will hold the 9/0 to try in the test pond out back....those catfish are gonna crap when a 10 oz lead hits lol
i will advise how this turns out
may include pics of missing thumbprint
Ok, that was entertaining.....when I got home i cracked a beer and shucked 115L off its planer rod (hence 1oolb test). pulled tail plate and hit both bearings with Hot sauce, because....why not?
ok, the Heaver for the experiment: a buddy found a yard-saler for $4 and gave it to me some tinme back.....UGLY...it's either Fenwick or Lami honey gold (dunno which yet) which had been painted black with a brush. wire guides...three only. wraps in bad shape. grips....electrical tape over cord cross wrap (actually pretty grippy but ugly enough to raise blisters on a slab o concrete...); and.....the reel seat had been cut off.....
oh, did I say Heaver? what I meant was 11' Rebar.....3" deflection with 24 oz lead; 3/4" with 12 oz.
Sooo... i started with 24 oz....I managed to get 30 yds (no professional overrun). I'm 2-fitty with pretty large hands....it weren't enough....if Julius Peppers was going drum fishing, mebbe.....I went down to 12 oz lead; it may well have been split shot. however i was able to get 40 yds out of it.
Observations:as previously, no reel seat....so i rigged it deckhand style. not wanting my 9/0 in the pond due to only using clamp and tape, i opposed two 30-200 clamps over forward reel foot with SS screws and nuts. Now folks....this rig is junkyard sexy at this pernt in the game...
droipped down to 12 oz and gfot 40 yds. with areel seat a few inches higher and 60 lb, MEBBE could get 45-50 yds. bottom line is 9?0 bottom bar is in the way for anyone but Shaq to thumb fo rcontrol. BUGT it can be done. If i was ti get serious about this i would hot rod a 113H; cut down a lami 13'8" blank rihan dwrapo with five guides only. then throw 40 lb with a shock leader. sort of a a NC ]take on ulua fishing...
Here in Baja a lot of locals (Im from a city but working in this fishing small town since 10 years ago)
Anyway, some of the old guys use 113, 500L, sealines 50h to cast bait frim the rocks really long casts on 40lb mono line
Welcome Moe,
If your 900H is spooled with 130lb mono. It probably has about 200 yards on it. I would spool it with 80lb tops.
As far as casting it, as John so eloquently tried, :D I don't think that is going to happen.
Since you get sea sick easily, a Kayak is probably out of the question. I would just go the end of the pier and lob it out there as far as you can.
I have a couple 900's, but like a senator for its line capacity. I can fit 1000 yards of 100 lb mono on a 12/0. I kayak my bait out from shore. Paddle back in and wait. A 300 yard drop is ideal, sometimes further. If you are next to a pier, I try to kayak out just past it. Your 900 is a fine reel and should handle a nice fish, but 130lb mono on a 900 is not how I would fish it.
Quote from: thorhammer on July 02, 2015, 03:05:34 AM
Ok, that was entertaining.....when I got home i cracked a beer and shucked 115L off its planer rod (hence 1oolb test). pulled tail plate and hit both bearings with Hot sauce, because....why not?
ok, the Heaver for the experiment: a buddy found a yard-saler for $4 and gave it to me some tinme back.....UGLY...it's either Fenwick or Lami honey gold (dunno which yet) which had been painted black with a brush. wire guides...three only. wraps in bad shape. grips....electrical tape over cord cross wrap (actually pretty grippy but ugly enough to raise blisters on a slab o concrete...); and.....the reel seat had been cut off.....
oh, did I say Heaver? what I meant was 11' Rebar.....3" deflection with 24 oz lead; 3/4" with 12 oz.
Sooo... i started with 24 oz....I managed to get 30 yds (no professional overrun). I'm 2-fitty with pretty large hands....it weren't enough....if Julius Peppers was going drum fishing, mebbe.....I went down to 12 oz lead; it may well have been split shot. however i was able to get 40 yds out of it.
Observations:as previously, no reel seat....so i rigged it deckhand style. not wanting my 9/0 in the pond due to only using clamp and tape, i opposed two 30-200 clamps over forward reel foot with SS screws and nuts. Now folks....this rig is junkyard sexy at this pernt in the game...
droipped down to 12 oz and gfot 40 yds. with areel seat a few inches higher and 60 lb, MEBBE could get 45-50 yds. bottom line is 9?0 bottom bar is in the way for anyone but Shaq to thumb fo rcontrol. BUGT it can be done. If i was ti get serious about this i would hot rod a 113H; cut down a lami 13'8" blank rihan dwrapo with five guides only. then throw 40 lb with a shock leader. sort of a a NC ]take on ulua fishing...
LOL this is crazy ;D . to give a reel more line capacity, use braid backing and then mono topshot, simple solution, but it is unfortunately not going to give much space on the reel filled with 130lb, this is not really casting material and also not sure what yoyu want to catch from shore with that unless you have the drag to use with it and a pole to tie yourself too. You will be amazed what you can catch with much lighter tackle, we have recently had two grey sharks caught in South Africa from the beach, both going over 700lb and the one was caught with around 60lb line and the other one a bit more, maybe 80lb
fully agree, see my first post re braid backer and mono topshot long enought to touchdown cast. NO ONE wants to pick out a 9/0 braid backlash......
Thank you guys for all your responses. It seems like everyone here is saying that a successful, reliable cast with the 900H is depending heavily on having the proper setup all around.
So,
1. Adequate weight and tackle
2. Reduce line test from 130# to 80# max or lower.
3. Adequate rod.
4. Practice Good technique.
About the rod, any recommendations? I found this:
Daiwa Beefstick Casting Surf Rod 12' Heavy. Model Number BFSF1202HRB 12'
I know there are other ( better ) options out there but I am trying to find something that does the job well enough and not break the bank.
Also, I thank thorhammer for the casting experiment. Oh, I have to ask CapeFish Regarding his comment about keeping the reel in the on the BOTTOM instead of the top for better management. Do you mean while initiating casting? If so, how to you recommend controlling the spool in that position?. Interesting point indeed.. Thanks!
Moe, beefstick is probably heavy enough to handle the load.
HOWEVER, one way Daiwa keeps these below $35 is to use smaller reel seats and small guides. make sure you check that reel foot will mount to seat, and that any running line to shock leader / top shot knots will fit comfortably through the guides, otherwise with 12 and bait you will be knocking out guide inserts. I reiterate, I got 40 yds wih just lead....you are probably looking at 25-30 yds with a piece of bait big enough to be worth using this setup. If you need to get further than that, I'd sell the 900 and get two SL 500's (daiwa, not Mercedes :) set up with 65 braid and 150yd 50 lb mono top shot to cast.
i must admit it was fun trying to launch that catapult....normal casting technique out the window...
best,
J
Quote from: The Moe on July 02, 2015, 03:03:19 PM
Daiwa Beefstick Casting Surf Rod 12' Heavy. Model Number BFSF1202HRB 12'
beefstick 12" will be too heavy and way too stiff, you will be in the need to use 8oz or 10oz to charge the rod, better go with something in the 10" range.
I really like surf fishing and with few year of experience I learned that with rods larger than 10ft you better go with something above $100 dlls at least, on that 10" mark and below you can get the job done in a decent way with the big5 (sport store), dicks, etc rod specials in the $50 range.
ugly stick in one good option and cheap.
but my best recomendation is to save a bit more and try to score another reel for cheap, maybe a jigmaster 500 or a sealine SHA30, a penn beach master 200, something a lot smaller, that will make everything easier for you, with something like that you will be able to cast pretty good from the pier and still use it as boat reel.
Quote from: steelfish on July 02, 2015, 04:10:11 PM
Quote from: The Moe on July 02, 2015, 03:03:19 PM
Daiwa Beefstick Casting Surf Rod 12' Heavy. Model Number BFSF1202HRB 12'
beefstick 12" will be too heavy and way too stiff, you will be in the need to use 8oz or 10oz to charge the rod, better go with something in the 10" range.
I really like surf fishing and with few year of experience I learned that with rods larger than 10ft you better go with something above $100 dlls at least, on that 10" mark and below you can get the job done in a decent way with the big5 (sport store), dicks, etc rod specials in the $50 range.
ugly stick in one good option and cheap.
but my best recomendation is to save a bit more and try to score another reel for cheap, maybe a jigmaster 500 or a sealine SHA30, a penn beach master 200, something a lot smaller, that will make everything easier for you, with something like that you will be able to cast pretty good from the pier and still use it as boat reel.
Interesting.. Well I do see the point of having a smaller, more manageable reel instead but I am still amused by my lucky find Sealine 900H and it's robust and beautiful design and would love to fish with it efficiently if possible. Regarding rods.. Well I happened to have an 8.5' Ugly Stik Big Game rod that use with my vintage Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500 C3 baitcaster. Can that rod considered to be within better range for the 900H ? Thank you
Quote from: The Moe on July 02, 2015, 04:56:38 PM
Well I happened to have an 8.5' Ugly Stik Big Game rod that use with my vintage Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500 C3 baitcaster. Can that rod considered to be within better range for the 900H ? Thank you
well, you have to take into consideration a lot of things, but mostly the line used, the weight used to cast and reel capabilities.
900h its no the best caster but it will cast decent distance with the proper lead weight and smaller line.
if your ugly stick can trow the required lead weight then its good to go.
check the specs of the rod and if can send 6oz and considering is a 100% glass rod you can use 6oz + bait with no worries, even 7oz
I dont see a reason to go with a longer rod if the reel is not capable of long distances.
Moe, stick it up on the Ugly and give it a shot....at worst you get a good laugh based on my experiment!!!!
J
The 900H is a bit huge for casting. I know guys that I grew up with in Hawaii that can cast 100+ yards with 114H, 113H, 112H, and Jigmasters...and including their Newell equivalents.
It's a matter of having the right rod, lead weight, and the strength and timing to do it.
You may be able to find some YouTube videos of Hawaiian Shore Casting to give you an idea.
LOL!
Will do!
I got the 900H mounted on the Ugly Stik Big Game rod as seen in pictures. I have a 6.5 oz weight wrapped with electric tape to minimize snagging. 30# mono line and 36# sacrificial steel leader.
I will be practice casting in the yard tomorrow morning after I tweak my drag drop. Wish me luck!
Quote from: The Moe on July 02, 2015, 06:06:18 PM
I have a 6.5 oz weight wrapped with electric tape to minimize snagging. 30# mono line
rule of thumb in surf fishing is 10 lb line per 1oz weight to cast.. in order to avoid having your line snap at the middle of the cast and hit someone in the beach or yourself, you have to stay always under that rule.
thats mean it you want to cast 6.5oz at least your line should be 70lb, the best way to acomplish lost cast under this rule is to use shock leaders of the required poundage and main line of your choice.
on your set up you MUST do the next:
30# mono main line then 70/80# shock leader (which at least have to be as long as to made 2 complete turns on the spools and let your lead sit at the middle of your rod), then your bait rig and lead.
** thats apply if you want to cast as strong and as far as you can, if you just swing your lead moderately to reach 20-40yd then is not necesary.
Steelfish,
20-40 yards is almost an ideal casting range for my application. So It looks like I can do without the shock leader for this setup since I don't normally want/can perform a full power cast due to location limitations (Mainly fishing off the bank for lake blue and mud cats).
Surprisingly enough, this rig pictured here did not feel too cumbersome in my hand. I have yet to cast it but it I didn't get the feeling that it would be too much harder than casting a decent size round framed baitcaster.
Real quick though, when I retrieve my line after a cast, and since these conventional reels lack the worm guide mechanism by design, do I need the manually guide my line as I reel it into the spool? You know, left and right for even spooling or should I just let physics take care of it for me. I just hate it when my line overlap or catch when I recast you know..
Moe
Yes,
You have to put the line back on the spool by going side to side manually, or it will bunch up in one spot.
Quote from: steelfish on July 02, 2015, 06:35:53 PMrule of thumb in surf fishing is 10 lb line per 1oz weight to cast.. in order to avoid having your line snap at the middle of the cast and hit someone in the beach or yourself, you have to stay always under that rule.
thats mean it you want to cast 6.5oz at least your line should be 70lb, the best way to acomplish lost cast under this rule is to use shock leaders of the required poundage and main line of your choice.
Really? I'm totally under that rule. I cast 5-6 oz lead with 30# main and 20# lead line with 25#-30# leader for normal and 50# leader for larger fish. My average casting distance is 75 yards with a jigmaster sized reel and 13' surf rod (Fenwick 1689).
I undersize the lead line because I want the fish to break the lead line if the lead is indeed stuck in the reef (which it usually is).
So far, my best cast is when I backlash and the lead line breaks...from the lead's perspective of course. :D
Quote from: Bryan Young on July 02, 2015, 11:39:35 PM
Really? I'm totally under that rule. I cast 5-6 oz lead with 30# main and 20# lead line with 25#-30# leader for normal and 50# leader for larger fish. My average casting distance is 75 yards with a jigmaster sized reel and 13' surf rod (Fenwick 1689).
I undersize the lead line because I want the fish to break the lead line if the lead is indeed stuck in the reef (which it usually is).
So far, my best cast is when I backlash and the lead line breaks...from the lead's perspective of course. :D
well thats the Rule of the thumb not mine.
I think it depends on the style of cast you made, some casts are soft and stops suddenly, the you have the hatteras cast, OTG cast, powercast, etc, etc
I fish on spectra line on my surf fishing big setup and never anything heavier than 6oz, my normal main line is 50# braid and a long shock leader of 65# braid or 80# braid like 20 yds and at the very end a short mono leader for abrasion on rocky bottoms 3ft -4ft 30-40# mono
but normally just casting 3oz lead plus bait, so no worries no shock leaders on 50# main line spectra.
Quote from: Bryan Young on July 02, 2015, 06:01:13 PM
The 900H is a bit huge for casting. I know guys that I grew up with in Hawaii that can cast 100+ yards with 114H, 113H, 112H, and Jigmasters...and including their Newell equivalents.
It's a matter of having the right rod, lead weight, and the strength and timing to do it.
You may be able to find some YouTube videos of Hawaiian Shore Casting to give you an idea.
We fish that way as well, you need the right rod and sinker weight and you can achieve incredible distances, placing the reel low down on the rod makes like tournament casters do makes a huge difference, so does having a small reel winch with trigger to help you get a better grip. Casting with an 8 foot rod and a 900h reel you can only basically lob your bait from a peer. Also keep in mind that scaling down on the tackle helps your pickup rate. Sometimes it helps to have smaller baits and lighter lines, even for big sharks, they don't always go for the biggest bait and 20/0 hook
Original poster here..
So, I went out to practice casting this rig out on the river bank this morning. Epic fail. Could not achieve more than 10 yards of unpredictable casting distance no matter what I try. Again this was the Sealine 900h freshly rebuild. 8.5' Ugly stick big game rod. 30# mono. 6.5 Oz led and a little bluegill bait. I tried many drag settings, fully open drag and no spool resistance. Even different casting techniques with no luck.
My observations where that the spool did not initiate a good bailing speed upon initial release. Causing the rod tip to dive sharply down lobbing the tackle just a few yards below me. Over-spinning is also a problem due to the intentional lack of resistance and the huge mass of the spool itself. I thing the rod action and the led weight where not appropriate for the reel.
Seems like I needed a longer, heavier action rod with more weight to charge the reel better and force the bailing faster. And avoid rod tip downing tendincies. Or even better. A smaller reel...
The 900H is a trolling reel for large game & is not at all suited to making a casting reel out of it except for short distances. Also as line weight increases casting distance decreases. For fishing from a pier or the beach I would recommend a spinning reel like a 950-9500 size or larger if shark fishing as you originally said. With 40-50 lb. line (for sharks) you will get a decent casting distance. With 30 lb line you will get even more distance. Put the spinner on a 10-11 ft. spinning style surf rod that can sling at least 6 oz. of lead and go for it. Don't forget a steel leader. The 900H is a great reel but it's place is on a boat for trolling or deep dropping. For what you want to do I think the spinner would give you more enjoyment and no worries about backlash & birdnests. IMO
Quote from: The Moe on July 03, 2015, 03:52:02 PM
.........Seems like I needed a longer, heavier action rod with more weight to charge the reel better and force the bailing faster. And avoid rod tip downing tendincies. Or even better. A smaller reel...
we only learn from experience.. this is part of your learning process.
now, if change your perpective, if you want, now you can sell this reel that you got at bargain prices and with that money get something that will bring you more satisfaction to your fishing time.
spinner reel, a smallers casting reel, old school 500l, saline 50h, etc.
In my experience, which isn't a ton, I really have been favoring my Squall 15 on a 12' Ugly stik surf rod with 30lb braid and a short mono leader. The Squall has cast control that has worked well for me. I have only been fishing from the beach for a few months but have had good success casting this setup, I got lucky and was able to get this whole setup under $100 but I think retail on the whole thing is about $150. I have a 750ss on a 10' rod that also cast great with 45lb braid but I like having the clicker on the Squall since I fish mostly live bait from the beach. Just something that has worked well for me during my time learning to cast from the beach.
I have seen it done like this Moe. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QFEeB8gMgE&feature=player_detailpage
Lol! Yeah that would work wonderfully ;D
yeah. I will be listening the 900h for sale as bad as I hate to do it. I really loved the design and construction of this reel. Maybe someone else would have fun using it on a boat somewhere on the ocean. I'll try to do some studying on the best value reel for my application. Thank you all!
Moe , congratulations on your find.I cast big reels from piers and the surf for sharks and grouper. with a 900 h I think 30 yards would be a reasonable distance to expect.I've found 50# test line with a 8oz weight to be a good setup on a 8 ft to 10 ft rod.my experience is that line heavier the 50 cuts down on distance and anything lighter increases backlash.I would go heavier than 8oz if current was a factor but never lower. when you cast you want the reel in freespool with the clicker off .your drag should be preset based on how much resistance you want at hookset.I've found that the biggest reduction in distance comes from the distance between the weight and the bait.if the leader is to long it's hard to get the proper swing and the energy you just created is not focused.I try not to have more than a 3ft leader. The most difficult part for me is keeping the thumb on the spool of a tall reel.releasing the thumb at proper time to achieve a nice arching cast is something that will come with experience. From what you described it sounds like you might be releasing too late.we used to call this a educated thumb. If you don't get thumb burns while your learning your not throwing hard enough. good luck Joe
Great thread regarding casting. The 900h is not the right reel as you learned.
If you decide to sell, let me know. I could maybe trade for a more appropriate reel for you.
Ran
Wow, guess I killed that thread.... 8)
Thank you guys for all your replies!
Well, I went out again and tried making some adjustments on the weight, drag, cast and release timing with limited improvements. Right now, it seems like I if I still wanted to use this real as a caster I need to source a heavier rod. And work and a stronger and better timed cast. So far, it looks like I'd be better off with a more appropriately sized baitcaster. So I'm listing the 900H for sell tomorrow.
This is probably not the right section for selling but I am willing to let the 900H go for $75.00 plus shipping if anyone was interested. Meanwhile I'll be looking for a heavy baitcaster or spinner rod combo to take the 900H spot in my garage.
Thanks!
Moe I am PM'ing my email address to request a couple of pics of the 900h. Your price seems reasonable.
Hi Guys,
Surf casting is a hugely variable concept, and the most often overlooked point is that it is the rod that makes the cast, not the reel. The reel is just there to supply line as desired by the sinker and bait, as the rod has passed the power from you in the cast.
Having said the above, once you hit the beach, nearly every application of surf fishing there is a desire for distance or more distance, and it is usually the rod that is going to give that to you. Distance to a degree is achieved by length of rod, some parts of the world 10-12 foot rods are the norm, while others 12-14 foot and longer are the norm, a lot depends on target species and the baits being used.
Even here in southern Africa, where we all are questing for distance to put reasonably large baits out for sharks and fish, we have a huge range of 14 foot rods, and while most will work, the better combinations are those that don't over stress the angler with heavy sinkers. Rod and reel and line combinations which work with 5-6oz sinker are nearly always going to out perform the heavier or lighter combinations – on distance. The point here is balance and not to 'over gun' yourself.
Reels are best left to personal choice, as the difference between good multipliers and fixed spool reels these days are few, it is just a matter of personal choice – and the angler's skill. With either multiplier or fixed spool reel it is best not to go too big, as they just take the rod and reel combination out of balance, and that straight away limits casting distance. The only problem with that statement is when you need much bigger capacity reels for the target you are looking to catch – like sharks, when perhaps bottom loading the reel with braid and then top loading with nylon will help – the thinner braid gives you that extra capacity, but you don't really want to be fighting sharks straight through on braid on the beach or pier – your doctor or chiropractor will become your new best friend!!!
Casting with multipliers is a skill in itself, and a lot of learning and time is spent on mastering it, especially when combined with various surf casting techniques – and if you go that route, expect to spend that time – there are no shortcuts. Multiplier reels with internal braking systems like centrifugal or magnetic will be a godsend in that situation, rather than unbraked reels. That said, we still have a percentage of our surf fishing population fishing well with reels like the Penn 500, but they do end up changing over to more modern designs eventually, and reap great reward. Avoid looking for reels with fantastic spin speeds, as these, unless braked will only cause huge heartache.
Fixed spool reels tend to come in either standard deep spool type of the more dedicated long-cast variety, the long-cast styles are easily better at giving distance, although they do have a limit on capacity of about 300 yards of line, but then that is usually more than enough.
On lines, nylon is more forgiving – the thicker you go with a multiplier the less overwinds you are going to have while learning. Braid on fixed spools needs to be kept down in size to benefit from the bite detection, as outright strength is generally not an issue with a surf rod, as you can't pull seriously heavy loads with a long rod – you will struggle to actually pull more than 20lb at the tip of the rod, so lines more than 30lb are rarely needed.
One last thing on safety, always fit a casting leader of mono to the front section of your line to carry the sinker and bait load. The casting leader takes the snatch load out of the cast, and stops you shooting off the sinker during the cast – and potentially hurtling down the beach to impact with an innocent bystander. The general rule of thumb for casting leaders is between 8 to 10lbs of strength for every 1oz of sinker – so a 5 oz sinker would need between a 40-50 lb casting leader. The leader needs to be the full length of the rod and at least 2 turns of the reel.
Hope that helps.
Cheers from sunny Africa
Jeri
The Moe, first off, make sure you have the spool filled with line. Second, take a look at some Facebook groups for Hawaii casting such as 808 Shore Casters, Big Island Style Shorecasting, Stricklyslidebait808. Some have videos showing people casting, and have discussions about it.
Good to see you Albert. ;D