Open Face Line Counter Reels

I've never seen or heard of one......nor have others it seems.......do they exist?

I'm not a fan of level winds for most applications, when fish take a long run the line often smokes off the spool and the guide either designed to be stationary when drag is being pulled, or line smokes off the spool faster than the line guide can keep up with and you end up with a ton of extra stress on the line from the line guide.

It'd be nice to have a have a non-level wind version for salmon or striper trolling, where fish often peel line like crazy after the strike.  I'm not a fan of super light drags for this, I like a moderate light drag to ensure hookset but light enough to let them run. This gets kinda hairy with a hot fish.

Every line counter I've ever seen operated off the line guide so it seems a non-level wind reel would be pretty unique. Have you seen one that was factory offered like this? 

Feel completely free to discuss.....
   

.............beat it troll

Another option would to buy an aftermarket line counter that attaches to the rod

I've looked at those and was kinda skeptical.  Have you tried one?

I also removed the line guide off a level wind line counter but salt invaded the counter and froze it up. 

I've looked at those and was kinda skeptical.  Have you tried one?

I also removed the line guide off a level wind line counter but salt invaded the counter and froze it up.

If I start talking about the rod clipped line counter, will I get yelled at for going off topic??   

Joking aside, I've used one of those clip on line counters and they work well enough.  I've used mine in the salt for 2 seasons now when deploying deep6 and its still working. 

I do not think it is possible to make an open line counter on the open face reel. As the way the line feeds out of the reel, it has to float out freely and no restriction. If you trolling I can see that working with some kind of counter on the pole. 

I did a quick Google & see an Okuma model that is open.  Generally the lc is measuring off the spool revolution on an average.  As there is more or less line on the spool, the actual number will be over/under but the average will work out in the end.

As for Tica .... Yeah.

Which model?

I see the cold water, but it looks like there's a level wind that's hidden in a lot of pics...or I see the right and left handed models at different angles and it looks like no level wind.

I thought linecounters ran off the spool revolutions, not the levelwind (at least, the Abu's do...you can add a linecounter to most 5000 & 6000 series baitcasters). If that's the case, then just buy a nice linecounter and remove the levelwind. And pack the levelwind's worm drive gears full of grease or something to prevent it from locking up.

Couldn't you just buy a level wind line counter reel, and remove the level wind mechanism n plug up any holes....if needed.

I do not think it is possible to make an open line counter on the open face reel. As the way the line feeds out of the reel, it has to float out freely and no restriction. If you trolling I can see that working with some kind of counter on the pole.

Ummm ... a levelwind reel does basically the same thing, but it has a "take off" on the spool to drive the levelwind.  The same take off could be used to drive a line counter without actually driving a levelwind, no?

-Allen

Chinook up in Alaska and wahoo and YFT that will "peel the reel" but I have not had that experience with salmon, steelhead, or strippers in the delta or the Pacific Ocean. I like my Shimano Tekota LC reels for trolling and have had no problems with it or lost fish.

Big advantage to knowing how deep your lure or bait is at. The people who were catching salmon in Monterey Bay last year were fishing at 200 feet or deeper.

I only managed 2 salmon last year.  1 came from 125' & the other from 20'.  Both on the mooch.  Maybe the fish came deeper off Soquel Hole but all the fish I heard of came off shallow last year.  Hope not to need a 200' drop this year.

Fished Abu Garcia reels all last year for salmon.