I'm going to get another linecounter reel, solely for downlining. Although the Shimano Tekota's are super nice, with the smoothest drag I've ever felt, I'm thinking more along the lines of the Penn GT2 310, or the Diawa SeaLine 27, or perhaps the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur, to keep it under the $110 mark. I haven't used any of those 3, but I'll bet many of you have. The Penn has 4 bearings, whereas the others have 2. Any recommendations as to which of these is better? Thanks!

I believe the Penn is a 320 LC, I've not seen the 310LC

Value shopping can get you into trouble eventually if you let it. I've rode that rodeo and since then, spent thousands of dollars replacing reels that are simply subpar. I've done some upgrading to the point that all of my downline reels are Shimano Tekotas (with a line counter). You're right, they have a super smooth drag and if you will think about it, there is NO other striper fishing technique that requires such a smooth drag. When you are downlining shallow, such as 20 feet deep, a limber rod and smooth drag are the only things that will allow you to fish with light pound test flourocarbon leaders (to increase the number of strikes) without simply breaking off.

New, cheaper reels seem to work fine for a couple of outings, but after they are exposed to different weather schemes, over a period of time they just turn out to be junk. You can catch fish with them, but the drag system goes, which causes level wind problems right behind that and so on and so on - as well as other features start malfunctioning and cause for fish catchin' problems.

If it will tell you anything, and this is the honest truth, I have not had ONE break off on the downline while using the Shimano Tekotas......I tie new leaders every trip I go in the summer time (or any downlining season) and when you combine that with the quality of the Tekota reels, it's much easier to be successful. That was NOT the case with every other line counter I've tried - which is nearly all of them.

If I were you, even though you don't want to, I would spend the extra $80 per reel and be completely satisfied - you might even find a better deal out there.....the economy isn't in that great of a shape.

As for comments on the other reels - I used to be a fan of Penn, but they've started to become cheaper and cheaper built. They are relatively easy to repair though. The drag on the Penn GT's are not good quality, but I use a couple of them to pull U-Rigs around and that is mainly because I lock the drag completely down now that I'm spooled up with the 130lb braid. The SeaLines are better than the Accudepths, but they still wouldn't get my vote - for whatever reason, Daiwa installs the crummiest linecounter on the reel ever made. If you can get one of there linecounters to actually work after a large fish or after ONE hangup, then you're a lucky fellar - I've never been able to (maybe I ain't holding my mouth right). I have some Abu reels, but I only had the line counter model for a couple of weeks. Putting a line counter on their reels must've been a total after thought. The reels are blue and the removable face with the built in line counter is black - maybe that's for mass production of reels or something. If you'll take a screw driver and take the side of that reel off and examine the gears, you see MUCHO cheap plastic. Overall, the Abu linecounter is NOT a quality reel.

My point is, if you have to buy two or three $110 reels to get the life out of a $180 reel, what have you accomplished?

You know what they say about opinions, but that's mine. Good luck with the decision making.

Hey Charles, how about an Okuma Convector 20D LC. Its under $80. I use them. Its solid with a good drag. Definitely not in the same league as the Shimanos, but I like them better than Daiwa.

I've had the Convectors and the Catalinas too. The Catalinas are higher quality than the Convectors, I just didn't like the weight of the reel - BUT, that will let you know that the Catalina is built solid also. I can't say anything bad about the Catalinas other than the weight and I only kept the Convectors for a couple of months, so I didn't put them through the tough test.

I have used the accudepths and okumas and both have caught fish. The other day when I went out with Dan he had some Tekotas we used. I was very impressed with them. Those will be the next reels I buy. I have never used penns but they don't look nice unless you get the high end ones.

I would buy a bamboo pole and plenty of fishing line before I ever bought another Accudepth - the bamboo pole would be more reliable. I caught many a fish with them too ROOSTER (what is the deal with the name change?), but that don't mean they are worth a flip.

Corey makes some great points. If you don't wait on the Tekotas go with the Catalinas. My two cents.

If you can find the older Cat's, they qiut making our current moldel and went to a $200.oo Catalina. The one that took their place is the Clarion. The top pic is the Clarion and the bottom is the new Catalina.

I saw those new Catalinas a while back in a catalog. I'd like to see one in person - they look SHARP. I heard the same thing about the price - $180-$200. It looks to be constructed completely different and if I had to guess, Okuma got the weight of the reel down on the new model. I wish the manufacturers would quit putting that jumbo sized handle hickey on the reels though - it seems like they all do that - to me that is just unnecessary.

I just got a Daiwa Accudepth 57LC for pulling u-rigs. What is the deal with the linecounter on this model? do the 57LC's have crappy linecounters too?

I use the Lowrance line counter for the most part, it is pretty reliable.

Looking at the sonar to drop your bait is by far the most accurate way to put your bait in the target zone, but the line counters have their place at times, especially if you fish with kids or friends that really don't know much about fishing. It lets them be more involved in baiting up and dealing with their own rod and reel. You don't have to send the baits down one at a time either. I know where you're coming from though.

As far as I know the 57 has the same linecounters in them as all the rest. Give them a try for a while and see if they work out for you. I think just about everybody I know has went thru at least a handful of them. I measure how far I let the rigs out by counting how many times the level wind goes back and forth anyway, so if all that goes out on you is the linecounter, you should be fine. I think the 57 should be 10' per levelwind, but that can be easily checked with a tape measure. It probably wouldn't hurt to cross reference how many level winds vs. what the line counter reads. When you let out 180 feet, the line counter could be off substantially anyway.

re: name change - I've been wanting to change mine (since I'm no longer fishing a triton at Lanier)how do you do this?

Oops, just picked up 2 new Accudepth 47's on Sunday for $50 each. Can't disagree about the Tekota's though...you get what you pay for, although I've not had any issues at all with the Accudepths. I saw the new Daiwa LC's out there and they seemed pretty nice for $135. I forgot what they're called but it's the model between the Accudepth/Sealine and the Saltist.

Clay will help you with it. I changed mine because I got tired of introducing myself as rooster. It was a nickname at a old job and at the time I used it for all my usernames. I didn't realize that I would meet so many people and have to say I'm ROOSTER.

Shoot me a pm Triton

Thanks for all the input... it is appreciated. Evidently, I've had good luck with some cheap reels so far, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they start acting up. I do keep them in the boat, in the basement, so that's gotta help. The Okuma Convector looks to be the best value at the moment, if I can find one... then I can get some line, too.

I believe I own 5 of the worst linecounter reels available.
Out of my 5 (cheap) linecounter reels, I would rate them:
Okuma Magda Pro 20 -- haven't used it, yet. $43
best -- Accudepth Plus 27. $60
tie for best -- Accudepth Plus 47. $65
worst -- Abu Garcia A20LC. $40
tie for worst -- Cabela's Depth Master 2 (DM30 I think). $40

I had to start somewhere... I would rather have 5 baits in the water with $248 than just 1 or 2. Now that I have a start, it's time to step-up the quality a bit, and re-use some of my current reels for U-rig and/or lead-core.

My first striper (14.5 pounds) was caught using a zebco rod (which broke a few trips later) and a small and busted Mitchell baitcast reel. I didn't even have any rod holders in the boat, and I wasn't holding the rod when it bent OVER. I thought I had snagged a log. LOL

By the way, Penn does have a 310GT2LC.

Lastly, the new Diawa is a Sealine-LCX... looks like it will replace the current Sealine: link to diawa sealine lcx

I think we all started out with the Accudepth reels and I bet they've put more fish in the boat than all the rest of them. I have upgraded over the years and am very happy with the Tekota and the Catalina and I do have the big Convecter 45 on a Tiger rod for u-rigs and it seems pretty solid for the moment. Also Oakwood B&T has a selection of used combos if you wanted to go that route and at a very good price.

I think I need a second job so I can get some of these high dollar reels. Anyone want to rent a boat or maybe some slip space?

Charles, Check with John and Larry regarding any of the reels you might want, they can get them if they don't have them and save a few smackers along the way. I am sure you can get the convector from them. I have a few of them on my tiger rods for u-rigs and lead-core and they perform very well.

OB&T #770-965-9400

Get the best you can afford and move up from there. I'd rather be fishing with a $40 reel than not be fishing. Thank the Lord striper fishing has not crossed the line that bass fishing has with respect to the cost of the gear. And i hope it never does. I have a mixture of Okumas, and Diawa line counters; many of which i purchased 2nd hand from people moving up or out. I caught my biggest striper to date on a Shakespeare reel that we did not bait up until the last hour of a tournament when we started throwing the kitchen sink at them. It was not my reel, but i had deliberately left it on the sidelines until we needed all hands on deck. I learned a long time ago that there is always something better out there, but you have to use what you have.

Buy the best gear you can afford, learn its limitations, and use the heck out of it until it wears out or you can pass it on to someone who will use it and appreciate it more than you do.

The main thing is to get out there on the water!

Amen Brother! We all started somewhere. I still have a large mixture of reels and I can assure you all mine are not Tekota's

Yes, Penn does make a 310GT2LC. I just bought 2 of them. I wanted something to hold more line than an Okuma 20, but not as big as the Okuma 30 or Penn 320. I plan on using them for free lines way behind the boat. I even pulled a urig with one the other day because my 320 was out of commission.

Where'd you pick up the 310LC's, Mike.

I got mine through a friend. I just saw one this morning at the Oakwood store in the glass case. Don't know how many they have, but they can get more.

I’m with Brett. Get what you can afford. I have a hodge-podge of reels for striper fishing but primarily Accudepth for LC. I get what I can afford so I can fish with the most bait in the water. I also have many non-fisherman or kids with me that can be rough on equipment. I’m a lot more patience when a $40 dollar Accudepth bounces of the deck or is dropped over board than $200 Shimano. I view them like old Chevy’s, easy to fix & easy to find parts.

Not to sound like my grandfather but the quality of reels regardless of manufacturer IMO has declined in the past decade. I have a dozen different vintage 1980 Penn & Abu Garcia C3 (Swedish made) reels that I still use that are rock solid. These are primarily for saltwater and they get pounded. Unfortunately they are heavy as heck but reliable. I’ve had failures in all makes and models of my newer purchases. Nothing will make you madder than a brand new $179 Shimano spinning reel drag failing when it’s below 32 degree while my 30 year old Penn 550 SS is casting like always.

But if money was not a factor I’d be Shimano across the board. They are nice reels. I also like the crank on the Catalina’s.

I agree with you about the quality especially the ABUs

If you want to see or have a new reel that is built to last, check out the Daiwa Saltist. Not too long ago I bought 6 or so of those for pulling big bait. They are the heaviest reels that I've ever owned for striper fishing, but they don't have a single plastic part in them. 100% metal construction. They have a super smooth drag also.

The reels I'm referring to do not have linecounters though.

I purchased 4 Shimano Tekotas and 6 Diawa Saltist reels last year from Larry and John at Oakwood. They all have line counters. The Saltist are different sizes. I like both Tekotas and Saltist but am probably more partial to the Shimano reels. I do not like the way the line counters stick out on the sides of both brands though. Makes them rub each other when they are in my console rod holders. I end up alternating the direction they face to keep them from rubbing. I've owned the cheaper and don't mind spending more to get quality. The "Oakwood Boys" can fix you right up.

Do they hit on you when you go in there too? I thought John was with Larry, but he sure is flirtatious.

I was there last Friday, and they didn't hit on me. I don't know if I'm glad, or if my feelings are hurt . Ok... I'm glad.

It was a miserable day to have off from work, with the weather too miserable for me to fish. So, I decided to drive to OB&T, then BPS (had gift card from Christmas)... the next best thing to fishing.

They set me up with an Okuma Convector 20D. Can't wait to use it, as it's probably the best reel I own. Already put line on it, and stuck it on an Ugly Stick ML Striper rod. Now, I see that "The Fishing Pharmacy" has Convectors... they were not there the other day.

I also put braid on the old Abu Garcia 20LC, for U-rig pulling. If you can't fish on your day off, you can at least prepare for when you can.

Just kiddin' - I figured I could get John all fired up and talk a little smack, but I don't guess he noticed.

Glad you found the reel(s) you were looking for. The weather is perfect for fishing.........don't let that stop you. Good luck fishing.

I liked Rooster, it made me think of Rooster Cogburn.

"Baby sister, I was born game and I intend to go out that way."