Decided before I can get around to adding a custom surf rod for my modified 6500CT (say tax return time), I'd add an economy surf spinning outfit.
This also may give me a chance to get on pompano action this winter, but no plans yet.
It's not going to be near as light in hand as my CT custom combo, but when you're putting out bait in the surf, another rod is never in the way.
The economy spinning surf rod was easy, Tsunami Air Waves, 11' H, 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 ounces.
Great reviews and relatively light in hand as 11' surf rods go - Fuji Alconite-K guides, staggered ferrule, with a 7' tip, and moderate action.
The reel was even easier. Tica Samira SBAT.
What really sold me on this $110 reel, Daiwa has sold the same reel series, made for them by Tica, for seven years and ten variations now - the Power Surf and Tournament Surf series, plus an offshore giant, the Pro Cargo.
Daiwa sheds a little weight with aluminum gears, and the $500 to $700 versions have have handles that screw directly into the main gear. but even their $400 version has fewer ball bearings than the Tica.
This thing is big at 21 ounces, but don't get just how big until you get one in your hand.
It needs all of that 90 mm handle length and stand-off, because it has the largest bail I've ever seen.
The gearing and spool diameter also make for a whopping 43" line pick-up /rev - fast for a surf reel, and the torque-y handle will be a bonus on big fish.
It has Tica's worm drive, 13 BB, and a whopping spool stroke of 1.8 inches (45 mm).
You don't get the size of the spool until it's in hand - it looks like a dixie cup.
The nominal spool diameter is 2.8 inches (70 mm).
The spool depth is only 1/10th inch (3 mm), but it holds 300 yards of 35-lb X-braid.
The whole idea is to cast out of sight.
This version spool, btw, is the 3000 - not sold by TicaAmerica.
All sizes of this reel are the same, with five spool sizes offered, from 2000 to 10000.
The reel came by International Priority mail from Taipei. Not bad delivery - 10 days.
It has Tica's great TiN coated line roller (inside and out), and a neat drag design (Daiwa calls Quick Drag).
(Hedgehog sells a 2-BB upgrade for this and the Daiiwa surf reels matching roller.)
The spool drag essentially has two settings - a fine and a coarse. The inner screw attaches the spool and is your primary set drag.
The larger, outer adjustment lets you back from that set, so it functions a bit like a lever drag, and relaxes the drag quite far - easy to relax the drag, and always returns to your max set point.
I hate the giant rubber handle knob, and also not fond of floppy handles. Daiwa's latest $350 version of this reel, the '19 Castizm, has a machine-cut handle using the same oversize hex-shaft. I'm asking Plat to hunt the parts down for me, so I can swap handles and get around to replacing the knob with one I like.
I'm looking forward to taking it to the park for a first cast - will also try my 8'/5500CT combo all out.
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Like its way-smaller little sister, worm-drive Libra SL, when I had lined 20 yards, could tell the out-of-box spool needed shimming. It was stacking line at the top of the spool and not quite reaching the bottom. Luckily, had the exact amount of shim needed - two white nylon half-thickness shim washers left over from the SL exercise.
I've become pretty competent at removing that first fiber-composite washer from it's denente on the spindle (also have to remove the 2 spool BB w/ spacer, and click-leaf spring).
And the wind result - you can see even shimmed, the start about 40-m began a little tenuous, but the 288-m (315 yds) rated capacity laid close enough to perfect - no bulge at the front or back.
Toyed with the idea of loading the last few meters, but decide to cut and quit while I was ahead - I may have to trim it down later, anyway.
Will be tying Allbright knot to 6' 30-lb Seaguar Gold leader - I left enough tag to get a couple of tries rolling that knot small.
Aside, I noticed re-spooling two Stradic spools this winter, Shimano spool shims compress from use, and also need shimming if you're going to change braid on your spool. Shimano shims are easier to install, but the larger and less convenient Tica shims may be more effective in the long run.