Salt water reel dilemma .... PLEASE HELP !!!

[nuplacebo]

Hi FNN members,
I need your expertise with this dilemma of mine. I'm planning to buy a saltwater reel but there are so many options out there. After I did a few trips to local tackle shop, read few blogs, online store etc, I narrowed down my options to these few reels : 1. Okuma Clarion 2. Daiwa Saltist, 3. Shimano Torium. Here are some questions I had in mind. Should I get ones with levelwind? Most people recommend without because it broke easily? Is that true? I thought levelwind should make your life easier, isn't that the whole purpose? Does line counter option important at all ? As you can tell most of them are star drag. What about lever drag ? Is it true that lever drag reel is harder to cast?
I am open to any suggestions. Thank you for reading this post !!

[megafisher94]

i depends on the type of saltwater your doing and if your comfortable using reels without a levelwind.

for inshore bass, i like the shimano calcutta 400. i use it for everything and it lasts a long time it you treat it right.

for cuda, i like the torium 16. it chucks jigs very well and can double for other bigger species as well as deep water because of the bigger drag
and crank.

and most okumas ive seen crap out very easy...

overall, id go with the calcutta 400. it holds enough line that ive fished 300ft+ with it and has enough
finesse to fish plastics and live bait for bass and sculpin.

[TFC_arvilJDM]

You can easily scratch out the Okuma from your list.

I've owned both Saltist & Torium. To be honest, Torium is way smoother and has better castabilty when your tossin out jigs. I had a Saltist 20 that landed few cudas, fun for a small reel, but cast distance wasn't as great. Also have a Saltist LD 2-Speed, ditto as the 20. I still own the Torium 20, cast further (cover more water if tossin jigs)

As for levelwinds, not recommended on bigger reels.

And line counters, never used one, but just depends on your type of fishing, mainly depth fishing obviously.

These are my personal expieriences. Good luck on your future purchases.

[nuplacebo]

Thanks for the suggestions !
I mainly fish from offshore and open party boat trip. Either from MDR or San Pedro.
I'm also thinking to do Tuna fishing soon. Any suggestions on a good open party trip ? From SoCal area or San Diego would be nice..
Is Okuma really that bad? I have the Trio 50 spinning reel. It's one amazing reel for the price. I would definitely recommend it to others.
Does anybody have a different opinion on Clarion?
I've seen quite a few Saltist user but not many Toriums.
FYI Sports Chalet is currently giving out 15% discount on reels !!

[exfactor]

What many anglers forget is that "you are going to be fishing for the rest of your life" You may think you r saving now by only getting what you can afford, but eventually you will need to service even the best reels made. Shimano has a great service department, and makes a good product. As far a casting, you can cast any reel well if you know how to cast. levelwind reels are great for throwing plastics, but not necessary. Jump in and get a torium, and learn how to use it. And remember, the rod is what catches the fish. The reel helps. Mikey

[yoitsbruce]

yeah stay away from the levelwind reels there flimsy on saltwater reels not as effective than fresh water. thumbing the line is easy and will take you 2 minutes to master. i still use my saltist 30t its a good reel for the price the drag is tight and torque is good. i heard bad things about okuma so i wuld stay away from it, all because replacement parts are not as available like daiwa or shimano. lever drags are cool but dont cast as well than star drag systems

[Which Way Out]

Just to mix it up a bit. I picked up an Ambassador Abu Garcia Revo Toro 60. Its an inshore rated reel but very heavy duty. First cast was so smooth I nicknamed it Keith Stone...lol. Anyway just give it a look if you have a chance. There is also a 50 and a few smaller ones, just be sure the reel you buy is saltwater rated. All the others mention are very nice as well but would agree the Okuma might be on the least desirable side, but if that's all you can afford go ahead and get it. Clean it well each time and good luck on your choice.

[nuplacebo]

I like that theory Mikey. Any good recomendation for saltwater rod?

[TFC_arvilJDM]

I like that theory Mikey. Any good recomendation for saltwater rod?

Cal Star, Seeker, Gloomis, just to name the few...expensive, but well worth it. Like they said, you're fishing for life.

[murrieta angler]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/1939280755.html

cant beat that with a stick. now go find a rod!