# upgrading sharking reel advice



## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Ok, so right now I just have a 6/0 with about 1100+ yards of braid and a 80lb mono topshot. It's a good reel but I'm needing to upgrade. I have plenty of line, but drag isn't going to stop a 10' plus shark. My only saving grace is my ton of line, but any big shark would probably spool me. I've seen a 14' hammerhead take 1000yards off of a tiagra 130 with 200lb line. So won't take much for me to get dumped.

So after xmas I'm thinking of a 12/0 and another reel. I've looked on the Web and ebay at the penn 80w, the tiagra 80, okuma makaira 80w, and the avet 80. All are great reels. Penn 80 is by far the cheapest and still a great reel. I'm wanting to pack 80 - 100lb line and have around 1000 total counting braid backer. 

I went out Saturday night and I'm averaging 400-500 yards out. I was pretty close to the pier ( not within illegal range) and I was at the end of pcola pier plus some. Pcola pier is 490yards. Amd that's about the same distance I usually always take it. Sometimes shorter.

So with that being said I need line capacity. I'm not about to pack 700 yards and yak 500 and put myself in a bad situation with only 200 yards. I can shorten my distance but 500 really isn't that far once you get out there.

So any input would be appreciated. 12/0 is probably a go in near future just bc of price and durability. And I can pack it pretty good. 

Just advice on line and which of those 4 reels.

Thanks


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

get a 12/0 and 14/0. those big fish down south only pull so much drag and get away with it because they are in ripping currents going out of passes. hence why they were on a jetty with the so called "14fter". load up the 12/0 with 600yards of 130lb hollow core line like JB Line One or Daimond braid. then top it with 100lb mono like hi seas quattro or Jinkai 100-130lb. or better yet, coplymer like suffix tritanium plus.

spool the 14/0 with 600yrds 130lb hollowcore and fill it up with 150lb Jinkai mono. it is 1.17mm and will splice into 130lb HC very easily. 

now get yourself two rods. one 6ft rated 100-130 for the 14 and a 6'6" rated 80-130 for the 12. you might have to go custom but you want a bit of flex in the tips and a SOLID back bone. 

pre set your drags at home. set 25-28lbs of drag on the 12/0 at full spool and 35-38lbs on the 14/0 at full spool. then harness up and test it out with a vehicle pulling drag down the street. get used to it and practice it a couple times. you don't want to be standing straight up and throw those reels into gear with a harness on. at half a spool you can add 40% or more drag to each real just by having less line. if you do any kind of adjusting, back off the drag, don't tighten it. tightening drags with low line will cause too much drag and things to break. let off a bit to keep the drag smooth and tire out that fish


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

I was checking the specs on a 12/0 and a 14/0. I like the senators and nothing wrong with them, I just think the avets are sexy as all hell. And a great reel.

If I do 600 yards of braid in each how much total do you think I can get in there with mono? 

I'm going to search. 12/0 I can get get for roughly $250 maybe and a 14 I think is usually around 300-400 or so. I can probably get a 12/0 and 14/0 with rods for the price of an avet with rod.

If I get one of those listed I think I'm leaning towards the Avet 80 EXW 80-2


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Justin618 said:


> I was checking the specs on a 12/0 and a 14/0. I like the senators and nothing wrong with them, I just think the avets are sexy as all hell. And a great reel.
> 
> If I do 600 yards of braid in each how much total do you think I can get in there with mono?
> 
> ...


big, shiny, lever drag reels are great, until UGLY decides to throw it in the sand.  then spring loaded bearing wont work, gears don't want to shift etc... 

senators will put a beating on just about any fish that swims within 800yards of the beach and still work as designed after taking a dunk or two in the surf and sand.

my 12/0 has 600yrds of braid and enough 130lb mono to get past p'cola pier and have roughly 30-40yards in reserve before the braid. you will get much more with 100lb. especially that suffix tritanium or Jinkai. its super thin.

my 80W has 600yrds of 130braid and about 450yrds of 150lb jinkai mono. a 14/0 will probably hold 600yards spooled the same or close to 700 with 130lb Jinkai.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Ok cool. I wanna try and have over 1000 yards and enough mono so that I have mono in the water and not the braid.

My dad's 12/0 has about 700 or so yards of 150lb so I'm sure I can fit a good amount of mono and braid


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## foreverfishing (Nov 30, 2012)

I hope Nathan sees this post. he argued with me that lever drags are sealed and don't get affected when sand penetrates them... haha. I love my senators. I've literally taken them apart and dumped sand out( took a friend sharking and he decided the sand looked like a good spot for the reel...:shifty. it fished just fine until I cleaned it. If I had a choice I'd take a 14/0, mostly because I have no grace and my reels get beat up a lot. Also because they are tried and true and I know they will last forever. If you can get single piece chrome spool senators. more capacity. I know I didn't add much but other than that Chris hit the nail on the head.

and you'll be able to get a thousand with either the chrome or black spool 12/0's. just got with 600 yards of hollow and top of with mono. I did that under LP"s recommendation and got 950 and can fit more.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Just ask Nathan why they put holes in the bottom of the lever drag reels..!!


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

I was originally going to get a 12/0 anyways. But the avets are just so nice.

Whenever I get my 12/0 and hopefully 14/0 I'm going to being it to you OM for a service and maybe some beefing up

Looking at a penn 80vsw too


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## foreverfishing (Nov 30, 2012)

Ocean Master said:


> Just ask Nathan why they put holes in the bottom of the lever drag reels..!!


I would but Nathan is in Africa and I don't think he is able to get on the forum or text to much. But if you would be so kind, why are there holes in the bottom of lever drags?


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## sharkwrangler (Sep 29, 2013)

If your using it primarily for LBSF, you can't go wrong with the Penn Senator series. They are more friendly to sand evasion than the Tiagra or Avet and have been proven to last in harsh environments. Kind of like comparing a 67' Camaro to a new Corvette. The Tiagra and Avet are awesome reels, but pricey with all the bells and whistles. IMO, they each have their own place, but I wouldn't have it on the beach. I have a 10/0 and 14/0 Senator. The 10/0 has 300 yards of 130 lb Power Pro topped off with 80 lb mono (600+ yards). My 14/0 is spooled with a little over 1,000 yards of 130 lb mono. 

My idea is try to keep it simple and not try to reinvent the wheel. Like Lowprofile said, go with an 80-130 lb rod that's at least 6' 6" with flex at the tip and a solid backbone. Also, don't get too caught up in some of the video's you might see from South Florida. Their conditions are different from what we have here in Pensacola. If you can't stop a large shark around here with 1,000 yards of 130 lb, chances are an extra 100 or 200 isn't going to help. Just my 2 cents.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

sharkwrangler said:


> If your using it primarily for LBSF, you can't go wrong with the Penn Senator series. They are more friendly to sand evasion than the Tiagra or Avet and have been proven to last in harsh environments. Kind of like comparing a 67' Camaro to a new Corvette. The Tiagra and Avet are awesome reels, but pricey with all the bells and whistles. IMO, they each have their own place, but I wouldn't have it on the beach. I have a 10/0 and 14/0 Senator. The 10/0 has 300 yards of 130 lb Power Pro topped off with 80 lb mono (600+ yards). My 14/0 is spooled with a little over 1,000 yards of 130 lb mono.
> 
> My idea is try to keep it simple and not try to reinvent the wheel. Like Lowprofile said, go with an 80-130 lb rod that's at least 6' 6" with flex at the tip and a solid backbone. Also, don't get too caught up in some of the video's you might see from South Florida. Their conditions are different from what we have here in Pensacola. If you can't stop a large shark around here with 1,000 yards of 130 lb, chances are an extra 100 or 200 isn't going to help. Just my 2 cents.



Great point about the extra capacity and not being able to stop a shark. I just like the lever drag reels. The capacity is about the same, but if an avet can hold 200 more yards then chances are like you said it won't be needed after being spooled on a 12 or 14.

I think I'm going to go with a 12/0 and just pack the crap out of it. I yak out a pretty good distance and need that capacity to keep me in the fight. Over 1000 on any reel is ideal to me.


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## sharkwrangler (Sep 29, 2013)

Justin618 said:


> Great point about the extra capacity and not being able to stop a shark. I just like the lever drag reels. The capacity is about the same, but if an avet can hold 200 more yards then chances are like you said it won't be needed after being spooled on a 12 or 14.
> 
> I think I'm going to go with a 12/0 and just pack the crap out of it. I yak out a pretty good distance and need that capacity to keep me in the fight. Over 1000 on any reel is ideal to me.


Can't go wrong on the beach with that "67' Camero!!!" :thumbup:


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

foreverfishing said:


> I would but Nathan is in Africa and I don't think he is able to get on the forum or text to much. But if you would be so kind, why are there holes in the bottom of lever drags?


 
With any reel water enters around the spool. With a lever drag when it is in free spool allot of water can get it. That's why there are holes in the bottom of all reels. To let the water out. That's also why Shimano uses open bearings. Shielded bearings hold water and rust. This is also why drags are tightened, lever drags the most, when rinsing down a reel.

So when he says it's sealed ask him to turn it over and look..!


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## tigershark (Oct 16, 2007)

I have several senators I love the 12/0s but after getting my Avet 80W it is now my favorite shark reel by far, pricey but its a great reel 
I bought mine from http://www.cabbagekeyrodandreel.com/

I believe he was the second Avet dealer and he was able to custom order mine in about 1/4 the time the other guys could. great guy ! 

Avet is raising their prices on their Reels as of 1/1/2014 just an FYI


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Yeah I saw that their prices were going up. I'd like to get one. For now I think I'll get a 12/0 and drop it off at OM for service and bulletproofing

If I get a lever drag I think I'm set on an avet exw 80-2. Found them for about $730-900 new


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

What about the Avets clicker, are they as loud as a senators?


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> What about the Avets clicker, are they as loud as a senators?


I don't think lever drags are as loud as any senator. Could be wrong


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

How would you hear a run over the surf, socializing, and possibly being to far away from the rod holder? Maybe that should be a project for Ocean Master, make a Avet clicker that's loud.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> How would you hear a run over the surf, socializing, and possibly being to far away from the rod holder? Maybe that should be a project for Ocean Master, make a Avet clicker that's loud.


I'm sure you can hear it. I just don't think they are as loud.


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## tigershark (Oct 16, 2007)

The Avet clicker sound isn't as loud as a 12/0 and it takes getting used to but you can hear it over the waves and talking. It would be nice to have a loud clicker but it does has a unique sound that you get used to


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

You should hear the makaira when it gets wound up. Very distinct and loud!


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

I love the new Makaira reels..! They are the best..!!


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