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L4 Two LP Baitcasters for SWFL?

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PrinceAlbertLure

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I want to build  4 setups around TWO low profile baitcasters for saltwater (Southwest Florida inshore fishing).
I currently only have freshwater baitcasters (bass) and conventional beach heavers.
I have tons of spinning gear, but I want to change it up and I prefer baitcasters to spinning gear for most applications.
When it comes to whats available in low profile baitcasters for salt, I am somewhat a newbie.
 
I fish inshore on a flats and bay boat.
I shore, beach, pier, wade, and kayak fish as well.
The range of species I target is huge.
Light game: mangrove snapper, sheepshead, & trout. (Occasional spanish mack)
Large game: Snook, jacks, tarpon, reds, & grouper.
 
I want a light lure setup (300 size) and a heavy (400 size) setup.
 
 
Light Setup
This reel would be used for light jigs, spoons, jerkbaits, small live bait, popping corks.
 
Heavy Setup
This reel would be used for medium chunk bait, large live bait, large swimbaits, heavy bucktails/flarehawks, large poppers, & jerkbaits.
 
Ideally, I would have 4 rods, 2 or each reel.
I am not concerned about rod models yet, as I build custom rods and have not decided to build or purchase the associated rods.
I just want to get a few reels and build rods around them for my applications.
 
2 in fiberglass or ugly stiks for live bait/poppers
I am not too overly concerned with rod sensitivity on live bait rods.
 
2 would be faster action graphite blanks (one medium/light, one heavy)
 
I am interested in a 300 & 400 series Tranx or Lexa (not interested in the Revo Beast or Okuma models).
 (I would love a Tranx 500, but I can't justify $500 for this setup)  
I would like to have one of each, Lexa & Tranx.
Which should I purchase for the 300 and which for the 400? 
Eventually, I will purchase dedicated reels for each rod. At the moment I want to stick with two nicer baitcasters.
I prefer to have multiple blanks/spools for each reel depending on the application and get the most use out of each reel!
 
I know I can get by with a size 200 real, but I don't mind a little extra weight, and I like the added ruggedness the 300 series reels seem to have over 200 sizes at the moment.
 
Thoughts?
Am I off base?
What would you guys recommend?
Should I just buy a 400 and buy spare spools?
 
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My inshore baitcaster set-ups consist of: Shimano curado 200hg (20#braid)on a 6' rod, my favorite outfit if I'm doing a lot of casting especially around mangroves(3/8oz spoons,1/4oz jigs and mirrodines). Older Daiwa coastal (20#braid)on a 6'6" rod, bigger mirrored and jigs. Older Penn 965 (15#mono) on a 7' rod for chunk bait and finger mullet and bigger lures. Older Shimano Calcutta 400 (20#mono)on a 7' rod for chunk bait, finger and up to 8" mullet. I also have spinners to do the same thing under different conditions. Many of my rod and reels are 20+ years old.

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On 8/14/2020 at 7:00 PM, PrinceAlbertLure said:
I want to build  4 setups around TWO low profile baitcasters for saltwater (Southwest Florida inshore fishing).
I currently only have freshwater baitcasters (bass) and conventional beach heavers.
I have tons of spinning gear, but I want to change it up and I prefer baitcasters to spinning gear for most applications.
When it comes to whats available in low profile baitcasters for salt, I am somewhat a newbie.
 
I fish inshore on a flats and bay boat.
I shore, beach, pier, wade, and kayak fish as well.
The range of species I target is huge.
Light game: mangrove snapper, sheepshead, & trout. (Occasional spanish mack)
Large game: Snook, jacks, tarpon, reds, & grouper.
 
I want a light lure setup (300 size) and a heavy (400 size) setup.
 
 
Light Setup
This reel would be used for light jigs, spoons, jerkbaits, small live bait, popping corks.
 
Heavy Setup
This reel would be used for medium chunk bait, large live bait, large swimbaits, heavy bucktails/flarehawks, large poppers, & jerkbaits.
 
Ideally, I would have 4 rods, 2 or each reel.
I am not concerned about rod models yet, as I build custom rods and have not decided to build or purchase the associated rods.
I just want to get a few reels and build rods around them for my applications.
 
2 in fiberglass or ugly stiks for live bait/poppers
I am not too overly concerned with rod sensitivity on live bait rods.
 
2 would be faster action graphite blanks (one medium/light, one heavy)
 
I am interested in a 300 & 400 series Tranx or Lexa (not interested in the Revo Beast or Okuma models).
 (I would love a Tranx 500, but I can't justify $500 for this setup)  
I would like to have one of each, Lexa & Tranx.
Which should I purchase for the 300 and which for the 400? 
Eventually, I will purchase dedicated reels for each rod. At the moment I want to stick with two nicer baitcasters.
I prefer to have multiple blanks/spools for each reel depending on the application and get the most use out of each reel!
 
I know I can get by with a size 200 real, but I don't mind a little extra weight, and I like the added ruggedness the 300 series reels seem to have over 200 sizes at the moment.
 
Thoughts?
Am I off base?
What would you guys recommend?
Should I just buy a 400 and buy spare spools?
 

I will be straight up with you, excluding the Komodo 471SS or 463SS out of hand automatically makes you off base. Remember, you asked. :)

 

 

The only big low pro worth getting in the 400 size range for what you intend to do is the Okuma Komodo 471SS.

 

300yds of 65lb Sufix 832 paired to a reel with the biggest main gear found in any big low profile baitcaster (yes it is even bigger then the main gear on the Tranx 500), a drive train comprised of stainless steel from crank shaft to spool shaft (not even the Lexa 400HD had half as much steel), and 30lbs of usable drag (yes I have taken it there, in Florida for that matter on hammers up to 4ft and nurse sharks over 7ft), there is literally no other big low pro that can dish it out as hard in such a small package.

 

I don't consider the Tranx 400 a true 400 sized low pro, the thing can not even take 250yds of 50lb Sufix 832. At least the Lexa 400 can hold approximately 270yds of 50lb Sufix 832.

 

The Tranx 400 also has the smallest and daintiest main gear you can get in a big low profile.

 

Here is a picture of my Tranx 400HG main gear resting comfortably inside the drag washer cavity of one of my Komodo 471SS main gears.

 

20180207_140723.jpg.24df877c9598fd8d843ec91accf7609d.jpg

 

Here is a veiw of the Komodo, Lexa, Abu, and finally the Shimano main gears side by side.

 

20180210_113157.jpg.a19feb36b3a92c3567651e7f83ce6d17.jpg

 

Finally, just for kicks here is a head on veiw of the Abu Revo Toro Beast 60 main gear with the anorexic Tranx 400 main gear next to it.

 

20180210_113341.jpg.b6c1714d8e964171a51d389e1982bdaa.jpg

Edited by Beastly Backlash
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For a light set up get what ever suits your fancy. Personally I would get the Lexa 300HD or Komodo 364SS with the Lexa being a better light lure first option due to the external mag brake while the Komodo is the better all purpose option because of its shear ruggedness. Either one of these on an 8ft MH St. Croix Tidemaster will be a great set up.

 

And, as you probably figured out, the Komodo 471SS is the only reel I consider an option for catching everything under the Florida sun any way you want to use it whether you are bottom fishing 50ft to 200ft for snapper and grouper, casting and burning diamond jigs and SP minnows, pitching flair hawks to snook, or throwing 8nbait from the beach. Personally, I like this reel best on a 9ft Tackle Industries MH musky rod for most of my fishing when I go to Florida. The set-up gets used 90% of the time when I am in Florida. I never felt under gunned with the Komodo 471SS.

 

Just to mention, I actually purposely fished the first 471SS I bought as hard as possibly in FW and SW to force it to fail, it functions better then it did when I bought it.

 

 

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If you've already narrowed your search down to the Tranx and Lexa you aren't going to go wrong. I would base my decision on how much I care about weight. Tranx 300 and Lexa 300 are very similar in weight, but the Lexa is considerably more bulky and heavy in the 400 size. If weight is a concern, Tranx 400 and Lexa 300.

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