Opinions on best conventional reel for jigging snapper!

carolinaskiff238dlv · February 16th, 2016, 8:13 pm

I'm looking at purchasing a conventional style reel to go on a new jigging rod I recently bought. I'm wanting to jig for snapper,grouper, and aj's with this setup. I don't want to break the bank on this one purchase though. What would y'all recommend??

Post by **fishinfool** » February 18th, 2016, 7:28 am

Shimano TLD is a solid reel and darn near bullet proof. Been fixing a lot of conventional reels and those have the fewest problems of those I have seen...especially for the price.

Post by **bman** » February 18th, 2016, 9:00 am

I have a Jigging rod with a 30 Torium that is light smooth and I have caught some big fish on it...

But Jim Had to replace the roller bearing and anti reverse dog in the 2nd year I owned it

Can'tCatchAnything · February 18th, 2016, 10:06 am

I used a Shimano Torium 30 or 50 lever drag when I went ARS fishing a few months ago and it was definitely smooth. I only used it the once, but if I were to buy myself a conventional, it would be probably be one of those.

neckmoe · Post by **neckmoe** » February 18th, 2016, 10:23 am

fishinfool wrote:Shimano TLD is a solid reel and darn near bullet proof. Been fixing a lot of conventional reels and those have the fewest problems of those I have seen...especially for the price.

x2

Ranaman · Post by **Ranaman** » February 19th, 2016, 4:29 pm

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=17.0

Here is a write up and upgrade information for the TLD STAR yes star drag Alan Tani rates best in class and I, having taken one apart and done this rebuilt to can attest to the tank like internals of this reel! I would recommend.

That being said if you have a few bucks and want a USA made Aluminum reel I would definitely look into the Truth reels. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner Wes this winter at a Raleigh fishing show, and got to see these bad boys first hand. Wes took one apart in about 2 minutes and I was VERY impressed, also the drag rating is a little higher than the TLD's plus Truth has a LIFETIME warranty.

http://www.truthreels.com/

Post by **fishinfool** » February 20th, 2016, 9:01 am

Oh, I nearly forgot about Canyon Reels. They make a solid product at a reasonable price with amazing customer service. The HS 15 is small, light and has a surprising line capacity for it's size.

EddieJoe · Post by **EddieJoe** » February 20th, 2016, 9:03 am

First, I would decide if you want a star or lever drag reel. I use both, and prefer the star drag for rapid and frequent drop and jig. Lever drags shine where being able to adjust drag easily to preset levels is desirable, like trolling or live bait fishing. Otherwise, they are annoying to me.

The Torium 16 is plenty of reel spooled with braid for jigging round here. Weighs less and has a fine drag. Pair it with a Shimano jigging rod and you will be set.
Agree that the TLD is a great LD for the money, I have two I use for trolling. Oh, the TLD 15 is what I recommend rather than the 20 or 25. The extra line capacity is a waste. I had a 20 and sold it.

EJ

bigphishy · Post by **bigphishy** » March 14th, 2016, 11:33 pm

So i just wanted to add my 2 cents. I first would like to say im a huge shimano fan. I have a bunch of shimano gear and absolutely love their products. However the tld is a bit too big and bulky if your looking for a "jigging" reel imo.
I have a daiwa saltist ,the black and red one, and its perfect. The fast gear ratio really helps trigger the bites. The quick line recovery also makes it a snap to bring your bait/lure from the bottom to the boat. i have also used the black and gold ones on a charter a couple years back and was really impressed. Those are about 100$ cheaper and have the star drag instead of the lever. So those are for sure worth checking out. Lastly i would like to 2nd what ranaman had to say about the truth reels. (Previously release) . Those are very compact and powerful little reels. From what I have seen and herd online these are some of the best casting offshore reels as well. I had the pleasure of meeting Wes the owner this past year at icast . This guy is a riot! He was so passionate about his products. That experience really left a lasting impression. 100% american made and lifetime warranty. If you don't mind spending a bit more truth reels is the way to go. The lg model is next on my list of offshore reels that i will be adding to the arsenal.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

castnetaholic · Post by **castnetaholic** » April 13th, 2016, 10:10 pm

The Avet Sx Raptor is amazing for jigging, casting or bottom fishing. It is lightweight, smaller than a tennis ball and produces 17lbs of drag. I am a huge fan of American craftsmanship and generally fish the old style American made Penns. Avet is hand crafted in California and machines all their own parts in house. They have great customer service, you get what you pay for, just my 02.

carolinaskiff238dlv · April 18th, 2016, 5:17 am

Thanks Everyone for the advice. Will definitely look into each of them. Sounds like the Truth Reels are something to look into.

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