Avet Boat/Trolling Reels

Message

RobertMcClean · #1 Post by **RobertMcClean** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:58 am

My boat partner recently purchased one of these little beauties and I was wondering has anyone else discovered them. Like everything they will rocket in price in now time, they are a strong one piece frame and super smooth. The SX range is ideal for 12/20 class work.

A UK based company called http://www.rokmax.com is selling them on behalf of a supplier from the States. The SX series are coming in around 110 Sterling, but similar types such as the Shimano range are twice the price.

[img]http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2904/avetsx9hw.jpg[/img]

b0ogaloo · #2 Post by **b0ogaloo** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:10 pm

I think paul bryson has one of them , brought it over from the states

Andy

Rockhopper · #3 Post by **Rockhopper** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:17 pm

Robert,

I have 2 of them, the SX and the MX they are the dog bolarkays :)

They are great for up-tide fishing, they cast quite well off the shore, but they need to be magged, quite an easy job, with a couple of rare earth magnets and some 2 pack glue.

If you ever want to see them, drop me a line and I'll arrange something.

sat one on a table....spun the spool (loaded with line) it spun for over 5 minutes.....got bored and stopped it :) point proven LOL

The quality is better than Penn international and all the other big branded American reels, and like you say, they are a very good deal, although the price is due to increase sometime soon (may have done already) but not enough to make them ever sound expensive in anyones terms.

Tom.

RobertMcClean · #4 Post by **RobertMcClean** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:27 pm

Tom,

I have to agree. I have a Penn 975LD and I am convinced that these reels are far superior.

Rockhopper · #5 Post by **Rockhopper** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:58 pm

They are a very simple design, easy to take apart and put back together, solid as a rock to use, the drag is second to none.

For the boat the handles on them is fine, for shore casting they are a little to big, the new SX has a smaller handle than previous.

As a company, they made the reels from scratch, the two brothers who own the company are anglers, granted they know all there is to know about Californian style boat fishing, I spke to one of them about shore fishing......ziltch!! couldnt understand why magging was so important.

I know plenty of beach anglers on the US-NE coast, florida up to New Jersey who use nothing else now, all magged though (far to wild without) I've not used either of mine yet (had them for over a year LOL) but I've been told that on a big fish you can feel the power the hold in your hand, the guy who said that boxed his Fin-Nor reels, recons they are the best reel made for braid line.

I plan to use mine this summer...........

Tom.

#6 Post by **Tanglerat** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:44 pm

Earlier thread here, http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... light=avet for anyone who came in late....... :D

The SX is a great little reel, I'm beginning to think about getting my hands on an MX now.

Rockhopper · #7 Post by **Rockhopper** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:05 pm

If anyone wants to buy these reels and use them for shore casting, be advised they need to be magged, if anyone wants a diagram with pictures on how they mag an Avet, drop me a line I will send the info.

All thats needed is two little earth magnets, a metal washer and the right glue. once done they are as tame as any 525Mag, but with the back-bone of a reel twice its size.

Tanglerat,

You will pick one up mail order in the US easy, the carrage is not that bad when you think of the price they want for a Daiwa 7ht Turbo.

The MX come with a reel foot fitted for a rod clamp, the SX does not, either way they both sit perfect into a reel seat. they both sit very low making them great for gripping with your thumb, they even have a small shape taken out of the back bar to allow your right thumb to sit better as you grip.

What I'm saying here is the design is better than any reel I've seen, Abu, Penn, Shimano etc.

btw....I got the silver ones, they also do other colours, nice looking but they will mark after a while I'm sure, the silver ones wont :)

Tom.

RobertMcClean · #8 Post by **RobertMcClean** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:52 pm

Just to follow on from your point of converting them Tom, I have done a lot of conversions on reels in recent years after intially spending a small fortune getting them done off private engineers in the past. For anyone who has a reel that runs too fast or wants a smoother performance, magnetics are the only way to go.

Here is simply conversation of a few Abu's 6500CT's. You can see how simplistic magnetic conversations can be.

[img]http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/1980/jake0330kf.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/8018/jake0401at.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9130/jake0398kq.jpg[/img]

If either myself or Tom can talk you through how to actually do them yourself let me know.

Cheers,

Rob.

Rockhopper · #9 Post by **Rockhopper** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:04 am

Robert,

You've done a good job on those reels.

The Avets that I've seen magged do not need the knobby on them, the distance between the spool and the side plate is perfect for just adding the washer with glue and then 2 or 3 small 3mm magnets. I cast one magged like that last November......sweet!

I did see a photo of one that had the knobby conversion....it looked good, I think it was done by Chris Macey.

As you will read in this months Sea Angler, Pete Coogan is starting to do this kind of work on a bigger level than he used to. He asked me to send one of my Avets over for him to look at, I may ask him to put a knobby on it.

If anybody reading has not heard of Peter Coogan, he is the man as far as tuning or fixing reels in general. He has been the main Abu tech for some 20 years, used to do a bit of tournament casting in the 80's too.
I got a surprise last year when I found out from the top man at Pure Fishing that Peter was Abu's top Tech, even over the Swedish techs.

I hope he spells my name right on the cheque :lol: :lol: :lol: for saying all of this.

Robert I will try to dig out the photo of the knobby Avet and send it to you.

Tom.

#10 Post by **paulbryson75** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:12 pm

Bought a Blue Avet SX in New York in December - have only used it three times now being the depths of winter, although small it really is a cracker piece of kit. Got the blue model which pairs lovely with my Tidecutter 12-20. These reels have a lovely big handle and the drag and freespool are excellent.
Have a Penn 975LD on my 20-30 but may well buy another Avet when go back over to the states later this year. Bought mine from a company called east coast tackle (on line). Loaded with 30lb braid it came to just over £80 sterling. Bargain for a reel of this quality.
Fully recomended and as I say will be buying another.
Paul

#11 Post by **IDPearl** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:11 pm

That's a nice cage on the Blue Yonder Robert. Neat setup - congrats.

RobertMcClean · #12 Post by **RobertMcClean** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:33 pm

Yeah its a custom job, I certainly did not design it myself. A very nice chap over in Blackrock does them if your interested.