Help me decide

[SkeeterRonnie]

you can buy suspend-dots for bass fishing that are actually stick on wieghts for tuning a jerkbait.

[MrBill]

To clarify the problem:
When you put a reel in a unibutt, the machining inside the reel receivers on the unibutt are too wide. Aftco probably machines them wide to make sure it will accept all brands of reels with a little play for good measure. Therefore, when fighting a fish the reel can twist to the left or right no matter how well you tightened it up before the fight. There is about an 1/8" gap on the left and right side of the unibutt.

The shim needs to be a solid piece of metal about 1/8" x 1/8" x 1". You would need one on the left and one on the right. These also need to be placed on the front and back of the unibutt before installing the reel. Each brand of reel is different and each size of reel has different reel seats. I think you have to have different size shims to get rid of all the play.

There is nothing worse then getting near the end of a fight and notice that the roller guides are about 15 degrees off from being square with the reel. You find yourself trying to either twist the reel back to the center to line up with the rollers, or trying to turn the rod to twist it back. This is tough when you have 35#s of drag on a fish.

[TLore]

Originally Posted by SkeeterRonnie

Maybe I am being a little harsh on thier saltwater HD gear... and without realizing it- I have the spinning reel (Spheros). Still think I will stick with AVET until a problem arises. Yes we are alike in the burn department( burn me once, shame on u- burn me twice, shame on me) lol. Thanks for the input, it does help. And I do agree on the shimano being on all the boats- but these are also the same guys that have used shimano for ages, and are set in their ways. In due time i believe AVET will be on many boats replacing the "old skool" ways...lol. Who wouldnt love to put 100# of drag on a fish and see who wins...lol.

I like all three brands for different reasons. A penn drag curve is great for hard hook sets (marlin, tarpon, etc.) Tiagra drags pull harder the harder you pull with is good for softer fish (tuna wahoo) Avets are pretty consistent from what i've used and seen. Plus they come in different colors and are a little cheaper. It comes down to preference. As far as 100 lbs of drag- you'll pull the hook right through most fishes faces.