Best levelwind reel

[O.D. Mike]

Need some opinions, just thinking of doing some jigging in the spring!!!

Targets - black sea bass, fluke and scup.
braid - 15-25lb
lure weight - 3/4-3oz.

[nightfighter]

Abu Record is worth a look.....

[chefchris401]

Never had an issue with my daiwa saltist level wind

My favorite by far is Abu Nacl 50 or 60, low profile level wind reel.

I have the 60 and use it for everything from small freshwater baits to 10/12oz lead, thru it on 7-11ft rods, holds 300 or so yards of 50lb braid too. It's made for saltwater use. Can find em on eBay for short $$
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[fishbones]

Second the Saltist. I use it for jigging and eeling and love it.
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[tysdad115]

I have a saltist too, worked great.
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[Clammer]

IMO for the size weight that ODM wants to use ............... I like ABU tournamant series [5000]
or the diawa millionare series ..........even a older corsar is good backup .
IMO if your going to jig / buctail or metal fot 6 -7 n hours you want the lightest setup that will do the work .

Now some you guys are constantly fishing deep / sometimes running water with heavier jigs & metals .....Then that,s a different setup

[angler229]

I love the saltist levelwinds but they're heavy for the rods you'd pair it with seabassing or scuppingespecially. Take a look at a Diawa Lexa 300 or 400 with the power handle great real have caught seabass, tautog, albies and stripers to 30lbs on it with no issues.

[O.D. Mike]

Thanks for the responces, I like the sound of the Saltist for heavier jigs but the Abu Nacl 50 or 60 and Diawa Lexa 300 or 400.

Although you can't beat the diawa millionare series price!!!

[Clammer]

mike . the abu & diawa series millionare & tournament are great and they work hard ......... & only weight around 8OZ . while the others your looking at , are larger reels & heaveir outfits & cost more , these are more like throw aways .

Catch alot of fish w 1/2 , 3/4 oz .those other reels & matching rod wouldn,t work well with them /it come down to [1] what kind of water your fishing , [2] lenght of time [3] how much you wanna spend ..


I even use a F/W spinning setup for flipping up & off shallow banks <><

[PRBuzz]

It's a spinner and loads of FUN

[OLD GOAT]

most of my reels are none level wind but my best level wind is an AKIOS hands down

[ThrowingTimber]

Mike consider what you will be using for running line to leader connections and its ability to pass through the level wind mechanism itself. The groundfish you mention are fairly light and easy drops I know you are asking soecifically for level winds but you'd be hard pressed to find a better reel than a non level wind avet sx for the groundfish you reference.
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[Mike P]

I love the Saltist, but even the 20 is way overkill for your application.

I used one of the original Millionaires (Japanese made) for my fluke reel for a long time, until it got left behind in a divorce move. The Penn Levelmatic was also good for that, but I have no idea whether they still make it---at one point in the last 5 years, I realized that I have more gear than I could ever use during my time left on this earthly abode, and stopped following what's new in tackle.

[Guppy]

Jigmaster and a thumb...

[O.D. Mike]

At the beginning of the black sea bass last season I was using my Calcutta 400. I was using 1/2-1oz lures and the reel was great. It was able to drop 80' with no problem. As the season moved on the reel had trouble with the lighter lures and I was thinking might be time for a better reel for the application.

I use braid with a 2-3' leader so I don't have to worry about it going through the guides or into the mechanism.

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Jigmaster and a thumb...

This
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[O.D. Mike]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

This
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Nah......

[MAKAI]

Mike, I love my Calcutta 300 TE for seabass, from deep to shallow, light to heavy, handles it beautifully. I use 30# braid and a 7 ft Loomis jigging stick, a nice match. Try it out anytime you'd like.
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[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

Mike consider what you will be using for running line to leader connections and its ability to pass through the level wind mechanism itself. The groundfish you mention are fairly light and easy drops I know you are asking soecifically for level winds but you'd be hard pressed to find a better reel than a non level wind avet sx for the groundfish you reference.
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You'd have to pry my SX from my cold dead fingers...

[Clammer]

J O E >>>YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[jimmy z]

An Abu or Omoto 6000 size will do. But I would opt for a 7000 just in case you decide to rig for something larger
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[MakoMike]

Penn 9M, you can buy older ones on flea bay for short money. I use them all the time on my boat for guests, they're foolproof and do the job.