Gear questions - ling reel and fish finder

Okay, I know opinions will vary, but opinions are what I need now.  I'm gearing up, and I want to get good gear; not bargain basement, but also not insanely expensive.  I want stuff that will last if well cared for, and with the features that make a difference in use.

Ling reel:  I figure what works for ling will work for most rockfish, but perhaps not the other way around.  I generally lean toward the old reliable/affordable (e.g., Penn) levelwind, and I like the convenience of a line counter.  Non-corroding is a given, but also want gear that stands up to braided line.  So, what brand/model would you recommend, and what would you stay away from?

Fish/depth finder:  I'd like GPS and mapping, good screen readability in sunlight, and good overall reliability.  Water temp and speed would also be useful, but I expect these are fairly standard on any model that has the other features I'm looking for.  Also, I've not yet decided how/where to mount the transducer, probably in hull.  Thoughts?  And remember, you're talking to a newbie at this, so speak slowly with small words.

Thanks all.

For a FF with GPS you can't beat the price for the features with the Lowrance Mark 4 (or at least 6 months ago that was tru).  It's what I have.

For a reel I'm using an Abu Garcia 6600.  No complaints and it more than up to a 11.5 lb ling at last years ORC.  Brought up a number of other lings and cabezon with it too.

Can you share your budget for the reel and for the fish finder to help with the recommendations?


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For a FF with GPS you can't beat the price for the features with the Lowrance Mark 4 (or at least 6 months ago that was tru).  It's what I have.

For a reel I'm using an Abu Garcia 6600.  No complaints and it more than up to a 11.5 lb ling at last years ORC.  Brought up a number of other lings and cabezon with it too.

That's a good recommendation. The abu Garcia C3 or C4 can do double duty for lings/rockfish, salmon, and even sturgeon. The abu garcia Kalex 60 is a good low budget option. It's about 69 bucks at BI mart but probably not as solid as a C3 or C4. What rod are you pairing it with?

For a FF with GPS you can't beat the price for the features with the Lowrance Mark 4 (or at least 6 months ago that was tru).  It's what I have.

For a reel I'm using an Abu Garcia 6600.  No complaints and it more than up to a 11.5 lb ling at last years ORC.  Brought up a number of other lings and cabezon with it too.

That's a good recommendation. The abu Garcia C3 or C4 can do double duty for lings/rockfish, salmon, and even sturgeon. The abu garcia Kalex 60 is a good low budget option. It's about 69 bucks at BI mart but probably not as solid as a C3 or C4. What rod are you pairing it with?

Right now its on a Berkley IM-8 Xheavy 9'.  Not the best for jigging by any means, but it works.  I am in the market for a shorter rod.

I don't yet have a rod picked out for ling; that would be another area I should asked about.  Is it better to have a short, stiff rod (6-7 ft.), or would something longer with some flexibility be better? 

For salmon, I have a North River 8-1/2 ft. rod (medium heavy, 15-40lb line) paired with an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500C3 reel.  Would this work for ling as well?

Romanian - in answer to your question, maybe up to $125 or so for a reel, and up to $300-$350 for the fish finder, not including battery, mount, etc.

I love my humminbird 385 cidi.  It can be had in your budget I think, and has survived more than one huli in the surf.

I just tested my new humminbird 597 (Santa was good to me) and it was even better.  It has also survived a huli now

I don't yet have a rod picked out for ling; that would be another area I should asked about.  Is it better to have a short, stiff rod (6-7 ft.), or would something longer with some flexibility be better? 

For salmon, I have a North River 8-1/2 ft. rod (medium heavy, 15-40lb line) paired with an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500C3 reel.  Would this work for ling as well?

Romanian - in answer to your question, maybe up to $125 or so for a reel, and up to $300-$350 for the fish finder, not including battery, mount, etc.

The rod and C3 reel you have will probably work just fine.  I used an 8 foot one piece Shimano 1-6 oz rod for a couple years and it did just fine.  I just didn't like having an expensive 1 piece rod with no way to stow it safely when coming back through the surf.  So, last year I picked up an Ugly Stik Tiger-lite jigging rod and so far I like it.  It is fairly light, and I may start using in for a sturgeon rod, as well. http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/index_uglystik.html  I have another good sturgeon rod, but I like how light this one is and it appears to be somewhat indestructible.  A mistake I made when buying a bunch of new gear when I moved to the Pacific NW was buying a reel for every rod.  Now I just move the reels I like to the rods I plan to use that day.  Much cheaper that way. Last Thursday I paired my Abu 6600c3 with the jigging rod and it held up through numerous cabezon...except the last one had to be hand-lined.  The handle came off and I couldn't get it back on while fighting the fish.

Good advice, Craig.  Thanks.  Does anyone ever use a spinning reel for ling?  I also have a heavier spinning reel that I may be able to mate up with another rod I have, as a backup.  Just like a spare paddle, I don't think I'd want to go out without a spare rod/reel setup.

Romanian - in answer to your question, maybe up to $125 or so for a reel, and up to $300-$350 for the fish finder, not including battery, mount, etc.

You can't go wrong with an Abu or Shimano baitcaster. As for the fishfinder, I have the Elite 4 (color and GPS model) and I love it.

Good advice, Craig.  Thanks.  Does anyone ever use a spinning reel for ling?  I also have a heavier spinning reel that I may be able to mate up with another rod I have, as a backup.  Just like a spare paddle, I don't think I'd want to go out without a spare rod/reel setup.

 I can see one advantage of going with a spinning reel as a back up is if you decide to target other species which requires casting out lighter weight lures.     For that reason I picked up a spinner that has a rear lever to place it in free spool.  With the rod in one hand I can reach down and engage that lever with a finger and let my gear drop, then stop the drop by flicking the lever back.   All as a one hand operation.  So thinking it will cover both bottom fishing and casting out if desired.  Waiting for warmer weather to see if how it will work out.

For salmon, I have a North River 8-1/2 ft. rod (medium heavy, 15-40lb line) paired with an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500C3 reel.  Would this work for ling as well?

This combo will work just fine for ling. If you want a reel that can handle just about anything you need from a kayak get a Shimano Tekota 500 LC. Spool it with 40 or 50 pound braid and put it on your 15-40 pound rod and you are set. I have seen that reel catch everything from silvers to 70 pound halibut and the longer rod will give your jig plenty of action and is probably good up to about 8 oz jig heads.

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I'm thinking this Shimano Bait Runner series might be a nice all around choice. Anyone have one? Recommendations?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shimano174-Baitrunner174-Spinning-Reel/728334.uts#productChart

I use a shimano sahara 4000 and I love it... I have also used a 5501... for they worked great for both lings and rockfish.  I use a 9 ft pole so I can get it around the front of my yak easily. 

Levelwind reels have several big advantages over spinning reels for saltwater rockfish/lings.  A big one for me is the ability to free spool your jig down through the water column and then when you get that slight pause at 70ft in 120ft of water you can slam you thumb down in a heartbeat and set the hook. Doesn't work near as well or as fast with spinning reel and can mean the difference between a quick limit of suspended blacks or lots of missed opportunities.  Same concept applies when trying to keep a jig tight to the bottom in snaggy areas without actually snagging.