Reel recommendations needed

Pmmpete,

How did you DYI the counter balance?  I’m interested in the Trax 300.  Also do you have a rod of preference with the reel?

Two reels I really love for basic Kayak salt water fishing:
TR100 or 200G Shimano. This is a no frills reel, you can buy it cheap, switch out the drags to some smoothies, and a contact Alan Tani for one of 3/0 handles and you will have something that gets it done, without breaking the bank.

Reel number 2: The Abu Garcia 5500 or 6500 series, go with Abu's power handle and grease the drags. you can do battle with a lot of fish out here.  Caution, if it doesn't say "made in Sweden" on it, just walk away and keep looking till you find one that does.  The Chinese made ones do not hold a candle to the Swedes IMHO.

I just picked up an abu 6500 Swedish that I really like from that garage sale last weekend when i was down there.  They had 1 more for $80 id look for that sidewalk sale again in marin, had a bunch of stuff.

+1 on the abu 6500 made in Sweden. I replaced the stock drag washers with carbontex and upgraded the stock handle to a power handle, and it is now my go to salmon reel. Easy to service and replacement parts are easy to get.

Pmmpete,
How did you DYI the counter balance?  I’m interested in the Trax 300.  Also do you have a rod of preference with the reel?

If you want to buy a baitcaster reel for jigging, I wouldn't buy a Tranx, because Shimano doesn't make a counterbalanced power handle for that reel.  I'd buy a Daiwa Lexa, a Penn Squall, or some other baitcaster reel which comes with a counterbalanced power handle.

But if you have decided you want the Tranx 300, it's easy to add a counterbalance to the power handle without making any modifications to the reel, using a piece of aluminum stock and hardware which is available at any hardware store.  The counterbalance is held in place with a stainless flathead bolt which goes through one of the holes in the power handle and a nylock nut, with a nylon spacer.  A hole in the counterbalance arm fits over the nut on the end of the reel's shaft.  I used a big stainless hex bolt and some stainless washers for the counterbalance.  Take the power handle and counterbalance off the reel, stick a screwdriver through the hole, and add and subtract washers until the counterbalance weight balances the power handle.  It looks a bit rednecky, but works very well and is rock solid.

I prefer fairly stiff jigging rods. My favorite jigging rods for lake trout, lings, and other potentially large fish are a pair of 6'6" Ugly Stik Tiger Elite Medium Heavy jigging-casting rods, one rated for 3/4 oz.-4 oz. lures, and the other rated for 4 oz.-7 oz. lures.  I like to jig with the butt of the rod in my armpit, and prefer a long butt so my rod hand is comfortably out in front of my chest when my thumb is on the baitcaster reel's spool release, rather than tucked back by my armpit, so I have lengthened the butts of both rods to 17" to 18" behind the reel.

+1 on the abu 6500 made in Sweden. I replaced the stock drag washers with carbontex and upgraded the stock handle to a power handle, and it is now my go to salmon reel. Easy to service and replacement parts are easy to get.

A very good go to reel for so many things!  I have a later c4 I bought to use for my trolling rig.

+1 on the abu 6500 made in Sweden. I replaced the stock drag washers with carbontex and upgraded the stock handle to a power handle, and it is now my go to salmon reel. Easy to service and replacement parts are easy to get.

A very good go to reel for so many things!  I have a later c4 I bought to use for my trolling rig.

Nice! The c4 has that thumbbar spool release which is a bit more comfortable than what’s on the c3.

Yes it does, nice feature indeed!