mooching reel review?

Saxe Point said:
Mooching reels in a boat take such a beating, by me and friends that I fish with, that I just can't see spending 10 times the cost of my Daiwa on an Islander. And while I've never fished with an Islander, I just don't see it being that much better performing (if it is at all) to justify ten times the cost. My son and I have battled and won against some monster springs with our Daiwa's. We've also lost a few, but I feel certain that having Islander's wouldn't have changed anything. But it's your money....
Click to expand...

what is the model of daiwa reel do you have ?
 
I agree 100% i went on a charter last year and was able to try the islander reels, Must say it was one of the finest fishing reels i have ever had in my hand. But..for 550-600 bucks the line creep on the islanders is unacceptable, i don't think putting a quick release in front of my line coming of the reel is a good fix either. Go with the gt 4000, if you need a good reel with an awesome drag and 1 way clutch..and NO LINE CREEP. all the fancy you need.
 
No question you can catch all the same fish on a Diawa or shimano vs. an islander etc. it's not about catching more fish or better performance really.

It's like this.

Do you want to drive to work in an econo ford focus or do you want to Ride in a Cadillac?

Both get you where your going and arguably do the exact same job but one costs a LOT more and gives you smooth performance and style.

If you don't have the money keep your ford. If your happy with the ford because you have better things to spend your money on and just use it to drive to work keep it. But if you want to ride in style and have the cash there is only one answer.

Personally I'd upgrade my electronics, rods, and downriggers etc. before the reel because you use them the most. But if you have nice electronics, good rods and electrics then why not spoil yourself especially if you fish a lot.
 
chris73 said:
I bought 2 of the new Amundson moochers and for just under $200 a piece I find them an even better deal than the Trophys. Also you can change them to left hand cranking which I need. They are certainly not as tough built as an Islander and are not anodized but painted but the mechanics are smooth and they are the best of an MR2 and MR3 (left/right hand and free spool).
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It's good to see a company that is finally producing a left hand retrieve aluminum mooching reel other than the Islander MR3. I also have a Shimano 4000GT set to left paired with a Convergence rod that I love, but what I really love is my MR3.

But I have to say, for the money you pay for an Abel or Islander, it pisses you off when you hear drag creep in the rod holder, most likely when fishing deep.
 
I have a Temple forks outfitters (TFO) and it is a great reel. I switched out the handles from an old shimano and have had no problems with the reel or the drag

bruce
 
GDW said:
No question you can catch all the same fish on a Diawa or shimano vs. an islander etc. it's not about catching more fish or better performance really.

It's like this.

Do you want to drive to work in an econo ford focus or do you want to Ride in a Cadillac?

Both get you where your going and arguably do the exact same job but one costs a LOT more and gives you smooth performance and style.

If you don't have the money keep your ford. If your happy with the ford because you have better things to spend your money on and just use it to drive to work keep it. But if you want to ride in style and have the cash there is only one answer.

Personally I'd upgrade my electronics, rods, and downriggers etc. before the reel because you use them the most. But if you have nice electronics, good rods and electrics then why not spoil yourself especially if you fish a lot.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%, I have an islander that was a gift from my girlfriend several years ago, and a 2000gt, they don't compare on feel or quality. My islander is the single most expensive item on my boat other then the engines. I love it, and love using it, every time I catch a fish I always hope that its the islander that catches the fish and not the 2000gt.
 
I bought a Islander about ten years ago and had a shimano 2000 and 4000 also. after a couple of months I didn't want to fight the fish on the shimano anymore I would hand that rod off for someone else to bring in. so I bought another Islander. the only time I use the shimanos now is in the spring when the plankton bloom is bad as soon as it clears up there gone.I bought a trophy xl this year for the third rod for 179.00 on sale its also a nice reel just a touchy drag on it. The Islanders are a lot more maintenance but worth it in my opinion.
 
how do you keep your islanders from getting line creep? i want to buy one someday but i hope they fix that problem first.
 
Daily maitenance! Wow how do you find time to fish?

I use a scotty trout clip to stop the line creep somtimes! Just tie it to the rod holder mount and clip to the line above reel and before first eye of rod. Works great and you can keep the drag set a little lighter too!

-KK
 
My experience is that MR2's have less line creep problems than the MR3's. I don't know why
 
I have the MR2s don't have a problem with line creep and clean and re grease every 4-5 weeks or about 10 trips
 
jeffywestcoast said:
how do you keep your islanders from getting line creep? i want to buy one someday but i hope they fix that problem first.
Click to expand...

All mooching reels will have line creep if you don't tighten the drag enough. The problem I have found is I don't like to tighten the drag right up because I am worried that I am going to break off a biggie, so I fiddle with the drag and that causes creep. But this past week, I was fishing with Shimano GTs, and was told to tighten the drag as much as possible while in the rod holder. It worked well, and if you do get a big pin popper you can always loosen the drag after grabbing the rod out of the holder if need be.
 
Big Green Machine said:
All mooching reels will have line creep if you don't tighten the drag enough. The problem I have found is I don't like to tighten the drag right up because I am worried that I am going to break off a biggie, so I fiddle with the drag and that causes creep. But this past week, I was fishing with Shimano GTs, and was told to tighten the drag as much as possible while in the rod holder. It worked well, and if you do get a big pin popper you can always loosen the drag after grabbing the rod out of the holder if need be.
Click to expand...

Exactly! Paying big $ for a reel to get rid of line creep is a needless exercise in futility. The rod and the stretch in the line gives anyone who is awake lots of time to back the drag off, if necessary.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As mentioned, it all depends on your budget. There are more important things to spend the money on for the boat, that said, I've got two Islanders and to me, they are an absolute dream to play a fish on.
 
I sleep with mine under my pillow! Its a hunter green(Favorite Color) MR3 and I have yet to see another like it! Anyone else got a green one?
 
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