You may have seen the conger thread (if Not, there is some great info on there) and within that I said I'm on the look out for a reel that would suit a 30lb/50lb class boat rod..
Before homing in on a particular model and apologises if this question has been asked before .
What's the pro's and con's to
Lever drag v star drag
Level wind v non level wind
I have been looking at various Penn multipliers but need some advice on the most suitable model
Level wind cause nothing but trouble on a reel for saltwater use , They always seem to seize at the wrong time , Im a big fan of lever Drags as there alot easier to adjust and i find a lot more user friendly (although im sure others would disagree ) also quicker and easier to engage free spool , I use mainly something in the 15 series for 12lb-20lb class rods for all my general sea fishing including wrecks and sharking and does fine - if you were to match a reel for a 30/50lb class outfit id recommend something like a shimano TLD 20 or 25 they also come in a 2 speed version or up a level is the tyrnos version there is also some penn reels in this size but ive yet to find a reel as durable and reliable as a shimano altought the penn fathom range is ok with a faster line retieve
ID always go lever drag and no level wind -
hope this is off help
The real question is what drag do you wish to apply to the fish you've hooked or hope to catch.
Most quality offshore reels are designed to apply drag pressures applicable to their respective International Game Fish Assosciation (IGFA) classes, in normal use this relates spool strength enabling it to withstand compression caused by line tightening, frame rigidity to withstand the torque, material used in the gears, spindles and bearings and lastly the handle length.
A 4/0 is designed to apply 20lbs of drag, 6/0 40lbs of drag, reels will also withstand short periods of 'sunset' the term used when the lever is lowered to its fullest extent and the max. possible drag is applied.
On a lever drag reel the lever arm that applies the drag rotates around a 160degree cresent which has stop buttons which must be depressed before free spool and full lock can be passed by the drag lever. There are no such features on a star drag reel.
As a reel spool empties the load on the line increases requiring the drag to be backed off, and it is far easier to do this with a lever drag.
Deep water dropping with heavy weights requires careful spool control inorder to avoid gear tangling, something far easier with a lever reel.
There isnt a level wind designed that will withstand the presures involved in offshore fishing.
Offshore anglers lay the line with the thumb of their rod hand, however a well ringed rod will lay the line sufficient for most UK applications.
In open water a fish can be allowed to run until its muscle fatigue cause it to slow down to recover, in a restricted space and fishing near a wreck or structure allowing a fish to run isn't an option, essentially it is a tug of war between tackle&man v the fish.
This brings into question is how much drag can the angler physically apply, using stand-up tackle, weighing 10stone and fully fit and fishing 3-5times a week I could apply 28lbs of drag, but Ive been lifted off my feet when going beyond 35lbs (5'6" rods, rod belt and kidney harness).
Most anglers grossly overestimate the drag they are applying on the fish, try lifting a 5litre bucket of water on a 4ft broom handle (5litres = 5kilo/11lbs apx).
Rod hand, you may be like me and want to wind the reel with your lefthand, in which case choose a purpose designed lefthand reel thus avoiding the problems left2right users often suffer.
Lastly it no use trying to apply a heavy drag with a micky mouse rod!
Do not buy anything carbon, offshore you want inherent strength and longivity which is why most IGFA class rods are E glass or a blend.
Buy your reel, load it with line, attach it to the rod of choice and load it with 20-30lbs of weight, if during the loading it creaks or bits start to fly off stop immediately and reject it.
If the shop or seller will not allow you to test their rods as above, go elsewhere.
If you want to bend some of my rods, no problem.
Last edited by Mike J on Wed Sep 04 2019 09:23, edited 3 times in total.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
I do a lot of sea fishing and have always used level wind ABU's with star drags ... but others i fish with use the other !
But i don't do conger fishing as such ( but have caught many close to reefs and on them while fishing for other fish ) ... so possibly would change if i targeted them properly on wrecks where the Eels are much bigger
Truth is sea anglers will be split on this ... so i suppose it depends if you are going to buy a reel solely for that purpose or a reel that can be used for other fish too , something middle of the range size wise .
I've used my Abu 10000 (level wind /star drag) 30 lb class for Blue shark with no problem at all. To be honest they are not particularly hard fighters. I've recently sold a 'big' Daiwa that I used to use for Porbeagles with 50 lb class gear ...again star drag /non level wind. I personally prefer the ease of using a lever drag system when having used them on charters in the distant past. You would rapidly get used to using a none level wind reel if you've used multipliers in the past. Best of luck.
"The best argument against democracy, is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter"
W.Churchill
It doesn't matter who you vote for the government still gets in.
If I'm playing a decent fish to the surface with a non level wind, I don't worry too much about laying the line with my thumb if I know I'm dropping back down again when I'm wreck or ground fishing and not casting. Having said that, the depth of water can sometimes dictate a thumb lay so the line doesn't build up on one area of the spool and rub on the cage bars.
The last retrieve of the session will see me thumb a decent lay on.
