Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Greetings! I've developed a love for tilefishing. My current setup is a Penn Fathom 40 loaded with 50lb PowerPro on a Shimano Blue Water Heavy. I love the setup, but I don't know if this is the best reel for the task. So I'm thinking of getting something that might make life a little easier at 800+ feet. Any recommendations or is what I have fine? Budget is $300 or so, manual reel.

D

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Dave from Reel Seat is who you should get in touch with. He has a Fin Nor high torque my buddy bought that does a great job in that price range.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

I think you can either go with a 2spd or single in lower gear ratio, somewhere in the 4:1 range. 6:1 gear might work when bringing up weight with no fish, but to me, even that gets a bit tiring when doing it all day. So I'd recommend something with lower gear ratio and enough line capacity such as maxel osl10 or Avet JX or HX with lower ratio.

I have used accurate bx2-500 with 3:1 low and 6:1 high ratio and wanted to have a gear ratio in between, so got a JX with 4.6 ratio and felt it worked fine.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

+1 Dave is the man to talk to about tilefishing rods/reels & rigs.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

The Reel Seat is the place to visit. Single speed, 4.0 to 4.5 ratio has worked for me. I use a Penn Baja and JM PE8. Dave carries the Fin Nor as mentioned already, and also the Maxel Ocean Max for a little more than your limit. Bring your current rod down to compare to the rods he carries too. Good luck!

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Thanks for all the great responses, I appreciate that! Looking forward to picking up some new schtuff. :D

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

What do you guys think of the Okunma Makaira MK-15II SEa loaded w/ 50lb flat hollow for tile fishing?

This reel will also be used for other deep drops trips & possibly jigging for tuna (e.g., Yankee Capts out of Key West, Mid range trips out of San Diego CA etc). I like to two speed option incase I'm lucky enough to hook into a tuna.

Honestly the Makaira is a little pricey for me so I'm also considering the Penn Baja for price, durability and ease of servicing. One downside is I'll lose that low gear.

What are your opinions of the Makaira vs the Baja? I'm also considering the Ocean Max.

Thanks!
JD

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

There is an aftermarket low gear set for the Penn fathom should you decide to go that route. I have one in my fathom 12

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

I have been using a Penn Baja Special loaded with 50# masterbraid and am happy with it. It is one of the taller reels so not so good for smaller hands. This year I'm going to a Maxel 09 or 10 for my primary. But, I would ask Dave too.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

I would not go with the Mak 15. Too wide and also heavy. Great reel for chunking and lite trolling but not a good choice for jigging or tiles. I would go with the maxel.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

If one was going to buy a manual reel specifically for deep dropping on a party boat mainly for tiles, It seems that a level wind would be more convenient.
I haven't been a level wind fan for other purposes (i.e. jigging for cod, bass, fluke etc).. I only bought one in my life and after using it once I disassembled it and removed the level wind. Mainly because it really limited casting. No casting, just dropping for tiles, so not worrying about manually thumb leveling for 900' seems to be a good idea. I was pretty set on buying an Okuma Makaria SEa and still might, but the level wind has me curious.

What are the pros and cons of a level wind for this application? One con possible con I might imagine would be it might slow the bait's decent. I'd think there would be a big advantage to getting to the floor ASAP to allow as much time in the zone before scoping out, is that true? Another con might be on the very rare backlash, a level wind might be more of a PIA. Any other considerations regarding choosing a level wind or not for tiles?

On the Reel Seat site the Diawa Satltist A 50 seems to be a good and economical choice. What do you guys think? A good reel for this purpose? Would it benefit from any modifications or upgrades?

Thanks much, in advance!
JD

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Stop by my shop and I will spend as much time as you want showing you different reel options and explaining the pros and cons of each. At the same time I can also share my jigging experiences with you. From now thru the end of Feb we are open Thurs thru Sat 8:00am - 5:00pm and Sun 8:00am -4:00pm.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Thanks Dave. I'll call you today. You're a 2 hour drive each way for me so when I come it'll be to pick up the gear and get on a boat. Thanks again!
JD

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

I made the two hour drive yesterday and Dave really took the time to answer all my questions. It's worth the drive. Thanks again Dave............Greg.

Re: Tilefish reel recommendation
 

Just another reason to shop local and support small independent businesses. You're not going to get that type of advice and service from the big box stores. They service what they sell and are advocates for our local recreational fishing interests.