# Spheros/TCurve combo Bargain??



## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

hey, i am after a medium combo for kings, biggish snapper. Today i came home to find a new compleat angler catalogue awiating my eager eyes.
-Spheros 14000FA reel
-TCurve King Mac rod
-$369.00

I was wondering if this is a good combo, also whether it is a good price?

One more question now, does anyone know how much the Spheros Upgrade costs?


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

From memory the Spheros costs around the $240 mark (have seen them less), and a TCurve bluewater rod, err? Probably upwards of $230 also. 
The upgrade kit for the drag and bearing costs around $50. I sent mine away to Shimano to get in done, it was back to me in a few days...
Spooled1 has a thread here somewhere with photos on doing the upgrade yourself.

That would be a very good setup for what you describe. The rod isn't ideal for jigging, but would do everything else very well.

Cheers Dave


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## lampukameister (Mar 7, 2008)

I have a king mack but is mated to a diawa capricorn 4500j.

the rod is a good medium to heavy spin stick. my reel has 2 spools, one loaded with 30lb and one with 50lb fins braid - although I have never used the 50lb.

the rod needs a little weight to load for casting. if you are after a light jig stick (100-200g) and a medium weight spin (25gm+ casting weight) then the king mack is a good option. I feel this combo is overkill for school size fish. snapper to about 4kg can be pretty much skulled dragged to the boat. sadly have yet to have a decent king test it though.

the spheros with upgrades is a good reel.

depending on how you want to fish the outfit, a mate of mine has a spheros/tcurve jig 200 combo whcih is pretty sweet. casts the same sort of weights well and has a better "jgging" action.


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey fishnfreak,

See if Compleat Angler which match this deal http://www.fishingtackleshop.com.au/prod422.htm

Might save you $40 for the same package 

Marty


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

if you want to hold it all day and cast with it, i wouldnt recommend the spheros, just cos its quite heavy. it is fine on a gimbal belt, but under your arm may get uncomfortable. but if its in a holder then only out for the fight, its quite ok.

as for the upgraded spheros, ray and annes has them on sale at the moment i think, best to give them a buzz.. (i dont work there either!)

now for the bad news from my own experiences  :lol: my spheros has 2 spools, 50lb and 80lb tufline. this is what the upgraded spheros is built to run. i really have to comment that i think the spheros i waaaay overkill for snapper unless as mentioned you skull drag them to the yak. if you just want to run 20-30lb, perhaps a smaller reel would be better.

i understand that this is going to sound stupid coming from a confirmed tackle junky, but dont buy it cos its a good deal, buy it cos it fits what you want to do with it. if its massive overkill it wont be fun. as for kingys, it would be perfect. big snapper just dont have the balls to fully test that setup.

PS sorry to piss on your parade, but i only use my spheros setup for large units and heavy duty surf now. its a heavy duty reel. and i dont want to see you waste your hard earned $$..

it is a good deal though if it fits your needs...my upgraded spheros was $230 8) ;-)


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

The alternative is to go for the upgraded Spheros 8000 FA rather than the 14000. They are a little smaller and lighter I think. They are also built like the proverbial brick outhouse and with the Stella upgrades are a pretty mean reel.

JT


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

JT said:


> The alternative is to go for the upgraded Spheros 8000 FA rather than the 14000. They are a little smaller and lighter I think. They are also built like the proverbial brick outhouse and with the Stella upgrades are a pretty mean reel.
> 
> JT


agreed 100%. but then, if you are happy to drop in terms of physical size to an upgraded 8000 spheros, perhaps a more finesse option is available, especially if its snapper and light kings. caldia kix or similar in a 3500-4000, have excellent drags, smooth as silk. the spheros is very well built, but you can feel it is "chunky", but not "clunky" if you can appreciate the difference im trying to get to (my brain isnt functioning well enough to fully articulate my thoughts though)

im not saying definitely dont go for 14000, but if you were to drop in size back to the 8000 you open yourself to more options in terms of reel choice. the 8000 upgraded as JT mentioned is a workhorse though!!

sorry for confusing a formerly easy purchase, ill buy you a beer next time we catch up


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

water_baby said:


> JT said:
> 
> 
> > The alternative is to go for the upgraded Spheros 8000 FA rather than the 14000. They are a little smaller and lighter I think. They are also built like the proverbial brick outhouse and with the Stella upgrades are a pretty mean reel.
> ...


Good thoughts Water_Baby. One advantage the upgraded Spheros has over something like the Kix is that it is also a great reel for jigging for kings as it is very strong. I am not sure that a finesse reel like the Kix would hold up to a days jigging or 3 months jigging. I was strongly recommended not to jig with my Sol which is quite similar to the Kix for exactly the same reason. I for one would not want to spend a few hours jigging with a 14000 though. One would need a little lie down afterwards. Again the 8000 is quite a bit smaller and it is cheaper than the 14000. Just depends on what you want to use it for I guess.

JT


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

mmm yes again JT. 100% agree. i hadnt really thought of the jigging aspect. the spheros is rock solid in that regard though, thats for sure. i use my 14000 for spurts of jigging when it gets quiet but definitely cant do it for more than 45min - 1 hour each spurt.

the kix or similar would be purely casting, bait/livey and spinning without the option of jigging.

well Rob, has that made your choice easier muhahahaha :twisted: i love making life easier for people :lol: :lol:


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## bombora (Mar 8, 2006)

I have the 1400 and they are indeed a big reel. I thought there was a 1200 size, at least I think there is or maybe it's in the new updated Spheros range, already released in the states at least I believe. If there is a 1200 maybe a good compromise.


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

Gatesy said:


> water_baby said:
> 
> 
> > JT said:
> ...


see now look what you have done... i was trying to stay on the "reasonable purchase price" scale. you couldnt help it could you... once he tries something like that he will never be able to use any lesser spin reel ever again :twisted: 8)

(but he is right Freak, lets face it.. you just got a car loan with some left over... you can get it cheap from a shop in town... and it would meet all your needs... and mine if i needed to borrow it at all... :shock: )


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

There is a 12000 as well but it is still pretty big. The 8000 is a good sized reel as well as being built like a Romanian female weight lifter on steroids :twisted: . Personally I wouldn't go bigger than an 8000 on the yak as there is really no need to. It's a beast. Interesting that you use it for surf casting as well Water_Baby as I looked at mine and thought "damn....this would be good for the surf!" I certainly know what you mean when you say they are chunky but not clunky. Mine is as smooth as Gatesy's buttocks after a waxing (no first hand experience mind....just what I hear on the grape vine :shock: ). Mine has replaced my big chunky Abu Garcia and I understand from chaps like Dave73 that there are some very credible alternatives in the Penn line at quite competitive prices. I had mine packed with grease and water proofed by Shimano when I had it upgraded. Completely cleaned out of sand and salt (took it bad on a humiliating surf launch  ), upgraded including the Stella bling handle all for $100 bucks which was really a bargain.

Good luck with your reel choice. Each to their own of course.

JT


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

water_baby said:


> now for the bad news from my own experiences my spheros has 2 spools, 50lb and 80lb tufline. this is what the upgraded spheros is built to run. i really have to comment that i think the spheros i waaaay overkill for snapper unless as mentioned you skull drag them to the yak. if you just want to run 20-30lb, perhaps a smaller reel would be better.


Mate, i am looking for a rod and reel for Kings and BIG snapper, where the rod is likely to be in a holder. I am also looking for a spin rod for the august trip chasing Kings. I am also looking at a Okuma VS-80/monstermesh jig stick, so this would be my heavy spin and the spheros/King Mac would be the med/heavy, with the SOL combo being my medium snapper rig.


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

fishnfreak said:


> I am also looking at a Okuma VS-80/monstermesh jig stick, so this would be my heavy spin and the spheros/King Mac would be the med/heavy, with the SOL combo being my medium snapper rig.


hmmm like i said, form my own experiences, i run 50 and 80lb on my 14000. to me, thats heavy, and too heavy for the yak. i did the same thing last year, and find it too big for most yak stuff here in SA (if i was in QLD/NSW id be all over the tuna/cobes with it) with the exception of big mullys (soon...) and biig kings.

i reckon we are in a good position to take advantage of the advances in gear that boaties cant, by which i mean that 20-30lb braid will not break under tow from a fish like a king etc, as we go along with the fish - lock the drag up a bit and hold on, whereas a boaty is limited by the mass of the boat, so its either give chase or loosen the drag a bit to prevent bustoffs.

obviously its your choice, but i would just have a look at the 8000 next to the 14000 and think - is 50-80lb braid on a yak too much? (leaders dont count, i use up to 100lb without problems on the yak). i honestly think that this setup is as big as you will need for snapper and kings, be it boat or yak.

again, its a good deal, and good gear, but is it right for your needs. again, just my opinion, but i think not, but its your money and i dont want to dissuade you from a good deal :lol: :lol: (psst can you hear the stella calling??) eace: 8)

***EDIT*** if you want to catch up before you make the purchase, ill lend you my 14000 (but not my 'big' rod!) and see how it feels... ***Edit 2*** that sounds seedy, but its not, honest ;-)


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

yes i can hear it. I was looking at the 6500 expedition as a reel for the monstermesh, but i got tuned towards the VS-80, as it is a good reel, with a lifetime warrantee.

I was going to go for the spheros as it is the one on special, not the 8000. It isnt going to be a yak-only reel, but it will be used on it for kings (c'mon august) and maybe coorong mullies and maybe something else (been offed free accomadation in sydney with my cuz.


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## JWF (May 8, 2008)

Just had a browse over the replies and there some good advice there.

Havent got time to read em properly atm (getting ready for my jew bash tomorrow night but heres my 5 cents:

I got the upgrade on the 14000 spheros and its wicked. Keep an eye out for the Saragosa too (spheros on roids and not too $$

I reckon the 14000 would be too big for what u want although line cap would be a bonus if after speedy pelagics ( a king wont take 400m - he'll reef u before that

Id suggest the 8 or 12 size, or for value as well the Okuma VS are meant to be tough and I like the look of the new daiwa sealine bulls - think theres a 4500 and 6000 size.

Re combos - I picked up a shimano 4500 btr and 10kg glass stik combo for about 100 off so I was stoked.

U dont need to spend that much $ to get good gear these days and theres some decent off the shelf graphite stiks that arent too $$.

Yes - Im a tackle junky - Ive had 5 custom graphite stiks made in the past 6 months for all forms of fishing (the two sons are getting the old ones and they are wicked - blanks are South African Purglass and US blanks - I wish we had the same quality in this country - for a decent price too - I dont think it is that far away. I get special grapnel sinkers for my beach and rock work sent over from the UK now and theres a bloke who is now importing - its about time us aussies opened our eyes to what is out there and made some good stuff here a quid for oursleves - there is alot of $$ to be made - mmmmm. maybe time for a change of profession.....

But back to the combos - search around and match up would be my advice - I buy online and from the local stores (doin my bit for the local business) - the local shops are realising they have to be competetive so the online boys dont put them out of business - again - just my 5 cents worth (and I may open a store when I retire

Cheers, Jim


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## JWF (May 8, 2008)

someone mentioned to me recently that u shouldnt get spooled in a yak cause u can lock up enough and get towed so why bother with too big a reel capcity I spose ....when u consider u can fit 250-300 odd metres of 14-20pd braid on a 4-6000 size reel spool these days it can be overkill goin to big.

I fish the big spheros and thunnus land based and they hold too much line for what I need.


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

JWF said:


> someone mentioned to me recently that u shouldnt get spooled in a yak cause u can lock up enough and get towed so why bother with too big a reel capcity I spose ....when u consider u can fit 250-300 odd metres of 14-20pd braid on a 4-6000 size reel spool these days it can be overkill goin to big.


Sorry, but this reel is going to target big yellowtail kings, im a little unsure about using a 4-6000 sized reel. If i get the chance to hook a big king, then i wanna be sure that i have the gear to keep hold of it.


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## JWF (May 8, 2008)

just saw where u are fishnfreak - point taken - u get the big hoods in shallow water too yeh? In that case.....lock up and load baby!


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

i know i am overly confident, but i really hope to get onto one. And i am starting to gear up for a trip


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

Just remember that even though our hoodlums are big they're not gonna go and spool 300m of 80lb braid. Since their main concern is finding structure to break you off your main concern should be extreme drag pressure.

I dont see why a big solid upgraded lever drag reel isn't the hot option for kingie chases. You must all know something i dont lol.


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## diabolical (Mar 30, 2008)

lampukameister said:


> I have a king mack but is mated to a diawa capricorn 4500j.
> 
> the rod is a good medium to heavy spin stick. my reel has 2 spools, one loaded with 30lb and one with 50lb fins braid - although I have never used the 50lb.
> 
> ...


My choice is the Tcurve 200 jig with the Capricorn4500j 30lb braid. I have ALL the other gear but this outfit is light , tough and spot on.


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

L3GACY said:


> I dont see why a big solid upgraded lever drag reel isn't the hot option for kingie chases. You must all know something i dont lol.


he who dies with the most toys wins :lol: But no, i am just in the mood to buy something


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

i am picking one up from Wallaroo after i arrive with my new ride from Canberra


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## JWF (May 8, 2008)

Harley from Fyshwick then?


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

??

Staesman LS8 its in the off topic section


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## JWF (May 8, 2008)

;-)


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## Cashy (Apr 20, 2008)

I have 2 spheros that i use for jigging and live baiting for XL kings. I believe Jack Erskines drag upgrade is the go. I can get a whopping 18 kgs thats right 18kgs of drag out of them. Stella handles also fit if you want that extra comfort.


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

yep, thats the upgraded bit of it, mate


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

got it back today, looks the goods.

it'll be a while till i can get a fish on it though


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