Does this reel exist?

Started by thunnus, May 23, 2009, 06:01:46 PM

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thunnus

Greetings Alan,

Thank you for your service to the angling community. Please consider my plea for help...

I am searching for a reel to target bluefin tuna weighing more than 200lbs. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I am jigging these fish so need a reel that is 1) light weight- ideally around 30oz, 2) easy to engage the lever at higher drag settings.

I have explored a long list of possibilities- John Baker 12, alutecnos, torsa, accurate, a calsheets penn 12, etc.  There are rumors of a push button everol that is soon to hit the market that sounds interesting.  It would be great if the reel was durable as well so that I could get 25+ days on the water without requiring rebuild/maintenance. Two speed would be nice, but not absolutely required. I am wiling to experiment and use reels that have been modified by experts.

May I trouble you for suggestions?  Thanks in advance for any assistance you can render.

Best Regards,

David


alantani

david, i have a full set of the older boss series accurates.  i think the newer series will fit your needs nicely.  not affilliated, etc.....
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

thunnus

Thanks Alan,

I really appreciate the response... and I was afraid you say that.

Let me first admit that my knowledge of reels is limited. But based on fighting (and loosing) some jumbo bft's I've found my 665 boss 2 speed isn't up to the task because...

1) the lever is too hard to engage at higher drag settings (it sounds trivial, but in a day's jigging the reel might go in and out of gear 100+ times)
2) i find the drag curve ill suited because it is 'all or nothing' (this could be a matter of personal preference and/or operator error, but I haven't found the sweet spot on the drag curve. I understand from your posts that there is no such thing as a free lunch and I may just have to live with this as a characteristic of small form-factor lever drags.)
3) I haven't been able to make it generate sufficient drag power. (I'd estimate a little over 20# @ strike- definitely less than 30#.  This is the most I can get out of the reel  while still being able to engage the lever)

Thus far, I've lost every battle against jumbo bft with the 665- in contrast, I've managed a few victories against decent bft's on a tweaked saltiga 50. If there are mods to the 665 that you think could help, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Likewise, I won't be insulted if you suggest that I learn how to jam the thing into gear and just deal with the drag curve. 

At the end of the day, I'm not really worried about the 150lbs fish. It's the 250lbs fish that I'd like to have a chance of landing. And based on past experience, I'm a little hesitant to cast my lot (and my jig) with another accurate.

Thanks Again,

David





alantani

i know what you mean about the drag curve,  i had a guy with the same issue.  i had to grind down the cam by hand to correct that issue. 

i am only familiar with yellowfin.  fish up to 150 pounds will fall to a reel that will deliver 20 pounds of drag.  if you're looking at fish up to 250 pounds, i understand that drag settings of 35 pounds are needed.  the reel in MY arsenal to meet this challenge would be the accurate atd 6 or 30.  a hopped up avet 4/0-2 will deliver 35 pounds of drag would be my choice for the least expensive reel.  penn and shimano also make reels that will perform to this level. 
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

thunnus

Thanks Alan,
I'll check out your suggestions.
David

codhead

#5
I guess that the OP already has his answer but for anyone else, the Everol Vertigo (vertical jigging) Series does have a free-spool button.

I'm currently waiting on my VJ12 reel arriving in the UK from Paulo at Everol, via Stan Massey at Alba Rods. Stan is also building me a one-piece, 6' 6", 12lb class rod, based on a Conoflex E-glass blank. I'm hoping to take delivery by the end of January and can't wait to get out on the mid-Channel (English) wrecks and then on the bass, later in the year.

I recently managed to acquire an Everol 4/0 and a Penn 25 GLS for the princely sum of £35 GBP. The Penn was in OK fishable condition but the Everol looks like it's had a hard life, saying that, it was manufactured in the early 70s and I doubt it's ever seen a service. I fully intend to strip the Everol and service/rebuild. When I do, I promise to take detailed photographs but here's a couple to show the current condition.









Happy New Year to all

Dave
The older I get, the better I was

alantani

you photography is magnificent!  people ask about the importance of greasing the screws in the reel seat.  looking at the base of your reel and all the corrosion, my convictions are confirmed.  even with the risk of having these screws back out, it is important to grease the screws.  alan
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

codhead

The thing I like about Everol reels is their simplicity: they seem to work on the old Land Rover principle of "basic engineering, done well".

Stan Massey tells a story about a 4/0 of his that he's used since he bought it in 1972. A couple of years ago, he dropped a starter motor on his reel and bent the handle. He packed it away and shipped it back to Italy, explaining what had happened, asked them to service it and replace any components (he feared he'd also bent the spindle too). He subsequently received a call from Paulo, informing him that they'd stripped the reel and had indeed needed to replace the handle. The spindle was fine, as was everything else (including drag washers & bearings), so they gave it a lube and sent it back. Stan openly admits he is not the most fastidious when it comes to servicing, in fact apart from a rinse in fresh water, that was the first time the reel had been lubed. How many other reels could make such a claim?

Even if the reel is no longer in production, or the part isn't on the shelf, that poses no problem. A man simply gets the drawings out and he makes the part for your reel. Stan reckons that Gianni, Paulo's father, would have hand built my particular reel. Gianni still spends a couple of days a week in the factory, even though he is now 78 years old. You really cannot put a price on service like that.

One final thing, Stan believes that the best fish he had on his 4/0 was a 650lb blue marlin (estimated, tagged & released), so even though I estimate the parts I will need will amount to around £100 GBP, I figure it's the least I can do to keep the reel going for another 40-odd years.
The older I get, the better I was