Buy Jareds new Pate ,direct drive "tarpon" reel which he is listing for $375. I think it is on one of the other threads. The new Van Stalls feel great and I think they are just a bit over $400.
Buy a Tioga or Lamson, spare spools & new lines. I would worry too much about super expensive reels. For me, that's too much money for something I'm going to beat the hell out of and worry about scratching, etc...
When using my yak for transportation from spot to spot I carry a spare rod and back-up reel in my boat so they're never far away. In my chest pack's rear pouch I always have 2-3 different spools.
I love the ability to quickly change my spools when I cover several different types of water in a day.
Come on Tod, where are your cheap practical yankee roots??
Roop - I'm with ya! Boy, John & Jared got me drooling, but realistically I'd like to stretch that $400 to cover a reel, spare spool & perhaps a line (or two!). Juro's got me thinking of the lamson velocity V4. With a spare spool, I'm looking at around $325 w/ room to spare for line.
Although... I could always get an Orvis Battenkill & 3 spare spools.... or maybe a pflueger medalist 1595 (I can always palm the reel in lieu of drag)& about 25 spare spools.
Knowing that this is going to be a striper reel for you, I would advise against any reel that will not let you do a spool swap standing in the water up to your thighs with the fish around you getting your heart rate up there and your fingers shaking.
I assume this purchase has to include an extra spool to cover the range of striper country demands. It should be light, drag superb, and warranty lifetime and unconditional.
I am three thumbs up on the Lamson Velocity #4 with an extra spool, although it may not feel like you got the proverbial "$400 reel" it's fully equipped at $400.
Don't buy it at a flyshop who won't give you the backing free, and with the two lines you are just at $400. It's not a prestige purchase but it's a meat and potatoes price/performance winner.
For a step up from that package, go with the Ross Big Game Canyon #5 with spare spool at $525. The Ross is an heirloom reel, large arbor and styled beautifully with an incredible drag. It's a reel your kids or grand kids will marvel at someday - but yet it's affordable. The spool exchange is excellent, and the reel weight is unbelievably light.
Tod, don't listen to those guys. Do you know how many Pfleugers you could get for $400. ?
Seriously, I have no experience with the Lampson but If I had it to do over again that's the way I'd go. The litespeed looks sweet but that would leave you without a spare spool. The next model down is a large arbor and from what I've heard the drag is outstanding.
Smitty's got 'em in stock.
For less than $300 you can get a reel that compares favorably to reels that go for twice as much. The Harris Solitude is the best combination of price and quality out there as far as I am concerned. http://www.harrisreels.com if you can't find a retailer contact them or me directly.
In the surf, I think the Lamson could be a good fit. The Ross Canyon is an excellent reel, but I like the Lamson better for the surf. No reel should be dunked in the sandy wash, but it happens.
I have had very good experiences with the Water Works reels, and they share the same internals with the Lamson reels. Do not confuse the Velocity reels with the well loved but spotty Lamson reels of old.
Boy! Am I glad that I don't live on the East Coast. I get the shakes just thinking about the cost of all those rods and reels and lines. But You fish in the surf. It must be a job to get your line out over those waves.
The surf is only one dimension - there are flats, estuaries, rivers, and sounds. All in all it's a very diverse fishery, and the fish are big! Come on out and give it a try sometime.
Thanks for the invite. But many years ago I spent some time on the East Coast and when it was over I vowed never to go back there. There are tooooo many people. I like it here in my little corner of Washington. Where I go fishing I don't find tooo many people and I like it that way. Jim S
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