Jack741 Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Hi All, Hoping to get some advice on a new reel that will be matched to a Daiwa Demon Blood 72MH PE 3-5. This combo will primarily be used for downrigging live squid and yakkas in the hope for a few hoodlums. We are about to setup a downrigger on the boat. I am basically after a tough, no frills reel and am not too concerned about weight as I wont be casting all that much (if at all) with this combo. Have other combo's for casting etc inc. Soccorro 6000 that has handled kings to 90cm+. So far I've got the below reels on my review list (inc. pricing/deals but wont mention where due to forum rules) that I plan to probably spool up with 50lb braid. Penn Spinfisher VI 6500 ($175 inc. 300M Berkley 50LB X9 braid). Maybe 7500 would be better? When downrigging, would a Liveliner version of this reel be better? This appears to be a pretty good deal and the IPX5 rating seems like a clear advantage as the reel will probably cop some spray. Fin Nor Offshore 6500 ($120) - I know one charter boat in Syd uses these. Fin Nor Lethal 60 ($99 inc. Fin Nor Rod) Penn Battle 2 6000 ($110) Pen Battle 3 6000 ($199 for HS model or standard) any clear advantage of a high speed model apart from slight increase in braid capacity & retrieve per crank (quicker to get them away from structure? - I assume retrieve per crank more useful for lure fishing application) Image is from the Penn site showing differences between HS and standard models. At this point in time I think I am leaning towards the Spinfisher. Appreciate any feedback/suggestions/ experience people have had with any of these reels. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekD Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) I have exactly the same model rod spec but in the Saltist Hyper instead of the demonblood. I partnered it with a Daiwa BG5000 with 50LB jigging braid (300m). Another mate of mine set the same spec rod up with a Saragosa 8000. You can also go a BG4000 and put 40lb on it. If you are on a Budget then the Fin-Nor Lethal 80 also looks pretty solid and is available for $100. I've heard an excellent review on the Alan Hawk reel review page for the Lethal 100 but I think it is too big for that rod and will throw the balance out. I also wouldn't be going more than 50lb for that rod. Edited July 28, 2020 by DerekD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Clain Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Fin nor offshore or Shimano Saragosa for a bit more money but very hardy. Either spooled with 65lb braid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquidMarks Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 I have 2 x fin nor letal 100's... my god they are though (and heavy!, but hey, they sit in the rod holders waiting for the bite). Spooled with 80 lb braid, they bring up lesser kings (90cm) fairly easily, still waiting for the big one to come along and test these reels out.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxy Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 I have a pen spinfisher combo which was bought about 8 years ago and is still going strong. The only problem ive had with the downrigger, is when the braid gets twisted from the squid spinning in the water if i dont pin the squid directly in the center. if/ when this happen theres no point trying to untwist the line as it will just twist its self even worse the next drop. I can see the use of a dual drag reel but if you can get to the rod quick enough to tighten the drag up after a fish pops it off the downrigger you should be fine. I have always used that method as when ive used a dual drag reel i dont like the sudden jolt from the tighter drag taking over. Thats just my opinion tho, so whatever floats your boat, go for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 ok off the downrigger you should be fishing at strike drag-not at loose drag or in freespool- so you want a reel with a smooth inertia. Have a look at what the local (Sydney) kingfish guides use for downrigging(not fishing stationary baits)- and you will find a lot of Saragosa's being used along with Stella's- Sara's are excellent value for money and tough as nails- i use a 10K and its caught hundreds of kings and a crap load of other stuff- you could probably downsize to an 8K without any issue. I like the 10K because of line capacity when i go chasing mackeral and 'hoo up the north coast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 @Jack741, seems like there are many other suggestions other than the ones you originally outlined which is normal for forums & people will give thier opinions. So tell us what is your max budget, that will cut some of the chatter out & put to rest what is off the table! Personally I dont get why you buy a nice rod $300+ rod & then want to pair it with a "no frills" reel?? Sorry but out of what you have mentioned I dont think I would be very inerested in. Im happy to give you other suggestions as well but that again depends on your budget. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack741 Posted July 29, 2020 Author Share Posted July 29, 2020 Thanks all for your comments/ recommendations - great to get some insight in to peoples experiences with some of these reels. @PaddyT @Nyxy cheers for the insight to downrigging - certainly keen to give it a crack, just need to finish building the base for our Penn Fathom Master downrigger out of ally plate (OEM base plate is roughly $100 AUD for a piece of plastic 🤦♂️) @kingie chaser I suppose my reasoning for initially listing these reels was that I don't have all too much experience with Penn & Fin-Nor and was keen to hear opinions on those particular brands as they are not always viewed as the "go to" brands (whether this is for good reason or due to brand loyalty). From some reviews I read (mainly American) the general consensus was that they held their own - no particular report on how they faired when going for Kings (apart from the Fin-Nor Offshore). There is a fair amount of info I've found on the Saragosa VS Daiwa BG vs Slammer 3 debate - would you go for the Saragosa out of those three? Pricing was initially up to $200 - but could probably convince myself to spend an extra $100. May just wait until an 8000 Saragosa comes up for sale. I've seen them go for sub $250 before. Side note - I ended up getting the rod on a 60% off deal, so didn't drop the full amount. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekD Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 (edited) There is a gentleman called Alan Hawk who takes apart reels and gets very critical of them from a bang for buck and how they fish perspective. To my knowledge he is not sponsored so he doesn't have to hold back. Please note that he is deliberately picky and it appears to be appreciated by those who take the time to read his extensive reports. Here is his review on the Fin Nor Lethal 100 (you asked about feedback on this brand - still think it will throw the balance out on the rod you mentioned but the smaller siblings will balance nicely). http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/lth10.html Edited July 29, 2020 by DerekD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 yep Alan Hawk's reviews are very good , read that. He has removed the current Sara from his list as its about to get new models. I would argue that because of the high drag setttings used when downrigging (i typically put 8kgs on the reel) that smoothness in the "woooo to goooo" when the fish hooks up is very important, the strikes can be incredibly violent on a good king, skimping is not a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) Ive had corrosion issues with fin-nor reels in the past so no longer use them at all. My saragosa reels have been great over the years but not the silkiest of smooth drags and also on their last legs at around 4 years old. Decided to try a pen battle 3 a couple of months ago, which so far Ive been very impressed with. I personally believe the drag claims by penn to be far more accurate than my saragosa reels, this thing has serious amounts of silky smooth drag. The 6000 also holds a heap of line which will come in handy on a few bigger shore sharks. So far Ive only tested it on stingrays, the biggest would have been around 80-100kg. Like I said so far I'm very impressed especially given they are $100 cheaper than the gosa. There is a new sw gosa but I don't think many shops have them yet. Spooled here with 500m of 40lb Jerry Brown braid. Edited July 30, 2020 by JonD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 5 hours ago, JonD said: Ive had corrosion issues with fin-nor reels in the past so no longer use them at all. My saragosa reels have been great over the years but not the silkiest of smooth drags and also on their last legs at around 4 years old. Decided to try a pen battle 3 a couple of months ago, which so far Ive been very impressed with. I personally believe the drag claims by penn to be far more accurate than my saragosa reels, this thing has serious amounts of silky smooth drag. The 6000 also holds a heap of line which will come in handy on a few bigger shore sharks. So far Ive only tested it on stingrays, the biggest would have been around 80-100kg. Like I said so far I'm very impressed especially given they are $100 cheaper than the gosa. There is a new sw gosa but I don't think many shops have them yet. Spooled here with 500m of 40lb Jerry Brown braid. Mark Guest rates them! But then he would when he just get given them for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 26 minutes ago, kingie chaser said: Mark Guest rates them! But then he would when he just get given them for free Mine wasn't free and I would have no hesitation buying another from these early impressions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savit Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 On 7/29/2020 at 9:43 PM, Jack741 said: Pricing was initially up to $200 - but could probably convince myself to spend an extra $100. May just wait until an 8000 Saragosa comes up for sale. I've seen them go for sub $250 before. You can get Saragosa 8000 anytime for $251 - just get ana conda price beat (10%) any shop that still sell them for $279. Alan Hawk's reel list updates are always interesting. Best budget freshwater reels Stradic FL or Tatula LT cost twice as much as best budget offshore reels - those trouts must be pulling really hard - accross the pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 On 7/30/2020 at 8:24 PM, JonD said: Mine wasn't free and I would have no hesitation buying another from these early impressions. keep us updated on these Jon- be interested to see how they go-you are spot on with the paid advertising though-not worth anything , bit like the only charter operator i know running a certain brand of discontinued outboard "they're great, i get a new one every year", 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 On 7/30/2020 at 8:24 PM, JonD said: Mine wasn't free and I would have no hesitation buying another from these early impressions. According to the specs the penn battle 3 looks like a nice reel for $200 Couldnt find a comparsion with the P3 in it vs Saragosa but there was one with the Slammer 3 vs Saragosa if anyone is interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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