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[HOOK]

Looking to start my 7yr old into his first level wind and not sure whether to go with a low pro style or the standard round one. He's played with many different models while we were at Cabelas (so much variety)

Those of you with kids what type of reel did you start your child with ?
I was also thinking of just skipping this step and getting him a beginner pin reel but I'm not sure if his hands are big enough yet

I have no experience with those low pro reels. What are good models under $150 cad that I should look into ?

Thanks everyone

[dobrolub]

you'll want a lighter reel for sure. so low profile would be a good choice. He'll have lot's of fun with lighter gear in the upcoming pink season

[FishOn36]

I'd go with a low pro for sure. If you're looking for a good starter reel, check out the Abu Garcia "Black Max".

http://www.abugarcia.com/abugarcia-reels-baitcast-reels-low-profile/abu-garcia-black-max-low-profile/1373565.html

[bobby b]

I agree, going  Lo pro is going to be lighter and will prob result in more time fishin'..... larger round type reel would prob be fatiguing for a 7 yr old.

Centerpin..... hmmm. Considering both Levelwind and Centerpin do take some getting used to, and levelwind is notoriously 'frustrating' for most beginners, then Centerpin might not be such a bad option if the kiddo shows some interest in learning.

Having both, I found that they both have a steep learning curve .... I now mostly fish CP now, my baitcaster sits idle.. but not entirely un-used... as it still gets used for some of the big springs in the fall....  a spring on a pin is a blast, but I got knuckle hammered once on the sudden hard run of a big spring, it hurt so much thought I broke my thumb and a finger...ouuch.

Have you had him along on a fishing trip to let him try out casting one or the other?

[Birkenhead]

I'd go with a low pro for sure. If you're looking for a good starter reel, check out the Abu Garcia "Black Max".

http://www.abugarcia.com/abugarcia-reels-baitcast-reels-low-profile/abu-garcia-black-max-low-profile/1373565.html

I agree on the Black Max low profile but not so sure if a 7 year old is ready for this style of reel. I have a couple of these reels and they perform good for the money.

Really take the time to setup the reels for the rod, the target fish species and water conditions which will lessen the inevitable birds nests. I spent quite a bit of time in the local school yard after hours practicing 1000's of casts with just a small bell weight tied to the end of the line to really get a sense of the reel different rod lengths, the braking system and my own initial limitations with using this style of levelwind.

To save on the aforementioned birds nests, find the max cast distance that your son can do then take a piece of electrical tape and place on the line in the reel. That way, when he gets too zealous or careless in his casts (and he will), the tape will stop a birds nest from forming deeper into the spooled line on the reel. To help untangle birds nests, I invested in a cheap ($10.00) dental pick set from Amazon which works amazingly well to get into the tight confines of the reel to sort through the tangles.

You will also need to spend time with your son in using the reel and rod in wind conditions. I have found that levelwind reels and wind do not always play nice together and also depending on the wind direction. I will switch to a spinning reel if the wind starts to pick up past a few miles per hour.

I find that with these reels, in the right hands will outcast any spinning reel in terms of distance, smoothness and not to mention - no line twist.

Typically for river shore fishing such as the upper Thompson near Kamloops, I use the Black Max with braided line on a medium light 8 or 9 foot casting rod. For lake fishing (trolling) in a boat, the levelwind is superior to a spinning reel and I typically use a 6 or 7 foot lightweight rod as it easier to work with (lengthwise) in my tinny.

[bobby b]

To help untangle birds nests, I invested in a cheap ($10.00) dental pick set from Amazon which works amazingly well to get into the tight confines of the reel to sort through the tangles.

FWIW...the method in the vid below is by far the easiest fix for a birdsnest in a bait cast reel.... i've used and shown this method many many times to fix either my own reel or a buddy's reel and even the occasional random baitcast newbie that i've seen struggling with a nest. I never pick at it, I just do this and it work every time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDI5kwR5zjc

[Birkenhead]

FWIW...the method in the vid below is by far the easiest fix for a birdsnest in a bait cast reel.... i've used and shown this method many many times to fix either my own reel or a buddy's reel and even the occasional random baitcast newbie that i've seen struggling with a nest. I never pick at it, I just do this and it work every time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDI5kwR5zjc

Yes I know of that trick but have seen it not work many times also. Probably works a lot better for mono line as it is smoother and does not dig in as much as braid.

Incidentally once seen a guy bring in a bigger levelwind reel to the tackle shop. The birds nests were so bad, they only thing that worked was scissors, knife and nail clippers...

[Knnn]

I can't add anything to the great posts above except to say, if you go with a level wind, adjust the spool drag slightly too much so the terminal tackle does not drop as freely as you may want.  This will reduce initial casting distance but will reduce or almost eliminate the severity of the backlash birds nest, deepening on how tight you set it up.  Once your child has more experience and is comfortable casting with in you can start to back off the drag.

[Rieber]

I started my kid with a Abu 5501 but the one with the thumb piece that goes across the width of the spool. It's tough for little thumbs to reach across the reel.

Kids learn really fast. Have them practice on the lawn and make a game of hitting targets.

[HOOK]

If I went with a round style it would be of the smaller diameter of course but he told me the low pro felt better in his hands. This kid is a fishing junky so I have no doubt he'll be excited and will pick it up quickly.

I would be loading it with braid not mono for now. He has been using braid on his spinning outfit the past 2 seasons. The rod I have is a 9' trigger which is the same length as his current one.

I'll go check out the Black Max as well as some others. I don't want to spend too much because I'm sure he'll want to go to a pin soon enough because I fish one. We always go to the school field nearby to practice with new gear so he isn't fully learning while trying to fish.

Keep the info coming guys

[ribolovac02]

If the kid is a fishing junky like you say , get him a cheap pin setup , let him / her  learn the hard way and I bet they  would love it...

[Rieber]

That's a good little combo. I remember I stated the kid with a 6.6' trigger bass rod then stepped up to a 9' then the 10-6.

Length of the rod is important for control and it sounds like your kid is going to handle that 9' just fine.

You might consider turning the cord down a little to provide him with a correct/custom fit for his smaller hands. Kid's sporting equipment is now appropriately sized - Given the time he'll spend with the rod in his hands, it makes sense that it's the right size.

Good on you for thinking this through. Get him involved in sizing/customizing the equipment and he'll be building his own gear in no time.

[HOOK]

That's a good little combo. I remember I stated the kid with a 6.6' trigger bass rod then stepped up to a 9' then the 10-6.

Length of the rod is important for control and it sounds like your kid is going to handle that 9' just fine.

You might consider turning the cord down a little to provide him with a correct/custom fit for his smaller hands. Kid's sporting equipment is now appropriately sized - Given the time he'll spend with the rod in his hands, it makes sense that it's the right size.

Good on you for thinking this through. Get him involved in sizing/customizing the equipment and he'll be building his own gear in no time.

That's a good point about turning down the handle. I did this for the fly rod I got him in the spring and he loves it, also made the rod appear brand new. I dont think it's needed for this type of setup as he's reeled in many of my hookups on the 10'6" rods but we'll see as it can be done at any time.

About the pin setup, this would be preferable however I've put a few reels on a butt section and his fingers just aren't quite long enough to use it properly so I think it would be a birds nest nightmare every cast.

I've got time to let him handle options before I buy at least because salmon don't return until July (pinks) unless I decide to bring him steelheading

[Animal Chin]

The Cabela's US site has a package deal for a Black Max with their Cabelas Pro Guide IM6 rod for like $50 US. They go on sale all the time. The ML rod is 8.5' and is decent.. pretty light in hand. Decent balance.

He can use it as backup or beater rod later on. The one year I went bottom bouncing for sockeye I used this setup (though with the 9' MH version of rod) with 30 lb Fireline and was chucking 4 oz Betty's with no problem.

I just looked on site, and didn't see it, but it was there about a month ago. The combos they have now are with their bass fishing type rods. I believe it was called their Black Max salmon/steelhead combo.. and the rod had a traditional cork configuration.

...ah, here we go.. it's this one:

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/83974/abu-garcia-black-max-2cabelas-pro-guide-salmonsteelhead-casting-combo

Maybe they'll have it near the season. The always go on sale.   

[Birkenhead]

I just looked on site, and didn't see it, but it was there about a month ago. The combos they have now are with their bass fishing type rods. I believe it was called their Black Max salmon/steelhead combo.. and the rod had a traditional cork configuration.

...ah, here we go.. it's this one:

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/83974/abu-garcia-black-max-2cabelas-pro-guide-salmonsteelhead-casting-combo
Maybe they'll have it near the season. The always go on sale.   

Even though that is older model Black Max 2, it is still a good reel. I have both a Max 2 and 3 model and there is not much difference between each. So the Max 2 and rod combo in the link is a pretty good deal at $79.00.