Wanted: Baitrunner / Bait feeder reel

[MuskieBait]

(01-14-2013 12:52 PM)Jeremy Ray Green Wrote:  I think you'll be surprised about tightline's As his Business is 80 % trolling....

Just my 2 cents ....

~Jeremy.

Trolling does not equal saltwater gear. The shop in Cambridge that I used to frequent was focused on trolling gear as well...and that shop also had a charter out of Port D. It's Tall Tales in Cambridge if you must know...and they run Fins and Grins out of Port D.

I used to frequent their forum a lot too (http://www.talltales.on.ca)...but they are very focused on trolling and I don't have a boat. I don't visit much anymore.

They don't have any reels bigger than a 3/0 (if you can even call an Okuma Convector 30 a 3/0 reel)...and all of the local gear has levelwind.

I was looking for a reel without levelwind (ie conventional reel). A levelwind is just another piece to break down when a fish goes on a sizzling run. Comparatively, a 25lb king salmon does not make a sizzling run. I've caught a few from Lake Ontario on my friend's boat and I speak from experience. In contrast, the 3lb Yellow Jack I caught just a week ago makes a sizzling run. It took out 1/4 of my spool within seconds and I had 300 yards of 50lb braid on the reel. A levelwind just can't catch up fast enough with the spool sometimes...and it ends up wearing out the gears in your reels when there is that added resistance from the slow levelwind.

Other trolling reels often have line counter on them (Daiwa Levelwind LC for example)...and again, a line counter plus a levelwind equals more parts to break...and more gear failure. The less excessive parts, the better. Keeping it simple really is better for saltwater gear.

Does Tightline's stock Penn Special Senator 114H2? I personally don't see much need for the 6/0 reel here for trolling...too big, too heavy at 45oz in weight before spooling line on the reel...and local salmon trolling does not need the capacity of 390 yards of 60lb that the 6/0 offers.

I would like to be surprised though.