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Posts: 208
Location: Sun Prairie, WI | Has anybody ever used a cheap wal mart line counter reel? Looking to use it for suckers. Wal mart has a tidal wave by shakespear for 40 bucks. Just wondering if it will hold up to a hookset with a sucker? |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Haven't used the Shakesperes, but the Okuma Magdas are in the lower end price range for line counters and have held up very well for their price range the past 4 or 5 seasons. I use them on both Lake Michigan for trout and salmon, and for sucker rods in the fall, and up to this point, I haven't had any issues. I think they run around $50 a piece or something like that. The convectors, which are the next step up for line counters from Okuma are even better. A little more expensive but verrrrry nice reels.
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Posts: 86
| Doug Stange from in-fisherman uses the shakespear tidewater reels for cats and stripers on TV.
I would say they should be a servicable unit for what your looking for, but I do not have first hand experiance |
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Location: Contrarian Island | John, I have been using the Okuma Convector 20 linecounters for a few years..you can get a 2 pack on ebay to your door for 150...solid reels w/ a very nice power handle...good drag systems too
check your PM's John |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I've had good luck w/ the Magda's too. They are $50. If they hold up to salmon and trout then they will definitely hold up well for muskies. I haven't used the tidewaters but know a lot of people that have and they seem to be pretty durable as well. |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | i use the ones without the line counters for my shortlineing.. they do work very well and hold alot of line.. the ones i have are the exact same but dont have the counters.. and the newer ones have a good power handle from what i have seen.. i think they are good reels |
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Posts: 295
Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair | I have a couple Tidewaters with line counters and have beat them up pretty god over the last 5 or 6 seasons. I use them as my shortline trolling reels so the get hit with some pretty good strikes when running big baits as I pretty much only trolling the fall. No real problems with them to speak of. Not a bad reel but for the money they do what they are supposed to. My Okuma Magda 30's and Cabelas Depthmaster 45's are a better/smoother reel though and don't cost that much more.
Good Fishin'
Tim
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Posts: 906
Location: Canada | Loved my Okuma trolling combo so much I bought another one and upgraded. I was using a Magda 20 pro line counter on the first 8' EVX trolling rod and then bought another of the same rod and put a Convector 30 on it, for a little more money than the Magda but way nicer reel still without breaking the bank. |
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| The best budget minded LC is the Diawa Accudepth Plus you can find them for around 50 bucks if you use coupons or discount codes. I've used them on king's and they hold up great, actually a very smooth reel. They are MUCH better than the sticky, depthmaster, tidewaters and magda's. My 2nd choice would be a magda though. |
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