Assassin Spinmaster 2XH - Reel to pair

[Vandit]

After a recent trip where I encountered some bully Kingfish I decided to take the punch and go for something heavier than the trusty Aerocast and Sustain 5000 combo.


I have decided on the Assassin Spinmaster 2XH, but need a pairing reel.


Surely there are experts on here who would be willing to share their thoughts:


These are the reels my student subsistence budget can accommodate with only ending up slightly emaciated:
8k Saragosa
8k Stradic
10k Sustain


A Stella is out of the question as it would result in certain death!

[REEFMAN]

I'd go with the Gosa. 

[Cam Mundy]

The Saragosa has the best sealing of the 3 I'd go for that if you are going to be wading and beach fishing.

[REEFMAN]

Yup, Stradic and Sustain are not very well waterproofed... need to be looked after and serviced often to maintain good function.

[Cage]

great choice on rod! I can proudly attest to its capability based on my experience in the past couple of weeks!
When I bought mine about 2 years back I paired with a Biomaster 8kSW and it did the job perfectly well and more recently have upgraded to a stella.
Gosa is a great choice but at the same time having spent significant time on the beach and offshore with my sustain 5k it also has been flawless with regular maintenance.
good luck with whatever choice you make! will PM you as I may be keen on flogging a reel or 2 which may be up your alley
 

[Hypershark]

Have mine paired with a 'Gossa 8k ...

[GT]

great choice on rod! I can proudly attest to its capability based on my experience in the past couple of weeks!
When I bought mine about 2 years back I paired with a Biomaster 8kSW and it did the job perfectly well and more recently have upgraded to a stella.
Gosa is a great choice but at the same time having spent significant time on the beach and offshore with my sustain 5k it also has been flawless with regular maintenance.
good luck with whatever choice you make! will PM you as I may be keen on flogging a reel or 2 which may be up your alley
 

Salaams CAge.


Which Stella did you pair your rod with ?

[Cage]

Ive got a 10k on mine. 8k size reel will do on the spinmaster, i went 10k to double up as offshore popping reel as well....

[Half-Pint]

Read the Alan Hawk review on the Spheros, not much difference between it and the Gosa

[GT]

Ive got a 10k on mine. 8k size reel will do on the spinmaster, i went 10k to double up as offshore popping reel as well....

Thanks Cage.


Any idea what the difference in pricing would be between a Stella 5000 and the Stella 8000. I have 2 5000s and would consider doing a swop for an 8000

[Cage]

What model Stellas? Second hand not too different, maybe 400-500. Why dont you put it out in a thread and see, couple guys were looking for 5k sized stellas in the forum

[GT]

What model Stellas? Second hand not too different, maybe 400-500. Why dont you put it out in a thread and see, couple guys were looking for 5k sized stellas in the forum

Sorry for the late reply. Just got back from Malawi. Thanks for the advice. Will sort out some pics and give it  a try in the relevant thread

[Jaybennie]

Hypershark, how are you enjoying the Saragosa 8000 on the Spinmaster? Does it balance ok with the rod? Is the retrieval fast enough for spinning? What size braid are you using, and how much do you fit on it? Sorry about all the questions, but I am thinking of going the same route, and want to make an informed decision!

[DavePE]

Hypershark/Cage what weight lures are you casting with your rods? I'm using 3 ounces and finding it very difficult to load the rod properly. What kind of distances are you getting with your casts?

[Cage]

Hi DavePE - can't comment on casting distances as I have not taken the time to measure out.
I have been throwing 3oz-4oz comfortably and given the areas I usually fish when throwing 5oz the cast required is more of a gentle lob and than a proper throw.
When throwing spoons and bucktails upto 90-100g I have not felt that the rod was struggling or not loading up at all.... definitely saw a significant improvement in distance when throwing 30lb braid with heavier braid leader rather than throwing 50lb straight up.........

[DavePE]

Thanks for the reply Cage. I've been using the rod for shore-based angling off the beach and have since learnt how to load the rod properly with a 3 ounce spoon or plug. I find if you put your rod to the ground with the lure and leader behind you, you get much better loading. I was previously trying to the flick the lures out like I do with my 7' estuary rod and think that's where my problems came in. Was casting on Friday with PE's infamous wind behind me and was almost going down to my mono backing on Stradic 5000 so I think I've got my distance problems sorted.