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Posts: 4
| I’m new to line counters and just finished spooling and calibrating two reels. Picked up a new model tekota and an okuma Coldwater to see which I like better. Both on shimano TDR rods.
The counters on these reels definitely aren’t engineered for the diameter of 80# and 100# braid. Meaning that the counter is way off anywhere that is more than 10-15’ outside the length you calibrated to. Running mono line somewhere between 8#and 20# test it would be a lot closer to matching the counter when you’re away from the calibration number.
I calibrated both reels to 30’ so the counter is dead on at that length. 20 is -1’ and 100’ is +17’ on the counter. 20-30’ is where I’ll likely end up trolling most frequently. Less than that and it’s short enough to eyeball how much line is out. I printed up a little label with lengths to 100’ and what the counter should read when I’m out of that sub 30’ window of line length.
I’m more or less curious what everyone else’s approach is to line counters and calibration.
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Posts: 1187
| I've always just looked at line counters as a way to return to a certain depth, not trusting that it is actually that number of feet. I find my depth without even looking at the counter. Once I find the depth I want, I note the number on the counter, and can reliably return to that depth. |
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Posts: 82
| You ask a very good question but by the sounds of it you seem smart enough to work out for yourself what will give you the best calibration that suits you style. It’s a bit like zeroing a scope, it’s down to what range you most frequent and then just allowing a bit of hold over or hold under. The Okuma 303 clw has a spool on par with a ABU 7000 so line drop won’t be as noticeable, I have a few 203’s but then I don’t use the type of line your talking about.
It will be interesting to see what people say on this. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | TCESOX - 6/25/2020 6:40 PM
I've always just looked at line counters as a way to return to a certain depth, not trusting that it is actually that number of feet. I find my depth without even looking at the counter. Once I find the depth I want, I note the number on the counter, and can reliably return to that depth.
X2
80 PP and 20 Mono are the same Dia. |
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Posts: 20180
Location: oswego, il | I seen a video the other day of someone calibrating to 100'. I was jigging with some new line counters the other day and at 25ft could see my jig at 30. As you said your off 17ft at 100 by calibrating to 30ft. I wonder if you are just better off making sure all the reels are the same and going from there. |
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Posts: 1203
Location: Walker, MN | All of my reels are the same, and calibrated to 30'. I rarely let out more than 40' anyway, so just a couple of feet off in some situations. Trolling longer lines for Lake Trout or Walleyes, these discrepancies would be far more concerning. |
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Location: 31 | I run the same reel on all (Shimano 700s), and they are pretty much dead on with a full spool 40lb mono, when the spool gets to about 2/3 they are short about 1’ every 20’. It's pretty rare that we run more than 30’ to lure, and even then IMHO a 1 ½’ variance is not worth calibrating (don't forget the leader length:). At times we will run 100’+ with boards, but obviously rod to board measurement accuracy is a nonissue. |
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Posts: 54
| What would be wrong with using a baitcaster like the tranx or abu in conjunction with a Rapala line counter to let the amount of line you want to let out. When the needed amount of line is let out, unlock the line counter and start fishing. Just remember to reset the line counter before using again. No big deal and it's more accurate. dave |
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Posts: 480
Location: Northern Illinois | No clickers on the reels? |
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Posts: 54
| RLSea.....Okuma and Abu-Garcia both make bait casters with clickers. davemp |
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Posts: 284
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | I think its more convenience than accuracy. I'm not a big troller, but if someone does it a lot and/or you can run multiple lines, having line counters makes it easier. With that being said, a Rapala or Shakespeare clamp on counter would work fine with a rod equipped with a clicker. |
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Posts: 253
Location: On the water | Anybody, how do you calibrate a line counter reel. Thanks. |
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Posts: 480
Location: Northern Illinois | davemp - 7/23/2020 8:39 AM
RLSea.....Okuma and Abu-Garcia both make bait casters with clickers. davemp
Good point. Not trying to be a smart alec here, it's just that the Beast and Tranx 300-400 don't have clickers. I's one reason I kept my NACLs. |
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Posts: 4
| FEVER - 7/23/2020 3:36 PM
Anybody, how do you calibrate a line counter reel. Thanks.
https://youtu.be/Rzg7oMoRc0M |
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Posts: 253
Location: On the water | Thanks Offshore, good luck, Tom |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | When did you see your first linecounter reel?
My first was in 1973 a local guy was drilling the sideplates of Penn 209's and 309's and mounting odometers made for bicycles. We used these for wirelining for lake trout and always just thought of it as a number to return to rather than a length and that is how I still think of line counters. Equally comfortable just counting level wind passes which is how we did it when towing the boat with a dinosaur. |
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Posts: 497
Location: Ludington, MI | I think you're going to find that muskies, like salmon, move up and down the water column several times a day when babysitting pelagic baitfish. I've been trolling salmon and walleyes for many years and with much more line out than is involved in my musky fishing. Fill them up with the same amount with the same line and go fishing. If you don't trust the counters, count the passes of the levelwind. |
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Posts: 357
| i too have also just used the number on the counter as a reference point, and as a way to get back to that certain reference point. i guess i never even thought to bother with their actual accuracy. |
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Posts: 1187
| To me, it's just too many variables and chance for error, to keep all that in my head, if trying to pay attention to that kind of detail. You've got the various dive curves of the different lures that you may troll. If you can find the dive curves, they are based on certain line and certain speed, so if you use a different brand or weight of line, or go at just a slightly different speed, you are guessing at the accuracy. Does anyone even have a dive curve for trolling a pounder or two pounder? What line do you use? 80 lb., 100 lb., Power Pro, PP Maxquatro, J Braid, Suffix, mono? How accurate is your speedometer? Do you have a mechanical one on your boat, or do you use GPS? How old is the technology of your GPS? Older is less accurate. Since these things all make a difference as to the accuracy of where your bait will be, there is just way too much to try to track for my simple brain. I just put out whatever bait I want to troll, use whatever line is on the reel I want to use, go whatever speed I want to be at, let out enough line to get the bait where I want it, and note the number on the line counter. Done. No math, no charts. Repeatable. |
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