newell 338,trinidad 40, or torium 20

[THE DARKHORSE]

"newell 338,trinidad 40, or torium 20

Originally Posted by tptrench

Which one would you use for throwing surface iron? Thanks

Whew...thank goodness for the change in weather because my arms couldn't take much more. Being that it's my first day off work in a while, I'll bite .


Unless these are reels you already own...I'd suggest keeping your options open.

#1 The Newell 338: This reel has outstanding free-spool and is the go to reel for most deckhands on the West Coast. So if you're trying to fit in wearing your folded down Extra Tuff boots---go for it! Besides the great free-spool and looking cool aspect, I think most guys still use this reel for the easy service associated with it. It's easy to breakdown, easy to put a couple of drops of speed X on the bearings and most sportboats carry extra parts for these reels, too. Personally, not my favorite reel but obviously capable of doing the job. In my professional opinion, this is not a wise choice unless you are already casting at an expert level.

#2 Shimano Trinidad 40: This would be my go-to, straight 50 lb mono, yo-yo iron reel for sixty pound Cedros Island Yellowtail over heavy structure with forty guys standing shoulder to shoulder. It's too big and heavy, in my opinion, for a local surface-iron reel. It's an awesome reel, but the last one I'd pick out your reels you listed. I feel the same about the Torium 30; it's too big and heavy. Not to mention, the spool on Torium 30 is a little too wide. I know this because I used to have a Torium 30 on one of my Uluas, but eventually switched to the Torium 20.

#3 Shimano Torium 20 : It's a fact, you can cast farther with a Torium 20 due to the perfect height and width of the spool. Which is really what you should be considering when you purchase a reel, specifically for casting iron with a long rod. A few other reels that have this same perfect height and width of the spool are the Newell 338, Daiwa Saltist 40, Daiwa Sealine 40...to name a few. Enough of that, back to the Torium 20: this is the reel I used to love on my jig-sticks. Those days are over, though, and I'll tell you why. For one, I've broke the anti-reverse bearing on the Torium 20 over thirty times (a.k.a. The Knuckle Buster!). I've not only got the scars to prove it, but I'm pretty sure I fractured a finger in the process, too. It was swollen and hurt for five months, but I only go to the doctor when I can't stop the bleeding or can't breathe .

Not only that, but you need to be an engineer to service this reel yourself. For the guys that can do it, or are stubborn enough to do it...good for you. I'd rather go fishing myself. When you open this reel, it's a cute little mechanical bomb. And be prepared for springs and $h!^ to go flying everywhere. This is when I pack all the little parts, I can find, into a brown bag and send it in for service by a professional. If you insist on buying this reel, at least, put in a double-dog anti reverse and save your fingers!

If you're buying a conventional reel to cast surface-iron, for the kayak...I'd suggest picking up one of two reels. The first is a Daiwa Sealine 40. It's free-spool is just as good as a Newell 338. I can cast this reel just as far as any deckhand with a Newell (so can you with practice). It's durable as hell and takes abuse and keeps on ticking. It's got the perfect height and width as mentioned above. It's $109 at Squid Co. and I bet Charkbait has it on the cheap, too. It's easy to service and I've never had bloody knuckles from fishing with locked-down drags on bruiser Yellowtail with it. I'm man enough to admit that if the color scheme matched my four jig-sticks a little better...I'd have it on my jig-sticks, too. Unfortunately, black and gold would clash with any of my beautiful girls so it's not an option for me. The annoying clicking sound when you wind kind of bugs me, too (same for the Newell).

I use the Daiwa Saltist 40 on all my jig-sticks today. I've caught hundreds of Yellowtail on these reels and never broke the anti-reverse. Not once. Having bloody knuckles is a choice, apparently, so I'll leave that up to you. While this reel doesn't quite have the free-spool of the Sealine (I'm talking a tiny fraction of loss in free spool here). This reel is made to pull hard and is built a little better in my opinion. It's easy to service, doesn't make that annoying clicking sound and is priced below the Torium 20. They look like a tight mini-skirt on my beautiful girls, too. Which is important to me because I fondle them daily.

If you want to spend a little more and know that you're going to be distance challenged, I'll add another option. The Avet JX with Magic Cast. This reel is bullet proof, made for fishing heavy drag, easy to service and from what I've heard casts well. The only downside to this reel is you'll have to service it a bit more frequently than either of the Daiwa reels I mentioned. Not an issue since it's easy to do it yourself, though. The Avet LX would be the same as a Torium 30; too wide for efficient, repetitive casting and winding.


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If you know you're never going to be able to cast, long distance with control...don't rule out the coffee-grinders with spectra. Looking cool is an option; one we all face as the individual we choose to be. Remember, above all, catching Yellowtail on the surface-iron is much, much cooler, than simply looking cool.
In the words of Andre 3,000: " What's cooler than cool? Ice cold!"

[yaknewb]

Thanks for the much needed info DARKHOARSE.

[theluckypig]

Originally Posted by THE DARKHORSE

"newell 338,trinidad 40, or torium 20
If you're buying a conventional reel to cast surface-iron, for the kayak...I'd suggest picking up one of two reels. The first is a Daiwa Sealine 40. It's free-spool is just as good as a Newell 338. I can cast this reel just as far as any deckhand with a Newell (so can you with practice). It's durable as hell and takes abuse and keeps on ticking.

thanks DARKHORSE!

so proud of myself for getting my Daiwa Sealine 40's... now off to practice!

[The Kid]

100% agree after all i see Darkhorse's reels all to often hahaha

[Regor]

Originally Posted by theluckypig

so proud of myself for getting my Daiwa Sealine 40's... now off to practice!

x2

I've been practicing a lot lately, hitting the local empty playgrounds, the harbor, and OTW (unfortunately not throwing at anything in particular, just that imaginary YT ....

It's fun counting the reel turns and having them increase with fine tuning of my cast, a few tips here and there, and watching others.

..
..

And yes, I've experienced some nasty backlash while practicing. I've heard ...... if your still building up your skills, and your'e not backlashing occasionaly ........ your not pushing yourself

[robmandel]

Originally Posted by THE DARKHORSE

#3 Shimano Torium 20 :...this is the reel I used to love on my jig-sticks. Those days are over, though, and I'll tell you why. For one, I've broke the anti-reverse bearing on the Torium 20 over thirty times (a.k.a. The Knuckle Buster!). I've not only got the scars to prove it, but I'm pretty sure I fractured a finger in the process, too. It was swollen and hurt for five months, but I only go to the doctor when I can't stop the bleeding or can't breathe .

Not only that, but you need to be an engineer to service this reel yourself.


If you're buying a conventional reel to cast surface-iron, for the kayak...I'd suggest picking up one of two reels. The first is a Daiwa Sealine 40. It's free-spool is just as good as a Newell 338. I can cast this reel just as far as any deckhand with a Newell (so can you with practice). It's durable as hell and takes abuse and keeps on ticking. It's got the perfect height and width as mentioned above. It's $109 at Squid Co. and I bet Charkbait has it on the cheap, too. It's easy to service and I've never had bloody knuckles from fishing with locked-down drags on bruiser Yellowtail with it.



I use the Daiwa Saltist 40 on all my jig-sticks today.

some reels are made for fishermen, others are made for fishing. :bigg rinjester:

(disclaimer: I own 10 sealines, all upgraded with greased carbon fiber drags.)

[h2ofishfo]

torium16 for me really dont need that much line on the kayak for the 20 ill take the smaller feel of the reel in my hand and the 16 has a more narrow spool for easier tracking of line have it on the 9'ft terramar fast action love it cause its a light set up and gets the job done

[tptrench]

Thank you for taking the time to give us the advice. I own all 3 of the reels plus a sealine 50. Tough decisions now. Used an Avet JX last May for a #51.9 ghost, but had to have it serviced because it took a bit of a douche. Not cheap, even at Squdco. Also, Josh, enjoyed your seminar at Fastlane. With all the trophies that you've landed, it seems that you would be a little "jaded" and not want to share your knowledge. It's really refreshing that you are as cool as you are. Thanks again!

[THE DARKHORSE]

Being that you already own those reels, I'd suggest practicing with the Shimano Torium 20 (that's if, the free-spool is in perfect working order?). At least the Shimano has a spool tension dial on the reel to aid in your learning curve. Once your casting in the 60-80 yard range, consistently without back-lashing, I'd switch to the Newell for those additional 20 yards.

Like I said, I wouldn't suggest the Newell unless you're already casting at an expert level; as there's no spool tension knob. It's the way it should be; incredible free-spool with no breaks. The Newell is hard to beat (free-spool wise), unless you're catching big Yellowtail on the surface-iron with heavy drag...all the time. Or, plan to fish the surface-iron with spectra (this reel isn't made for that kind of stuff). If you're doing either of those things--- the drags just go out when the entire ocean erupts in front of you. Which isn't a big deal either if you have two jig-sticks on board, like me .

Since you have a Daiwa Sealine 50 already (which has great free-spool as well), that's just another option for you. For me, even though the Daiwa Sealine 50 has great free-spool, it's a little too wide (same width as the Torium 30). Remember, each cast will be a direct result of how well you wound the line on. It's just more challenging to wind the line on perfectly with a wider spool. It's also more challenging to wind your line on perfectly with a reel that has a low gear ratio---if, you're trying to wind fast. Which is common on a lot of jigs to make them swim properly. For that reason, I prefer not only the perfect height and width of the spool, but a 6 to 1 gear ratio.

In my opinion, the ultimate goal should be training your thumb to adjust to each swing. While spool tension and Magic Cast will help in the early stages of learning to cast---eventually, you should be casting with no breaks on the reel at all.

Above all, like I said in my previous post---it's about one thing: catching more fish. And the surface-iron is a great tool to achieve that goal. While I have all conventional reels, without breaks or magnets used on any of them, my eyes are forever open when it comes to catching more fish; the sky's the limit!

I still like to think, I improve every-time I'm on the water. And if a twenty-foot, hot pink, upside down coffee grinder with spectra can cast 200 yards---you might see me swinging one before it's all said and done.

[The Kid]

To join in on the Newell discussion, the tensioners are on the side plates on both the right and left side. However, you must adjust these with a large flat head screwdriver so on the water adjustment pretty much a pain in the ass.

[THE DARKHORSE]

Originally Posted by The Kid

To join in on the Newell discussion, the tensioners are on the side plates on both the right and left side. However, you must adjust these with a large flat head screwdriver so on the water adjustment pretty much a pain in the ass.

Being the expert you are on reels...I had hoped you'd chime in on twenty-foot, hot pink, upside down coffee grinders with spectra. If you buy one I will, too. Enough of this Ulua crap you and I have bought into (the jig-stick obsession)---it's time for a change. Instead of hot pink, I was thinking of a twenty-foot candy cane striped blank, with $400 worth of titanium guides!

Can you imagine the ridiculous bendo-shots we could get with a wide angle lens on those things?

[Lets_Fish]

Lots of great information all have contributed here. I'm in the market for a new rod & reel and all this has been very informative for me.

On the lighter side,

Originally Posted by THE DARKHORSE

I still like to think, I improve every-time I'm on the water. And if a twenty-foot, hot pink, upside down coffee grinder with spectra can cast 200 yards---you might see me swinging one before it's all said and done.

I can just see you now, 50+ pounds heavier and tossing the iron beyond the horizon! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqj-1r2VH5w

[RookieYakker]

BUMP

I was trying to educate my self on a good setup for throwing surface iron and came across this thread. Some great info!

I have a couple Toriums, but I'm still not sure what to look for in a rod to pair it with