Finally decided to post pictures of my reels. Ive serviced them all, about 60% need carbon fiber drags and about 75% need spectra and about 75% need handles/grips. Here goes:
My Lever drag reels from lft to right AVET SX5.0 (12/15#), DAIWA LD30H (20#), DAIWA LD50H (25#), DAIWA LD50H (30#), AVET LX6/3 (40/50#), AVET PRO EX 4/02 (60/80#):
(http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q535/LTM51/MY%20REELS/IMG_0015.jpg)
My large star drag reels; PENN 113HN TANK (40#), PENN 113HN TANK (50#), PENN 113H STD W/DBL SS DOGS ONLY (60#), DAIWA 600H:
(http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q535/LTM51/MY%20REELS/IMG_0017.jpg)
My medium to small conventionals; DAIWA SL20SH (12/15#), SHIMANO TLD15/30S (25#), SHIMANO TLD 20/40 (30#), SHIMANO TORIUM 20 (25#), DAIWA SALTIGA SA30 (20#), DAIWA SALTIGA 30T (25#):
(http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q535/LTM51/MY%20REELS/IMG_0025.jpg)
My small bait casting reels: DAIWA COASTAL 153H (8#), AMBASSADEUR 4600 UC C3 (8/10# W/EXTRA SPOOL), DAIWA LUNA 203 (10#), AMBASSADEUR 5500 UC C3 (12#), DAIWA MILLIONAIRE CVX-253 (12#), SHIMANO CALCUTTA CTE300 (12#):
(http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q535/LTM51/MY%20REELS/IMG_0030.jpg)
Got some upgrading to do but at least I know what to do and how to do it and where to get the parts. Got about 6 spinners that I'll have to dig out and post pictures of and thats it. Would like to add: Okuma Serrano SR200, moderately priced 20# reel (Sealine-X 20SHV/Penn Fathom), Andros 5II and maybe a MAK20/30.
Thanx all,
Leo
That's an impressive selection Leo - thanks for sharing.
Looks a bit like a Pro Gear star and handle on the 50# HN - nice ;)
Cheers mate, Justin
Nice
Thanx guys,
Justin, your right about the ProGear handle/arm assembly. I read somewhere here that they have a tendancy to round out with heavy drag.
Thanx for looking,
Leo
WOW Leo! You have some nice reels there, very nice ;). Justin just mentioned the pro gear star. It is nice but if you're going to fish with that reel, I'm going to recommend for you to toss it and save yourself some headaches. Threads on that star don't hold up under pressure, the material is too too thin and soft. How do you like that Daiwa 600H, have you used it? Thanks for sharing.
Sal
Great reels thanks for sharing.
very nice collection....... ;D
Quote from: redsetta on September 26, 2012, 11:32:40 AM
That's an impressive selection Leo - thanks for sharing.
x2
Thanx again guys for checking-out my little selection of reels,
Sal, years ago when I first got the ProGear star and handle I thought the star was light and I have the regular 113H replacement to re-install. What are your thoughts about the ProGear handle, will it be strong enough as well or have you found them to be too light as well? In regards to the 600H its a brutally strong reel, Ive used it LR @ Alijos Rocks, 2-3 day Albacore trips and locally trolling. Im looking forward to converting the drag stack to 5+1 or better and maybe some 80# braid.
All of my reel have boat rash to some degree and off-and-on over time have been heavily used. People/fisher-friends ask me quite often if Ive used my gear (my fisher-friends joke w/me all the time about my gear being so well maintained) rods included. What I do for my reels is store them in a reel case off-of my rods. Transporting and when on boats in the racks they stay covered until and after use with good quality reel covers by "Blue Water" or Neoprene covers. If a hot bite is going on and Im using multiple rods for whatever reason the covers for the in-use rods are left off.
Im sort of (to use the expression I ran across on this forum) a "gear tart" when taking care of my gear. I really dislike my rods/reels in the rack and someone places their Sporting Goods store $29 special with the cheap blue line in my claimed area for my rods (during a hot bite I can understand this but move it back after the bite) and the cheap reel in beating the hell out of one of my expensive reels. That really "chapps my hide" therefore the reel covers while ther reels are in the racks. Also the reel covers protect the line from the Sun especially on multi-day/LR trips as well as the salt spray on the reels. This extra effort is probably why I often get asked how much usage my gear gets. After fishing the rods get thouroughly cleaned and periodically waxed. Evidently it has paid off over the decades and allowed me to buy guns, knives and other things instead of corroded parts/reels. Im a firm beliver in using and taking good care of the things that I own, thats goes for everything.
The things/upgrades/tinkering that you guys do on this site has really elevated the performance of my reels and provided me with more options for my gear and thwarted obsolence.
Leo
Very nice collection !!! Sal is right about the PG star, I have had a problem with 2 of them. I have replaced all of my PG handles with T-bar handles but feel the stock PG handles will work fine if that is the style of handle you like.
John
Leo I'm a GC, my work truck is cleaner than my wife's car ;D. We have some things in common ;)
hi ltm,very nice
so do you have a favorite and why, leo
Leo,
Nice collection! Do you do a lot of casting and jigging? I noticed you have the handles in the more speed, less leverage position.
Always good to see a fellow member's collection.
Thanks,
Dom
Beautiful collection.
Thanx again guys for you positive comments regarding my selection of reels,
Broadway Dom, good observation. I JUST LOVE CASTING!!! ;D Ive one maybe two hundred metal jigs. Now I dont consider my reels a collection for there all WORKING TOOLS which I remove from my selection when they become obsolete parts wise. However, I WONT part with nar-a-jig Ive ever got and I got some BEAUTIES. Anywho, after servicing all of my reels I put some of the handles on in the short position instead of the leverage position like the 600H and one of the Daiwa lever drag reels. I keep wrenches in my fishing back pack for relocating the handles: especially after fighting a fish and realizing I need more leverage.
Thanx,
Leo
Wallacewt,
My favorite reel? You really made me sit back and think about that one Wallace. I find it best to go by catagories, starting with the top pictures of my current lever drags. Thank god for the Avet LX6/3 for 40#; a true blessing to my aging body. However I think its slightly too big and I really look forward to getting an Andros 5-II (lighter, smaller and better built). I think the Andros will be my favorite lever drag. All of the Daiwa lever drags (LD30/50H) are my favorite Albacore reels; Im a one-man factory ship on Albies w/these reels, these are GREAT reels and still going strong. The last one to the right is basically BRAND NEW, only been out once and caught a baby ~80# Black Sea Bsss on 30# and the reel was just great. HOWEVER, since I am a light line fisherman the little Avet SX is my favorite w/12# line. I love testing the limits of the reel and have managed 30# class White Seabass, It casts like a dream and I love casting!
In the next pix w/the large star drags; the 113HN was (30 yrs ago) and still is (thanx to Sal's TANK project) my favorite reel to modify and tinker with. And I like fishing the classic reel with the modern upgrades; sort of like driving '63 Vett on Sundays.
Next up the medium sized star drag reels: Ive sold-off quite a few reels in this catagory in the last several years. Let's see the SL20SH is close to 30 years old (my last one) and its been everywhere and still goes everywhere, but not my favorite in this class. The TLD Stars I bought for PURE DEPENDABILITY and cast well; but not my fav. Since I love throwing Iron Ive found the Torium 20 flawless and a great value for the money (I added the third bearing when I purchased it). If I had to purchase another jig reel I'd probably by another. The Saltiga 30T would probably be my favorite reel of the bunch for jigging (line retrieve is just right not too fast) and especially fly-lining bait and the Saltiga 30 for 20#. These reels are just absolutely smooth and enjoyable to use. So much so that I have the TLD Stars as "stand-ins" for getting bumped around on day trips on crowed party boats.
This last group of reels are my MOST FUN reels (Ive a strong affinity for this size of reel), I use them all for Ocean fishing and they are trully light line reels. My favorites are the Coastal 153H, Luna 203 and the CVX-253 all of which cast like dreams, work flawlessly and feel solid in hand. Not to say the others dont work well for the little Abu's are my favorites for rock-hopping around the Marina's and piers where I'll occasionally take a fall on the rocks and scratch up the reels (and myself). The Calcutta CTE300 is a bit of a dissapointment for me after learning how to do a complete service on it from this forum. When I had stripped it down to the bare frame I was shocked at the thin-ness of the aluminum frame. It must literally weigh as much as 3 aluminum soda cans and about as thick. I can crush the frame in one hand with about 3 times the effort to crush an aluminum soda can. I WAS TICKED-OFF, feeling that its not worth the money and Shimano is ripping people off. It was my favorite reel until I learned how to service it and found out how it was made. The Lunas are made just the opposite and why the Luna is tied with my most favorite in the group. Daiwa just make a hell-of-a product and are quite overlooked by the fishing public.
So, thats my 2-5 cents (or maybe a little more) on my favorite reel. Wallace, I think you knew that no fisherman could give a simple answer to this kind of question. ::)
Good fishing Wallace,
Leo
haha
you think the andros will be your fav;reel.
you havent owned or fished it yet.
you got the bug bad leo!
cheers
I have to agree with Wallace... you're hooked! You're in good company here, pal ;)
All the best,
Dom
Dom & Wallacewt,
Hey, I thought that was a fairly sane and reasonable response. OK then guys; whats your favorite reel and why in just a few words? You know Wallace this should be a seperate post. Wonder how well received it would be. But Im not letting you two off the hook on responding to the question, besides I would like to know.
Wallace, is there something wrong with the Andros or where you just kidding me?
Take care guys,
Leo
just kidding
magic reels,i take mine on every trip,loaded with 470m or yards of
30lb braid/15kg ugly.
Wallace, what are "magic reels", never heard of them?
Leo
"magic reels"
(1)andros,i always take it with me fishing,even if i dont use it.
i like its company. magic!
(2)tld5. perfect for what it was designed for.30yrs old,still going
even after i didnt know how to look after it.all i did was squirt a
bit of sewing machine oil on it.
(3)shimano 500 baitcaster.40+yrs.i killed it,alto mare bought me
1 of the same off ebay and between the both of them on the seventh day it rose again.magic
thanks sal.
i bet everyone on here has a magic reel or too.
93
Leo,
This topic has been posted, but in a few words I'll say... Penn 113H hands down.
It all depends on whatcha fish for and the type of fishing you'll be doing, however I feel the 113H is the most universal.
Someone's either gonna have to bury me with a 113H or rip it from my corpse ;)
Dom
Thanx Gents,
Wallace, I see you have an affinity for small effecient/powerful reels as well. Im looking forward to the Andros as well for company on fishing trips. I like your expression: magic reels.
Dom, you tickle me with your statement of burying you with your 113H (I feel your passion). Im going to look for that post on favorite reels.
Passion for fishing is what this forum is about. Thanx you all!!
Leo