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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | I know this has been hashed over multiple times and will continue through out the year. But what is everyone opinion on which speed tranx to get??? I was set to get the high speed reel, but the guy at thornes scared me away a bit. He talked about fatigue holding onto the reel and it will be better suited for salt water cranks. Has anyone else thrown them both? How does the burning ability of the lower geared tranx compare to a 400te or 700te?
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Posts: 357
Location: Duluth, MN | Pondering the same decision myself. Already own a Trinidad, hi speeds covered. I'm not sure that the hi speedspeeds tranx wil be easier than the Trinidad. Even the low speed tranx is 30" per crank, which is 5" faster than the 400 te and 8" less than the Trinidad.....but we dont fill the spools on the Trinidad so...to much to think about! Lol |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | i'll jump in the boat with you guys...same here |
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Posts: 93
| This is the comparisons that were given to me from Bob Turgeon. The high speed Tranx is similar to the Trinidad 16N.And the lower speed Tranx is similar to the 700TE |
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| Not sure on the fatigue thing? Does palming the Tranx create some sort of ergonomics issue? I fish by holding the foregrip, so to me such an issue seems overblown.
Consider this:
Trinidad 16NA: 19.8oz
Tranx: 20oz.
So the question seems to be if the levelwind and thumb bar are worth 0.2oz. I think yes, but opinions vary.
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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | was told the fatigue comes from holding onto the actual rod. I guess double tens will pull the rod from your hands. |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | So should I just get a 400te?? Instead of powergear |
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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | Guest - 3/5/2012 12:54 PM
Does palming the Tranx create some sort of ergonomics issue? I fish by holding the foregrip, so to me such an issue seems overblown.
I palm all of my reels and the Tranx felt very comfortable in my hand. I also have small hands and short fingers. |
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| I own a winch now and just pre ordered the 6.6 Tranx. To me I'd rather reel slower which would be most of the time than reel fast or faster all of the time. That has been my experience with the winch. Just an opinion thrown out there
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Posts: 619
Location: Verona, WI | I went back and forth on this and ordered the high speed Tranx. To me the slow speed Tranx comes off as a very expensive Revo Winch.
Shane |
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Posts: 2015
| With the "slower" Tranx having the same line pick-up as a 700TE it will be far removed from being like a Winch......anyone that has used a 700 TE knows it moves 10's at high speed with almost no effort. If you want the Tranx for big blades I'd go with the "slower" version 30" line pick up is fast enough for 99% of the conditions you will face and the power will let you fish fast all day with very little fatigue. I actually want both.. but I want the "fast" Tranx for small blades. |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | IDK, I picked up that Tranx at the Duluth Boat Show. It's quite a bit larger than I had expected. I have decent size hands and I wouldn't want to palm it. It seems like it sits very high on the rod unlike a revo. I'm not much on palming anyway so my input is fairly useless. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Duluth, MN | IAJustin - 3/5/2012 4:15 PM
With the "slower" Tranx having the same line pick-up as a 700TE it will be far removed from being like a Winch......anyone that has used a 700 TE knows it moves 10's at high speed with almost no effort. If you want the Tranx for big blades I'd go with the "slower" version 30" line pick up is fast enough for 99% of the conditions you will face and the power will let you fish fast all day with very little fatigue. I actually want both.. but I want the "fast" Tranx for small blades.
This is pretty much where I stand as well. But both isn't in the budget! Gonna stick with the Trinidad for small blades and probably end up with a PG tranx for the big stuff...
This sport is gonna break me! Shoulda taken up sea kayaking or knitting, anything but muskies!! |
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| I've got a lefty Avet Sx that cranks 30 inches per turn... I can burn double tens out of the water with it effortlessly. I can say for sure, if they offered tranX in a lefty Id get the power gear model--the 4.6 to 1. |
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Posts: 309
Location: Elgin IL | HG 6.6 or the PG 4.6 . You can't make a slow reel fast. You buy the HG reel and only fill spool 3/4 and that will change(slow)that ratio then you add the LVJ handle that will give you a little extra leverage. Also the HG reel will be magic with 10" Jakes and other crankbaits not to mention Rubber baits in shallow water. There are a lot of reels out there that pull in 30" of line per crank(4.6) that don't weigh 20 oz.
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| There cerrtainly are plenty of reels over 30" per crank, but a 300EJ does not fish the same as a 700TE. The torque is why you buy the low speed Tranx. That reel, like a 700TE, will making retrieving things like the Hurricane and 13s far less onerous. If you have ever used a 700, you know what I'm talking about. The reel is like a tractor, it makes 13s feel like a trout spinner.
You cannot achieve extreme burning speeds easily with 30" per crank, but for most applications, the 30" plus the power will allow you to work these large, hard pulling baits fast with far less fatigue over the course of the day. IMO that is the value add of the Power Gear. |
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| Msky3, so if i could only pick one tranx... i could get the HG and under spool the line and get close to or same gear ratio and power as the PG or a 700te? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | have any of you guys that have reels that are 30" per crank or 36" or 46" for that matter ever actually tested how much line you are actually bringing in per crank? I have....if a reel can do 30" that is at FULL capacity and towards the end of the retrieve...most guys with any kind of speed reel from saltists, to trini's, to avets are not getting what the reel claims it can get per crank..for example, my trini 16NA the way i had it spooled was getting 34-35" tops..it was perfect and could smoke bucktails fast when needed but also had the ease of pulling them in at fairly fast speeds all day..also, if the high speed Tranx is pulling too hard simply fill it 3/4 full and it will be better suited to burning than the slow gear ratio model.. imo the slow model to me is worthless...it's pretty much a glorified Calcutta TE w a power handle or Toro with the shimano power handle imho (just for you shulbert) ....this stuff isn't hard to figure out really... some make this stuff much too hard!  |
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Posts: 2015
| Brad you are right the "slower" Tranx will be like a Calcutta TE... like a 700 TE - have you used a 700 TE? Great reel for tens. It has so much line capacity that you are getting good speed the whole retrieve. Now a 400 TE you cast half the line off the spool... big difference. A Tranx will accept almost 2x the 20Lb dia. line as a 400TE - apples to oranges comparison. The PG will make a great 10's reel. And will fish much different than a 400TE, winch, revo 5.4.....it will fish like a TE 700 with a thumb bar and auto-engaging spool. And TE 700's cast great at full line capacity, move 10's with a lot of speed with no effort. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | im having a thorn rod build right know for throwing the big rubber baits so ill be going with the fast retrive so when i pull i can pick up the line right away i guess you have to think of what your going to do with it and buy the real that fits your needs |
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Posts: 833
| IAJustin - 3/7/2012 5:06 PM
Brad you are right the "slower" Tranx will be like a Calcutta TE... like a 700 TE - have you used a 700 TE? Great reel for tens. It has so much line capacity that you are getting good speed the whole retrieve. Now a 400 TE you cast half the line off the spool... big difference. A Tranx will accept almost 2x the 20Lb dia. line as a 400TE - apples to oranges comparison. The PG will make a great 10's reel. And will fish much different than a 400TE, winch, revo 5.4.....it will fish like a TE 700 with a thumb bar and auto-engaging spool. And TE 700's cast great at full line capacity, move 10's with a lot of speed with no effort.
The 700TE was exactly what I was referring to. I used one last year and your assessment is correct. I feel the biggest selling point of the 700TE is the torque. It turns 13s into mush, which, at least IMO, greatly reduced the fatigue factor with those baits. It gets "good" speed, but not "Trinidad" speed. The thumb bar and auto engage will be nice additions for this type of tool.
I spoke to some to some of the folks at Thorne Brothers when I pre-ordered mine and they were of the opinion that the Power Gear Tranx was actally even more powerful than a 700TE. I obviously haven't handled the Tranx yet, so that is 2nd hand info, but it is from what I consider a very reputable source. |
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Posts: 175
| Just told by Tackle Direct that these are now shipping late April. |
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Posts: 125
Location: Barnesville MN | I ordered mine from Tackle Direct and it will be here tomorrow. It's in Hodgkin Il according to UPS tracking info. |
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Posts: 347
Location: eagle river,wis | Tadpoles in eagle river has them in stock.Both HG and PG models.He is shipping backordered reels out now.He will also have them at the Musky show in New London on the !8th.
jeff |
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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | I was still up in the air on which gear reel to get, but ran across an ebay auction last week for a new pg. I placed a bid that I thought would get beat, but ended up winning the auction at $410 with free shipping. Anxious to get the real and find out if I made the right decision! |
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| Ive tried them both and i am extremely impressed with my high gear and there really isn't that much fatigue when you throw big blades all day but i wouldn't go with the low gear because its as you know alot slower and the high gear has a ton of power as well. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | i have the hi speed, fully spooled with 80 lb line, and i put the Trini 16NA power handle on it for more leverage...luv it.
no problem using it all day w out fatigue. |
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Posts: 833
| I have both and beg to differ a bit. The HG has plenty of Torque, pulls 10s and even 12s with ease. However, the PG is in a whole different category of muscle. It makes 13s feel like mush. Different tools for different tasks. My opinion is that you should get the one that fits what you are doing the best.
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Posts: 127
| I have both the PG and HG. Both completely filled with 100lb Tuff-Line. I think the HG is money for blades up to 10's. Completely dominates them. I start to lose some hand speed when going to 13's, but the PG makes 13's feel like 8's on the HG - much more hand speed.
Though, when you take into account that you get about 45% more line pick up with the HG, I can probably bring 13's in just as fast as I can with the PG.
In the end, both reels are sweet! Cast like a dream, have a TON of power, and are comfortable to fish all day. IMO, makes Trinidads obsolete in the world of Musky fishing. |
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Posts: 424
| Kyle,
if you can,buy both the models.Best choice !!!!
esoxone |
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Posts: 245
| The Tranx is actually very palmable, i have little girl hands and palming it is no problem.
If only Shimano thought of us normal people who hold and controll en rod with our primary hand... |
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Location: Des Moines IA | I just bought a used 700TE for my Dbl 10 Frank rod. Absolutely love it. Best 250$ I have ever spent. I don't see any need for a Tranx myself. |
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| I used my HG a couple of weeks ago, and can't wait to use it again! It's not heavy, and my wrist felt fine after making 7 hours of casts. My shoulder, on the other hand, is another story. It's really smooth, and love it! The acid test is in 3 weeks on St. Clair. |
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Location: 31 | RStien321 - 6/12/2012 11:42 AM IMO, makes Trinidads obsolete in the world of Musky fishing. Ditto, the nearly 4' recovery model is in a different class than any reel I've used, the Lamborghini of muskie reels IMHO. Smooth as silk like all high-end Shimano's, fantastic drag, thumb bar, power handle and a level wind. The best feature is the full spool for maximum recovery, tossing light stuff Is a real pleasure without the same issues like a Trinidad. If you're only interested in x10 plus, then the Trinidad/700TE would work for less money but those reels do not have near the versatility in my opinion. I can palm this reel no problem too, it actually fits my hand better than a Winch... great for thumbing a light drag with my left hand (I'm trying to teach myself to do that now). I have both models, and if I had to choose one I would go with the high-speed hands down. If you are only going use it for big blades, then I wouldn't have an opinion if it's worth the extra $s for you. I primarily use the high-speed model for moving smaller blades and cranks in fifth gear... but I've also used top waters and super flash baits with it too. Where this reel really shines is fishing over heavy cover with weedless lures because you can engage the reel fast and skim a bait across the slop (when needed) with absolute control and little extra effort with a long rod. That's another thing, rods... obviously a big part of the system. I'm actually favoring slow taper rods with these reels so far over the fast taper I've always used. I can run the drag tighter and love the way these slow tapers load up over the almost full length of the blank while playing fish, (with big blades I still prefer an extra heavy with fast taper though). One gripe.. the level wind remains stationary when casting. Most of the time it's not a problem but when it ends up all the way on the right or left and you're trying to make casts into the wind with light baits you can end up with a couple loops on the spool in the blink of an eye. Okay, one more gripe the $...but it only hurts once and the quality and versatility of the high-speed model is worth every penny in my opinion. The value of 30" recovery model is more subjective, there are certainly some other options out there for less money like the 700TE as already mentioned.
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Posts: 833
| I personally felt the thumb bar and overall ease of casting made it worthwhile to upgrade my 700TE to the PG Tranx. (EBay made it less painful as well) Definitely a personal preference thing though. My reasoning was based on how much I like the "tractor" type reel for 13s and the fact that I fish a weedy system so having the ability to more consistently engage the bait once it hit the water was a value add for me. This isn't a knock on the TE, it is just that the Tranx makes the process easier and more consistent.
It is too early to say for sure, but I suspect the PG is really going to come into its own once late fall/ big bait season comes. |
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Location: Ontario | Jerry Newman - 6/12/2012 11:02 PM
RStien321 - 6/12/2012 11:42 AM IMO, makes Trinidads obsolete in the world of Musky fishing. Ditto, the nearly 4' recovery model is in a different class than any reel I've used, the Lamborghini of muskie reels IMHO. Smooth as silk like all high-end Shimano's, fantastic drag, thumb bar, power handle and a level wind. The best feature is the full spool for maximum recovery, tossing light stuff Is a real pleasure without the same issues like a Trinidad. If you're only interested in x10 plus, then the Trinidad/700TE would work for less money but those reels do not have near the versatility in my opinion. I can palm this reel no problem too, it actually fits my hand better than a Winch... great for thumbing a light drag with my left hand (I'm trying to teach myself to do that now). I have both models, and if I had to choose one I would go with the high-speed hands down. If you are only going use it for big blades, then I wouldn't have an opinion if it's worth the extra $s for you. I primarily use the high-speed model for moving smaller blades and cranks in fifth gear... but I've also used top waters and super flash baits with it too. Where this reel really shines is fishing over heavy cover with weedless lures because you can engage the reel fast and skim a bait across the slop (when needed) with absolute control and little extra effort with a long rod. That's another thing, rods... obviously a big part of the system. I'm actually favoring slow taper rods with these reels so far over the fast taper I've always used. I can run the drag tighter and love the way these slow tapers load up over the almost full length of the blank while playing fish, (with big blades I still prefer an extra heavy with fast taper though). One gripe.. the level wind remains stationary when casting. Most of the time it's not a problem but when it ends up all the way on the right or left and you're trying to make casts into the wind with light baits you can end up with a couple loops on the spool in the blink of an eye. Okay, one more gripe the $...but it only hurts once and the quality and versatility of the high-speed model is worth every penny in my opinion. The value of 30" recovery model is more subjective, there are certainly some other options out there for less money like the 700TE as already mentioned.
I have bigger gripe - NO lefty
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Location: 31 | Brad P - 6/13/2012 12:34 PM I personally felt the thumb bar and overall ease of casting made it worthwhile to upgrade my 700TE to the PG Tranx. (EBay made it less painful as well) Definitely a personal preference thing though. My reasoning was based on how much I like the "tractor" type reel for 13s and the fact that I fish a weedy system so having the ability to more consistently engage the bait once it hit the water was a value add for me. This isn't a knock on the TE, it is just that the Tranx makes the process easier and more consistent. It is too early to say for sure, but I suspect the PG is really going to come into its own once late fall/ big bait season comes.
Yep, pretty much the same reason I decided to buy the high-speed Tranx, it was all there (by design). Then, once I discovered first hand how awesome the reel is, I pretty much had to have the PG too... "Tractor" is a good way to describe it. I typically cast around heavier cover and being able to engage the reel straightaway can be the difference between whether I bring in a fish or a weed, I've also had fish hit the instance to lure hits the water too... is there anyone out there who has been disappointed with the reel?
lifeisfun, You still have $500, be careful what you wish for cus I bet one is in the works ;) |
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Location: Ontario | I believe it when I see it 
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Posts: 833
| I broke out my PG Tranx on Friday to do some slow-rolling with 13s after dark. What a monster. It makes a 13 feel like a bass bait and I'm not exaggerating. The power is unreal. Ticking the bait through milfoil, the reel will just blow it through any obstructions. I also used it to rip some heavy duty rubber and as expected, it did it with ease. |
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Posts: 93
| I put the handle from my 16N on my Tranx HG and got even more torque to go along with the speed. |
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Tranx High or Low?