Good saltwater casting reel for around $200.00

I hear ya.  I have spent lots of time on the Columbia banks myself.   I get up early and hit a nearby practice field to dial in the reels, and my thumb prior to each season.  My best is just barely going from goal post to goal post.  Still get humbled when the locals down there seem to easily outcast me 50+ yards.

I think the difference is with those casts,  your 100% focused knowing what happens if you aren't.   You are also only casting a limited number of times.   
With other types of fishing,  I may be casting several hundreds of times in just a few hours.  Often casting very light weight lures / bait vs. 10 to 16 oz lead plus bait.

Here is as much as anyone could ever want to know about casts control systems.

http://www.japantackle.com/Topics/brake_system.htm

I guess I am a bit confused about what you are looking for?
When I hear saltwater casting I think conventional round type reels often used for fishing from a kayak in the saltwater. When talking casting control reels I think of river and lake use.

What are you wanting out of this reel? What type of fishing?

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I hear ya.  I have spent lots of time on the Columbia banks myself.   I get up early and hit a nearby practice field to dial in the reels, and my thumb prior to each season.  My best is just barely going from goal post to goal post.  Still get humbled when the locals down there seem to easily outcast me 50+ yards.

I think the difference is with those casts,  your 100% focused knowing what happens if you aren't.   You are also only casting a limited number of times.   
With other types of fishing,  I may be casting several hundreds of times in just a few hours.  Often casting very light weight lures / bait vs. 10 to 16 oz lead plus bait.

Here is as much as anyone could ever want to know about casts control systems.

http://www.japantackle.com/Topics/brake_system.htm

My first few cast at the beginning of the season is removing the melted/fused mono from my thumb and looking for ice, lol

I guess I am a bit confused about what you are looking for?
When I hear saltwater casting I think conventional round type reels often used for fishing from a kayak in the saltwater. When talking casting control reels I think of river and lake use.

What are you wanting out of this reel? What type of fishing?

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I'm used to using a casting reel, no level winder, for cast/bottom fishing.  I have had auto level winders and have always removed the line guides.  I hate how they load the spools.

When is the last time you tried a levelwind?  I've had no problems with mine, and I used it all last year.  In addition to that, it was my very first casting reel, ever, and I had none of the nightmare stories happen to me.

When is the last time you tried a levelwind?  I've had no problems with mine, and I used it all last year.  In addition to that, it was my very first casting reel, ever, and I had none of the nightmare stories happen to me.

Auto level winds create small humps in the spool that effect casting,  I have developed a habit sturgeon fishing that my "3rd" eye controls the spool wind.  auto winds for casting long distance create huge drag/friction.  They may also reduce the effective life of your fishing line. IMHO.

When is the last time you tried a levelwind?  I've had no problems with mine, and I used it all last year.  In addition to that, it was my very first casting reel, ever, and I had none of the nightmare stories happen to me.

Auto level winds create small humps in the spool that effect casting,  I have developed a habit sturgeon fishing that my "3rd" eye controls the spool wind.  auto winds for casting long distance create huge drag/friction.  They may also reduce the effective life of your fishing line. IMHO.

Again what is your intended use? Yes level wind do reduce casting distance but I never find myself wanting extreme casting distance from the kayak.

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Sorry, I'm building a halibut/lingcod rig to cover all my bases, I have other fishing rigs.   Out of the current posts and confidence for the PENN brand in this discussion and the many fish I have captured I decided to order the PENN Squall and mate it with an UglyStik tiger rod. I have caught Lingcod, but never a halibut.  So I have a goal, lol.

The reason I bought boats / Kayaks is to get closer to the fish and not have to do any extreme casting to get to them.    I have never found lever winds to hinder casting from boat or bank unless trying for extreme distances like Columbia / Sturgeon or Suf Fishing.


A few years ago,  I started noticing more low profile baitcast reels on the salmon rivers vs the conventional round.   I tried one and since have bought several.     The trend looks to be headed towards the salt as all the major manufactures are coming out with salt water version.
Abu Garcia ORRA,  Okuma Cedros, Quantum Energy and Accurist PTs and Shimano has one I can't remember.   

Anyway,  didn't know you were inquiring for bottom fishing since you mentioned casting reel.

The reason I bought boats / Kayaks is to get closer to the fish and not have to do any extreme casting to get to them.    I have never found lever winds to hinder casting from boat or bank unless trying for extreme distances like Columbia / Sturgeon or Suf Fishing.

I'm just stating my preference, out of habit I manually spool the line.

I really like using open face casting reels in the salt while jigging in 40+ feet.  I have a Penn 500s that I love and have used for lings and rockfish with no complaints but my favorite for this type of fishing is a Diawa Sealine X-SHA series reel.  For less than 40 feet I like to have a smaller, low profile reel that casts well so I can work boiler water near rocky shorelines and cast to rockfish that are suspended or fining the surface.  I use a Abu Garcia Revo for this but have also used a Shimano Cardiff and it fit the bill just fine.

I really like using open face casting reels in the salt while jigging in 40+ feet.  I have a Penn 500s that I love and have used for lings and rockfish with no complaints but my favorite for this type of fishing is a Diawa Sealine X-SHA series reel.  For less than 40 feet I like to have a smaller, low profile reel that casts well so I can work boiler water near rocky shorelines and cast to rockfish that are suspended or fining the surface.  I use a Abu Garcia Revo for this but have also used a Shimano Cardiff and it fit the bill just fine.

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I really like using open face casting reels in the salt while jigging in 40+ feet.  I have a Penn 500s that I love and have used for lings and rockfish with no complaints but my favorite for this type of fishing is a Diawa Sealine X-SHA series reel.  For less than 40 feet I like to have a smaller, low profile reel that casts well so I can work boiler water near rocky shorelines and cast to rockfish that are suspended or fining the surface.  I use a Abu Garcia Revo for this but have also used a Shimano Cardiff and it fit the bill just fine.

Jeff, why specifically open face for 40+ feet? Just curios if its preference or if there is a practical reason.


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[Jeff, why specifically open face for 40+ feet? Just curios if its preference or if there is a practical reason.

When jigging in relatively deep water(in my book it is 40+) I find that a level wind is a pain.  I like my lure to drop fast and a level wind can slow it down.  Also, if you're fighting a big, strong fish, a level wind can be a liability.  They don't give you an even drag resistance(unless you have one of the new expensive ones that move the level wind as the fish pulls drag) since the level wind is stationary but the line is paying off the reel from different angles.  If a fish pulls hard and fast enough the level wind could even break.  This is why most people in SoCal who fish for yellowtail and other pelagics don't use level wind reels.  This is where I started out so I also just got used to reels without a level wind since that was the norm.  They also have less moving parts so in general they are way easier to maintain.  Since we are fishing from kayaks our gear is almost level with the ocean which means more salt water exposure(not to mention surf) so any piece of gear that has less moving parts has less places for sand and salt to get into and is something I'll go for. 

[Jeff, why specifically open face for 40+ feet? Just curios if its preference or if there is a practical reason.

When jigging in relatively deep water(in my book it is 40+) I find that a level wind is a pain.  I like my lure to drop fast and a level wind can slow it down.  Also, if you're fighting a big, strong fish, a level wind can be a liability.  They don't give you an even drag resistance(unless you have one of the new expensive ones that move the level wind as the fish pulls drag) since the level wind is stationary but the line is paying off the reel from different angles.  If a fish pulls hard and fast enough the level wind could even break.  This is why most people in SoCal who fish for yellowtail and other pelagics don't use level wind reels.  This is where I started out so I also just got used to reels without a level wind since that was the norm.  They also have less moving parts so in general they are way easier to maintain.  Since we are fishing from kayaks our gear is almost level with the ocean which means more salt water exposure(not to mention surf) so any piece of gear that has less moving parts has less places for sand and salt to get into and is something I'll go for.

Makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for sharing.


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