Not which one, which one first?

[sasman]

I am new to this site. Hellow to every one. I have been wanting to gear up each year to be able to have what I need to go on a 10 day in the future. I have Avet reels. Great reels. The question is which reel should I get to fit the next trip? I will be going on a 3.5 Top Gun trip July 09 from San diego. I have only been buying the best I can afford reel wise cause the Accurates are well, alot more. I have made Calstar Graphiter rods for my MX,MXJ and my LX single speed. All spectra backed and topped with 25,30 and 40. The question is should I get a LX 2 speed for 50lb or the HX 2 to cover the 50-60. I have made a Calstar Graphiter 800H. It will be great for either real I am sure in a multipurpose application for tossing iron or whatever. Just not sure which would be best first for this trip/duration and time of year? Just not sure and I like to be very sure of my move before I make it. Thanks you for any input you may give. It will be greately appreciated.

Gonzo.

[Jer]

Welcome aboard!

We have members with experience on long range trips out of San Diego and hopefully they will chime in to help

[sasman]

I am new to this site. Hellow to every one. I have been wanting to gear up each year to be able to have what I need to go on a 10 day in the future. I have Avet reels. Great reels. The question is which reel should I get to fit the next trip? I will be going on a 3.5 Top Gun trip July 09 from San diego. I have only been buying the best I can afford reel wise cause the Accurates are well, alot more. I have made Calstar Graphiter rods for my MX,MXJ and my LX single speed. All spectra backed and topped with 25,30 and 40. The question is should I get a LX 2 speed for 50lb or the HX 2 to cover the 50-60. I have made a Calstar Graphiter 800H. It will be great for either real I am sure in a multipurpose application for tossing iron or whatever. Just not sure which would be best first for this trip/duration and time of year? Just not sure and I like to be very sure of my move before I make it. Thanks you for any input you may give. It will be greately appreciated.

Gonzo.

Also , which would be minimum time trip to finally get into the yellowfin?

[LONGFIN2]

I have 2 of the HX2's. The narrow and the wide. Love both. They whip 80# yellowfin in minutes. Don't know anything about long range trips but considering you've already got a single speed LX I'd go with the HX.

[Anyhoo]

For a three day trip, you are fine. The LX will handle anything you encounter. Since you are planning on a 10 day, definitely go with the HX. the LX is light for 50. Load it with 60-80lb hollow and you have a reel that can be fished comfortably with 40-60lb test line. I know some people have used 80lb test on it, but that really is too much for the reel.

Haven't been on the Top Gun, but I have been on a good number of the other boats (RRIII, Qualifier, Royal Polaris and SOA). Taft, the owner of of the Top Gun has a great reputation. Enjoy the trip.

For 10 day trips, the earlier ones are best for variety (Oct-Mid November). After that, seems like they turn into Cow only trips.

If you do not want to be aways that long, but still want he variety, try an 7-8 day trip in August/September.

LT

[sasman]

Thanks for helpful words here. Makes me feel confident on the purchase of the HX. Those you,ve been on are the Boats I have dreamed of going on for 15 years. I will get there it just will take me a little longer . Topgun is a great boat. The bait tank needs some side tanks on the main bait tank. If your nerves are good, its fine otherwise thump the pushey bonehead that has to be first. Taft is a great guy in fact they all were. I was rolling at the shit he was giving my brother about the new Trinidad reel he purchased. It was the smoothness of the reel and the salesman that got him. He was a little concerned with price he payed for the T40 in comparison to the price of the Lx once Taft got started and how he only will have Avet rentals on the boat. None the less, the only other factor in my decision is the new John Baker reels. Seems like there would be a lot of versatility in the reels with the speed of the gears, drag, line capacity and for sure the price. What I am really looking for most is versatility. My limit on the vacations is 2g sooo, less $ on reels = more fishing time. Some part of the trip has to suffer and it wont be the tip cause those guys work their asses off. 3rd gen Avets hit the nail on the head. Have read the first run of the Baker reels are a little sloppy in the handle and need a little refinement. Dont want to get into a debate about the cons about the reel cause if I get it, I can live with it cause of the promise of the free upgrades for 2 years. I know the Hx has alot of versatility. The Baker6 and Accu665 are similar size and drag capability but not weight or money. 5$ and change is all thats left in the budget so that puts the Accurate again out of my reach. Santa must have not read my letter cause it was all I asked for. Ranting off.

[sasman]

I am new to this site. Hellow to every one. I have been wanting to gear up each year to be able to have what I need to go on a 10 day in the future. I have Avet reels. Great reels. The question is which reel should I get to fit the next trip? I will be going on a 3.5 Top Gun trip July 09 from San diego. I have only been buying the best I can afford reel wise cause the Accurates are well, alot more. I have made Calstar Graphiter rods for my MX,MXJ and my LX single speed. All spectra backed and topped with 25,30 and 40. The question is should I get a LX 2 speed for 50lb or the HX 2 to cover the 50-60. I have made a Calstar Graphiter 800H. It will be great for either real I am sure in a multipurpose application for tossing iron or whatever. Just not sure which would be best first for this trip/duration and time of year? Just not sure and I like to be very sure of my move before I make it. Thanks you for any input you may give. It will be greately appreciated.

Gonzo.

Ok so there is still one more question. The HXw is the reel I am getting. The setup is for all aspects I can use it in. Line capacity is there but will the gimble of set the width of the reel cranking for wahoo, sailfish or the big YFT. This is not a primarely tossing iron reel. I have never purchased narrow reels but have used them. I was just wondering about this cause on the majority of the boards the threads are usually about narrow or standard and was wondering if there is some decisive cons usage wise for the wide HX. Could someone here turn the light on for me?
Thanks for all the help.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

But I'm on my blackberry so it would be much easier on me if you call me at 6018263823 cause that took 15 minutes to type!

Mike

[sasman]

I got the new Avet Hxw. I am sure other people have gone through this also, but here is my 2 cents and what I found. Everyone tests their reels for drag in lbs. When you get Avets, whether you have some already or not you are smacked in the face by what happens when you try to get the drag settings that they are said to achieve. The pressure on the handle at high drag settings! There is alot of pressure on the handle when you hit 20 at strike and alot when you hit full. Like there is somthing wrong. When I tested the new HXW reel at the 22 lbs at strike, even more so and kind of scarry like I was going to crush the right side main berring. I hate pushing to full when I am on a big fish but sometimes you have to. I usually set 33% of what I need at strike and back down a little. I am a huge fan of reel master ALAN T. and Tanni all my reels and tested after I did the berrings and greased the drag. They just last longer and work better. This is basic and common knoledge that most fisherman know, a reel gains more drag when less line is on the reel but alot of people for get it. So, I spun off half the spectra on the reel with my drill, made a slip loop in the spectra and tested and found I got 22-23 lbs with 20 at strike a gain of 2-2.5lbs. I also tested it with 1/3 of the spectra on and got 25 lbs a gain of 5lbs still in the strike position. This is with minimal feeling of pressure on the handle. If I shifted it into low there was less feeling of load on the handle. This has definatelly made me feel much better about the great reel alot of us love. The gain happens with every reel there is but I do not know how much or if this is a isolated amount of increase compared to other HX reels. The thought of the side load pressure on the handle is all but a moot problem in my eyes with all my Avet reels now. My HXW is set, 80lb spectra with topper of 60lb and strike set at 18lbs. If I need it, full at 24ish when a fish is at color and I am very comfortable I wont kill the berring. I still purchased a right main side berring for the tackle box because better safe fishing then sorry in the galley with a beer.