Hi All
I'm new here
Great site & people, really one of my favorites
I live in Egypt
I fish mainly in the red sea
Normal fish is up to 50 lbs, common species include Wahoo, GT, Groupers, Baraccuda, Tuna, bonito..etc
I don't fish that much; I'd consider myself very lucky if I can spend 25 days/year fishing
I'm about to buy my first trolling rod & reel
I'm comparing two reels that may seem very different from each other, but for some reasons either will cost me about the same.
First one is Penn Senator 9/0(made in USA)
Second is Okuma Solterra 50W- 2speed(http://www.okumafishingteam.com/family/283850)
Solterra seems very good on paper: two speed, higher drag
Penn doesn't seem to have any benefits over the solterra in terms of specs(almost same construction)
But I'm seeking your recommendations based on:
1- comparison of internal constuction for both
2- Long term durability for both
3- Effeciency at handling those fish with confidence at the reel I have at handfish after fish
4-Pros & cons of each
Thanks in advance
Regards
Inspiro
hard to say. for fish up to 50 pounds, a penn 4/0 might work, you'd have 350 yards of 40# mono. what line weight and how much drag do you need?
I am with Alan, a Penn 113H Special 4/0 Senator High Speed (Made in USA, buy 1 over the internet used) it will do the job, easy to maintain, service it, keep carbontex drags washers in it w/cals grease. If you are in a private boat no 50 pound fish will defeat this reel. Been there done that!
tl jg
We usually use 0.7mm mono for trolling, we prefer to keep 400 meters of line just in case
Many tend to get an overkill rod/reel in Egypt, I understand that this is not the best thing for the challenge with the fish, but we prefer to be ready for that big fish that may accidently appear(sometimes fish close to 100 lbs get caught)
my freinds advised me that even a 6/0 won't have anough drag, hence the 9/0 vs. solterra 50W-II comparison
Frankly speaking I don't believ emuch in tackle shop advise around me, that's why I'm asking for your opinion.
Thanks
If you are looking at a reel that size, I would prefer a reel with a metal frame, and therefore, would go with the Penn 9/0 even though the 2 speed would be a great advantage. There is nothing worse than a frame that breaks during the fight.
Thanks for your opinion
But I believe bothe are made of graphite with reinforcing plate
Senator:
Stainless steel frame rings enhances rigidity to prevent frame flex
Solterra:
Stainless steel reinforcing side plate rings
Stainless steel body armor reduces frame flex(20-50 models)
But off course this does not mean that strength is identical I cannot tell, from what is written senator is still not superior in anything
Come on guys
Somebody must know something about those Solterras!?
Inspiro
Sorry, I miss read your initial posting. If you are going to put 50# with drag setting of max. 20#, the solterra will be fine.
Dear Bryan
By fine you mean that the solterra is a better option than the penn, I have tried neither so i'm looking for practical experience
Thanks alot for your support
Inspiro
Yes, a better option for 2 major reasons...lever drag and 2-speed.
With 50# test, you should not have any flexing issues that will cause the reel to break.
Dear Bryan
From your experience with the solterra what is the #of drag from which I should start worrying about frame flex?
Is it the same for the senator 9/0
Does this make the Daiwa 900H a better option than the senator 9/0?
Do you know about any problems with the Solterra gearing or any other cons?
Sorry for the many questions
Thanks in advance
Regards
the daiwa 900h with a drag upgrade is a better reel because the frame is solid aluminum. i am still waiting on metal drag washers. for the daiwa 900.
Dear Alan
What in your opinion is the safe drag on each of the three reels?
Solterra 50W-II
Penn 9/0
Daiwa 900H
What do you think about the construction of the solterra?Any areas to worry about?
Have you used the Solterra 50W-II?
My many quaetions about the Okuma because it is not as popular as the 9/0 or 900H so solid product reviws are very hard to find, specially from one as involved as you and many of the members around here
Thanks again
all three reels should be good for 80# mono and 24#'s of drag. that's enough to launch me over a rail!
Dear Alan
You can never how valuable are the opinions I get from this forum & from you; especially when I cannot find teh kind of advice that really convinces me from many tackle shops around me
And a beginner who wants to try everything and the budget limit is not helping
As this forum is about reel repair, this is the perfect place for the kind info I need
So sorry for asking again, but as I said this is very valuable for me to take the right decision
What do you think about the construction of the solterra?Any areas to worry about?
Also are there any concerns when using it?
Regards
Inspiro
you should be fine as long as you fish the reel in this range.
Dear Alan
Are you trying to be neutral or something
If you were in my place, need to choose only one of the two, will have only this reel when trolling(no back up), which one will be your weapon of choice for the fish I listed, taking into acount that you go fishing may be once a month, you need a reliable reel with good corrosion resistance.
I know you can give me that answer, may be you can even pm me
Thanks alot in advance
Inspiro
well, the penn senator 9/0 is old school, but it only costs $150. http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csrp2.htm
i've never torn apart a solterra, but the new standards at okuma mean the reel will be far better than okumas in past years. the okuma solterrra 50 wide two speed is a much more versatile reel and costs $300, but is limited by the graphite frame. http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csrOkuma.htm if you can get the solterra at the same price as the penn, then definitely get the solterra.
without knowing exactly how the reel is going to be fished, my first inclination is to recommend a 50 wide reel with a full aluminum chassis. that means a penn international, an okuma makaira, possibly a shimano tiagra, an Avet SDS 50 or an Accurate ATD 50 Wide. you are looking at a big jump in price. i would guess that you are looking at a penn senator because it is less expensive, but a single speed reel with 24 pounds of drag can be brutal. that said, a daiwa 900h would be preferred over a penn senator 9/0 because the daiwa has a full aluminum frame. the drag washers in the daiwa would have to be replaced first, and i am all out of metal washers and they are on back order. if a two speed is desirable, then the solterra would be your least expensive option that would still be reliable. the construction is fine. 24 pounds of drag and straight 80# mono would a good place to fish this reel. unlike the shimano tld 50, the side plates of the okuma are reinforced with a stainless steel plate. but with any graphite framed reel, you must consider the possibility of frame failure. it is graphite, after all.
so, how are you going to rig this reel - straight spectra, spectra to mono or straight mono? what drag setting? how much line capacity do you need and why that particular amount of line? what will you drag settings be? how big are your target fish? a 50 pound fish is pretty small. a properly serviced 4/0 senator 113hl with 80# spectra and 15 pounds of drag would land such a fish in 15 minutes or less. has a back up rig ever been needed before? give me the specs on the rod that you will be using. you will you be trolling, but how about chunking, yoyoing, or flylining? seated? harnessed or railed or both? describe the boat. any physical limitations to the fishermen? will you be able to service your own gear or will you need to send them into a shop for service? corrosion resistance is just as much a function of a careful fisherman that takes care of his reels. tell us more about the fishing you do. photos are always appreciated. guys here love a good story about fishing in other parts of the world!
there is alot that goes into a selection of a reel. are you ok with straight 80# mono and 24 pounds of drag? at that low of a drag setting, you do not need to worry about the frame breaking at the base. if you go above 35 pounds of drag, frame failure is a possibility, as it is with any grahite framed reel. if you can get a solterra 50W two speed for the same price as a 9/0 senator, grab the solterra. you'll be fine. if you need 130# spectra and a 35 pound drag setting, get a reel with a full aluminum frame.
Oh ye old post rise,....rise I say! Rise from the dead!
So iv got my 9/0 spooled with 1000m of 100lb braid (going to take off 100m and top it with 130lb mono and fish it as is on a 130lb roller rod trolling and drift. Found blue grease on the turnbuckle, I'm assuming it's in good shape we will see how it dose next weekend,can't wait . It's yellowfin and mahi mahi time here but I'll be looking for wahoo and maybe a Marlin or sailfish while trolling
*Any cautions*
Soooo I'm looking at the okuma solterra slr-50L for a drift set up.....id like the 30 but can't find one cheep enough.
Will the slr-20 handle 80lb tuna? (Really that's proabably overkill but I don't know what to expect)
But....my questions are about the drag jargon you all speak of. :-\
Quote from: Bryan Young on October 23, 2011, 09:19:56 AM
Sorry, I miss read your initial posting. If you are going to put 50# with drag setting of max. 20#, the solterra will be fine.
Quote from: alantani on October 25, 2011, 07:38:12 AM
all three reels should be good for 80# mono and 24#'s of drag. that's enough to launch me over a rail!
What is the max drag of the okuma Slr50L , (it like 40ish {44#}something lbs right?) is that full spool or bottom
What will the graphite frame hold up to
Would okuma make a reel that can explode itself by giving it more drag than it can handle? ??? ??? ???
Thanks guys
Devin