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[Thrasher]

used multis since I started sea fishing as a kid about 20 plus years mainly because that's what my dad and mates all used and stuck with them... but for my bassing last few years switched to fixed spool daiwa castism qd , noticed a lot quicker strike and reeling in line from big drop back bites so connected with more fish still prefer casting big baits for rays and hounds etc with a multi though

I can understand what you are saying about the big baits. Holding a heavy lead and bait on your index finger can feel a bit unnerving, probably more so if you started on multi's as you trap the line rather than hold it, although hold is not quite the right phrase either. Maybe one of Dens casting triggers may remove that feeling?

 

[Had1]

yeah I have had a look at them might consider it look pretty useful

 

[Tournamag]

I currently use MK1 Penn 535 mags on my beach casters, got 3 of them (and a non magged 4th for spares) and some spare reels with different lines to change over when needed. I've been using braid on them for the last 2 or 3 years. I've also got a Penn M2 525 mag but hardly use it as its small, flimsy and not as well put together compared to my 535 mk1's.

There musn't have been enough sales to warrant producing a mk3 or mk4 penn 535 mag which is a shame as it would have been interesting to see if they would have been any good.

I'd maybe upgrade to more recent models but to do the same thing and have the same or greater capacity than the mk1 535 mags I'd have to spend a load more money as there doesn't seen to be a modern equivalent in the same price range.

Does anyone know what magged casting reel has the biggest capacity?

Got 3 of those 535 mags myself with boxes they do have an issue though! drive end of spindle runs in a plastic bush that slows cast but also wears away.
Fin Nor has/had some magged ones that size also Shimano

 

[Cfish]

Lol I learned not to bird'snest a slosh20 and used a abu 7000? Without the levelwind. Kept them for rough ground work off the rocks fishing close in for big wrasse,conger and huss,my slosh finally went over the side of the boat one day along with the rod whilst I was untangling someone else's line for them!!! Ggrrr!

 

[Cfish]

have to be doing something seriously wrong to fluff a slosh up very popular reel once over

Double figure pollack and a plus thirty shore conger on my little slosh! thirty plus ling aswell! Just squirted a bit of 3in1 or wd-40 onit when it started grinding! Bombproof.

 

[Mr Fish]

For me, I just find multis so much nicer to fish with, so much more in touch with the fish and what you’re doing, or at least that’s how it feels to me.
Ratchet setting, easy to adjust drag (even in the middle of playing a fish if you have to), it all just feels better to me than that great clumsy coffee grinding motion. (Sorry boys!)

Not that I care what others use and don’t look down at anyone - with their modern FS and braid there’s a damn good chance they’re casting further than me anyway.

I started out with FS as so many did and still use them on and off. Have two smaller ones for estuary fishing (not so easy to flick out 20 feet with a multi) and a big pit monster that just keeps on going, mostly used for mackie bashing, as could never get on with feathering from the shore with a multi, just feels totally wrong.

Maybe too it’s that the FS I grew up using really were disposable commodities - I’d buy sort of lower mid range and probably get about two years out of one if I was lucky, before something broke.
I’m assuming (or hoping) that an £80 reel now would be a bit better? Or not? Haven’t bought one for years.

 

[Mr Fish]

anyone else find with the fixed spools too when cranking at any speed especially trying to keep gear up over heavy ground you get a bit of a wobble on in the rod tip lol

Yea, they’re a bit all over the place aren’t they? Not the most dexterous of things...

 

[Thrasher]

Yea, they’re a bit all over the place aren’t they? Not the most dexterous of things...

At least I am not staring at my thumb all the time to see it is doing what you think it is doing. ? ?

I can the head up and play a fish, it all looks so uncomfortable with a multi, especially reel down, which is why we have our favourite reels multi or FS.

 

[Thrasher]

second nature after a few years ?

Wouldn't disagree with that, but watching some videos many spend as much time looking at the reel as they do to see what the fish is doing. In the end we will fish with what we are most comfortable with.

 

[Thrasher]

amateurs lol

Almost certainly. ?
I must admit I do like the engineering of a multi, most everything about them, just can't get on with the buggers to fish with.

 

[Mr Fish]

Wouldn't disagree with that, but watching some videos many spend as much time looking at the reel as they do to see what the fish is doing. In the end we will fish with what we are most comfortable with.

Yea, they’re noddies, I look at the fish lol.

As I say, makes no odds to me what people use but for myself I find multis so much nicer to use.

Thankfully we have a choice ?

 

[jackjock]

Whether any body agree,s or not there still that elitism in using a multi, i really cant think why these days with magnetic brakes , i could understand years ago with no blocks using thick oil and a educated thumb. The fixed spool reels of yesteryear where crap but not any more in fact there now brilliant

 

[Mr Fish]

Whether any body agree,s or not there still that elitism in using a multi, i really cant think why these days with magnetic brakes , i could understand years ago with no blocks using thick oil and a educated thump . The fixed spool reels of yesteryear where crap but not any more in fact there now brilliant

Well yea, obviously multis are better ???

Ha, no seriously, some anglers, well a lot now, do very well with fixed spool and although I haven’t bought one for years, I would imagine the modern ones are good, even the mid range stuff.

Just for me personally, I don’t enjoy fishing with them that much, it’s just more of a tactile, direct form of fishing with a multi. For me that is.
I expect many people don’t notice a difference or indeed prefer FS.

In some ways it’s like comparing bait or lure fishing - people just prefer different things, no right or wrong about it.

Having said all that, both still have their places for me - multis on the boat, always, mostly on shore but have several FS for estuary fishing, float fishing and light spinning (in the incredibly rare occasions that I lose my senses and do that).
And for mackie bashing as I grew up doing that with a fixed spool and feels tre weird using a multi for that. I can, if I really have to, but it’s not designed for quick sweeping retrieves.

 

[Mr Fish]

so what can you cast the furthest guess this goes to the lads that are using both
myself got to be multi I've done a bit of casting & learnt to wind a rod up not tried any distance casting with the fixed spool but definitely goes with not much effort

I will shamefully admit I’m not the best caster. Fine for what I want to do up here on the north coast but struggle a bit at venues like Chesil.
That’s with multis.
I am trying to learn some new techniques but need to practice more!

A fixed spool I can whack it out further, especially with decently loaded braid although I don’t enjoy actually fishing with the line (see other thread).
That’s mostly because I can just whack it and forget about it, whereas multis as we all know can be a bit err, temperamental!

 

[Mr Fish]

the biggest improvement is with the shore anglers with today's modern long cast fixed spools thin braid line & long rods its been a quick fix for mr average without having to learn much to gain distance

Yep and along with that people just want to catch fish and are happy to use FS for that, which is fine.
I just feel more in control and in touch with the fish via a multi but at the risk of repeating myself, that’s just me ??‍

 

[Neilos]

The thing that always gets me with a multi (apart from the birds nests) is trying to find a left hand wind one....sloshes don't come in lh flavour and if they did i probably would have got on better and maybe stuck with them. Using your right hand to wind and the left to hold the rod feels so cack-handed to me.

 

[Mr Fish]

The thing that always gets me with a multi (apart from the birds nests) is trying to find a left hand wind one....sloshes don't come in lh flavour and if they did i probably would have got on better and maybe stuck with them. Using your right hand to wind and the left to hold the rod feels so cack-handed to me.

Yes, I guess it’s what you’re used to.

Odd as it sounds, I reel a FS with my left and multi with my right, both feel perfectly natural.
When I was first shown how to use both reels (at different times of course), it was just ‘this is what you do’ and that’s what I’ve always done.

I think as well with a multi it helps to have the dominant hand ready to adjust the drag if necessary and of course that’s the hand you use for casting.

My mate is right handed too but reels a FS with his right hand, which looks so awkward it’s not even funny but he insists that’s how he prefers it.
There’s no smoothness to his retrieve or pumping though and he frequently gets snagged when he doesn’t need to. I’ve tried to explain but given up these days! ??‍

 

[Mr Fish]

that's exactly why I use one for for the heavy ground work nowadays just out & back in without thinking

I prefer multis in the rough as I find it easier to bully in a fish with them, but I see what you’re saying.

That said, with the modern stuff and maybe (shudder!) braid I might do more FS work.

But, BIG but, 95% of my beachcasters and reels are multi and I’d prefer to keep improving the casting side with those rather than buy even more new gear that I don’t need lol.

 

[Tournamag]

Whether any body agree,s or not there still that elitism in using a multi, i really cant think why these days with magnetic brakes , i could understand years ago with no blocks using thick oil and a educated thump . The fixed spool reels of yesteryear where crap but not any more in fact there now brilliant

Yeah but you have to use a Fixed Spool as forget to put Thumb on spool!
Other guy said was on Beach with you you'd cast out then half hour later you Jumped up(Well Stumbled!)in a Panic Shouting and Raving had a Big bite as Slack liner...... Then found out you'd forgot to put Bail arm over!??

 

[Tournamag]

The thing that always gets me with a multi (apart from the birds nests) is trying to find a left hand wind one....sloshes don't come in lh flavour and if they did i probably would have got on better and maybe stuck with them. Using your right hand to wind and the left to hold the rod feels so cack-handed to me.

Which side you have handle on Fixed spool?

Right handed is FS rod in right hand and Multi rod in left.