04-12-2014, 05:17 PM
I have some higher priced Penns etc, but my go-to downrigger outfits are the basic Cabela's line counter rods and reels. They've held up well, have smooth drags, light weight, and the line counters are definitely nice to have. They're often on sale for about $80 I think for the combo, and the rods come in a lot of different lengths and weights. The regular price for the reel only is about $50, or $40 on sale. I think you'd be very happy with that reel. As for line, there are too many options to even suggest one, and the super lines are quite expensive. Just don't buy the cheapest you can find!
Another thought --- for downrigging, a very thin line works a lot better than a fat line. So braid is a better choice than mono in that way. A 30-pound braid generally has a diameter of about 8 or 10 pound mono, so doesn't have as much drag through the water as 30-pound mono. Of course some people just prefer the stretch and give that mono has, whereas braid has no stretch. So 10 people might choose 10 different lines.
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Another thought --- for downrigging, a very thin line works a lot better than a fat line. So braid is a better choice than mono in that way. A 30-pound braid generally has a diameter of about 8 or 10 pound mono, so doesn't have as much drag through the water as 30-pound mono. Of course some people just prefer the stretch and give that mono has, whereas braid has no stretch. So 10 people might choose 10 different lines.
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