Heat Report post Posted January 29, 2018 OK guys, I had a weak moment and did something I will probably regret for a while and sold my Pro Gear 545 (2 of them) and Pro Gear 251 a few years ago. The 545's were my go to 30# bait and jig reels. The 251 with a 270-8 was my 20# ace in the hole. Caught a lot of albies and yellows with that little black beauty! I still have a few rigs I can use to fish 30# line but wondering what you guys would do in my situation. I have 2 reels that I am contemplating putting on my 30# rod which is a custom Calstar 870H. #1 option is Shimano TLD Star 15/30 and the #2 option is a plain jane Penn 500 Jigmaster. I think the drag is better on the 15/30 but probably get more line capacity on the Penn 500. Which reel would you put on given the two options I currently have available? I'm leaning on putting 200-250 yards of spectra on the 15/30 and running about 100 yards of mono topshot on it. With the Jigmaster I would probably run straight mono since the smaller diameter line could possibly get stuck between the spool and frame on that one and 300 yards of mono is probably plenty. The TLD Star is probably better for casting, so another reason I am leaning that way. Am I on the right track? Any other reels that I should be contemplating even if I have to buy another one or trade? The other reel will probably be used for #25 or #20 on an older Fenwick Pacificstik 15-50# rated rod. This is in addition to a few other rigs including a one piece frame topless Penn 113 matched with an 865XH for 40#. Also have a Calcutta 400s matched with a Terramar rod for 15#. I still feel like I can get on a 2 day and do some damage with these rigs and not have to buy anything else. I will admit though that the talk earlier about the newer spinning reels has me tempted to get a 20# saltwater spinning set up. One of these days I'm buying a trolling rig too. Any and all opinions welcome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunDevil Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Heat, in all honesty, this is probably a much better question for bloody decks 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Thanks, I posted there too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Don't ask us you know what to do. Do they even make the tld 15/30s anymore? You can get a penn squall 30 star drag for $120 bucks. i like braid with mono top shot for versatility. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted January 30, 2018 I have had my Jigmaster for well over 50 years and it has reeled in a lot of fish. Everything from Fluke to Stripers to Albacore. I have a newer lightweight aluminum spool I bought from Phoenix Fishing Supply and I run 20# on it and 30 on the original spool but the drag has a tough time anymore with anything over 20-25 pounds. It is probably the original drag. I like it because even though my dad told me it was a "boat reel" and not to cast with it I have done plenty of 50 yard casts with it without a problem. I rotate it between a Gulf Star and a Roddy Hunter. It is a budget setup at best but it catches fish. A few years ago my son bought me a Penn 340 which ought be handle a 50# fish from the looks of it but I haven't had the opportunity to put it to the test. WHen it comes to tackle in deep water I would rather be overgunned than not have enough tackle. I would routinely read stories of guys fishing the Midnight Lump and fighting 80 to 150 # YFT for over an hour or just getting spooled on tackle that is not big enough. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Zebco 33 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunDevil Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Mitchell 300 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Ya they quit making those TLD Star reels a long time ago. I still have one though. Its been upgraded from the bushing in the side plate to a bearing. It built like a tank, still free spools nice, and the drags are smooth so ya that's where I'm headed! If necessary I can switch the drags out to something like carbontex from smoothdrags in the future, maybe find a different handle. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted January 30, 2018 If it ain't broke don't fix it 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Zebco 33 The jam-o-matic of it's day. I still have a Mitchell 300 somewhere with the upgraded bigger handle you could order for like $1.25. Bought it when I was 12 with paper route money after seeing how well it cast with just a split shot that a friend had at summer scout camp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
