Just a wondering if anyones got any suggestions on a fair priced fixed spool for beach work? I fish the beaches of Norfolk and Suffolk which are all pretty clean, I'll probably load it with 18lb line and team it up with my newly aquired Paul Kerry whisker rod.

I'm not fussy about the make and would probably want to spend no more than 40 or 50 pounds.

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

Cheers

Dan T

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dont bother with ABU their names gone and are just selling chinese crap with a ABU sticker mark up.

the biggest thing is line capacity! for instance.

if it holds 270yrds of 20lb line then as soon as you get to 85yard cast the spools then causing drag because of the angle on the line over the lip

so the biggest amount of line it holds is good as theres more left on the spool

long nosed spools are good the line comes off at a lesser angle than a normal spool.

my cheap long nosed cheapy although it holds about the same amount of line as my ABU cardinal will outcast it by 25% EVERY time.

the rest is pretty samey after all a reel is no more than a line holder after all.

the amount of bearings is up to the user but ensure they are salt water proof ,my cheapy has 11 its a very smooth reel but it needs looking after and stripping every year because the bearings are not salt water proof so it gets a very good wash after each trip!!!!

flashy bits dont do anything but look nice and fall off

Thanks for that Chesters thats all very sound advice. I think you're especially spot on about the spool.

I bought a cheapy Daiwa Jupiter a few years back, I think it was twenty quid but the anti-reverse plays up now.

Chesters do you know if Shimano Baitrunners have saltwater proff bearings? I having a feeling they don't. I fancy using mine for a bit of saltwater spinning this summer but won't if it'll knacker it up..

This post has been edited by dant: May 9 2008, 11:51 AM

i dont know i went of shimano years ago.
talking about this cheapy i had i have just been onto the importer because i cannot find another anywhere ,turns out it was just available for 1 year (unfortunately its a modern twist in most things) none left ,no spares left "probably been chucked out" so when this one dies i'm going to be looking myself but maybe have a look at okuma but ofcourse hopefully in an 80 or 85 size ,big is good in fixed spools.
mind you looking at the okuma website if the reels are as bad as it is i wont bother.
the penn range seems to be made for children big spools but old fashioned
some of the reels from japan on ebay look very pretty but even those listed as sea reels are tiny ,perhaps foreigners dont sea fish ,the american sea reels are laughable and seem to think everybody either spins or spins from boats.

theres also some confusion over long nosed or long cast spools ,many have them advertised but most are not!!!

This post has been edited by chesters1: May 9 2008, 12:44 PM

Cheers Chesters. All good info.

there will no doupt some later who will entice you into the dark side of multipliers ,worth a thought although i have never mastered them ,infact i usually start my own birds nest collection every time one comes out the bag ,you can use a multiplier on a fixed spool rings rod but the reverse doesnt work as well because of the way the line comes off a fixed spool

This post has been edited by chesters1: May 9 2008, 01:06 PM

I've had a few try to sway me in the past. I'm not too bad at beachcasting with multis and have used on other peoples set ups in the past. But I guess it's a bit like pendulum casting you either do or you don't, the middle ground with that cast is a paticularly dangerous place to be.
Someone tried to teach me when I started sea fishing at around 10 years old but I didn't have the patience to stick with the practice.
So now I just give it a good old fashioned overhead thump, a multi isn't really going to make much of a difference distance wise. Mind you I'm not particularly bothered about distance as you meet quite a few these days who seem more concerned with the yardage of their cast over what might be hanging on the other end when it gets there.

Go for the Shakespeare K2, 2 tapered spools, 1 alloy, 1 carbon, will last almost for ever with minimum of care, holds loads of line. Have seen them for £60, maybe less on E-BAY.

looks like a nice reel Norm but as usual a crap website!
no mention of the technical details whatsoever ,how many bearings and if they are corrosion resistant rtc
http://www.shakespeare-fishing.co.uk/index...rticle=2500-070

hopefully its better than this pile of junk (which strangely has more details) mine lasted 3 trips and i took it back

http://www.shakespeare-fishing.co.uk/index...rticle=2208-060

Grauvell Zeus Z4000 250yds 16lb line 4.5:1 ratio Now if you have to go fixspool this is a class reel for £89 ish.

Being a multiplier person it goes against the grain to admit that with the right rod this reel will put a 4oz lead out of sight when required, I had one loaded with 12lb main line tapered shock leader and it was one mean machine. I sold it on with the K2 blue 16' rod and the chap who purchased it cannot believe how far he can cast it, quality and design wise it is unbeatable at the price.