Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Quote from: oc1 on April 15, 2026, 05:39:36 AMPiscifin? I've heard of them.  That's not the case for a lot of cheap reels these days.  Kastking is another name that pops up in the maybe-not-so-bad category. 

Way back when, Penn reels were sort of like an Ocean City reel, but Penn had adopted short-cuts in design and manufacture that made them less expensive.  Penn were the original maybe-not-so-bad fishing reels.

Good point.

Okuma is another, more recent example of a company that managed to extend beyond budget fishing gear into premium  stuff.

Down at the local casting pond,  the tournament casters were fooling around with a 5 wt fly rod outfit from one of those better-than-junk budget brands  (maybe KastKing? It could have been a Piscifun or MaxCatch). Rod, reel and line.  I took a few swings and I thought that it cast really well.  If you could get past how gaudy it looked, you could do a lot worse for a lot more money, at least in terms of casting performance.  Most people will not use the gear enough to wear it out, so a bit less quality is not a bad tradeoff for saving a lot of money.

I don't think that these emerging brands are quite there yet, but as the legacy premium brands produce more throwaway gear of declining quality, that gap is starting to look kinda narrow.  It all comes from the same factories, with the same basic design. The extra price for a legacy brand can buy us a bit more in the quality of the components and the overall quality control process. 

For the more demanding situations, I am still skeptical about these better-than-junk products for now.

Quote from: MolBasser on April 15, 2026, 03:54:44 PMI have a couple kastkings that I got on a lark because they were very cheap.  Same deal with Piscifun.  The design and engineering is just fine, parts quality is "ok" and quality control during assembly is ####. 

I agree that these will never compete as "regular" or "Hard use" tools, but that is NOT what they are advertised for.  As for Piscifun their whole schtick is family fun.  Catching a few yellowtail a year qualifies for that, and I have zero doubt that this reel could catch a yellowtail.  I caught the yellowtail in my avatar on an Abu 6500C3 and the Piscifun has bigger drag discs........

Nowhere will you catch me saying that this is a top of the line reel, but for the price it is just fine and for most inshore duty (which is what I bought this for) it is perfectly fine.  Especially for me who is religious about rinsing, keeping clean and regular lubrication, it should last a reasonable amount of seasons.

The difference between a Alijoz and a Tranx is minimal at best.  The tranx has a SS pinion, that's about it, I think.  And maybe a completely metal yoke.

I will say this, the cheaper chinese reels are built (not designed) to fail.  To make it work reasonably you need to put in WAY more effort than the typical person who would buy this type of reel.  Which is unfortunate because it fosters the sense of disposability which is ruining the world (shakes cane at cloud).  The fact that they basically don't have a parts department and choose to replace a reel rather than send parts or repair it is a bit of a bummer.

I just opened up my 1985 Abu 4600CB and it was in perfect shape, so that made me feel good.  I bought that reel right when I graduated high school to fish the Boundry Water Canoe Area.  That reel has some stories to tell.....

Agree with most  of this.  One quibble is that the Alijoz is advertised for hard use, although I agree that this is not the target market.

The old ABUs had an advantage in that they were extremely well designed and manufactured.   They can punch a bit over their weight class, even if they are lightweights from a prior era.

You can always get more drag with more clamping force on a star drag. How the rest of the components manage that extra load from the higher drag is what matters most. 

In terms of the difference being minimal, that is harder to say. I don't think visually comparing the components is enough.  For example, is the spool shaft the same diameter?  Is it from the same grade of stainless with the same tempering process?  Is it going to flex under load before the Tranx? Maybe it is the same, or better, or worse.

A reel is only as strong as its weakest link, and I believe that is the increased risk with these budget products.  It just takes one small design or manufacturing screwup that might not be obvious,  and you have a paperweight.   That is why I am looking forward to seeing reports like yours, especially when there are some miles on the reel.  This is the only way we are going to find out.

Thanks again for starting this thread!

-J

Quote from: jurelometer on April 15, 2026, 04:57:23 PMIn terms of the difference being minimal, that is harder to say. I don't think visually comparing the components is enough.  For example, is the spool shaft the same diameter?  Is it from the same grade of stainless with the same tempering process?  Is it going to flex under load before the Tranx? Maybe it is the same, or better, or worse.

Thanks again for starting this thread!

-J

Fair points that I failed to consider properly, specifically the spindle....

Its all good.  We will see how this reel holds up.

Quote from: jurelometer on April 15, 2026, 04:57:23 PMDown at the local casting pond,  the tournament casters were fooling around with a 5 wt fly rod outfit from one of those better-than-junk budget brands  (maybe KastKing? It could have been a Piscifun or MaxCatch). Rod, reel and line.  I took a few swings and I thought that it cast really well.  If you could get past how gaudy it looked, you could do a lot worse for a lot more money, at least in terms of casting performance.  Most people will not use the gear enough to wear it out, so a bit less quality is not a bad tradeoff for saving a lot of money.
-J

It seems that the fly rod market is a whole different animal in the world of fishing tackle.  The high-end models have past $1,000 now. That comes out to about $250 per ounce.  Less than the price of gold but more than silver. Does anybody think that a $1,000 fly rod performs twice as well as a $500 fly rod?  Is it twice as durable?  Twice as pretty?  It's irrational and fickle.

So I wanna be clear that I've definitely been known to gamble on cheap knockoffs on a lot of things. And I've had a lot more wins than losses doing so. I think the reason I personally wax poetic on quality is that reels are such an unnecessary item. I have NEEDED alternators, etc and not been able to afford a factory replacement. So I got something that would most likely do the job just fine for as long as I need it to. But I don't NEED another inshore baitcaster.

I currently want one. But I don't need it. So I'd rather find a quality one used if I need to save money, because if something is wrong I can most likely repair it. And find the stuff I need to do so.

But again, that's just my opinion on something that for me is a passtime. A commercial fisherman may disagree with both of us

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 15, 2026, 07:03:53 PM... is that reels are such an unnecessary item.

I read that last part and it sounded like reading it with my wife's voice.   


my two daughters always take my abu Garcia Toro Beast 60 over any other reel for light jig fishing or even bait fishing for triggerfish, but I only have one saltwater lowprofile reel, it would be nice to get this Piscifun reel which is almost the same size of the toro Beast 60 and compare them on the battle field.

Quote from: steelfish on April 15, 2026, 08:13:29 PM

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 15, 2026, 07:03:53 PM... is that reels are such an unnecessary item.

I read that last part and it sounded like reading it with my wife's voice.   


my two daughters always take my abu Garcia Toro Beast 60 over any other reel for light jig fishing or even bait fishing for triggerfish, but I only have one saltwater lowprofile reel, it would be nice to get this Piscifun reel which is almost the same size of the toro Beast 60 and compare them on the battle field.

Lol.
That would be interesting to direct compare.

Quote from: oc1 on April 15, 2026, 06:41:11 PMIt seems that the fly rod market is a whole different animal in the world of fishing tackle.  The high-end models have past $1,000 now. That comes out to about $250 per ounce.  Less than the price of gold but more than silver. Does anybody think that a $1,000 fly rod performs twice as well as a $500 fly rod?  Is it twice as durable?  Twice as pretty?  It's irrational and fickle.

It is sort of like wine.  It is possible to find good and bad wine  across the price spectrum, but the odds are stacked against you at the low end and in your favor once you get a tier or two past the bottom end. And once you get into the decent stuff, twice the price ain't gonna be twice as good.

For lighter duty freshwater use, if you pay a $100, you have a very good chance of getting a pretty good rod.  For bigger saltwater fly rods where both durability and castability have to be acheived, you usually have to crack $300 nowadays. 

I got to try someone else's Winston Air 2 Max(USD $1300) on a roosterfish last year.  This is the most expensive fly rod that I have ever tried.  It was an unusual rod in that it had a fairly moderate action but still could load up well and fire a tight loop, making it  well suited for the guy with the floppy less-crisp casting stroke common with freshwater fly fishers. It actually is a bit better rod for a big segment of the market. Not twice as good, but noticeably better.   Maybe worth it if you  enough money, and the rod is a match for your casting style.

Me? I personally prefer the action and fish fighting abilities the old TFO TiCRX rods that I can  pick up on the auction site for less than 1/6 of the price of that Winston. Maybe I just have cheap taste

-J

Quote from: jurelometer on Today at 06:08:43 AMIt is sort of like wine.  It is possible to find good and bad wine  across the price spectrum, but the odds are stacked against you at the low end and in your favor once you get a tier or two past the bottom end. And once you get into the decent stuff, twice the price ain't gonna be twice as good.

I like this analogy.  I also think about a friend of mine who is waaaaaay into golf.  Even basic clubs ain't cheap, but then when you get into cu$tom fitted $ets it becomes $$$$$.  And he openly admits that for "Joeybagodonuts" it probably wouldn't make a difference, but for someone like him (twice a week, 7 handicap) that it can be a beneficial improvement.
So, if I understand Jurelometer (while wearing my tweed hat and Orvis vest), in a highly technique specific application (like fly fishing - I WAS paying attention during your Saltwater Flyfishing techniques seminar) there would there be an advantage to having a custom rod tailored to an individual person's style?  I know it wouldn't make any difference for me (my Silaflex Perfexion and Eagle Claw rods mated up with a box of Pflueger Medalists are waaay beyond my abilities). - john

Yeah, both those last two posts.

Quote from: Brewcrafter on Today at 04:43:07 PM

Quote from: jurelometer on Today at 06:08:43 AMIt is sort of like wine.  It is possible to find good and bad wine  across the price spectrum, but the odds are stacked against you at the low end and in your favor once you get a tier or two past the bottom end. And once you get into the decent stuff, twice the price ain't gonna be twice as good.

I like this analogy.  I also think about a friend of mine who is waaaaaay into golf.  Even basic clubs ain't cheap, but then when you get into cu$tom fitted $ets it becomes $$$$$.  And he openly admits that for "Joeybagodonuts" it probably wouldn't make a difference, but for someone like him (twice a week, 7 handicap) that it can be a beneficial improvement.

So, if I understand Jurelometer (while wearing my tweed hat and Orvis vest), in a highly technique specific application (like fly fishing - I WAS paying attention during your Saltwater Flyfishing techniques seminar) there would there be an advantage to having a custom rod tailored to an individual person's style?  I know it wouldn't make any difference for me (my Silaflex Perfexion and Eagle Claw rods mated up with a box of Pflueger Medalists are waaay beyond my abilities). - john

What I meant in this case was that Winston managed to create rods that were not necessarily the very top performing in more skilled hands, but rather a rod that was high performing for a broader range of skill levels.  These rods might  also be desirable  for a skilled caster that still prefers a slower stroke. They use super high grade cork and other premium components, and ended up with a high end niche for themselves in a very crowded marketplace.

There are tons of rods across the spectrum with fast to ridiculously fast action. You can get more distance and more line speed out these, but a lot of fly fishers dislike them because you get less feedback from the rod loading up unless you are putting some muscle into it and your timing is spot  on. It reminds me of hitting a baseball just right, so I really like a fast rod, within reason.

A skilled practitioner will cast about the same with a bunch of different mid tier to top end rods, but will probably have a preference, which I think is more about enjoyment than  performance.

I do not think that there is a performance benefit in custom building a single handed fly rod unless you want something special in the grip.

And matching the fly line to the rod is more important than the minor differences in similar rods.

BTW, many fly fishing nuts will disagree with my assessment on rod price/performance, with more of a preference for the premium brands and a higher minimum base price point.

-J

I realized I finally have the right analogy here. It's a Honda or Toyota vs like a Hyundai. Yeah they've come a long way. And they have specs and lists of features that match or compare to their higher priced rivals. Some have even been pretty respectably fast, ESPECIALLY for the price. And some folks have been really really happy with them. There were Hyundai faster than my old FA5 Si.

But are they the same? How many of the faster ones more than a few years old do you still see on the road? Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with riding in a Hyundai with a smile in your face. But I'll take an old Honda over a new Hyundai, personally.