!!help needed!!

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:09 pm

hi im looking to take the leap from fixed spool reels to multipliers and looking for some advice.
im looking for something which would be suitable for use off my kayak but also capable of a bit of beach casting.
ive used my m8s daiwa 7ht and after a few birdsnests i think ive sussed the brake settings/ line control etc but have trouble reeling the line back on tidily.
so i am looking for something about the same size as the 7ht but with a levelwind. my budget is also quite tight at the moment so im looking to spend up to about £30-40 with the view of upgrading later on when i get a bit more confident.

ive been looking at a few reels including the okuma nytrix x250 (5.1:1, 260yds/10lb), the ron thompson black knight (5.3:1, 200yds/16lb)
and also found these on fleabay:

Links removed .. sorry.

are any of these worth a try or are there some other suitable reels i should look into?

any help greatly appreciated
Cheers
Phill

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:30 pm

Why bother mate? Also do you understand that casting with a level wind doesn't work very well? Personally I use a cheap Okuma level wind on the boat which has served me well and a Diawa FS from the beach, ditto.

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 2:08 pm

thx for that eccles
no i didnt realise that a levelwind would hinder my casting.
it will be mainly for the yak but i wanted something which could be used from the beach as well.
ive been looking at a few of the okuma reels for use off the kayak i might just pick 1 up to use for now.
ive been offered my m8s old battered 7ht which ive already used so i might take him up on it and just take it out with my spare rod next time i go out and keep practicing until i master it. if not ill stick with the FS.
cheers
Phill

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:19 pm

Well mate, I suppose you could use a baitcaster multiplier for fishing from the boat as well but it's not something I would do or most folk come to that. Having said that, I don't personally use a baitcaster multi on the beach for two reasons: 1. As I do often do beach fishing at night I can't be bothered to get the hang of multi-casting in darkness at my age.
2. I much prefer the faster retrieve rate that one gets with a FS reel.

I would add if it helps that most folk soon acquire a collection of rods and reels for various purposes and I am no exception - probably got at least six rods and a similar number of reels. A lot of folk have many more and I would recommend that you have at least two of each kind of reel just to get the experience of using and abusing them LOL.

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 8:53 pm

phatboy wrote:

thx for that eccles
no i didnt realise that a levelwind would hinder my casting.
it will be mainly for the yak but i wanted something which could be used from the beach as well.
ive been looking at a few of the okuma reels for use off the kayak i might just pick 1 up to use for now.
ive been offered my m8s old battered 7ht which ive already used so i might take him up on it and just take it out with my spare rod next time i go out and keep practicing until i master it. if not ill stick with the FS.
cheers
Phill

And from the "be positive" corner .... at some point in your early life you ditched crawling on all fours and got yourself up and walking ... you no doubt fell over a few times and if you've ever watched a toddler taking early steps you'll know its a challenge. But in the end its all worth it .... learning to use a multiplier is very similar except that its a whole lot easier quite frankly ... just don't try to run before you can walk.

Certainly for boat fishing a level wind won't cause you any problems whatsoever simply because you can, quite safely do without a leader knot, the bit that will jam in the levelwind. Actually if you learn to tie knots properly they generally don't but even if you can't tie a tidy knot that still won't hold you back on the shore ... if you use a tapered leader the join between leader and main line will cause the levelwind absolutely no bother.

If you are wanting to get the best distance from the reel on the shore the drag from the level wind and the fact that it interferes with your grip on the spool will hold you back, but if you are not fussed about distance there is no reason why you can't use a reel with a level wind from the beach with no trouble at all.

Losing the level wind is handy if you are prepared to stick at it as manual line lay allows you to get more line on the reel and it is one less thing to wear out ... you'll also find birdies easier to get out when the level wind is gone.

Assuming the 7HT is in good nick and you don't want something to pull congers out of the rocks or fish heavy ground it will do just fine and is a very popular reel. With your budget you are going to struggle to afford one of the better models (sorry but I don't personally include the Okumas in that category) but whatever model you do get make sure it has brakes of either one kind of the other ... and there are lots of ways you can slow them down a little more, with just heavier oil or by doubling up on brake blocks while you are learning.

The one last point is to get some proper tuition on how to use the multi ... I keep saying it because its probably the most important step to learning without the woes involved ... an hour with someone who knows what they are doing is worth 25 hours trying to teach yourself.

I've absolutely no problem with FS reel users (I still use them myself when I see an advantage to be had from doing so) but it does get my back up when someone asks for advice about using a multi and rather than positive encouragement and sensible advice ... all they get is this type negativity from people with closed minds to a multiplier. Eccles, by all means stick to your FS if thats what your happy with but your not really the most qualified person to comment on how to use a multi, espaecially as all you ever do is discourage people from using them!

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 9:09 pm

phatboy, sorry took the links out as I know Mrix doesn't allow them (to ebay that is) ... but by all means list the reels you are thinking of for opinions.

I hate okuma multis but my opinion on them is certainly not shared by everyone so some of the lads that use them may well have some feedback on the pros and cons of the individual models winking

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 6:34 am

I accept what RW has said about me, he is right but I remain unconvinced. A few years ago I made a few attempts at using a multi to cast but soon gave up, hence I don't know much about the subject. However, I continue to catch fish fairly regularly and thus my "why bother" opening remark.

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:49 am

At the end of the day it all comes down to personal choice. I myself us both Multiplers and fixed spools.

Most people find my type of fishing very unconventioal in the fact that I use what are now described as light boat reels for beachcasting namely Abu 7500s.

All people can do is advise you but the choice is yours and yours alone, my advise is to fish with what suits you and what you feel comfortable with.

I have also used Okuma boat reels for shore fishing when from the shore.

I have used fixed spools on a boat when flattie bashing as I said very unconventional but I still catch fish.

There will always be a difference of opinion and that is why god gave us the power to chose for ourselves.

The point I'm trying to make although it may come over badly is, not to rely on others all the time for their opinion, buy what makes you happy, and remember fishing is suposed to be fun, not a science. Ask my kids they can beat me with a bloody handline.
Cheers
keith big grin

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 9:27 am

thx for the advice guys
ive decided to have my m8s 7ht and practice casting and retrieving with a second rod next time i go out. if i can get the hang of it from the beach then ill invest in 1 to use from the yak (not sure about levelwind yet, ill see how i get on).
practice makes perfect big grin

.
cheers
Phill

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 9:36 am

The levelwind is there for a purpose and that is to put line on level, this is especially good for the uninitiated. You can of course remove this, but without the conversion kit removing the bar will seriously weaken the reel.
Cheers
keith big grin

Regular Joined: Dec 14, 2008 Posts: 256 Location: rochdale

The Abu 6500c3 for clean ground and the Abu 7000i for rough ground are the lowest level I would go for if you want a usable reliable reel.
you can also get them in left hand wind as 6501c3 and 7001i which you might find better if you are a beginner.
Both reels will put a clipped down baited rig over 140m , when using them with braid streight through like I do.
You can get them from gerrysfishing at Morcambe for £80 ish.
I know use an Abu Record 61hc and Revo Toro 61 because they give me an extra 20-25m casting distance.
They are not too hard to get the hang of, when casting, Iv,e only had a couple of fluff ups and that was because the wind direction changed at night and I couldn,t be bothered opening the reel to click on the extra brakeing needed.
I,d keep saving your money till you can afford something decent rather than buy a cheapy which you can,t get parts for when they wear out. All Abu parts are available and there are a lot of good Abu mechanics out there. They can also be upgraded easily.

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:01 am

eccles wrote:

I accept what RW has said about me, he is right but I remain unconvinced. A few years ago I made a few attempts at using a multi to cast but soon gave up, hence I don't know much about the subject. However, I continue to catch fish fairly regularly and thus my "why bother" opening remark.

As i said before Eccles ... thats your choice and if you just want to fish with whatever works thats absolutely fine - though you have obviously wondered if you are missing out on something because you tried multipliers.

I've always maintained that there is more than the practical advantages to be gained from the ability to use both types of reel, there can be an enormous sense of achievement and gain in confidence from learning a multi (actually it comes with mastering any new skill) and that can rub off to general fishing giving the encouragement to try new things - quite often it seems to be the hurdle that once overcome, sees an angler suddenly make major leaps forward in their success rate and their enjoyment of the sport.

Multis today are pussycats ... those that aren't can be turned into pussycats cheaply and easily and there is no black magic involved, no superhuman powers required and no reason to deprive yourself.

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:17 am

" at some point in your early life you ditched crawling on all fours and got yourself up and walking "

that was because we needed to..... there is no need for the great majority to learn to use a multiplier...

same as juggling, nice if you can do it, you can impress people who are easily impressed, and pat yourself on the back that you have mastered a new skill but in the grand scheme of things you could have spent the time far better by going fishing, not casting.

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 12:37 pm

tensenervoushaddock wrote:

" at some point in your early life you ditched crawling on all fours and got yourself up and walking "

that was because we needed to..... there is no need for the great majority to learn to use a multiplier...

same as juggling, nice if you can do it, you can impress people who are easily impressed, and pat yourself on the back that you have mastered a new skill but in the grand scheme of things you could have spent the time far better by going fishing, not casting.

If you take that attitude a step further ... there is no need to go fishing as there is a perfectly good fish counter at tescos! If everything in life was about nessesity it would be a bloody boring life.

The issue here was that the original poster asked for advise about how to use a multiplier NOT if he should or not .... as phatboy had already decided he wanted to try one it wasn't a cue for the anti multiplier brigade to start off.

I'll be blunt here ... if you have no sensible advise to give the fella on the topic of how to choose and use a multiplier, save your keyboard the wear and tear of typing another negative post and me the job of deleting the post when your done.

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:16 pm

Multis can't retrieve fast? confused

Are you using it right? You should see the speed I can bring a rig back in up and over rocks.. it'd rival most fixed spools I can assure you that.

I haven't been using multis for long(less than 6 months) but I can say right now with utmost confidence...I won't use a fixed spool again. They just feel too big, unbalanced and...well clumsy. They can make a good rod feel awful!

When I first got a multiplier I was wary about the line lay more than anything..but to be honest you don't have to lay it as neat as you think. Yeah it's got to be reasonably tidy but I think perfect line lay is something that fixed spools need and multis don't.

Using a multi in the night is no problem because after a few tidy sessions you can hear the spool slowing down and you get to know when to stop it.

Some people don't get on with them I guess but..I'm on the positive multi side[/i]