David B. - The hook is the lynchpin of our fishing outfits, yet it gets the least attention. Crappie anglers, carp anglers, and bluefin anglers have all settled on circle hooks - a good name, since hook design has gone full circle in the last 100,000 years or so. What type of rod blanks, handles, reel seats, guides, tip-tops, and line are best suited to the use of circle hooks?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2021 02:38PM by Phil Ewanicki.

All of them.

What type of guide spacing is best for the use of circle hooks?

Russell,

In my experience, it is much more important to balance the reel to the rod. In other words, when the rod balances perfectly in your hand with the reel attached, you have a great balance. That being said, the largest reel that will balance your rod will provide the best casting distance, providing the guides are the sized correctly. If you are willing to spend the money, the Shimano Vanford reels provide a great weight to size ratio.

For greater casting distance, I have found the guides play a significant role. I have been using the Microwave 25's from American Tackle on a my builds and couldn't be happier! They work especially well with up tp a size 3000 size reel, and possibly even larger (I haven't tried larger reels yet...)

Line size and type is what determines how well the microwaves work and the reel comes second . You can use a considerably larger reel than a 3000 size and if you keep the braid light enough they will still cast fantastic.

Some reels cast better than others. That is just a simple fact. It is more acknowledged in conventional surf casting reels, but it is still true with spinning reels.

The Vanford is the replacement for the Stradic Ci4. It is considered a better reel and it is very light in weight. Yet I could buy a Luvias for 120 more which weighs the same, but holds about 56% more line. If I'm fighting a saltwater fish there is a big difference between 160 and 250 yards of spool capacity. The Tatula is 40 bucks cheaper than the Vanford, 1/2 ounce more, with the same line capacity as the Luvias. I doubt a 1/2 ounce is going to make any difference in balance.

I don't think that means either one will out cast the Vanford with the lures weights one would normally be casting on a UL to L power rod. I would say some research and experimentation would be needed to ascertain that.

It is easy to hold the blank, guide train, and line a constant. The reel is the variable in this problem. I'm beginning to think it wouldn't amount to more than 10 feet with anything 1/8 ounce and under. Very different problem if we were talking a 11' blank casting 3 ounces. For that I'm sticking with my Penn 525 Mag.

Nice conversation on this thread.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Well of course some reels cast better than others , good luck finding somebody who doesn't agree with that . I would never spend more on a Vanford over a Stradic FL , I know how Shimano works and how they approach marketing and the differences in features are nowhere near worth the extra cost to me . Vanfords retail for approx $ 30.00 more than the Stradic FL series . Many retailers are selling them at considerably higher costs than listed retail however.

The heaviest Stradic FL weighs a mere 10.4 ounces , the heaviest Vanford weighs 7.6 ounces . Despite Shimano's advertising that many people fall for and believe there are zero differences in the main gear and pinion quality between these two reel lines . If you really dig in to the differences they are few and far between . Both utilize much of the exact same tech . I bet Alan Hawk will confirm this if he does a review on the Vanford . He's always screaming at Shimano for outright lying about their reel feature's. The Vanford tends to fool people into thinking the internals are different because the rotor is a different material which makes it lighter and results in less inertia at startup.

While Stradic's aren't an ideal inshore saltwater reel millions of anglers including inshore guides use them for just that and they continue to be extremely popular despite the Stradic FL being named the best freshwater spinner of the year a while back . Both reel series should cast equally well with very little to any noticeable differences .


OMG , I just realized it's the Vanford not the Vanguard ( Changed name) .



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2021 11:39PM by chris c nash.

LOL, spool capacity depends on one's needs. I for one pay more for lower capacity spools as I use UL lines and don't want to waste unneeded line every time I respool with fresh line....:) Of course, I fish freshwater and don't need huge amount of line.


Russell Brunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some reels cast better than others. That is just
> a simple fact. It is more acknowledged in
> conventional surf casting reels, but it is still
> true with spinning reels.
>
> The Vanford is the replacement for the Stradic
> Ci4. It is considered a better reel and it is
> very light in weight. Yet I could buy a Luvias
> for 120 more which weighs the same, but holds
> about 56% more line. If I'm fighting a saltwater
> fish there is a big difference between 160 and 250
> yards of spool capacity. The Tatula is 40 bucks
> cheaper than the Vanford, 1/2 ounce more, with the
> same line capacity as the Luvias. I doubt a 1/2
> ounce is going to make any difference in balance.
>
> I don't think that means either one will out cast
> the Vanford with the lures weights one would
> normally be casting on a UL to L power rod. I
> would say some research and experimentation would
> be needed to ascertain that.
>
> It is easy to hold the blank, guide train, and
> line a constant. The reel is the variable in this
> problem. I'm beginning to think it wouldn't
> amount to more than 10 feet with anything 1/8
> ounce and under. Very different problem if we
> were talking a 11' blank casting 3 ounces. For
> that I'm sticking with my Penn 525 Mag.
>
> Nice conversation on this thread.

Before I drop a couple-three hundred dollars on a new reel I would like to know how much farther it will cast with the same rod/line/weight than it casts with my "old" reel. I'm sure it will vary from caster to caster, but will the difference be feet, yards, tens of yards, a hundred yards. . . what can I expect - in approximate numbers? I would be foolish to spend $300 to cast 8' farther.

You can conserve line with any reel, all you need to do is to fill the spool with backing line or add layers of tape to the spool to increase the inner spool diameter so you need less fishing line to fill the spool.

Also, what I have done this once or twice with expensive braid line is to transfer the line to a spare spool then transfer that line to another spool and then transfer it back to my reel. Now I have the nu-used portion of line available for fishing..

It sounds complicated but it is very easy quick if you have a line winder.

Have fun

Drag washers (total drag), line capacity and quality of innards seems to be where you should spend the money (based on target species). Spool diameter and line choice have to play well with stripper position, height and size to realize full potential. Throwing money at the reel won't automatically make you cast farther. I have a couple of ancient Gander Mountain spinners that cast like a dream, just don't try to reel in a fish with them. ;)

Phil it's very easy to find out those answers . What is your old reel and what are it's specs , let me know what type and pound test line you used on it . Then reveal what reel you want to buy including the model # and whether you will be using the same line type and strength . I'll tell you immediately if it will cast better or not .

We are getting off on a tangent here but I love it.

Phil it has gotten to the point where I can no longer tell if you are asking a serious question, or if you even want an answer. I'll just say this. Any increase in casting distance needs to be looked at as a percentage increase.

If you are casting a 1/32 ounce jig on spinning gear you aren't casting it far no matter what. An eight foot increase may be a substantial percentage increase and $300 isn't expensive for a spinning reel anymore.

These days you have guys casting 250-300 yards with tricked out ABU 6500's. I promise you aren't doing a 1/3 of that with your old Penn Long Beach. You might get around that with your Slosh which is a great casting reel for what it is, but that is pushing it IMHO.


Jim, I agree. It is just that if I'm going to buy a smaller reel (smallest is 2500 Stradic) I'd rather spend a bit more and have something that might do double duty. A reel under 6 ounces that holds 220 yards of 6# mono will hold enough braid to be a serious light salt water reel. You don't need much for Reds and Trout but Permit and Bones are a whole different matter.

For awhile we have seen smaller conventional reels loaded with braid that could do what our old 4/0's and 6/0's could do. We have seen high dollar big spinning reels that can tackle Bluefin. Now we are seeing spinning reels the weight of previous 500 reels that will hold 250 yards of braid that will fish an honest 5+ pounds of drag, handle 100 yard runs, and rods that can fish that drag range well under 2 ounces in raw form.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

A reel under 6 ounces OMG . I can't do that I would be constantly thinking I left my reel at home even though it was attached to the rod.

Here we go up the garden path again.

Didn't you read what the OP said ?


"We are getting off on a tangent here BUT I LOVE IT "


Russ likes the garden path

Russ likes fishing. Russ likes talking about fishing equipment and ways to increase success. The more you engage Russ, and the more beers anyone buys him, the more he talks. Otherwise Russ is on the quiet and introverted side.

I got what I came for. Namely that for an UL rod, and the weights normally cast, one won't see a substantial difference between a 500 and 2000 reel. Second, yes the GPS software is somewhat narrow in terms of the range that it provides valid information.

Stop egging me on, and buying me beers, and I'll shut up and head off to bed. Otherwise it will be a long night. As an insomniac that works in my favor and you guys will be too tired to fish in the morning but I won't:) After I catch all the fish it will only prove that my ideas on rods, reels, rigging, etc. are superior and you certainly don't want to endure that nonsense.

You have been warned.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Ha ha ha ha ha I love it and lets not forget people , Russ being the responsible and stand up individual he is was simply mowing the lawn one day , nobody had to ask or threaten him to mow the lawn he just knew it was the right thing to do . Well the next thing you know Russ is sprawled out laying on his lawn with automobile tire marks covering his body . Despite Russ being on the verge of death all he could think about was whether or not being run over by a 4000 pound vehicle while mowing his lawn was going to cause his previously scheduled fishing trip to be temporarily postponed . Russ is the definition of a die hard .

Distance casters measure and publish, in numbers, the results of their casting efforts. I suspect their tackle would not be practical for actual fishing? I have yet to see a rod builder or a component manufacturer publish, in numbers, the casting results of building a rod with their product. Maybe builders should publish their FEELINGS about their rods to give prospective builders a basis for comparison - or do they already do this?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2021 11:14AM by Phil Ewanicki.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Distance casters measure and publish, in numbers,
> the results of their casting efforts. I suspect
> their tackle would not be practical for actual
> fishing? I have yet to see a rod builder or a
> component manufacturer publish, in numbers, the
> casting results of building a rod with their
> product. Maybe builders should publish their
> FEELINGS about their rods to give prospective
> builders a basis for comparison - or do they
> already do this?


Since you are a rod builder, where might one find the published numbers for your builds or do you just claim them to be nice builds?