Hey Alex - Good breakdown. The Revos and the Penns are made for Pure Fishing by the same OEM factory in Korea, so they're basically the same reel, and most of the parts are interchangeable. Same with Abu and Pflueger bass reels. The Rockets are great for low-resistance baits like tubes, and they're a great jig reel. Issue I had with them is the gears would wear out kinda fast. The teeth are so small they'd start to round over, especially with braid. I finally turned mine into frog reels for bass fishing. The drag slipping is usually them coming from the factory over-lubed. I had an Abu corporate guy tell me once they assume most buyers will *never* clean or lube their reels so they lube the shit out of them from the factory because it cuts down in the warranty returns. All manufacturers do this to a degree, but Abu seems to really goober them up. I just pull the drag stack out and clean them first thing. Same with their gears and bearings. Stuff sticks because on top of the overlube the lube they use doesn't like cold weather and it turns to peanut butter. Last thought - the reel snapping into gear with a power handle on... Happens all the time with the old Abu 7000s, which I still use a ton. When you cast, turn your left (assuming you are right-handed) wrist over so the reel handle side of the reel is pointing down during the cast. Almost completely eliminates the problem. That'll work for you but doubt most clients will remember to do it. A reel engaging with a heavy bait in mid-air is a bad sound. Can actually snap 80# braid if someone's casting hard enough with a heavy bait and a 9' rod. Had some buddies put pounder bulldwags into near earth orbit that way... Loving the muskie content... My kid's a freshmen at Northern Michigan. He's been bugging me to haul my boat up from MN some time. May have to. There's a muskie river up there I need to get back to...
I've noticed the position of the power handle working on the cast, clients...not so much. Makes sense on pure fishing making both, I thought they were identical. Man, I'd have a tough time leaving MN for the UP but you'll probably see less fishing pressure. We got socked in with snow before our water temps got to the low 40s which is typically the issue where I'm at, it sucks. That being said, already making some plans for filming next year starting in April. In Michigan you can fish them year round and ive caught some nice fish pre spawn .
@@alexlafkasfishing I can't understand why the DNR allows year round C&R on the waters in your previous video. It's just a special fishery that gets more pressure every year. I understand the stocked waters and maybe LSC because of its size and number of fish, but just seems like a bad idea for those spawning fish.
@prongsong7157 I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I usually fish ice out till about 45 degrees then bail. I'm pretty sure I'm not pestering them too much but I do understand the opportunity for anglers to pester them is there. They do also allow spearing in Michigan so I'm not sure how much the state really cares
Not sure if you or anyone else has ever covered but it would be cool to see a video breaking down how guys are getting these insanely expensive drift boats/rafts both recreationally and for those trying to get into guiding. Seeing used boats sell on marketplace for $8k+ and new boats going for $12k is a little wild to me and I can’t imagine people are financing these? Cool breakdown on musky stuff, mostly throw flies for them but the gear stuff is refreshing.
I have not bought a drift boat in 12 years which was 8k new from clacka. I sold an old boat for 3k, which is what I had paid for it years prior. My suggestion is to buy the cheaper boat until you can get a newer one (if needed). One thing about old boats is that they only depreciate so far, then they hold their price (for the most part). It's gotten ridiculous what these companies are charging for a hunk of fiberglass.
What’s affordable for a recreational fishing craft? I think there’s a market these companies are targeting that includes both professional guides and high-income, outdoors-minded folk. If there was a two-way flowing river that everyone had to navigate every day to go work then you’d see demand increase, economies of scale go up and the cost to consumer falls. If there was a disruptor in the industry with a new manufacturing method that decreased material and labor costs that is willing to force competitors out of the marketplace THEN we can get more pocketbook-friendly boat pricing. I wish I was smart enough to do that.
@blakehunter7443 I think a big part of it is most of these builders (drift boats especially) are close to 100% capacity so they just keep raising prices. I'm sure labor and material costs have gone up but I'm sure margins are increasing as well. It's still a specialty/niche market as compared to other industries so only a handful of manufacturers are willing to produce them.
@WilliamWallis597 have those been the most durable for you guys? That's what I've seen but curious if I'd just had bad luck with the other 400 size reels
How long until the musky game gets like fly fishing where some guys insist on using the vintage stuff?! 😂 I’ll never forget my Dad’s OG red ambassador reel that he DROPPED into the Detroit River 🤦🏻♂️ He once had it on a rod he had custom built to hoist largemouth out of the lily pad crud in small lakes around Kalkaska 🤘🏼
Hey Alex - Good breakdown. The Revos and the Penns are made for Pure Fishing by the same OEM factory in Korea, so they're basically the same reel, and most of the parts are interchangeable. Same with Abu and Pflueger bass reels. The Rockets are great for low-resistance baits like tubes, and they're a great jig reel. Issue I had with them is the gears would wear out kinda fast. The teeth are so small they'd start to round over, especially with braid. I finally turned mine into frog reels for bass fishing.
The drag slipping is usually them coming from the factory over-lubed. I had an Abu corporate guy tell me once they assume most buyers will *never* clean or lube their reels so they lube the shit out of them from the factory because it cuts down in the warranty returns. All manufacturers do this to a degree, but Abu seems to really goober them up. I just pull the drag stack out and clean them first thing. Same with their gears and bearings. Stuff sticks because on top of the overlube the lube they use doesn't like cold weather and it turns to peanut butter.
Last thought - the reel snapping into gear with a power handle on... Happens all the time with the old Abu 7000s, which I still use a ton. When you cast, turn your left (assuming you are right-handed) wrist over so the reel handle side of the reel is pointing down during the cast. Almost completely eliminates the problem. That'll work for you but doubt most clients will remember to do it. A reel engaging with a heavy bait in mid-air is a bad sound. Can actually snap 80# braid if someone's casting hard enough with a heavy bait and a 9' rod. Had some buddies put pounder bulldwags into near earth orbit that way...
Loving the muskie content... My kid's a freshmen at Northern Michigan. He's been bugging me to haul my boat up from MN some time. May have to. There's a muskie river up there I need to get back to...
I've noticed the position of the power handle working on the cast, clients...not so much. Makes sense on pure fishing making both, I thought they were identical. Man, I'd have a tough time leaving MN for the UP but you'll probably see less fishing pressure. We got socked in with snow before our water temps got to the low 40s which is typically the issue where I'm at, it sucks. That being said, already making some plans for filming next year starting in April. In Michigan you can fish them year round and ive caught some nice fish pre spawn .
@@alexlafkasfishing I can't understand why the DNR allows year round C&R on the waters in your previous video. It's just a special fishery that gets more pressure every year. I understand the stocked waters and maybe LSC because of its size and number of fish, but just seems like a bad idea for those spawning fish.
@prongsong7157 I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I usually fish ice out till about 45 degrees then bail. I'm pretty sure I'm not pestering them too much but I do understand the opportunity for anglers to pester them is there. They do also allow spearing in Michigan so I'm not sure how much the state really cares
Not sure if you or anyone else has ever covered but it would be cool to see a video breaking down how guys are getting these insanely expensive drift boats/rafts both recreationally and for those trying to get into guiding. Seeing used boats sell on marketplace for $8k+ and new boats going for $12k is a little wild to me and I can’t imagine people are financing these? Cool breakdown on musky stuff, mostly throw flies for them but the gear stuff is refreshing.
I have not bought a drift boat in 12 years which was 8k new from clacka. I sold an old boat for 3k, which is what I had paid for it years prior. My suggestion is to buy the cheaper boat until you can get a newer one (if needed). One thing about old boats is that they only depreciate so far, then they hold their price (for the most part). It's gotten ridiculous what these companies are charging for a hunk of fiberglass.
What’s affordable for a recreational fishing craft? I think there’s a market these companies are targeting that includes both professional guides and high-income, outdoors-minded folk. If there was a two-way flowing river that everyone had to navigate every day to go work then you’d see demand increase, economies of scale go up and the cost to consumer falls.
If there was a disruptor in the industry with a new manufacturing method that decreased material and labor costs that is willing to force competitors out of the marketplace THEN we can get more pocketbook-friendly boat pricing. I wish I was smart enough to do that.
@blakehunter7443 I think a big part of it is most of these builders (drift boats especially) are close to 100% capacity so they just keep raising prices. I'm sure labor and material costs have gone up but I'm sure margins are increasing as well. It's still a specialty/niche market as compared to other industries so only a handful of manufacturers are willing to produce them.
@@alexlafkasfishing I agree 100%---I completely looked over the capacity and pricing relationship.
Not having a left handed retrieve in the Tranx 500 or the old Rocket sucks for lefties.
Yes, I was told by shimano they don't sell enough to justify it.
yeah it sucks big time. me and most of my buddies are lefties and we run 400s
@WilliamWallis597 have those been the most durable for you guys? That's what I've seen but curious if I'd just had bad luck with the other 400 size reels
How long until the musky game gets like fly fishing where some guys insist on using the vintage stuff?! 😂 I’ll never forget my Dad’s OG red ambassador reel that he DROPPED into the Detroit River 🤦🏻♂️ He once had it on a rod he had custom built to hoist largemouth out of the lily pad crud in small lakes around Kalkaska 🤘🏼
Better not try pulling a pounder on that vintage gear!