New Reel

[hambo692]

Hey everyone.

sigh...

I have given up trying to make up my own mind.

I need a new reel for jewfish, and would like to use it for smallish kings around the harbour as well. Budget is about $160-$190, as i want something that will last me a while without falling apart. I have pretty much settled on the Daiwa Exceler DA 4000 for $175 (i think its DA), but now i need to decide the line to put on it. (Wont have enough money for a while, so definitely still open for suggestions) It looks like it comes with a spare spool, so i thought i would put mono on one spool for bait, and braid on the other for lures. (Plastics for jew, plastics and poppers for kings) After reading through countless related posts, it seems that 15lb braid should be enough, but is that too light for a 4000 reel? The rod I will be putting it on is an 8-10kg Pioneer Perfect Cast (would probably prefer a Catana- the extra length would be nice- but at the moment this is the best i can do)I was thinking 20 or 25 lb mono, which would probably be too heavy for a smaller reel? 20lb braid would be much better suited to the 4000 reel, so is there much difference between 15 and 20lb? (casting distance, lure action etc.) As far as brands, I like the Schneider mono, and was looking at PowerPro braid. As I said, i have given up trying to figure it all out for myself, so any help would be awesome.

Thanks

[hambo692]

Would 20lb braid and 30lb mono be more suitable?

[slinkymalinky]

Wow, flatboy... a complex subject and question.

Ultimately, the line you run on that reel (a good choice by the way) is really related to a lot of factors and there's no 'right or wrong' answer. I'd personally recommend from the sound of what you're planning to do, that you focus on trying to set the outfit up to be as versatile as possible.

Is there any reason you're thinking of running mono for the bait outfit? Are you open to thinking about maybe running 15lb braid on one spool and 30lb braid on the other?

There's no reason you can't fish 15lb braid on a reel like your Daiwa... it's a biggish reel but as long as the reel balances the rod and the rod suits the drag you'll be running on 15 you'll be fine. Just put a top shot of braid on top of a lot of mono or you'll need a truckload of braid to fill the spool. 15lb will be good for casting lures to Salmon, harbour kings, tailor etc and is definitely strong enough for the job. Yes, you'll get some better distance in casting and have more fun fishing that bit lighter.

With one spool of 15, a spool of 30 could help you cover more options. There's not a heap of difference between 15 and 20lb braid but the 30 will give you some serious authority if you hook up something a bit bigger. You'll get plenty on the spool.

Nothing wrong with Powerpro. A lot of good fishos prefer it. But you'll find advocates for a lot of different brands. Just stick with the known better brands and stay away from the cheapo stuff. If the price looks too good to be true... it is.

Cheers, Slinky

[hambo692]

Thanks for having a shot at my question Slinky! Braid on both spools... hmmm... hadnt considered that actually. A bit more expensive but will probably be worth it. It will take a while to get there,(still havent paid off the Trion lol) but that versatility should be great. I thought I would have to get a 300m metre spool of braid, but now that I have some confidence in my 'Improved Albright' that probably won't be necessary I suppose. The big one is always on my mind lol. So i guess it won't be any more expensive... just have to spend more on backing. I'll figure it all out one day.

Thanks, AGAIN, for some great help Slinky. Without you, 'tackle talk' would be useless. LOL

FB

[steze]

Whatever Slinky said. You hit the nail on the head. I would do the exact same thing. Braid is more expensive but you will grow to love it once you starting casting really far with bait or lures.

[italian stallion]

I would go braid all the way

Cheers Marco