[Guest]

Hi,
Around here (Pacific Northwest) waves hit the shore pretty strong. Long story short I will take several tumbles during any outing and the reel will get saltwater and sand in it.

This got me thinking: why not get a reel that's simple to service since I'll have to take it apart each time. That means fewer moving parts and simple procedure to clean and pack with grease.

On that note, Daiwa sells the all metal, simplistic DF100A for around $30:

Also nicknamed "bigreel".

It seems to fit the bill: few moving parts, only 1 ball bearing, sturdy construction and simple to take apart, re-assemble. And cheap to boot.

What do you guys think of it as a surf casting reel? It will go on a 11 feet ugly stick bigwater. I have to be able to cast far to go past the breakers.

Is the Daiwa DF100A adequate for that purpose?

 

[spydermn]

Your West Coast surf fishing sounds like our NC casting heavers for fishing the OBX, SOBX and Northeast Stripers. How much weight are you throwing and what size critter are you targeting?

We throw 6-10oz + bait on a regular basis. We are (hoping) to target fish in the 10-50# range (red drum and striped bass).
Custom rods are the name of the game if you have the $$$. If not TICA, Tsunami, Penn, OceanMaster (Bass Pro Shop). For the weight you see thrown on a regular basis the Ugly Sticks do not have enough backbone.

As for reels most throw conventionals when throwing for distance. Diawa, Avet, Penn, Shimano the list goes on.

I guess we need more info of what you are targeting to make a better suggestions and what your budget is. IF you are looking at $30 reels you are in the right area

 

[surfchunker]

my question is how far from shore are you casting ? would learning to cast better so you can stay dry be enough ?

 

[Guest]

my question is how far from shore are you casting ? would learning to cast better so you can stay dry be enough ?

This would be a great double wammy!
I'd like to reach out to 100yd. Currently casting 4oz pyramids. Probably should try 5 or 6oz next as last weekend waves drifted everything.

I target surf perches, lingcod, greenlings and black seabass but am limited to casting distance currently. My current reel is an okuma ceymar sz 40 which offers lots of friction due to small spool diameter. It also has 8 ball bearings which makes it a chore to disasemble and clean. So I'm in the market for something larger that's much simpler, good at casting and less than $60 because it will likely fall in hte sand/water sooner than later, realistically.

Any reel recommendation is welcome! Daiwa DF100A anyone?

 

[Guest]

Your West Coast surf fishing sounds like our NC casting heavers for fishing the OBX, SOBX and Northeast Stripers. How much weight are you throwing and what size critter are you targeting?

We throw 6-10oz + bait on a regular basis. We are (hoping) to target fish in the 10-50# range (red drum and striped bass).
Custom rods are the name of the game if you have the $$$. If not TICA, Tsunami, Penn, OceanMaster (Bass Pro Shop). For the weight you see thrown on a regular basis the Ugly Sticks do not have enough backbone.

As for reels most throw conventionals when throwing for distance. Diawa, Avet, Penn, Shimano the list goes on.

I guess we need more info of what you are targeting to make a better suggestions and what your budget is. IF you are looking at $30 reels you are in the right area

Answered partly above.
I'm not limited to $30, I'm willing to spend $60 on a reel that fits the bill. As far as mechanism simplicity while being adequate for tossing lead 100yd, I have not found any reel that is as simple and as sturdy as the Daiwa DF100A in the sub-$60 (on paper). It so happens to cost $30. Which leads me to think others use it.

Hence this thread was born.

 

[Harder]

Love my Daiwa DF100A. Well made (it's a Daiwa), simple, effective, inexpensive, and left-handed (me, too). Has tremendous capacity for line (I've got 1800 ft. of 65 lb. Spiderwire).
No instant anti-reverse, could have a better drag, but, hey, for 30 bucks? - I can deal with it. I'm able to chuck 4 oz. + bait about 100 yds. on a 12ft heavy Ugly Stick. About 120 on my 12 ft. Penn Prevail. There's a great repair tutorial that might also help... http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5444.0.

 

[IPNURWATER]

A lot of the north east striper guys use the old spinfisher 700. 704. 704z. Etc. Can be had under 60$. Easy to take apart and parts have been avaible for decades. They are tanks. If you want to get fancy with these reels you can drill them out to look like VS reels. There's also bail less kits avaible.That daiwa resembles the original spinfisher A lot

 

[Garboman]

Emblem-X or any of the newer longcast spool Daiwas, due to the spool design will outcast by good margin the reel you are posting about. Check Ebay for a used reel. Experienced casters can get 150 plus yards with the 4 ounce pyramid you currently are using. A few fellas on this site get 200 yards with small aerodynamic baits and sinkers and a high quality rod. If you do not have to wade out as far you won't get the reel dunked and full of sand. A Great Reel will last decades and will be cheaper in the long run. The older narrow spool design is a detriment to distance.

 

[Guest]

Love my Daiwa DF100A. Well made (it's a Daiwa), simple, effective, inexpensive, and left-handed (me, too). Has tremendous capacity for line (I've got 1800 ft. of 65 lb. Spiderwire).
No instant anti-reverse, could have a better drag, but, hey, for 30 bucks? - I can deal with it. I'm able to chuck 4 oz. + bait about 100 yds. on a 12ft heavy Ugly Stick. About 120 on my 12 ft. Penn Prevail. There's a great repair tutorial that might also help... http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5444.0.

Actually I had read that article before starting this thread, great writeup BTW!
How do it compare to other reels you've used on these rods?

 

[Guest]

A lot of the north east striper guys use the old spinfisher 700. 704. 704z. Etc. Can be had under 60$. Easy to take apart and parts have been avaible for decades. They are tanks. If you want to get fancy with these reels you can drill them out to look like VS reels. There's also bail less kits avaible.That daiwa resembles the original spinfisher A lot

I'd rather get a new reel for $30 than an old one for $60.

 

[Guest]

Emblem-X or any of the newer longcast spool Daiwas, due to the spool design will outcast by good margin the reel you are posting about. Check Ebay for a used reel. Experienced casters can get 150 plus yards with the 4 ounce pyramid you currently are using. A few fellas on this site get 200 yards with small aerodynamic baits and sinkers and a high quality rod. If you do not have to wade out as far you won't get the reel dunked and full of sand. A Great Reel will last decades and will be cheaper in the long run. The older narrow spool design is a detriment to distance.

The Emblem-X must be a Euro-only reel. Not available here the States, save for Ebay import. In fact the other Daiwa I had considered was the Emcast surf 6000 which looks similar to the one you mentionned. But the 7BB seem to be more of a hassle than anything else when sand gets involved.

 

[Guest]

Love my Daiwa DF100A. Well made (it's a Daiwa), simple, effective, inexpensive, and left-handed (me, too). Has tremendous capacity for line (I've got 1800 ft. of 65 lb. Spiderwire).
No instant anti-reverse, could have a better drag, but, hey, for 30 bucks? - I can deal with it. I'm able to chuck 4 oz. + bait about 100 yds. on a 12ft heavy Ugly Stick. About 120 on my 12 ft. Penn Prevail. There's a great repair tutorial that might also help... http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5444.0.

Curious, have ever had sand get in and does it jam or still chugs on?

 

[DaBig2na]

First off I don't like CHEAP FOR ME most all my spinning reels are Penn..The last thing I want is a mechanical failure on a really nice fish. So I don't scrimp on my equipment..id rather spend the money now and have reels last a life time , than run to Walmart every season or when a big one takes it for a ride and blows it up

You said you want a reel that will achieve a distance you are trying to reach but there are more variables that should be known .. Rod length and rating and line type. With that being said.

I suggest a Daiwa Sweepfire in the 4500 or 5000'seires. It will come in under budget at 25.00. To ME Personally, it's a junk reel but they have their place for sure in the lower tier market. Surprisingly it's a pretty smooth reel but just a little slow for my taste. It has a longer shallow spool and a decent drag. Max I'd say would be around 15-17 lbs.. I don't know how long it will be good for though. If it breaks, it's cheaper to buy a new one than to have someone fix it.


Let's assume you are using a ten foot surf rod rated for 6 ounces on the high side. And also using a good quality 20lb test braid.
After tying at least a 50 lb monofilament shock leader so the braid doesn't cut your finger when you cast. If you don't know what a shock leader is get back with me and I will explain to you how to set one up on your Rod and reel

With good casting technique and not over loading it with bait the reel should exceed your expectation.

 

[Guest]

First off I don't like CHEAP FOR ME most all my spinning reels are Penn..The last thing I want is a mechanical failure on a really nice fish. So I don't scrimp on my equipment..id rather spend the money now and have reels last a life time , than run to Walmart every season or when a big one takes it for a ride and blows it up

You said you want a reel that will achieve a distance you are trying to reach but there are more variables that should be known .. Rod length and rating and line type. With that being said.

I suggest a Daiwa Sweepfire in the 4500 or 5000'seires. It will come in under budget at 25.00. To ME Personally, it's a junk reel but they have their place for sure in the lower tier market. Surprisingly it's a pretty smooth reel but just a little slow for my taste. It has a longer shallow spool and a decent drag. Max I'd say would be around 15-17 lbs.. I don't know how long it will be good for though. If it breaks, it's cheaper to buy a new one than to have someone fix it.


Let's assume you are using a ten foot surf rod rated for 6 ounces on the high side. And also using a good quality 20lb test braid.
After tying at least a 50 lb monofilament shock leader so the braid doesn't cut your finger when you cast. If you don't know what a shock leader is get back with me and I will explain to you how to set one up on your Rod and reel

With good casting technique and not over loading it with bait the reel should exceed your expectation.

Thanks, I'll make sure to check out this reel. But it seems the Daiwa DF100A, being all-metal, is one or two steps above in quality. While being inexpensive at $30 it seems also fairly durable. Price and durability are certainly not its weakness, but at nearly 2lbs it can double as a boat anchor. Just can't have it all.

Good tip on the shock leader. The way I understand it is the mono's elasticity/give/springiness gives some extra slingshot-effect during launch while being gentle on the reel arbor. I have rigged my current setup this way but with about 10ft of 30lb mono before the 20lb spectra.

I'm not too happy about one thing with this shock leader though, it's the friction when the uni splice knot goes through the loops. It feels like it slows down things a bit. Please feel free to chime in as you have way more experience than me.

 

[digiRAMbo]

Thanks, I'll make sure to check out this reel. But it seems the Daiwa DF100A, being all-metal, is one or two steps above in quality. While being inexpensive at $30 it seems also fairly durable. Price and durability are certainly not its weakness, but at nearly 2lbs it can double as a boat anchor. Just can't have it all.

Good tip on the shock leader. The way I understand it is the mono's elasticity/give/springiness gives some extra slingshot-effect during launch while being gentle on the reel arbor. I have rigged my current setup this way but with about 10ft of 30lb mono before the 20lb spectra.

I'm not too happy about one thing with this shock leader though, it's the friction when the uni splice knot goes through the loops. It feels like it slows down things a bit. Please feel free to chime in as you have way more experience than me.

Have you considered using FG knot or similar knots that are slimmer? I'm not a pro yet at tying FG knots and I use both hands and feet to tie my FG knot (use my feet to put tension on the mono line and my left hand to put tension on the braid). I much prefer FG knot over uni-to-uni. When I'm out fishing and braid gets cut off, then I resort to uni-to-uni since it's much easier and quicker for me... Then I retie using FG knots when I get home. I followed instructions on youtube titled "Quickest Way to Tie the FG Knot (The Strongest Braid to Leader..."

I started using the FG knot over uni-to-uni for the same reasons - didn't like how it rubbed against the guides. For baitcasting/conventional setup, uni-to-uni knots sometimes get caught on the guides and the line guide on low profile baitcasters. FG knot solved 90% of these problems for me.

 

[DaBig2na]

Thanks, I'll make sure to check out this reel. But it seems the Daiwa DF100A, being all-metal, is one or two steps above in quality. While being inexpensive at $30 it seems also fairly durable. Price and durability are certainly not its weakness, but at nearly 2lbs it can double as a boat anchor. Just can't have it all.

Good tip on the shock leader. The way I understand it is the mono's elasticity/give/springiness gives some extra slingshot-effect during launch while being gentle on the reel arbor. I have rigged my current setup this way but with about 10ft of 30lb mono before the 20lb spectra.

I'm not too happy about one thing with this shock leader though, it's the friction when the uni splice knot goes through the loops. It feels like it slows down things a bit. Please feel free to chime in as you have way more experience than me.

If your mind was already made up on a specific reel then why waste our time?

25 to 30 dollars and a step up in quality might have made a difference in 1968..
Today? Excuse me while I laugh a bit... Both reels are on the same tier. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP..
You get what you pay for pal.

You just got pretty good advice from good people with lots of fishing knowledge!

Secondly, Initially the shock leader is to protect your finger when you cast.. And take the the front end of the load ..No sling shot effect that i see in the little bit you will be using. Mono stretches a bit, but not that much. A good 6 to7 wraps around the spool will pull smoothly through the guides.

One little uni to uni kmot isn't going to make that much of a difference going through your guides. This I can promise you. The previously mentioned FG knot is smoother thorough the guides but just takes too long to tie should you break off. And super hard to tie in the dark.

 

[kurazy kracka]

seems you were set on that daiwa reel before you even began this thread......a 30oz reel is ridiculous, have fun with that thing. I complain about a reel being more than 15oz lol

As others have said, a well matched rod and reel and you will hit that 100 yards easily and not have to worry about wading out and getting tossed around to make your casts.

 

[Garboman]

The Emblem-X must be a Euro-only reel. Not available here the States, save for Ebay import. In fact the other Daiwa I had considered was the Emcast surf 6000 which looks similar to the one you mentionned. But the 7BB seem to be more of a hassle than anything else when sand gets involved.

Emblem-X is an older US model as I said in the previous response you have to buy it used on E-Bay. it was a $120+ reel NIB 10 years ago. It has the same spool design as the newer more expensive Daiwas.

I have one it is a nice enough spinner for me, no need Van Staal where I fish

I also have a Daiwa SS smaller Trout reel with the same long cast spool.

 

[Garboman]

For a shock knot with a spinner use a 15-20 foot spider hitch double line, will not hang up. If you are throwing 8 ounces and bait you have to use 20 pound test minimum quality mono.

It is Thanksgiving so I am being real helpful the Pilgrims.