Penn Fathom or Avet?

[Walleyed]

Originally Posted by Virginiaducks

Thanks guys. Lots of different opinions. Just to clarify, I like a lever drag, I want to fill it with 65 braid, and will use it in 300'+ of water. No thoughts on the Maxel ocean max reels?

I've heard only good things about the Ocean Max reels, but never used one.

Given that your talking about fishing 300+ feet of water, you'll also be using anywhere from 1 to 3 lbs of lead. Make sure you take that into account when looking at the reels and their gear ratios. IMHO, the Avet SX/MX would definitely be the wrong reel for that application. You'll want something around a 4:1 gear ratio, so you don't kill yourself checking your bait every 15 minutes. Depending on the money you want to spend, you could also consider a 2-speed reel.

I personally prefer a star drag for bottom fishing, I feel levers are best for trolling.