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Which reel has the biggest line capacity?

Mark Totzke's avatar
Mark Totzke 835 posts
835 posts
Mark Totzke says:
I'm looking for a reel with large line capacity of lets say more then 500 m or 1600 feet that could potentially be used for drone fishing. I don't want to use a winch but rather a surf casting setup. Would probably spool it up with braided line to get more line on it and for low stretch on long distance casts. Alvey reels look pretty good with 600m capacity.

Anyone got any suggestions for suitable reels?
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itsaboat's avatar
itsaboat 1447 posts
You answered your own question...Alvey !!

Surf ballooning (and maybe drone) is pretty popular over there. So maybe some locals use something different. But Alvey would be my choice.

TIP....Use a finger guard if you are going to use braid. You have to finger the line back on with an Alvey and braid will take your finger off.

Don't be mis-lead by the line capacity stated...They state 500m of 7kg for a 6 inch...Read between the "lines" !! That might be 300m of 15kg. But you can pack on a lot more line of lighter weight if you want because you will be "palming" the spool for drag. Palming gives you much more if not total control.

Good quality braid will give you even more line on the reel...BUT REMEMBER it is a side cast Alvey and when you finger the line on - your finger comes OFF !! (some cheap leather garden gloves will make 8 finger guards) !!  

I am feeling lazy, so you will have to do the math on what an 8 inch Alvey will hold :). They say the capacity of a 6 inch is 500m of 7kg, but I know it will hold a lot more...I don't know, maybe Alvey state that for legal reasons. I have a 6 inch loaded with 500m of 30 LB, which is close enough to 15kg, mono. No probs.

Just one more quick note on the line capacity. Alvey only state one line capacity. But take a look at any threadline or overhead or any geared reel. Most will have capacity stated on the spool and it will be stepped...100yd of 4lb...300yd of 12lb etc on the same spool.

Unless Alvey have something else to add...There is no reason you cannot add more (or less) line than they state and no reason for not using braid (other than you might lose a finger if you don't use a guard).
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Mark Totzke's avatar
Mark Totzke 835 posts
Well, I couldn't find a suitable Alvey reel for a good price.

But I got myself a Shimano Baitrunner 12000 OC instead. It was on special and I couldn't resist.
It's a really good reel and I got around 600 meters of 30 lbs braided line on it.
Very happy with my purchase, as it's very versatile. I can use it for drone fishing, surf casting and rock fishing.
Maybe even boat fishing for bigger fish like king fish. 

The bait running mechanism seems perfect for drone fishing. I can use the bait runner setting for flying out the bait with a tiny bit of tension on the line to avoid any tangles and then just click it into gear after dropping the bait. 
My only complaint would be that the main drag also engages when turning the handle forward. So there is perhaps a slight risk that the reel could click into normal drag while flying out the bait.
I guess that would be the end of the drone then :-(  Let's hope it wont happen. I guess part of the excitement of drone fishing is the potential risk of loosing it, haha.
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itsaboat's avatar
itsaboat 1447 posts
Mmm...Yes the Baitrunner is good. Congrats.

I have not used the newer model baitrunners. But I have 2 4500B one 3500B and a 6500B. I have nothing bad to say about them...I can't even give critical criticism.

Getting it on special is the way to go :). I never pay full price. Let's just hope that the gears can take all that line out. An Alvey would have been better.

The handle shouldn't move during the flight out. But yeah I see the issue. Two things I can think of. First, maybe a lacky band. Put a small elastic over the foot before inserting the reel in the seat. Then line the handle up with the foot and pull the lacky band over the rod and onto the handle. Then engage the BR feature and fly out. The lacky band will hold the handle in place. The second thing I can think of is a weight. Get a heavy weight like a large snapper sinker. Tie a loop of line to it. Place the rod in the holder (which you should be using) and turn the handle so it is pointing straight down. Hang the sinker on the handle, engage BR and fly out. The weight will hold the handle in place and for it to turn it will have to lift the weight.

Actually, I just thought of a third thing. Your main issue of the main drag engaging is exactly that, the drag. Your drag needs to be pretty well spot on with 300 or 400 meters of line out. So, you could set the drag and then mark the drag knob with some liquid paper so that you have 2 points to line up. (the second point cannot be on the spool !!). Turn the drag off and count the turns. Then fly out and re-set the drag. I can see some issues but this could work :)

I like my weight idea the best :)

Yes, perfect for boat fishing. I use my 4500's for just about everything...they laugh at king fish 😊

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