Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak
Line capacity and drag used to be the big difference. Back in the day before braid was common people needed the larger spools in order to fit enough higher test mono line. It was also easier to fit larger drags and beefier parts to make those larger reeld being used for big fish more dependable.
In recent years with braid and technological advances it has become less important to have that size. Manufacturers have now come out with low profile style reels with larger capacity and strong drag on par with the round style reels. Abus revo toro is an example as is shimanos new tranx 300 and 400 series(they also have a 500 series as an even bigger reel).
There are guys that now use these reels like the revo toro to fish for musky, big lake trout, salmon, sturgeon and even bottom fish including halibut. My revo toro as an example fits almost 300 yards of 50 lb power pro with over 20 lbs of drag making it capable of catching a wide range of fish(caught salmon, ling cod, sturgeon and pike on it so far).
The big advantage now to the round style is that they are easier and cheaper to produce. Some guys also prefer the way they feel(usually because they grew up using them whereas I prefer a low profile style). If you need a lot of heavy line and prefer mono you still may need to use a round style reel too but we are talking reels for white sturgeon, big halibut, sailfish, marlin, sharks etc.
One other difference too is that the round style reels are usually(but not always) a lower gear ratio/retrieve which some people prefer for certain situations.
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Thanks for the info RavYak, that explains a lot. I think my next reel with have better capacity. This one is 120 yrds at 12# mono, and I think it was 130yrds at 30# braided. 7.0:1 and 16lb drag.