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Thread: Crankin Time!! Best Lowpro Line Counter? Diawa or Okuma

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    Default Crankin Time!! Best Lowpro Line Counter? Diawa or Okuma


    I'm so excited that it's almost time to start pulling cranks. Last year I tried it out with some cheaper equipment to see what it was about and this year I'm going all in. At this point, I enjoy pulling cranks as much as fishing the spawn if not more. Going to setup 8 rods to pull with and after a lot of deliberation I think I'm going with PSTs. Now onto the reels.

    I started with the cheapest shimano spinning reels I could find for $19ea. After that I slowly started accumulating some line counters and I really enjoyed how much guesswork it took out of the equation and being able to recreate the depth with consistency is great. It also helps me take friends who don't fish much or have much experience and sharing a day with a buddy who I don't get to hang out much with and trolling along catching fish and having a beer or two can't be beat. I currently have a few of the Shakespeare line counters and a couple of the depthmaster line counters from bass pro. They serve their purpose but some don't let line out very good and all of them jump the spool and the line gets wrapped inside the housing and tangled up on the spool inside of the reel housing for some reason or another. I really haven't figured that out. They are extremely bulky and heavy though which is my main complaint. They seem out of place on these rods.

    I want to go to a low profile baitcaster type line counter. I've narrowed it down to a couple different models. I'm looking at the Okuma low profile convector or the Diawa Lexa 100. Both weigh around 8oz and seem to be decent reels. The Diawa has 7 ball bearings where the Okuma has 3 so a huge plus for the Diawa. I've read some reviews on the Okuma where people were not impressed and stated that a lot of the internals were plastic where they should have been metal. The price difference is around $30 with the Diawa being more expensive. Obviously neither are really cheap considering I need to get 8 of them but I'm in the buy once cry once stage in my life where I can afford it and really just want the best bang for the buck. I don't get to go fishing as much as I would like to since I'm obligated to family and with a young son who is just starting sports, I'm getting less and less time to go fish. I want to enjoy the time I have out there and not have to break down a reel on the water and pull 5' of line that got wrapped around the spool that will no longer let any line out.

    Looking for opinions on these reels if anyone has used them. There is an Abu reel that is right in between these two price wise but it has a digital line readout. I'm not a huge fan of that because I don't want to be dependent on batteries but that's an option as well if anyone has great things to say about them. Maybe there are other reels I haven't considered? I don't really want to pay this much for a reel but I think it will be worth it at the end of the day.

    Thank y'all!!

  2. #2
    M R Dux's Avatar
    M R Dux is offline Crappie.com Legend , 2018 Crappie.com Man of the Year * Crappie.com Supporter * Member Sponsor
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    I went from Shakespeare ATS and Okuma Magda 15 to Diawa Accudepth 17 line counters. That ended my line getting behind the spool problems but of the 14 I bought, 6 were sent back to Diawa within the 1 year warranty due to the anti-reverse failing. I use my gear hard but make my living with it. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement but since the last one was repaired, I’ve had zero issues with them.
    I recently bought two Okuma Cold Water 350 low profile reels that are no longer being built. I love them but at $140+ each don’t think I’ll be searching for any more.

    I also bought two Okuma Convector low profile reels and am very happy with them. At $95, they will be my choice as I have to replace reels in the future.

    You mentioned it was getting time to start thinking about pulling cranks. I’ve been pulling them on KY Lake since the water temp was 52 degrees. These were from today. Name:  IMG_3521.jpg
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    16.5 inch white and 15” black. Happy client!


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  3. #3
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    I am happy for you client Mr. Doug! Thanks for your input. I hope to be set up to pull cranks next year.
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    Thank you for the response M R Dux. I put a lot of stock in the opinions of my friends that guide and rely on this equipment day in and day out. It's sure nice to hear from people like yourself on these topics. I sure would be happy with either one of those crappie on any given day let alone both on the same day. I might order a few of the convector reels to try out and make sure I like them but if you're running them guiding, I have no doubt they will stand up. I've heard plenty of stories on how clients treat the gear.

    I only got into pulling cranks last year in the dead of the summer and I had a blast. I assumed you would want to wait until they scatter a bit after spawning to try and get back to cranking but picking off roamers before the spawn makes sense too. I tried my hand at spider rigging this year and haven't been too successful so I'm really looking forward to busting out the cranks.
    Thanks M R Dux thanked you for this post

  5. #5
    cevans's Avatar
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    I used to use the Okuma DX15’s and went to the DX 20’s because of the line getting under the spools on the 15’s. I don’t have that issue with the 20’s. For the wife who only fishes with me a couple times a year..she uses the cheap Shakespeares.

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    I pull cranks starting in 40-45 degree water…Go slow in colder water all way down to 1.2 mph.

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    I am curious of those that get line under the spool . Do you cast to get baits in the water then let more line out or do you place crankbait in water and allow water to pull out line to a desired length ? I also set mine like we did the bait casters while bass fishing . Been using Shakespeare ats for several years with no issues .I do use the 20 size .
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eagle 1 View Post
    I am curious of those that get line under the spool . Do you cast to get baits in the water then let more line out or do you place crankbait in water and allow water to pull out line to a desired length ? I also set mine like we did the bait casters while bass fishing . Been using Shakespeare ats for several years with no issues .I do use the 20 size .
    Using the smaller 15 series and I drop my crank and let the water take it out. There are a couple that I have to hand feed because the reel won't free spool enough to let them go. I will clean them, oil them, and then they quit free spooling in a trip or two. It also seems like the drag impacts how well it free spools which I've never noticed on any other type of reel before.

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    I have had a Diawa Lexa 100 for about one year now and love it. Just ordered a second one yesterday for my wife. It is probably a little small/light for something like blue cat, but great for walleye and wipers.
    Likes SloppyJ LIKED above post

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    Fish and save has their brand line counters for $43 and they have 15 ball bearings. They seem to be a lite reel with holding around 180 yards of 20# line. Just bought their brand spinning reel that has 15 ball bearings and it’s as smoooooooth as all get out. It is made of all metal and a little heavy but my grandson wanted something that he could use in stripers and light saltwater fishing.

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