Salt Water reels

I just picked up a boat and now I need some salt water reels to go with it. I was wondering what people would recommend. I don't want to break the bank but I do want something that will hold up.

shimano triton 100's

i know ours have to be 10 or so years old and still are great

What type of fish are you targeting ?

I'd think both Islander and Avet would probably break the bank....

Another thing to consider is who is doing the fishing and what their skill levels are. 1:1 center pins are fun and all, but not might not be all that practical for whomever is in your boat. All the cool kids have Avet's now, but does one really need that type of reel for Puget Sound or inshore ocean salmon fishing? Probably not.

But, OTOH, I'd rather "do it right" the first time around rather than spend three times as much on crap that won't last or get the job done.

Been there, done that, want my money back.

Downriggers or mooching? Knucklebusters the only way to fly! I run the budget Diawa M-One Plus at all of $50, and they kick butt. You can buy the very blingy Islanders for 10x the price if you like.

What type of salinity,are you musing?

Find some used Penn 320 GT's. bullet proof and can be picked up for about $50 apiece used. I bought 3 of them 5 years ago, havent so much as cleaned them and they have been working flawless. There are nicer reels though.

In fairness,they are tough to whip for the loot.

I'll second the Penn 310/320 recommendation, tough to beat, easy to maintain and easy to get parts. A 330/340 is tough enough for ' butt fishing, and the 320 makes a good bottom fish (ling/rockfish) reel too.

I fish 320's for Saltwater Utility and have no reel beaf.

Pun(s) intended.

Count me in on the Penn GTi's, especially the 320's. For downriggers, use a fiberglass rod, and since I am Cheeeeeeeeep (!!!!) for the price of $30 you can get 8 foot Eagle Claw Ocean Grangers. I have two now that are over 10 years old and still have good bends and hook sets. Watch eBay for Penn GTi's.

Been runnin two 321's in the heavy salt out tuna fishin for three years now and have had not one problem with the cheapies I got for $50.00 a peice six years ago.I scrub them in joy soap and spray them down with WD after every outing.People say tuna= not level wind and well I haven't had an issue as of yet,but probley will some day.Oh well,I'll get new one's when they go down.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

SZ,

I agree the Penn series is the way to go. I've been using the GTI's and like them alot. For mooching I go old school and use the 109's with gator grips instead of the little green handles. Take care of them and they are good reels.

VGS1

+1 for the Penns. I have two 321GTi's that have been super reliable.

Shoot I even have a couple Jigmasters and they're still catching fish. Bushings and all. I agree on the GTI series. For the money. I get special deals on avet reels. Those are sweet!

But there are lots of good ones out there. Daiwa Sealines are workhorses,and I have a Newell that I love. My 4/0 senators are my tuna trollers.

Penn does "tough" very well,whether it a coffee grinder or a levelwind.

But for a small percentage more,Shimano slams all doors shut and it'd be tough to slight those long term savings.

Plus you get smooooooth out of the gate,which isn't a bad thing.

Penn 209s work well too. I have 5 of them I use for mooching, jigging and downrigging.

Guilty,as well.

If you are a casual fisherman then any old reel will do. If you are serious and fish the salt all the time, save your money and research quality gear. Older Penns are good, Shimano,and Daiwa, better. Step up to an Avet if you don't need a level wind. Really step up to an Accurate if you've got big bucks and want the super bling....How many Avets have you fished Parker? The drags are like butter and their service is excellent. That being said, they're only middle of the road as far as quality salt water gear goes...

[censored] is [censored],no matter it's frequency.

I can't cuss goods of repute.

(Ask my Wife)

I would also suggest the Shimano reels are going to serve you better long term.
I tend to burn through drags heavily fishing Sturgeon 100+ days a year, Penns will give you a season at best before drag replacement, Shimano TLD's and Tekotas 4 times that.

The saying you get what you pay for is spot on in this case.

Not many. I'd like to try a few more out to see what all the fuss is about.

I know nothing of big game salt water action, as the gear being used is off the charts crazy! All those tournament marlin and shark and tuna people are off the walls bonkers!

What's the high-end stuff for big game salt critters?

Honestly, the idea of spending 25K+ to outfit a boat with gear for the real salt stuff just blows my mind. Not to mention that I've heard it's almost impossible to insure the gear on a boat. Lose it and you just replace it.

I have 2 Shimano Charter Specials with the lever drag.
They've been great for the 2 years I've used them and I do like the lever drag a lot. A little over a $100.00.

Thanks for the tips. I plan to fish for salmon in the sound and straights/ocean with a little bottom fish thrown in. I have one knuckle buster and will get another but I don't think some of the people I will be taking out can handle them so I was looking for a good quality salmon reel for under 200. On the shimano's is it the Tekotas people like?

I've heard other people not liking them...but I like my Tekota.
Now unlike Doc I'm not reeling in 50lb + fish on the Kenai so take it for what it's worth. Fishing kings and silvers and ling (and Halibut) in WA it has worked great for me for 2or 3 years so far. I have not yet updated the original drags.

I have had Tekota 500s on my boat since they were introduced and they are still going strong, smooth drags and no level wind problems. I would definitely recommend them for Puget Sound fishing.

The quality of your gear greatly contributes to the quality of your experience. Not to say that I have the best...But I like most of what I have. The rest collect dust.

I upgraded to some Tekotas 500s last year. I also fished with Robbo in Craig and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.

I really like them.