I'm looking at a new reel for surf fishing for sharks. I've heard a lot of good things from okuma and would like to know more about three reels, specifically how well they could cast. I will be fishing the long island south shore mostly, but also in florida.
Which would you recommend?
Thanks!
Quote from: NYIsles55 on January 27, 2016, 04:20:37 AM
I'm looking at a new reel for surf fishing for sharks. I've heard a lot of good things from okuma and would like to know more about three reels, specifically how well they could cast. I will be fishing the long island south shore mostly, but also in florida.
Which would you recommend?
Thanks!
Andros cast better because the spool is lighter. But the Makaira is stronger and heavier.
As the saying goes... it depends. My experience is that dual drag reels dont cast as well as a single drag when throwing light bait. If you are going to be using the reel at 20 lbs. of drag or slightly more, all the time & fish often then hands down it would be the Mak. The 1611 with its low gear has caught my eye with the price about a $100 cheaper than an Avet HX Raptor
I have the Andros 12 it is at present one of 2 of my most favored reels. It holds the same amount of line as the Mak 15 but is not as wide & is a tad bit lighter. The Mak is an Andros taken a step or 2 further in its ability to perform long term. I don't care for using lever drags around sand much. Not a lever drag. But with an appropriate rod & sinker the Penn US Senator will toss bait the size you'd be using as far as any of these reels you mention with a higher working drag except for the 1611, more line capacity, with out the issue sand can bring to a lever drag if you don't stay on top of it.
With that said I was fishing my 1211 at 18 lbs. of drag & later bumped it up 20-22 lbs. & fished it at this setting for most of the summer with no issues. However the fish I'm after don't strip line from a reel like those caught from the decks of the long range boats or 100 lb. or bigger sharks for that matter.