I wanted to find a reel that was designed for distance casting, that had some type of cast control to cut back or eliminate backlashes during casting, but also had the line capacity to tackle most of the big game we'd encounter in our surf. Most of us already know, for the most part, we need a long cast to get in the zone. But getting a good cast with a heavy sinker and a big chunk of bait can be difficult. Especially when using braid as the backlash can be horrendous. After an exhaustive search, I found there aren't many options. Abu Garcia has a few, Penn has the Squall (Binh loves this one) and if you can find it, the Penn Mag, Okuma has one, and so does Avet. Just to name a few.
I went with Truth Reels' SM (star mag) star drag reel.
The specs:
STAR DRAG
WEIGHT: 16.8 OZ
GEAR RATIO: 6:1
38” PER CRANK
MAX DRAG: 24#
CAPACITY: MONO 20# 275 YDS
CAPACITY: BRAID 50# 450 YDS
CERAMIC SPOOL BEARINGS ABEC-7
4 CARBON DRAG WASHERS
What I liked:-Built like a tank yet super light weight. It feels super powerful, like it can handle any fish it hooks up to.
-Reel sits low on the rod, which aids in casting for me. With the "taller" reels, the spool has more of a tendency to slip under my thumb while the rod is loading up during a cast resulting in a backlash. I get that more often than I wish when casting jigs using a modified 4/0 reel (think YT special) or my Baja Special.
-It's a star drag! If only Avet made a star drag version of their MagiCast reels... I still have yet to find a lever drag that can cast as well as a star drag.
-It's so smooth! Going to chalk it up to the tight tolerances they manufacture their reels at and the 7 ceramic spool bearings. Once it goes through it's breaking in period, it'll be even smoother.
-The reel is specifically designed for the bait and wait fisherman that is tossing 3 to 16 ounces. So far, I have found the sweet spot to be about 10-12oz combined with the weight and bait.
-I dig the finish on the reel. Nothing fancy like gold or white, or flake prone like the older Saltists with their painted on finish.
-The clicker could be a tad louder, like my Fathoms, but it is so much louder than a lot of reels that I have owned in the past.
-Lifetime warranty! The only caveat being that they stay in business... LOL!
-USA made!!
-The magnetic cast control is awesome! I started off with the highest setting and casting without using my thumb to slow it down. It hits the water and the spool just stops. No over run! I backed off the control to about half and repeated the same thing without the use of my thumb as a break. The line fluffed up a bit mid cast, but it still kept the spool spinning at a fast enough rate that the line came off without a backlash and was still able to hit the water with very minimal thumb pressure. Repeated this several times during my recon trip and I got the same results every time. How did I go this long without the aid of magnets?!!!!!!!
What I didn't like:- The clicker is in the way of my thumb while I'm retrieving a cast. I found myself hitting it a few times and switching it back on. Trying to train myself to avoid that area during the retrieve.
-Although I appreciate the oversized gears they pack into this little reel, the large gear box and it's placement kind of gets in the way. Another case of me training myself to avoid this area. Very reminiscent of the Daiwa Grandwaves I used to own in the early 2000s.
-The base of the reel is a little sharp in the edges near the hex screws that it kind of dug into my hand as I palmed the reel. I have a bad habit of palming small reels instead of gripping the rod just above the reel. Another habit to break.
-The reels are not designed to be serviced by the angler. In fact, they it difficult for the average angler to try and service the reel. Not too much of an issue for me, I'm rarely in the mood to service my own reels to begin with. After spending 7yrs servicing reels at H&M, it got old real quick. And these were the simple Jigmaster reels.
-The one way roller bearing as the only way to stop a fish. I wish it came with a dog as all bearings eventually fail over time. Some fail quicker than others. Their website states that the SM comes with same one way roller bearing as their much larger LG reel which is basically their version of a 40-50lb sized reel. But, the word on the street is, there is a plan to have a dog installed in future SM reels and that the ones that were sold pre-dog would be have the option of getting one installed like they did with their SG reels, which I own and have done to it. I sent it back, they installed the dog and they also serviced the reel free of charge. This is the deal breaker for most. Hopefully it's something I don't come to regret.
-The limited line capacity. But, I knew this going in. I checked out the reel first hand at Charkbait a few times before finally pulling the trigger. They claim it can hold 450yds of 50# braid... more like 250-300yds. Depending on the maker of the braid. I was able to get an additional 65yds of 30# mono topshot to go with 250yds or braid.
In conclusion, I love the fit and finish of the reel. I'm in love with the cast control. A bit of retraining is in order for me to make things work out for the best. The line capacity will always make things interesting when hooked up to big a bat. I don't think I'll have any issues with the grinners most get in the surf. I don't foresee any flexing issues in the frame like I have experienced with graphite reels in the past. It was a pricy reel at $400, but this reel should last a lifetime.
