Spooling up some "new to me" reels...

hbpaints

Crew Member
Hey everyone... Got some "great condition new to me" reels today and this will be the first time spooling up reels for the salt water and just want some advice...

2 reels are Penn 309 Level Winds
2 are Shimano 2000GT Mooching reels
1 Penn 310GTI level wind
1 Shimano Charter Level wind
1 Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 7000B ?(Already has braid on it... not sure what it's rated. but in excellent condition, so may leave this one alone)

Also came with about 8 or 9 other reels as well, older Stellite type reels, 3 diawa 275's, Diawa 175, Old Wooden reel, Older Avley reels,... not sure if theyre worth keeping or ???


All are blank... nothing on them at the moment...

Question... Mono or Braid and # Test? I was thinking of setting up the Penn 310GTI and Shimano Charter for bottomfish... 309's and moochers for salmon?

I've been reading up on as many threads as there is on Braid vs Mono, and braid with mono leader, etc... For a newbie it can be overwhelming... Backing? straight mono, straight braid, etc... Just don't want to spend money twice so looking for advice...

Will be doing a bit of trolling for salmon, mooching and jigging for bottomfish of course...

Thanks for the help...
 
Asking for opinions on braid vs mono, let me make some popcorn...

My 2c:
1) Definitely braid for the bottom fishing reels. 60 - 80 lb test will be plenty. Some guys like 100 lb+, but overkill in my opinion and will give you more blow back / scope if you are drifting. Also, I think the 310GTI is designed for 15lb test and will be too light duty for this purpose - could be set up for salmon though and a good choice for kids/newbies who don't want to risk having their knuckles rapped on a mooching reel. Better off to use one of the 309's which have max drag of 15 lbs; you want your drag set at 1/4 - 1/3 of the line rating.

2) For the moochers you can't go wrong with mono, especially if you are starting out fishing in the salt as it is more forgiving (more stretch). Good chance this thread will devolve into a mono vs braid debate, but there is a reason most boats (including guides/lodges) use mono - its proven, cheap and easy to use (holds in regular downrigger clips, knots are easy to tie, less chance of causing a catastrophic tangle, doesn't dig into itself on the arbour, etc...). Head down to your local tackle shop and have them put on 100 - 200 yards of backing (fills up the arbour to make line pick up quicker plus other benefits) and then fill up the reel with mono. I like 30 lb test Berkeley Pro-Spec and you can get a couple different colours to help keep track of lines when you get a double header :). Change it after a year (or flip end to end to make it last for two) and give the braid/top shot a go if you want to switch it up.

Might be a few gems in those older reels - perhaps one of the gear "collectors" will chip in their opinions. Alvey reels have their fans in Australia where they were made (announced last year they were closing down) and elsewhere, and the large arbour models make for good halibut reels. If the old wood reel is a Peetz you could probably have them re-furbish it.
 
Thanks for the ideas on the reels... I realize it may turn into a Braid vs mono debate... I was just trying to get an idea of I should use backing, etc... Having never spooled a saltwater reel I just wanted some ideas on what can get me started without spending money doing it twice... lol

I like the idea of Mono on the moochers for sure...


I can't find any identifiers on the wooden reel, but I attached a couple pics... I also have pics of all the other older reels if anyone is interested in seeing them... reel1-resized.jpg reel2-resized.jpg
 
I would use the 309’s for bottomfishing with 60 braid. The 310 is a nice reel but the pinion gear is quite fine and won’t stand up to big lings and Halibut . They and the charter special are great for salmon. Thisecwood reels look like old classic Peetz reels.
I use 30 lb mono myself for salmon but personal preference and won’t get into the long standing debate
 
Thanks for the ideas on the reels... I realize it may turn into a Braid vs mono debate... I was just trying to get an idea of I should use backing, etc... Having never spooled a saltwater reel I just wanted some ideas on what can get me started without spending money doing it twice... lol

I like the idea of Mono on the moochers for sure...


I can't find any identifiers on the wooden reel, but I attached a couple pics... I also have pics of all the other older reels if anyone is interested in seeing them... View attachment 37651 View attachment 37652

That's a Peetz reel.
 
It would be costly to spool all those reels. I like braid for it's characteristics, but it is less idiot-proof; hence the popularity with guides. I have been using 20# braid on my knucklebusters for over 20 years without a break-off (when I was the operator). Braid will last well over 10 years while most replace mono yearly. Reels are rated as to how much drag they can apply. Proper line strength would be 2.5 - 3 times that of the drag the reel can apply. When Salmon fishing I prefer to let the fish run against a fairly light drag; otherwise they will head-shake which usually ends well for the fish. When the fish starts to get tired, I put more pressure on the fish, reel slowly then let it run again when they resist. I use a KB with braid for this; the braid lets me feel the fish resist much easier than mono. As to amount of line a 40# plus Salmon can rip-out 200+ yards in seconds before you can react to chase it. I do not use backing.
I think 30# for Salmon & 50-60# for bottom fish would be the most common in use. I caught a 465# Marlin on 80# but the fish ran out over 1000 yds of line before we started chasing it.
 
I wouldn't put any mono on that Peetz reel(wooden reel)other than a top shot. Mono on that Peetz will blow it out and ruin it, there is still lots of guys that use those. The Shimano 2000GT mooching reels I would just go mono and the Penn 310GTI level wind go with the braid.
 
I wouldn't put any mono on that Peetz reel(wooden reel)other than a top shot. Mono on that Peetz will blow it out and ruin it, there is still lots of guys that use those. The Shimano 2000GT mooching reels I would just go mono and the Penn 310GTI level wind go with the braid.
Yup
Re finished mine, upgraded to the new style drag, and spooled it with mono. About the third time out it split the spool.
 
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