Alvey reel recommendation please

[Ray25]

Hi All!

I would like to buy an Alvey reel for my second beach rod setup as got tired dealing with sand when I accidentally drop my reel into sand. The idea is to use it for catching salmon/tailor for bait then re-rig it for jewfish with this bait.

I was wondering if you could recommend a reel and main fishing line (mono or braid?). Is Alvey 60GT Surf Reel any good ($169 at a shop at the moment)?

Thanks!

Roman

[wazatherfisherman]

Hi Roman how long is your rod? The 60 size (6 inch) are great reels but the 650 size would be even more suitable, due to larger line capacity and slightly faster retrieve. The 650 holds about 550-600 meters of 9kg line, whereas the 600 holds no more than half of same and if you primarily wish to get a large bait "out the back" and then let the fish run off with the bait, you'll appreciate having the extra line. 

The 6 inch sized reels are more suitable for 9-11ft rods and the 6+half (and 7 inch) for longer rods and bigger fish.

Definitely use mono with both Alvey and sand! Personal preference is Tortue

[Green Hornet]

Good advice from Waza regarding the 650 size and 9kg line.

Mono is by far the most popular choice with Alvey users, as without a decent glove, braid can leave you with a nasty finger cut when casting or retrieving. Also when bait fishing with braid from the beach, sand can get into the weave and weaken it substantially.

Platypus Low Stretch is another popular choice among Alvey users and offers the easy management of mono, plus almost has the same sensitivity of braid.

[Rebel]

Platypus Pretest is another good Mono line to use.

[Ray25]

Hi guys!

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it! I had a look at Alvey website and there are quite a few to choose from. Would you be able to recommend a specific reel based on your experience? Is Surf Champion 65 any good? Or should I go for Surf Champion 65GVCR or others?

Also, will 9kg mono be too light? I was thinking about 15kg.

Thanks!

Roman

[Rebel]

I have a 650B. If you can pick up a second hand one like I did, grab it. You should pay around $70 for a good one. One of the best Alvey reels made.

9kg mono is the go.

Good luck.

[wazatherfisherman]

Hi Roman do you want a drag or not? If you want a drag version, have a look at the "Rockhopper" with the E5 drag system, it has the handles on the spool instead of on the cross-plate, enabling the best of both worlds with the drag. 15KG is heavy line for the beach and will restrict your casting distance considerably.

[Ray25]

Hi Guys!

Huge thanks you for taking your time to answer my questions! The rod will be in the rod holder all the time so I think drag is a must. I checked 650B - not sure if it has drag, 65GD does.

You asked about rod. I have 3.65 (12 ft) MT7144-MM rod which I bought new 14 years ago but didn't use much. Ideally I would prefer not to buy a new one if I can use it with Alvey reel.

Thanks!

Roman

[wazatherfisherman]

Hi Roman does your rod have the winch mount low enough for an Alvey? Ideally no higher than about 15 inches from the bottom of the rod. The 650b is one of the plain series- the only drag is the tension nut/knob in the centre, not really the drag you're looking for ideally. The rod will handle the Mulloway OK, but you will struggle to cast a large bait like you mention plus lead with it. Great rod for catching Tailor and Salmon with.

The reason/s you need a low winch mount for Alvey reels are ease of casting (reel position) balance of weight (of reel) and comfort in using it. If your winch mount is higher and you don't want to get another rod you can cut some length off the butt (or get your local tackle shop to do it)- once you have your set-up organised you will love using your Alvey and whenever sand gets in (as it always seems to) you can simply dip the reel in the ocean while fishing to flush the sand out, you can't do that with any other reel

[XD351]

I use a 6000bcvrrt on a mt6144 or an Alvey rock and beach special 62 for 90% of my beach fishing , it has the dual retrieve speed handle , star drag , turbo cast and vented design which makes it much lighter - fine for bream , whiting , tailor and salmon in close as I don’t like fishing too heavy .

 

For heavier conditions i go up to an mt 8144 and a 650bc , it has the lever drag and wider spool but is much heavier but can cast a much heavier bait a lot further than the 6144.

I do like the dual retrieve rate handle on the 600 as I can crank like mad and get a decent retrieve rate but you need to find out what You prefer and if you can find a stockist near you I would recommend you take a look at what they have and try to decide what you like .

I use a 500b on a Snyderglass mag bream for estuary and very light beach work ( good for very lobbing  lightly weighted  nippers in behind the shore break for bream and whiting ) 

The new stealth models are even lighter 

 The 6000 is spooled with 8kg  platypus low stretch and the 650  has platypus platinum 20lb , the 500b is 12lb maxima evergreen , I used to run berkley trilene and it works ok for me . Tortue is a know favourite amongst Alvey users - if you can get it and I have heard a few good reports on some of the new Daiwa lines as well .

wi

Edited July 14, 2021 by XD351

[Green Hornet]

All good advice above and really I think it comes down to what configuration you prefer, as all the 65 style reels are up to the job.

You mentioned you wanted to use the reel to chase jewfish and therefore I'm assuming you'll be fishing into the night. 

Personally I like a drag style reel for this type of fishing and my choice would be the 65C or one of the similar, carbon backed reels.

My reason being, when a fish runs, the reel's handles remain stationary and are a lot easier to locate after taking the rod out of the holder in the dark. 

 

[Rebel]

There is a fishing shop in Mona Vale who sells Torture mono line.

[savit]

I think MM in the mentioned  rod model # MT7144-MM stands for Mid/Medium Mount,  and the first guide likely is not extra large either and not far from reel seat. If that the case - I would be probably  looking for a smaller - 6 inch used Alvey reel instead of 6.5 inch reel.  Or, would  get a proper 12 foot low mount rod with 6.5 inch reel for a better overall performance.

[savit]

6 hours ago, Rebel said:

There is a fishing shop in Mona Vale who sells Torture mono line.

I did not know they are specializing in BDSM now 🤣.

[XD351]

3 minutes ago, savit said:

I did not know they are specializing in BDSM now 🤣.

Didn’t even know there was a tackle store in Mona vale - or if they do indeed sell torture it might be moaning vale 🤣🤣🤣

Damned spell check almost got me as well in my first post - I hate it when computers tell me what to do 🤣

[Rebel]

There is a fishing Tackle store in Mona Vale. Northern Beaches if you are lost.

Can't put a name to it because of restrictions on this Forum.

Cheers.

[Ray25]

Hi Guys! Huge thanks for your help!

Based on all the information I think the best reel for me will be 65C, which has drag and handles on a separate plate.

I now see my existing rod is no good for this reel (reel mount is too high and won't be able to cast heavier weights), so I will be buying a new rod. The only problem is I can't find rods for casting heavy weights with low reel mount. Do you think Alvey rods will be good for this? For example R65C? Their site says it's for 5-10kg line but nothing about casting weight.

Thanks!!

Roman

[savit]

It is worth visiting that shop in Moaning Vale. Reasonable prices. Widest tackle choice on Northern Beaches. Nicest sales staff. 

They used to sell Alvey reels. I presume they still might have low mount rods. May be give them a call?

[Ray25]

11 minutes ago, savit said:

It is worth visiting that shop in Moaning Vale. Reasonable prices. Widest tackle choice on Northern Beaches. Nicest sales staff. 

They used to sell Alvey reels. I presume they still might have low mount rods. May be give them a call?

Thanks for this. It's a bit far from me but anyway due to lockdown 10km rule can't go there 😬

[XD351]

Roman,

If you can wait until this lockdown is over you  can buy the MT8144 and 650BC  I have - my days of fishing for Mulloway off the beach are long past and the outfit doesn’t get used anymore-  never got used much in the first place  .

Rod is a Wilson with Fuji guides and reel seat - 2 piece .

Send me  p.m if you are interested .

 

 

[Green Hornet]

9 hours ago, Roman said:

 Do you think Alvey rods will be good for this? For example R65C? Their site says it's for 5-10kg line but nothing about casting weight.

 

XD351's outfit sounds good.

If you're looking at Alvey rods, I'm hearing some good reports on their new Stealth rod, which if I remember correctly can cast 6 ounces.

If you want a quality rod at a reasonable price, take a look at something from Gary Howard's range. There's not a whole lot about them on the net and if you have trouble, PM me and I'll send you a link. You can also contact him personally and ask him for a recommendation. 

[Ray25]

13 hours ago, XD351 said:

Roman,

If you can wait until this lockdown is over you  can buy the MT8144 and 650BC  I have - my days of fishing for Mulloway off the beach are long past and the outfit doesn’t get used anymore-  never got used much in the first place  .

Rod is a Wilson with Fuji guides and reel seat - 2 piece .

Send me  p.m if you are interested .

 

 

Hi mate!

Thanks a lot! PM sent.

Cheers,

Roman

[XD351]

Hi Roman ,

My mate is now travelling up to Umina , I will give him the gear tomorrow and will let you know when he is going up to Umina - probably the following week .

Don’t worry about paying me for the gear - if you can donate the money to the local  volunteer rescue guys I would prefer that and you can claim it on tax as well .

Regards …

Ian .

[big Neil]

10 hours ago, XD351 said:

 

Hi Roman ,

My mate is now travelling up to Umina , I will give him the gear tomorrow and will let you know when he is going up to Umina - probably the following week .

Don’t worry about paying me for the gear - if you can donate the money to the local  volunteer rescue guys I would prefer that and you can claim it on tax as well .

Regards …

Ian .

What a generous thing to do Ian. That's true Raider spirit at its best.

Great to be able to pass on gear (which we all have) that hasn't seen the light of day for years, in the knowledge that it will get used to the benefit of another Fishraider. Top stuff mate.

bn

[Rebel]

Well done.