# Overhead - Shimano, Banax, Daiwa?



## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

Greetings and salutations o brains trust, here is my trilemma......

So I have this Penn 6601 rod that was a gift a few years back. Two metres, sensitive tip, butt like a brick dunny. Should be good for anything from finicky whiting through to rampaging kings - I just need to select the right reel.

Have had an Abu 7000 (2nd hand) on it but that is really too big for this rod in the yak. So with the inflow of some Christmas cash I now have a budget of $150 for discretionary spending and a suitable reel is the first option. Now I know I'm stingy but there should be something that will fit the application and not fall apart the first time it's used.

Went out to have a look around today with the idea that I might come across an Abu 4600 C3 in the price range but the only one I found was a C4 at a bit over the budget. There were a few alternatives on offer, all around $100 :

- Shimano Corvalus (300)

- Banax

- Daiwa Millionaire (250)

All these seemed OK to look at and hold. Was told that they are all easily serviced.

Any comments, observations, advice etc on any of these? 
&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. or other options?


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

The rod is a little heavy for whiting dont you think?

Basically a light jigging/live baiting rod I would think. What do you want to use it for. If jigging you'll want a high speed return. If live baiting you could use something with a slower retrieve rate. Is it suitable for a bait caster? Jig rods are usually too long in the butt. Why not just get a Penn overhead, the Penn 330 GT2 too big?


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## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Paul. The rod should be good for a wide range of species/sizes which is good for me as I only ever take 2 rods out, with one of those being basically a spare for just in case.

As for the Penn 330 yes it's even bigger than the Abu 7000 that I already have.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Basically my opinion is if you want a bait caster reel your better off matching it with a bait caster rod.

You could look at a small Avet reel like this one, only a little bit more than your budget, but would suit your rod better. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AVET-SX-5-3- ... 53f1624634 (similar size to a abu 4600)
I had an earlier version, didn't like the drag so I sold it. I believe this model has a better drag. Again better suited to trolling or jigging, as is the rod.
There are also cheaper Chinese knock offs of this type of reel.


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## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

Pardon my ognorance but what is the difference between a baitcaster and an overhead? I have this perception that a baitcaster is just a general term for smaller overheads but suspect there may be more to it.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Bait caster is designed for cast and retrieve. The rods usually have shortish butts with a hook under the reel seat to grip with your index finger so you can cast with one hand, the reels are the same so you can push the free spool button and cast with one hand and thumb the spool if needed. Yes there are deviations to this.
What you have is a boat rod designed for lobbing baits or lures over the side, not for casting. Yes you can fit a bait caster reel (if it fits into the reel seat, you need to check, as some wont), or even a egg beater if you want, but the rod isnt designed for casting and you'll struggle with accuracy and distance.
So if your comfortable with that, any of the reels you mentioned earlier will work fine. I'm a bit partial to the ABU's and you can usually pick up good second hand ones on the ebay for under $100 and later down the track you might match it with a baitcaster rod.


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## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

I already have a second hand Abu - don't want to go down that path again.

Thanks for explaining the difference in reels - it all makes sense now. And yes I will only use it for bait fishing and trolling - as you say, it's not a casting rod.

Can't find much info or a web site for Banax so will cross that off the list. Looks like I'll just have to work through what I can find out by looking at both of the others and from the published specs.


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## HoollyDoolly (Mar 5, 2012)

I recomend this reel. Can set the ratchet up for livebaiting.
I have bought a couple reels from Marina Sports and had great service. $153 is a pretty good price and you might be able to haggle for a cheaper price. If I didnt have my Shimano Calvutta 400, this is the reel I would get.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Abu-Garcia-A ... 1c1da7ab07


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