newell 22X series left handed... (alan tani?...)

opinions on newell 22x (probably smallest 220) as a reel?

looks like penn 500 ht-100 drag system (carbonfiber). hardened steel
gears which should allow drag over 8lb limit of brass gears
in the abu garcia ambassadeurs I've used this season.

probably fairly simple internals, home-servicable (no lever drag).

left handed models available in many sizes on charkbait.

expensive for sure, but not out of control in the $130 range.

I'm not lefthanded, I'm just doing the mooch thing, like
the left handed casting reels better. no hand switching.

13.X ounces (light! compare this to 22oz for a jigmaster
and 10 for an abu 5500).

they do have a lot of bearings (5?) which will probably rust
solid, but everthing else looks made to take the kayak environment.

no level wind. I've only ever used level wind. I don't know how big
a hassle it is to not have a level wind mechanism.

experience this first year tells me that no rockfish or halibut can beat
an ambassadeur, and I doubt a salmon can either so no real reason
to buy one for anything I can catch off a kayak, well I guess mr. savage
did lose that big ling...

I just want to hear what people think about this reel.

I guess I like the whole retro us-made thing too.

scwafish, I know I hassled you about your abus, you can get one too,  .

Oh I see how it goes...seriously, though, a few guys I work with have a number of Newells and love everything about them. 

I just picked up a new 338 from sportmart for 65 bucks (display model).  Deal of the year for me.

I've been using a 225 for about 5 years with no real complaints.  Its been on just about every yak trip I've taken and no rust issues at all. Its light, has plenty of power, decent drag and casts better than most reels I've used.  I had a hard time going back to the abu after picking up a newell.....and I practically grew up with an abu in my hands.  Swore by it during the early years of the light tackle craze but when I use them nowadays it feels like a taking a knife to a gunfight......of course now the abu's are loaded with super light line so it is a knife v gun.     

 They do have a downside though.  When I was at Alan T's seminar he mention that he'd seen a few reels completely seize up...beyond repair kinda scary.  Also after you freespool and engage the reel you should take a few cranks to ensure its engaged.  Learned that one the hard way.  Butt fishing the bay on a party boat in a strong drift, got a good take down, fed it a couple feet of line, engaged reel, thumbed the spool and  lifted the pole, felt the fish on and released my thumb and it goes into freespool, birds nest, fish ran and snapped the line.   

That is a good deal Art on that 338! better than 1/2 price off!

Do you ever fish with spectra or heavy mono and the drag set really high
on the 225? I guess the only place to do that would be while fishing for
a big ling with a stout rod. just horse him in before he gets in the kelp
or rocks. This board lost a few of what might have been 30lb lings this
summer (jzumi, chef, savage).  If I hook one that big next year I want to land it.
You can use a giant hook with a ling, and usually they are hooked good,
so there's really no reason to baby it like with a halibut or as I understand it, a salmon.

It's the 8lb max drag limit of abu brass gears and what that might mean for landing a
big ling cod that has given me a roving eye. but the 30lb ling example is the only thing I
can come up with that challenges the 8lb drag number. so most likely
I will stick with the abus for another season or two. it's nice to know that if I drop one
in the ocean, or sacrifice the gears to a big fish, or it stops working, my boys destroy it, etc,
that I can just take another one out of the pile. It would ruin my day to lose/destroy a
new newell.

and I do have a penn 330 gti I could bust out for the big ling hunt. so I don't think I
can make the case for the newell for myself, sadly. sure was fun talking about it tho.
and maybe I can get somebody else to get one...

Scwafish! you could get a 225 to go with that kunz stick,  . now that would
be a worthy reel.  maybe one of those limited edition P series? Or the red ones?
untouchably cool I think. No losing the pot winning ling on that baby.
just click to order!

Yeah I lucked out on that one.

Max line rating I use is 20 lb, always mono.  Spectra is too high maintenance for me. 

I rarely button my drag down on any of my reels even when targeting lings.  Its usually a case by case scenario but most often the unnecessary muscling of a ling usually doesn't end well.  Hitchhikers can easily let go and big hooks can tear big holes in the lings thin mouth, making it that much easier for them to spit a hook with a headshake.  Once they're off the bottom and into the water column you can play them a little more. 

And a 20 lb striper will blow the doors off a 30 lb ling =)

FYI... If anyone is interested in Newell Reels... I can offer pretty competitive prices on them as they are available to me through one of my wholesale rodbuilding parts houses.  Just email me if interested. 

Erik

erik, even the left handed ones? charkbait is the only place I've seen them. I didn't even know they
were available until now.

art,  generally drag should not be more than 1/3 to 1/2 at most of line test right? So with 20lb
mono, you are looking at a max drag of 10, more like 7, so in that case, the 8lb max drag of
an abu is fine. with 30lb spectra 8lbs is a little weak, but it still seems like it's enough for
any fish around here, and definitely for the cheap bass or catfish rods I'm using so far.
you are going to have to take a trip to hawaii or mexico or so cal or
alaska or something to really use that 338! take your surfboard,  .

Well, if I catch a salmon from the yak next summer I might celebrate and get a rod or two from mr. kunz
and a couple newells to go with.

Yeah... I can get the lefties...

at the time they were introduced, they were one of the best reels on the market.  their design is the easiest one to work on.  so do this.  pull the old drags out and throw them into the trash can.  get a set of matching penn drags, slap on a thick coat shimano drag grease, lube the bearings with corrosion x and grease all the screw holes.  you will be able to fish this reel with confidence for a very long time.  want a handle upgrade?  check this out....

I remember. 3rd gen. same as abu, pro gear. etc. basic reel design!

I usually try and go at about 20 % of the lines rating. 

My 338......thats gonna be my new salmon trolling reel.  Dragging two pounds of lead behind  boat isn't the easiest thing to do with smaller gear.....

maybe I will put a topshot of 30lb spectra on the old 30lb mono on my Penn 330GTI and use that
for trolling. hmm. the alternative is to put 3.8:1 gears on my 6501, with a power handle.

Do we need as much as two lbs? Doesn't mooch and stuart use less, like 8-12oz?


art, what kind of rod are you going to pair with the 338?

Doesn't mooch and stuart use less, like 8-12oz?

I use the 8oz banana sinker only when I know the baitballs are on top. If I don't see bait, I vary my paddling speed just so I can cover different depths. If the fish are just too deep, I'll drop my mooching rig and go trooching. Instead of jigging bait I just paddle SLOW in and out of the baitballs = "trooching"

trolling lures used: WMA (water mellon apex) or sliver 4-inch coyote spoon.

Salmon trolling on a party boat its pretty standardized, all rods run 2 pounds on a release with a crowbared anchovy.  These are pretty much meat trips for me.  I'm gonna pair the new reel to an older 7' ML fenwick.  

Yaks are a different story and if Stu and the Mooch say its so then its guaranteed fish    

BTW, 10  pounds of drag is A LOT!!!  Even 8 can be tough in a kayak.  Have you tried this much drag before while in a sitting down position?  I can't think of a situation in kayak fishing around here where you'll need more than 20# string and 7-8 pounds of drag.  Can anyone?

-Allen