Newell reel review?

[Surfster]

A friend is selling a Newell 220-5 and I am interested in buying it for an eeling rod I'm putting together. The rod is a 9ft Graph M/H and was going to use my squidder on it but it's a little large and heavy. Same for any of my Abu7000's.
Would this reel be a good match for this? I'm thinking it might be on the small side and weak. I DON'T know a thing about Newells except I have never heard a complaint. Bottom line it for me..
Would a 220-5 be a suitable reel for eeling stripers from the back beach. NOT looking to throw a mile just want a good casting quality baitcaster with gutts (good drag and cranking power).
By the way I have not even seen this or any 220 model yet. It looks small in Pics. Any thoughts?

[fishweewee]

Hank the 220 or the 229 should be fine.

However, if you intend to power cast regularly, I think you would be better served by a Newell that has an aluminum spool.

The graphite spool flange on a regular Newell will burn your thumb and gosh does it hurt.

You can get a limited edition P-series Newell from charkbait.com that sports an aluminum spool, amongst other enhancements. It's a little more than you would ordinarily pay for a regular newell, but TRUST ME, it's worth it.

-WW

LIBBA #580

[tlapinski]

i have never seen or used that newell, but the newell i have is a xxx-5 (can't remember the model #). i think the -5 part is the gear ratio. for my likings, that is too fast for eeling. i was eeling with an abu 7500, but found it to be too fast and went back to my 7000 geared at 4:1 or so. just my thoughts.

[Surfster]

I think yer right Lappy. The 5 is for the 5:3 ratio. I also used my 7000C3 for eeling it was OK but a little large and awkward thumbing the line on that wide spool while I'm trying to feel for a pickup (I removed the levelwind after it hung up a few times)
I went down to a smaller rod with the 6500C3 and it didn't have the drag needed to control a good fish. The Squidder performed the same as the 7000C3 but a little heavier. I was looking for something between the 7000 and 6500 with the gutts of the Squidder. I was hoping to find that in the 220S.

WeeWee, I've heard yer warning before by others. I'll take the advice thankyou. I've got a pretty seasoned thumb and can do fine...I think. Never had a spool that wasn't metal.
I did check out the reintro'ed "P" series at my local shop. He wanted $199 for a 300series. Not a bad price but this reel I'm being offered has a price tag of $65 and is in very good shape (I'm told) and I don't want to let it pass if It'll do the job I'm looking for. Online it's going for between $135 and $150 new.
At the same time I don't want to waste the money if it'd gonna get tossed into the basement to collect sawdust.
I think I'll go for it and if it's not what I'm after I could always post it and resell. Thankyou both for the input.

[Mike P]

Ben, who the hell power-casts an eel

Just watch out the free-spool clutch doesn't come into contact with yer body when you come back on a fish

[fishweewee]

[Bawana]

Good price but it is a smaller reel like 6500Abu*s.cast well but if you backlash newell better to cut line off and respool.I have both the aluminum and graphite spooled 235*s and dont see that big if any difference.C229-5 with graphite spool also great and easier to control.Couple of short casts to get line wet or pouring fresh water over reel before using should stop cooked thumb.Boy dont they hurt!!!I got a counter balenced handle the made retrieve feel smoother but it is a lot heavier.

[fishweewee]

Abu 6500's are great but my only beef with them is the narrow spool flange.

-WW

[tlapinski]

maybe it is how i cast, but i don't really use the flange when throwing conventional. even on large abus, i cup the spool with my thumb over the line during a cast. i have tried using the flange, but i can't get as good of a grip for my casting style.

[Surfster]

I've always tried to thumb the flange but it just seems awkward on a reel as large as the 7000. Once the braid is wet I have no problem with it at all. I do however make it a point to thumb the flange on the squidder if I toss bait with a heavy sinker. I don't do it often but I remember the feeling of that mono burning into my thumb while chunking blues once. Never happen again!

[BS4Shore]

The Newell will have a letter in front of the 220-5, possibly a S or a G or maybe a P if your lucky. I have cycled through multiple 220's and have liked them all, I especially like the P series with the aluminum spool and handle I own three of them. I don't like them for slinging eels though, no spool control at all. I really like the Penn 525 Mag reels from back in my eel slinging days on a seven or eight foot rod. The black 6500Cl is also a nice reel if you can get one. If the Newell is a P series and you don't want it let me know, I may trade you a 525 0r a 6500CL for it.

[Surfster]

Originally posted by BS4Shore
The Newell will have a letter in front of the 220-5, possibly a S or a G or maybe a P if your lucky. I

It's an "S" 220. Whats that? I guess "G" is for Graphite? I have to call him tomorrow. He just got back to me. If I turn it down I'll let it be known. If it was a "P" I'da been all over it by now!

Thanks again,

[BS4Shore]

I don't believe that the letter has any particular meening except that they change the letter when they change the reel style a little. The S only has easy access to the bearings on one side of the reel and the graphite spool. Still a nice reel but the spool does get a little warm if your thumbing the shoulder on a cast, if you thumb the line on the spool you shouldn't have that problem.

[Mike P]

They went to the graphite spool beginning with the G series.

Biggest difference between the G and S series was the bearing caps. In the G series, they're finely threaded metal and each side screws out for easy lube access. The left side allows very fine spool adjustment tension.

On the S and no prefix models, there's a plastic unslotted cap on the right, and a plastic screw-in one on the left. The threads are much coarser than the metal and you can't adjust the tension as finely.

The free-spool clutch on the S and later models is all plastic, on the G it's a metal shaft with a plastic top.

[Bawana]

Theres a seller on Ebay that had the all stainless conversion for the clutch lever to replace plastic ones like in the p F series.I think it was Jambythesea or something like that.Under Newell reel