Avet SX5.1.1 vs. Shimano Torium TOR 16 vs. Shimano Tekota TEK 600

[Tedj101]

Gents,


I would love some advice on the above 3 reels. I understand the basic differences between them (star drag v lever drag, line capacity (which may be the most significant difference in my eyes), level wind v no level wind, backlash brake etc.). What I don't know is how well any of them work in the "reel" world !

FWIW, I would be using this with 16 or 20 lb line for light tackle casting from a boat, bottom fishing, jigging, and even as an extra rod for a little light trolling. All of this in the upper Chesapeake Bay. I think any of them would be suitable. I'm not sure how they differ in quality and ease of use, though...

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
TED

[offshore1218]

seems alot of guys like the avet sx.

[blooney]

I have the tekota....knock wood it has worked great for the last two seasons.

use it for bass and bluefish mainly --- eeling, jigging, chunking.

for trolling most people will opt for no level wind especially if you are going for a fish like tuna or other speedster

I fish it with 17 lb quatro (multicolored line)

so from an ease of use point.... the levelwinds are nice.

I would venture to say it depends upon what rod you are putting it on, what your going to fish for and likely to catch and if you prefer to use a level wind or not....a star or lever drag.

Ive been using Tekota 600's since they were first introduced a few years ago, and have yet to have a problem.

[dingbat]

I'd go for the Avet. Just to darn much plastic in those other reels for me.

[Tedj101]

offshore1218 - 10/13/2005 5:03 PM

seems alot of guys like the avet sx.

That's the one that appeals most to me -- except that it has the least capacity of the 3: 220 yds of 20#. Thanks for the feedback...

TED

[Tedj101]

blooney - 10/13/2005 5:34 PM

I have the tekota....knock wood it has worked great for the last two seasons.

use it for bass and bluefish mainly --- eeling, jigging, chunking.

for trolling most people will opt for no level wind especially if you are going for a fish like tuna or other speedster

I fish it with 17 lb quatro (multicolored line)

so from an ease of use point.... the levelwinds are nice.

I would venture to say it depends upon what rod you are putting it on, what your going to fish for and likely to catch and if you prefer to use a level wind or not....a star or lever drag.

Since I will be fishing the upper Chesapeake, I doubt that I'll run into too many tuna -- outside of my lunch box !

Stripers and blues (on the occasions that I get further South), maybe white perch. That's about it. Stripers is what I would target (I like to eat them )...

As to level wind, I've never used one for casting. It seems like it would be nice for trolling - especially if you are running a number of rods. I don't look at this as a trolling rig, particularly...

Thanks,
TED

[djy]

ok save your money, shimano tld 15. they can not be beat all I fish is bass and for around a 100 buck's they are the cat's meow! with 25# test they will do you proud. you can spend more but why?spend the rest on good line and hooks.

[Tedj101]

djy - 10/13/2005 11:29 PM

ok save your money, shimano tld 15. they can not be beat all I fish is bass and for around a 100 buck's they are the cat's meow! with 25# test they will do you proud. you can spend more but why?spend the rest on good line and hooks.

Well, I've got one of those for trolling use. I wanted a lighter rod/reel combination primarily for casting out of the boat when anchored or adrift... I am thinking of a very light rod with 16 lb line casting poppers and things of that sort.

Thanks,

TED

[djy]

for casting penn 975.

[JoeyM]

i have a couple of sx's, but havent tried the tekota or torium. i do have a calcutta 400s though. if you are considering the sx for casting, you should know it casts much better after it's magged. without the mags it's birdsnest city. with the mags it's great, but still not like the calcutta, which is almost impossible to blow up.

the calcutta has to be the smoothest casting reel i've ever had. it's adjustable, and you can take it down in the field in two minutes using a coin.

the sx is a nice strong reel, that is a bargain. but it is not nearly as smooth as the calcutta or an accurate. it also has a clicking sound (this is with the clicker off), that some people find annoying.

one other annoying thing i find with the sx is the two detents for the drag. at 'strike' the drag is too loose, but at 'full' it's too high. i can never set it just the way i want it. the calcutta drag has a lot more range. in fact it takes many turns of the star to make adjustments. i think i like that.

as far as serviceabilty of the sx....i use them as surf reels too. after a season of heavy use, and sand getting in everywhere, it started getting all hung up. taking it apart and cleaning it, is not as easy as it could be.

another reel to consider is the progear cs500c. i have one of those too, and it is a lot easier to clean than the sx, and a lot beefier. the gears are huge. after you mag it, it casts amazing.

[Gmack]

If you would like to get off a little cheaper I would suggest buying a quantum iron from ebay. I have had very good service out of mine over the last 6 years. You can purchase the non-level wind modles for $50 brand new from ebay. I have two level wind versions and a non-level wind version. They work great for catching large bull redfish, which I would guess is similar to a stripped bass. If you have any questions let me know!

Gary

[Tedj101]

JoeyM - 10/14/2005 2:20 AM

i have a couple of sx's, but havent tried the tekota or torium. i do have a calcutta 400s though. if you are considering the sx for casting, you should know it casts much better after it's magged. without the mags it's birdsnest city. with the mags it's great, but still not like the calcutta, which is almost impossible to blow up.

the calcutta has to be the smoothest casting reel i've ever had. it's adjustable, and you can take it down in the field in two minutes using a coin.

the sx is a nice strong reel, that is a bargain. but it is not nearly as smooth as the calcutta or an accurate. it also has a clicking sound (this is with the clicker off), that some people find annoying.

one other annoying thing i find with the sx is the two detents for the drag. at 'strike' the drag is too loose, but at 'full' it's too high. i can never set it just the way i want it. the calcutta drag has a lot more range. in fact it takes many turns of the star to make adjustments. i think i like that.

as far as serviceabilty of the sx....i use them as surf reels too. after a season of heavy use, and sand getting in everywhere, it started getting all hung up. taking it apart and cleaning it, is not as easy as it could be.

another reel to consider is the progear cs500c. i have one of those too, and it is a lot easier to clean than the sx, and a lot beefier. the gears are huge. after you mag it, it casts amazing.

Joey,

First, I am a pure novice at this so I have a lot to learn. Indeed, you went right over my head when you referred to "magged". I'm simply not familiar with the term (or the process assuming that it is a process). I assume that the comment on birdsnests indicates that the sx tends towards backlash (despite its claims to a unique anti-backlash system). That is useful information. Thanks. If you could explain "magging" I sure would appreciate it.

As to the Calcutta, I'm sure that they are nice, but they are a whole family of reels further upmarket from the sx. I just barely have my toes wet in this so far and don't want to go too far overboard -- until I get hooked !

Thanks,
TED

[Tedj101]

JoeyM - 10/14/2005 2:20 AM

i have a couple of sx's, but havent tried the tekota or torium. i do have a calcutta 400s though. if you are considering the sx for casting, you should know it casts much better after it's magged. without the mags it's birdsnest city. with the mags it's great, but still not like the calcutta, which is almost impossible to blow up.

the calcutta has to be the smoothest casting reel i've ever had. it's adjustable, and you can take it down in the field in two minutes using a coin.

the sx is a nice strong reel, that is a bargain. but it is not nearly as smooth as the calcutta or an accurate. it also has a clicking sound (this is with the clicker off), that some people find annoying.

one other annoying thing i find with the sx is the two detents for the drag. at 'strike' the drag is too loose, but at 'full' it's too high. i can never set it just the way i want it. the calcutta drag has a lot more range. in fact it takes many turns of the star to make adjustments. i think i like that.

as far as serviceabilty of the sx....i use them as surf reels too. after a season of heavy use, and sand getting in everywhere, it started getting all hung up. taking it apart and cleaning it, is not as easy as it could be.

another reel to consider is the progear cs500c. i have one of those too, and it is a lot easier to clean than the sx, and a lot beefier. the gears are huge. after you mag it, it casts amazing.

Joey,

First, I am a pure novice at this so I have a lot to learn. Indeed, you went right over my head when you referred to "magged". I'm simply not familiar with the term (or the process assuming that it is a process). I assume that the comment on birdsnests indicates that the sx tends towards backlash (despite its claims to a unique anti-backlash system). That is useful information. Thanks. If you could explain "magging" I sure would appreciate it.

As to the Calcutta, they sure look nice, but they are a whole family of reels further upmarket from the sx. I just barely have my toes wet in this so far and don't want to go too far overboard -- until I get hooked !

Thanks,
TED

[JoeyM]

oh no prob, magging is adding magnets to an aluminum spooled reel to create magnetic braking. i know aluminum isnt magnetic, but there is some physics internet pages out there that will explain how it works better than i can. basically, you glue really strong "rare earth" magnets inside the side plate of the reel (the non-handle side). and these create magnetics eddies in the spool as it spins. so, the faster the reel spins the more the magnets cause braking.

here is a nice page on how to mag an avet:
http://www.charkbait.com/article/2004/Walt_Galen.htm

i've casted the avet with their cast cotrol system. it's not really a system, it's basically a really light drag setting. you will never get great distance with it and it will blow up often. once you mag the reel, it is much much better. i use these reels on my surf rods and easily throw bait and 5-8 oz.s 150 yds (and this has been confirmed on a casting practice field, not a guesstimate). when i cast at the beach my thumb never touches the spool until the bait hits the water.

while the magged avet is great, the calcutta is even better. it has centrifugal brakes that are adjustable. if you set up the reel with maximum braking, it is really hard to birdsnest and you can still get great distance.

basically it boils down to this, the avet is not a casting reel despite their 'cast control' system. but you can make it a pretty good casting reel by magging it. it is a great lever drag for the price.

the calcutta is more like an abu. a great casting reel right out of the box. if you are just beginning to learn to cast conventional the calcutta will be a lot easier to learn.

let me know if you have more questions. magging a reel is really easy, will probably cost you a dollar, and will transform the reel.

[JoeyM]

oh i forgot there are other great casting reels that are cheaper than the calcutta.
check out these reels:
daiwa SL30SH, SL-X30SHV
Penn 525 mag

you can also give ryan white at hatteras jack a call. he's ones of those guys that does those long distance casting competitions. he can help you pick out a great reel. he's built me a couple of awesome rods and i've bought a lot of reels from him.

http://www.hatterasjack.com

[Tedj101]

JoeyM - 10/14/2005 6:43 PM

oh i forgot there are other great casting reels that are cheaper than the calcutta.
check out these reels:
daiwa SL30SH, SL-X30SHV
Penn 525 mag

you can also give ryan white at hatteras jack a call. he's ones of those guys that does those long distance casting competitions. he can help you pick out a great reel. he's built me a couple of awesome rods and i've bought a lot of reels from him.

http://www.hatterasjack.com

Thanks, Joey. You've given me a lot to ponder!

TED

[seastrike]

for "light tackle" casting in the upper bay, you just don't need that much reel. You'll be far better off, if you want conventional or level-wind, to go with the Abu 5500/6500 or comparable.