shift vs raw 2

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fenwickfisher

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Mar 21, 2014
Messages
191
Location
oshawa
looking to pick up myself a new centerpin but not sure which to buy.I cant afford a whole lot so im looking at two choices right now, those choices being the rapala shift and the okuma raw 2 . My question is does anybody have any experience with the reels? pros? cons? Also if you know of any other reels of good quality that are not the price of a cheap car lol let me know thanks in advance.
 
I would buy the Rapala classic drifter over the Rapala shift as it has better handle positions IMO.
 
staffman said:
I would buy the Rapala classic drifter over the Rapala shift as it has better handle positions IMO.
thanks ill check it out.....is it readily available from most tackle shops?
 
save your money, even if it takes whole year, and buy an islander or better. those two reel you mentioned are the exact same bearing. if you must buy(waste of money) buy one aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.
 
Honestly id rather have something i can beat around cant justify paying that kind of money on something even if it would last a lifetime...i dont know just my opinion id probably want to try something different later on down the road so i wouldnt want to put out all kinds of money to be stuck with the same reel
 
Maybe just take a look for a used aventa or matrix and swap out the bearings. Just make sure the reel spins true and isn't bent or warped when you buy it. When and if you decide to upgrade you can easily sell the reel for what you bought it for or keep it as a backup
 
DitchWizard said:
Maybe just take a look for a used aventa or matrix and swap out the bearings. Just make sure the reel spins true and isn't bent or warped when you buy it. When and if you decide to upgrade you can easily sell the reel for what you bought it for or keep it as a backup
hmmm thats a good idea
 
The raw 2 is a great reel i had it for a while, the shift is a big reel so be weary of that, i think its 5" vs 4.5 for the raw, isn't the raw cheaper? id go with the cheaper option as your just starting and don't know if your gonna stick with it
 
every reel has somewhat of an issue or something most people would not find comfortable to fish with. for me im a rapala fan, between me and my brother we have all the 3 models to choose from. sure enough the rtype is your entry level reel, your basic centerpin reel does the job and handles quite well. IMO its a bit heavier and could use a little bit of fine tuning like the placements of the handle. and the startup is somewhat below average IMO. the classic drifter which i started fishing with is very solid reel IMHO. smoother action than the Rtype for sure, a bit lighter and a little bigger spool. handle placements were ideal for beginners. fingers dont get caught quite easily. startup is quite average. but the biggest downside i noticed with the reel, is trying to stop it with slightly wet fingers. for whatever reason the coating on them gets slippery when wet. LOL! for the price and how the reel performs i was pretty happy with it since i dont know how to pin at all. i owe this reel most of my knowledge so far. and finally there is the Shift excellent reel IMHO. large spool, lightweight. offset for a little bit better balance. i find the spool size very good specially on longer drifts as it takes fewer turns to retrieve your line from the tailout on bigger pools. startup is above average ( lower inertia startup ). the biggest hurdle i had trying to learn how to fish with this reel is the positioning of the handle as i was so used to putting my finger on the face side of the reel (as opposed to the classic drifter). couldnt do it with this one so i have to teach my fingers to brake the spool from about 1/8 of an inch which is basically the lip of the spool itself and not get my fingers caught. with a few outings i was okay with the reel. handled boots in the rain with it a few weeks back and unlike the classic drifter the coating on this stays relatively grippy. as if it was dry. thats what i can say about the rapalas. remember this is from my point of view and my opinions on the reels mentioned above. everybodys style and preferences are different so i just want to share you my thoughts. the way i look at it its like buying a car, one car is basic and will take you from point A to B price of the car is 15 grand brand new. on the other hand we have a luxury car which will take you from point A to B as well. price is 50 grand but it will have alot more features, toys and more importantly horsepower (yeah!!!) you get my point! hope my 2 cents ease up on the decision making. i dont own a raw II so i couldnt say anything about it. i see alot of people have it though
 
My $.02 as a new CP'r. I picked up the R-Type as I wasn't sure that I would like it and it seemed to be a fair entry level reel. I really like (granted, I have never tried anything else) and it has taken quite a bit of abuse from me as I'm not....gentle? with my gear. Startup has been good for me and I haven't taken it apart since I've owned it (2 years?) and I haven't cleaned it out. For me...that does a lot of bushwhacking...it has taken a pretty good beating and still performs. For $120...I'd say it's a good starter for sure. To sum it up....if I trashed mine today....I would buy another without a thought! Though....I do love the "prettier" reels! LOL!!
 
Only problem with that is ive had the r type a while back and yes its an ok entry level reel i found it quite heavy and didnt really spin as smooth as some cps ive looked at...eg; rap shift and the raven matrix...so far im thinking maybe a raw 2 with some upgraded bearings or the matrix but who knows... so many choices lol
 
This coming from a guy who has beaten, dropped a raw 2 in the water & sand, and has fished pike & bass (no float), trout, salmon for 2 straight years. I can't complain. If I have a couple more $$$ kicking around. I would go with a sheffield but my raw2 has delivered way more than I expected. take good care of it and it will give you more. I have just finished spooling it with maxima ultra green. I think I will i will go back to ande line when this needs re-spooled again.
 
I have a matrix special edition (that's what its called, no special price associated with it lol) and its fantastic so far. Great reel for an amazing value. You can't go wrong with an Okuma either. A little more modern looking if you are into that look.
 
fenwickfisher said:
Only problem with that is ive had the r type a while back and yes its an ok entry level reel i found it quite heavy and didnt really spin as smooth as some cps ive looked at...eg; rap shift and the raven matrix...so far im thinking maybe a raw 2 with some upgraded bearings or the matrix but who knows... so many choices lol
What did you end up getting??
 
FisherGirl said:
What did you end up getting??
picked up the raw 2 havent been out much with it though...hooked a nice bow first time out but was unsuccessful trying to tame the beast lol
 
fenwickfisher said:
picked up the raw 2 havent been out much with it though...hooked a nice bow first time out but was unsuccessful trying to tame the beast lol
that is sweet dude. Raw2 to be honest is not an upgrade from an aventa pin. it's just easier on the eyes like bling2. I use mine as a standard reel for spot fishing bass (no float). You can't cast it far using plugs and jerkbaits but works pretty good jigging and casting senkos.
 

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