Aluminum mooching reels...if not Islander?

I was given a couple of Rapala Shift reels on 10'6 Shift rods last season. These are fantastic reels and the rods have great action. The arbour on the reel is nice and big with great retrieve, nice big paddle handles, super awesome clicker on it. I used these for the rest of the season and would put them up against my MR3's and custom rods anyway.

http://rapala.ca/products/shift-mooching

This picture does not show the paddle handles but from what I understand they have upgraded all new ones to paddles. In my searching you can get them anywhere from $275 and up.

Just me 2 cents

Best of the Holidays to everyone.
 
LINE CREEP...

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the older Hardy reels like the Longstone and the Eddystone--- can be picked up used on CL or eBay for less then half of what you'd drop on an Islander

I put all my southern pesos into marine electronics--- for my reels, all I need is something that has rim control, big handles, and some line capacity

For the last 10 years or so, I've been using this method to solve line creep---- what's helpful is you can leave your drag slack as can be---when you get the take-down, you just slip the surgical tubing off the handle and you're off to the races---no drag to fiddle with --- the Eddystone has that magic lever---really easy to slip the tubing off that lever

I can't say that system has cost me a fish (yet)---a forgiving rod helps---last summer i couldn't get the surgical tube off fast enough and the fish BURIED the tip of my rod into the water---I was glad I had a medium action long Sage which absorbed all that pressure and the hooks held









 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ya, the trusty Longstone--now you're talking!

I got some of my biggest fish on a Longstone last summer-- they're small but have ample line capacity. The handles are a bit sucky: they'll oxidize and break free of the spool unless you wash and lube the reel after EVERY trip

A trick I did with mine: I mixed up some sawdust in epoxy then slathered it over the knob that controls the drag. It makes for a slightly bigger drag knob and the sawdust/epoxy gives you some gription friction when trying to mess with the drag when you have fish slime or herring scuzz on your fingers.

The one in your picture is the one I have: plasticized coating they dipped the aluminum frame in-- seems to protect the cage against oxidation a bit better then if it wasn't coated

The handles are definitely the weak point in that reel, though. I'm down to one now... My other Longstones (spitfire finish 3 1/2" Longstones) I save for river fishing only--- too valuable to use in the salt chuck
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Whats that little hardy called that ive seen Coop use on a few episoded of nice fish?
 
everybody talkin bout line creep, pretty easy to stop,, scotty clip anda small piece of heavy mono or tuna chord tied to the arm of the rigger. place line in clip.. fish hits and the clip pulls loose or when you lift it out of the rod holder.
 
trophywife said:
everybody talkin bout line creep, pretty easy to stop,, scotty clip anda small piece of heavy mono or tuna chord tied to the arm of the rigger. place line in clip.. fish hits and the clip pulls loose or when you lift it out of the rod holder.
Click to expand...

But why should we have to in the first place? Pay hundreds of dollars for a reel to stick a bandaid on it. I just don't get it. :mad:
 
Fish Assassin said:
But why should we have to in the first place? Pay hundreds of dollars for a reel to stick a bandaid on it. I just don't get it. :mad:
Click to expand...


just seems they all do it, just a ****** solution i guess.
 
At least it is a solution....... :)

Seems me to in all the cuts back around North America it was the R&D dept. that took the biggest hit.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dave S said:
These things aren't one way drag though. That makes them put out just as much resistance when reeling in as they do letting a fish run. Doesn't appeal to most. I had one a few years back and got rid of it for the reasons mentioned earlier. Might as well just get a peetz, which is much easier on the eyes imo.
Click to expand...

Spot on Dave. Life's too short for ugly rods, reels, and guns.

I inherited all my grandfather's fishing gear which included several Peetz reels loaded with wire line, solid glass rods, and one split cane trolling rod. There are Abe n Als, Luhr Jensen dodgers, old spoons, you name it. This summer I am going to work hard to catch a spring on all his old gear. Nothing modern. All this stuff was retired in the mid sixties when he stopped fishing, and while outdated by today's standards, it is all entirely functional. Oh, and did I mention, this old time gear is, to my eye, beautiful.

But for everyday, I want some bling reels!


Franko

MILF (Man, I Love Fishing)
 
I think maybe I have to pass on the aluminum reel pipe dream... I am the kind of person who will go frickin nuts trying to resolve line creep. My cheap butt 4000GTs don't creep. So why do reels costing multiple times more do it? And why buy a high performance reel only to have to use a release clip to prevent something that shouldn't happen in the first place?

Sounds like a case of "WTF?" if I ever heard of one.


Franko

MILF (Man, I Love Fishing)
 
To be honest I have tried out Islanders as well as Trophys and my favorite reel to fish with is my old Shimano "Moocher Plus" 2000GT. The reel is over 15 years old and has a way better drag system than my much newer 400GTs, no line creep, has fought tons of fish and has no maintenance apart from freshwater rinse back at the dock! I always hope I will find some still in the box at old sporting good stores ...




 
Open up a old 2000 or 4000 replaced both drag washers with well lubed replacement drags $2 each and back into action for years of fun. I soak my new washers in syn gear oil/snot I call it.

I wonder if a guy bought one of the new style ones is it possible to just put the old style washers in it. And replace the handles back to the ones we all loved.

The change they made was a complete failure.

Again I'll say where is the R&D in these reels these days.
 
Fish Assassin said:
Open up a old 2000 or 4000 replaced both drag washers with well lubed replacement drags $2 each and back into action for years of fun. I soak my new washers in syn gear oil/snot I call it.

I wonder if a guy bought one of the new style ones is it possible to just put the old style washers in it. And replace the handles back to the ones we all loved.

The change they made was a complete failure.

Again I'll say where is the R&D in these reels these days.
Click to expand...


I was having issues with a 4000gt so I took out the original drag washers and threw in some 2000gt washers, and solved the issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

highbank
Newbie mooching gear questions
Replies
31
Views
4K
TomicTime
TomicTime
I
Pair of Islander MR3 Mooching Reels - Sold
Replies
3
Views
1K
Irish Rogue
I
R
Abel Mooching Reels
Replies
4
Views
1K
Rarsbo
R
Pineapple Express
Reels....Explain the differences to me...Islander, Amundson, Trophy, etc
Replies
75
Views
17K
Slabbedout
Slabbedout
Mark Steffens
Thoughts on Peetz Mooching Reels?
Replies
15
Views
4K
Saxe Point
S
Back
Top