non-levelwind for plugging & jigging

[tobias]

Have been thinking about buying a non-levelwind reel for the past couple months. I have 3 levelwind reels now and was wondering if anyone can comment on advantages of the non-levelwind. Should I even bother considering this reel when I do most of my fishing at night. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Tobias

[chris L]

it is my opinion that a levelwind is the way to go at night . Nonlevelwinds are good for bait fishing but for plugs and jigs your better off with a levelwind . The distance is better with nonlevelwinds but its not worth the having to level your line after every cast perfectly to avoid breakoffs . I dont think the distance is that much different between the 2 .
but this is just my unedumacated guess .

[Saltheart]

I don't see any advantage to a non levelwind unless distance is number one priority. Even if distance is number 1 , you better be an expert laying the line down with your thumb cause any unevenness and you'll lose distance.

[bassmaster]

I have a number of nonlevel wind reels......
they have there place.....
But if You do go to a non level wind. I have a abue ctmag 6500 .
Its the green one non level wind....
It throws......
But I will say Buy a mag level wind.......
I like to watch My plugs work and can do it on both But the mag reels are a dream to cast.....
the level wind I have is hot rodded with mag kit ceramics high speedgeers and level wind bearing, plus power handle.
I toss big wood into wind with no trouble......
just cant see where the lead lands
go with a I think it is a 6600 cl or some thing......
It has 2 bearings in the level wind and is an awsome reel.....
mag and control on the side to let er rip on the cast
BM...........

[mikecc]

The reel BM is mentioning is the 6500CT Mag

[JohnR]

I wouldn't, for plugging or eels, unless you're laying the line perfectly, you might just want a fast levelwind.

What l-w reels do you have now?

Tobias, get the level-wind 6500 CS Mag / Mag Elite (same reel, different naming - stupid)... Awesome reel that only needs the drag updates to work well. The 6500CL Big Game is a tick or too slower (really not much) but ia also a nice, solid reel. These also have the slower 5.3-1 gears which are better for plugging.

Now MikeCC mentioned a few weeks ago that ABU will stop selling the Mag Elite in the US again (dumb) but both Mike & Don have those reels...

[fishweewee]

It takes more effort and dedication to use a non-levelwind reel (vs. a level wind and spinning reels), both in the day and night.

There are times I use a non-levelwind conventional for heavy plugging, both day and night. After some time, you can develop an educated thumb. As was indicated before, the pros are extra distance (maybe not so important at night) and the cons are increased likelihood of backlashes (which you must weigh against the benefits).

The cons of using a levelwind conventional is the main line to mono shock leader connection...you must tie a compact knot for it to pass through the levelwind. Also it's a little tougher to clear a backlash with the levelwind (especially at night) without cutting your line.

In most cases I've found you're less likely to backlash 1) if you're not casting into the wind, and 2) you're using fairly heavy stuff (3 oz bucktail or diamond jigs, etc).

If you're fishing with braid and lighter than 2 oz plugs, go with spinning or levelwind conventional for night time.

All a matter of preference.

If you're dunking 8nBait at night on a wide open sandy beach, you're better off with a non levelwind IMO, b/c you're not casting as often as when you are plugging.

Just my $0.02.

[thewaterfordstriper]

maybe if you get a non-level wind reel you'll catch a fish

[JohnR]

Yeh TWS - the vibrations of the level-wind scare the fish away

[bassmaster]

Originally posted by mikecc
The reel BM is mentioning is the 6500CT Mag

Thanks Mike
I have the one John talks about to
cant remeber all the stuff I have......
We should have these problems
Yes and swap out the drags for smoothies......
Mike You carry them???
and reel candy???
Thanks BM

[tobias]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Right now I have the 6500 cs mag elite with all the bells and whistles except the ceramic bearings but I do have abec-7 bearings though. Also have the 5500 cs mag elite and the 7000cl. The reason I asked the question was that I've pretty much mastered the levelwind reel and thought the natural progression would be to the non-levelwind. After reading everyones comments, I'll probably stick with the levelwinds for now but maybe in the future try out the non-levelwinds.

Hey TWS, at least I've caught more stripers in one hour than you have all year . We still on for Sat. night - Sun. morning?

Hey John, any reports on the ceramic bearings?

[JohnR]

Hey John, any reports on the ceramic bearings?

Didn't get them yet.... Soon.

Saltheart / Smokey! - that Mag E is ready and S m o o t h e

[bassmaster]

Got reel?