NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Not Necessarily Kayak Fishing => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Yakingaway on May 09, 2022, 02:19:13 PM
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Hello everybody,
Quick question. When I try to get a line counter reel for the yak shopkeepers advice against it because "in saltwater it would break soon", yet I see most videos of people trolling for salmon in a yak using them (which makes sense because controlling depth without them is very hard).
What do you guys do? and if you use a reel that works well and it is lasting, which brand/model do you use?
Thanks in advance!
Yakingaway
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Line counters are prone to breaking and I'm sure salt water doesn't help their longevity any, BUT many people use them (me included) and if you take care of your gear then it'll last that much longer. I've been using a cheap Cabela's line counter (in the salt) for a number of years now and it's still going strong. Like all things, sometimes you'll get a gem and sometimes you'll get a lemon, but I plan to get more line counters in the future when needed.
Just my 2 cents.
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Thank you, BentRod! I do have one of those cabellas plastic line counters. They work but mine is a bit finicky and the line often 'jumps out' ...but I am still new at using it and I may be doing it wrong.
Appreciate the feedback!
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I use an Okuma Cold water low profile line counter. I have been very happy with it. I have used mine for years in both saltwater and fresh. I try to avoid dunking the reel in the saltwater and also don’t cast with the line counter reel. It has a good drag and I haven’t had any problem.
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Thank you, Nobaddays! I appreciate the feedback!
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I've been using an Okuma Coldwater SS low profile for four years now, and it's still strong. Line counter works great. I don't cast with it, it's almost entirely dedicated to salmon trolling and mooching. I just give it a rinse with the garden hose after each trip. When rinsing the reel with the hose, just give it a light rinse--don't spray it at full blast like you're power washing it. If you spray it at full blast, the water pressure can foul up the gears inside the line counter.
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I am also on the Okuma Coldwater 350 LP line counter band wagon, trolling and mooching, I have 2 of them. BiMart usually has them at a good price.
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THANK YOU, Okuma Coldwater low profile it will be then!
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I been using the Okuma Coldwater 203 for about 3 years with no issues. Also use it for Sturgeon and Lings.
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Ocuma Coldwater low profile Stainless steel, the version with dark finish (for salt) I am very happy with it. My buddy bought a Shimano Tekota at the same time ($50 more) and the second trip his line counter got jammed. He replaced it under warranty and got a second one. Within half a dozen trips the line counter on a second reel broke :-( My Coldwater also has much more mileage and still runs strong.
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I'm a lil jealous of all you rockin the Coldwaters!
My budget being tight, I have an old, secondhand Okuma Convector and a newer Magda (not Pro).
I have no idea how old the Convector is, got it from an old salt on Craigslist. I've yardsaled with it twice, and a few trips later, the line counter stopped working. I took it apart, cleaned it a bit with a q-tip, and now works great.
My only gripe with the Magda, is the star drag adjustment does not have the click feature, to keep it in place. It's easy to bump it and accidentally tighten or loosen the drag. Otherwise, I am very happy with the reel.
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My experience is opposite from BigFishy's....
The line counter on my first low profile Coldwater lasted about two years. Then it quickly changed from not working intermittently to not working at all. I tried to take it apart a few times and fix the counter but that did not help. I nevertheless bought another LP Coldwater (for my wife this time). Here the counter stopped working within a year. Both reels were only used for trolling and jigging, never casting. Always rinsed after fishing salt water.
I switched to a Shimano Tekota and no issues at all with it. Have it for 1.5 years now...Absolutely love that reel!
But i know that not everyone had good experiences with the Tekota and I also know that in general people are very happy with the Coldwaters.
So I guess i simply had bad luck.
While prices of everything has gone up lately, this surely seems true for the Coldwater reels. The days that you picked one up for 90$ or even 80$ seem over.
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I used a Penn Warfare LC for maybe a season and a half -- towards the end, the LC was getting pretty unreliable. However, I'm not the best at rinsing reels after each use, and I never once stripped it and cleaned it.
After the Penn, I shifted to using metered line. I primarily shifted to using metered line for jigging, but have also used it for downrigging and for dragging cannonball weights in front of a flasher. Bottom line -- as long as you can count, are capable of basic multiplication and addition, and have decently functioning memory, metered line works great. The one drawback I've noticed is that after a season of hard fishing, the line fades a little bit. Not so much that it prevents use, but the fade is noticeable.
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My experience is opposite from BigFishy's....
The line counter on my first low profile Coldwater lasted about two years. Then it quickly changed from not working intermittently to not working at all. I tried to take it apart a few times and fix the counter but that did not help. I nevertheless bought another LP Coldwater (for my wife this time). Here the counter stopped working within a year. Both reels were only used for trolling and jigging, never casting. Always rinsed after fishing salt water.
I switched to a Shimano Tekota and no issues at all with it. Have it for 1.5 years now...Absolutely love that reel!
But i know that not everyone had good experiences with the Tekota and I also know that in general people are very happy with the Coldwaters.
So I guess i simply had bad luck.
While prices of everything has gone up lately, this surely seems true for the Coldwater reels. The days that you picked one up for 90$ or even 80$ seem over.
I have two Coldwaters and both line counters started getting wonky. Work sometimes, not others. Thought I was screwed. I put them on their side on the workbench and sprayed a small bit of CorrosionX at the base of the reset button. Let it sit for a day and then a tiny bit of spray lubricant and they both now work perfectly. Other than that, they have been perfect and take the abuse I subject them to.
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Thank you!
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Hey, people, THANK YOU so much for all the replies. Being still new at this it is great to receive so much feedback!
If anybody is fishing the east coast of Vancouver Island send me a note. I would love to meet a few people to go fishing with.
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I had no idea that so many were using Okuma Coldwaters. I have both the regular Coldwater (203) and low profile in the left hand version. I have had good luck with them (so far). Had good luck with my Penn Fathom II also. Like Clayman and Beer_Run mention, maintenance is important.