IMO, after having Many Avet reels, none are best for casting, that's not their forte, and I prefer star drags over lever drags. There are better reels for casting distance.

My quest come Spring of '23 is for up to medium sharks, about 4ft to maybe 6ft, and due to spool line capacity and casting issues, spinners are the logical choice. I have a Daiwa BG5000 that's loaded with 500yds of 40# J-Braid Grand and a Penn Pursuit 6000 loaded with 430yds of 30# J-Braid Grand.

As you can see in comparing the Daiwa BG5000 to the Penn Pursuit 6000, never go by manufacturer's reel sizes, what matters most is line capacity, drag weight, line retrieval ratio. Clearly the BG5000 holds more line than the Pursuit 6000. I could go larger, to a BG8000, and I did buy one, but I found it too heavy and the BG5000 will be perfect up to medium sharks. I cast out only - no kayak, no drone, no r/c boat, no bait cannon.

However, I prefer revolvers over spinners and I have Omoto Chief reels in 7000CTM and 6000CTM, and have just ordered the new Akios Nitron Blue F-15. I do NOT like using braid with revolvers, mono only, and that will severely cut down on spool capacity. I'm going to be experimenting with a Chief 7000CTM by using a 150yd top shot of 25# mono over 350yds of 30# braid - this allows good casting with the mono and a goodly back up of braid to cover shark run offs.

 

Penn Fathom II 15 or 12, Squall II 15 or 12, Diawa Seagate 20. The Penn reels are mag controlled and easier to adjust than the Diawa Seagate that uses break blocks but both have great drag systems and plenty of power fighting big fish. The Avet reels are great reels but the lever drag system isn't designed for distance casting.

 

The issue with revolvers is both capacity and "castability".

If distance to where the fishies swim is a requirement to overcome and meet, and if yer casting bait/lures and not relying on other means (drones, kayaks, r/c boats, bait cannons) then ...

A revolver with mag braking is Imperative. Forget centrifugal brake blocks - yeah, they work, but they're internal and there is no way to instantly adjust them on-the-fly for wind and payload conditions.

Spool capacity is the other issue. Some folks have no problem loading with Quality braid and can cast that kinda line well. Not me. I'm just used to casting mono for the last 70 years or so with revolvers. The answer to this is use a top shot of mono for the cast and a large backing of braid for the fish runs.

I would recommend Omoto Chief 6000ctm or 7000ctm size reels - the 15#-22# drag is enough for the mono/braid line weights needed for mediumish fishies, the mag array braking is top notch, can be had with faster 6.3:1 gear ratio, and the cost will be much less than a Penn or Akios. Omoto Chief reels have set tournament distance records. These are not cheapo reels.

Omoto Chief Reels For Sale

donstacklehawaii.com

 

 

Squall cs or fathom2 cs, akios f15, most popular drum reels currently . For beach or pier

 

You might be able to cast the Avet HXW a decent ways w/ reasonably sized bait. I’ve kicked this option around, but not sure if I want to drop the coin on something that is so limited in scope for my applications. This would be for medium sized shark from the surf & the jetties.

Another option if you’re into spinners would be the Okuma 8K. I picked one up as a low budget option to the idea above. The benefit here is the Okuma 8k is like $100 vs $6-700 for the Avet.

The Okuma 8K maxes out at 40 lbs drag while the Avet HXW maxes out at 50 lbs. The Okuma was close enough for my purposes. I can also use the Okuma for other needs as well. I actually wound it up & threw a pomp rig over the 3rd bar today at PINS.

I normally throw bait casters only so this is a new thing. The Akios Nitron F15 red is the shizzle! I hear the blue Nitrons have an improved brake system, but I haven’t casted the blue version.

 

If I needed ONE GOOD REVOLVING SPOOL reel for most any kinda pier/surf fish species, it'd be either an Omoto Chief Xtreme 630CXS ...

... or an Akios Nitron BLUE F-15 ....

Or maybe BOTH. 😎

 

Best advice I can give you is do your research and then go to the store and actually test it. Of course you need to get one that best fits your fishing needs. Price and quality can affect your decision too. There are so many good quality reels out there, you should be able to find one for you.
Capt. Alan
Galveston Fishing Charters
Galveston Bay Fishing Guides

 

The Akios F15 will outcast others mentioned above....and more robust than some.

 

No, it will not. Or better put - no, it might not.

ALL the reels in this thread are more than capable of extreme distances that are UP TO THE CASTER, not the reel.

 

Might is correct...I've owned the Fathoms, including casting special, and the Squall (casting special). Everything else being equal, the F15 (love both my blue and red) will outthrow them.

 

Maybe for you, but I know of a few casters who can take an Abu 5500 to well over 200 yards, with the level wind removed.

There's MUCH more about casting distance than just the reel itself.

Casting distance is first and foremost about casting technique, NOT the reel.

All the reels mentioned in this thread are capable of beyond 300 yards when in the right hands, and set up right.

And, FWIW, I have a blue Nitron.

 

The OP wanted reels for bull reds and sharks....don't think the 5500 qualifies.

 

My point was about distance and reels and casting technique. An Omoto Chief 7000 is just a venerable shark reel as a Nitron at about half the cost. I have a Chief 7000, and it's exclusively for sharking.

 

I use fathoms for drum... don't really target sharks but get plenty. I looked hard at the F15 a couple years ago, but after watching a friend fight a ~6ft shark on one I noticed it still has the jerky drag like the older akios models. Maybe is doesn't matter, but I like the glass smooth drag of the fathoms. My oldest one has 30+ big drum and 10-20 big sharks on it and is still glass smooth.

I have not tested it in a field, but I'm not sure that in fishing conditions the F15 offers any casting benefit. The fathoms are easily turned up so fast they'll blow up (about three clicks off the mag is getting close to the danger zone for me with degreased bearings and a couple drops of yellow rocks fuel).

One plus for the F15 is great support from Joe Moore in Avon and Tommy Farmer.