Beach spinning: Okuma Avenger 55?

[AnthonyC]

Recently bought a catana 902 to throw lures and slugs into the surf for salmon and have been looking for a suitable reel under 100. Have come across the okuma avenger 55, has the most ball bearings (7+1) in my price range and holds 300m of 20lb braid (the line size i plan to use), was just wondering i anyone has any experience with this reel or thinks it is the right kind of reel for the kind of fishing i plan on doing.

[Basti]

Never used it myself, but i don't see why it wouldn't do the job. In picking a reel for spinning the surf i'd look at about how much line it retrieves per handle turn - the more the better. retrieve is a function of gear ratio and spool diameter so generally look for a higher ratio for a similar size of reel. Secondly you need to balance the outfit as you are going to be making a lot of casts. take your rod into a store and try the reel on for size. high bearing counts make a reel nice in the hand, but keep in mind that beach spinning is a harsh environment, and bearings like to corrode. Keep up with maintenance and this won't be an issue.

Looking at a few stats the avenger pulls in 76cm of line which is ok. Most guys are going to recommend that you have a look at the shimano sedona FD which does a little better. 5.7:1 gear ratio and 4+1 bearings and can be had for $60-$80 if you shop around. I used to have one on my catana and it did the job pretty well. I had an issue with the line catching on the bail arm and laying wrong on the spool but i don't know if that was because i pulled it apart for cleaning and reassembled wrong. it's a bulletproof reel otherwise and a good starting point.

i'm trying to find some specs on the retrieve but it looks like most places are pushing the new FE sedona which has been changed a fair bit.

[DougieK]

I bought an okuma Trio 55 as a slightly larger option for my beach spinning / rock spinning compared to my 4000 sized reels. It fell apart.

Not a huge fan of the Okuma's.

You can get a Fin Nor Lethal 40 for $99 which will be utterly bullet proof although probably a touch heavier than the okuma. The sedona is a good choice. The sienna is cheaper again.

I use two lethals for all my heavy bait work (i use the 100) and was spinning with them until i bought a Penn Clash.

Don't stress too much about retrieve speeds if you're fishing for salmon and you'll never use 300m of 20lb braid. There is no chance spinning a Victorian beach of hooking a salmon that's going to peel 200m of line off a 4000 sized reel.

[dezza68]

Not a fan of the Okuma either. I brought a Daiwa sweepfire in 4000 size, cost me less than $40. Its performed well on the salmon and mangrove jacks in qld last week.
I try not to buy expensive gear for beach work as the environment is so harsh. Just stick to the reputable brands and you will be fine.

[purple5ive]

if i was after a reel for spinning the beaches, id look at something that has a high speed retrieve. this will enable you to wind comfortably while still reeling in line at a faster rate than normal reels.

[DougieK]

if i was after a reel for spinning the beaches, id look at something that has a high speed retrieve. this will enable you to wind comfortably while still reeling in line at a faster rate than normal reels.

You could just wind faster unless you're worried about it messing up your hair.

[purple5ive]

if i was after a reel for spinning the beaches, id look at something that has a high speed retrieve. this will enable you to wind comfortably while still reeling in line at a faster rate than normal reels.

You could just wind faster unless you're worried about it messing up your hair.

HAHAH YEAH, i just prefer to let the equipment work for me these days. winding slower means i can be less tired and cast/fish a bit longer.
not to mention, high speed reels will take in slack line after you have casted, a lot faster than std reels.

[Scraglor]

if i was after a reel for spinning the beaches, id look at something that has a high speed retrieve. this will enable you to wind comfortably while still reeling in line at a faster rate than normal reels.

You could just wind faster unless you're worried about it messing up your hair.

Is that why you shave your head?

[DougieK]

if i was after a reel for spinning the beaches, id look at something that has a high speed retrieve. this will enable you to wind comfortably while still reeling in line at a faster rate than normal reels.

You could just wind faster unless you're worried about it messing up your hair.

Is that why you shave your head?

It's not male pattern baldness it's a solar panel for a sex machine.

[AnthonyC]

Wow not a lot of love for the Okumas on here haha
Ill keep looking, there have been some great suggestions put up so ill investigate those. In the meantime ill probably just mount my reel from my general rod (a daiwa laguna 4000. Im a uni student so ive mostly got budget outfits) which should hold up / i wont cry too much if it breaks on the beach. Cheers everyone, ill let you all know what i end up with!