Shimano Tekota TEK500

                                                        Shimano Tekota TEK500

My Impressions

I got bamboozled into doing a free cleaning in exchange for being able to do a review on this reel. Still not sure what I got out of this deal. LOL But anyway, Thanks to go the tncathunter for giving up this reel for 2 weeks.

The Tekota is one of those reels I have thought about getting for some time but for some reason didn't. Now that Abu Garcia has decided to drop the original Alphamar, that will change. When you first pick up the Tekota it gives the impression of being solid and well built. The handle is solid with out being overly heavy and it has a very comfortable grip.

Teardown and Inspection

The frame is diecast aluminum, and the drive side plate is stamped aluminum. The non-handle side plate is aluminum braced graphite. The graphite plate is thick and in-cased on the outside in aluminum so it is quite strong. The reel foot is stainless steel and riveted to the frame.

One thing that impressed me was the release mechanism was simple and the parts were heavy, so there should be no problems with it. The spool shaft is well supported by the frame, thereby keeping flex to a minimum.

Overall the Tekota is not a complicated to reel tear down but (there's always a but) look out for the drag clicker spring and pin when you remove the drag star. They are small and easy to loose. The reel will work just as well without them, the drag star just won't click when you turn it.

Drag

Shimano uses their Dartainium drag washers and they are known for being good drags. Not knowing how much the reel had been used, I wasn't sure how the drag would perform. It did however pull it's advertised 18 lbs of drag and was smooth throughout the drags entire rating.

Caution with this and all reels, never exceed the factory recommended drag settings.

Gear Set

The Tekota has a 4.2:1 gear ratio and retrieves 25 inches of line per turn. Which makes it a little faster than the Abu 7000iC3 and a little slower than a Fathom. The gears are about the same size as the gears in the 7000i C3 so they should give no problem. 

 

Anti-Reverse

The Tekota has an anti-reverse bearing and a anti reverse dog. Its always a good idea to have a back up to the IAR bearing.

Clickers

The Tekota has 2 clickers, the line out alarm is a simple design and loud enough to wake you up. Should you want to catch a few zzzz's at 2AM. It also has a clicker on the drag star. This will allow you to count clicks and return the drag to it's original position.

 

Line capacity

The spool has a mushroom post on it so braid users can tie directly to it and will not have to use a backing or warp the spool with electrical tape.

Test/Yards

mono 14/340, 16/285

braid 50/385, 65/365

Casting

This was a used reel so I couldn't check the casting in its fresh out of the box condition. So I gave it a good cleaning and lubed it in the same manor as I would a Penn Fathom. Casting distance fell right between the Abu 7000i C3's and an Alphamar 12. It was set with a little side to side spool play. Casting weights between 2 and 5 ounces, I never had to use my thumb to keep the spool under control.

Like Abu's Alphamar the Tekota does not have an auto engage when you turn the handle. Instead you must flip the lever back up to it's original position to engage the reel after casting. Myself I don't miss the auto-engage. It doesn't take long and flipping the lever becomes as natural as turning the handle to engage the spool.

Conclusion

The Tekota TEK 500, is about the same size as a Penn Fathom 15 or to put it another way. A little bit wider han a narrow spool 7000i HSN and a bit narrower than a 7000I C3. If you need more capacity there is a 600 size as well. The Tekota TEK 500 not only gives the impression of being well built, it is well built, smooth and great buy for anyone looking for a reel this size.

A Flathead Army

Flathead fishing is something that gets in your blood and stays there, period.  For some, its a long road of trial and error that finally combine properly to add up to consistent success.  For others, the start of a flathead fishing career is marked by one defining moment; some monumental experience or accidental catch that stays in the back of their mind every time they're on the water.  For me, it was a combination of both.

My father got me started fishing from a very young age, and its grown into a passion that I'll always carry with me.  Along with flathead fishing hard from April to November, I'm an active tournament bass fisherman and a steelhead fanatic.  I'm blessed to have the company of my father in all of these ventures, along with a group of friends I confidently claim as some of most hardcore anglers I've come across.

Growing up in northern Ohio, my exposure to flathead catfish was minimal at first.  With limited media coverage and several hours of travel between me and the nearest population, I gathered what I could from bits and pieces of outdoor articles and T.V. specials.  My father had been a catfisherman for years, but focused more on channel catfish in the beginning.  He always told me about the huge flathead catfish residing in some of our waters, but our knowledge of how to target them was limited.  As I got older, our trips began to become more elaborate, often frequenting rivers and lakes that were home to flathead catfish.  Using our old techniques never produced, but bait shop photos of huge fish kept us coming back.  One day, I stumbled across a website created by Robby Robinson, somewhat of a legendary flathead angler from southeastern Ohio.  Among the stories and pictures on this site were bits and pieces of information about how to rig for and target flatheads in reservoirs within the state. Noticing a trend between some of this information and that gleaned from other outdoor articles, we headed back to the lakes with a new game plan.

Then, it happened.  After several more fishless years and a night that began dismally as far as location and bait went, the unfamiliar sound of a slow and steady clicker roll was heard from down the bank.  Picking up the rod, I slipped the clicker off and felt the spool slowly turning under my thumb.  After setting the hook on what felt like a pile of angry bricks and a fight that seemed to take forever, my first flathead catfish was on the bank. A long male of 34 pounds, it was much more fish than I'd ever seen in person at the age of 12.  From this point on, the addiction was irreversibly set in my system. But how do we make this happen again?  After so many fishless trips, it seemed like an anomaly.  Careful attention to detail put another two fish on the bank on our very next trip, a 30 pound female and a juvenile fish; my Dad's first two flats.

From then on, every spring that rolled around marked the beginning of a new learning experience for us.  We fished whenever we had the chance, and learned what we could from our experiences.  New friends were made along the way, most of whom still regularly join us on the bank every season. Along with each passing season, more and bigger fish also came our way, with personal bests toppling year by year.  With online forums and social networking exploding within the fishing community, even more new connections and friendships are made constantly.  We can now regularly talk with some of the best anglers from around the state, and even around the country, sharing gear and techniques successful on our own home waters at the click of a button.  The information necessary to start off on the right track is easier than ever to access, and waiting for anyone wanting to begin their journey down the road to successful flathead fishing. All it takes is time, passion, and maybe a little bit of crazy.

We are the flathead army.

My name is Joe Shaw. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and now currently live in the southeastern part of the state.  I graduated from the Ohio State University with a bachelor of science in fisheries science and management, and currently work as an environmental inspector for gas and oil construction. For this blog I'll be contributing my knowledge of reservoir flathead fishing, along with the tactics and ideas of other successful flathead fisherman in my group of friends. I hope you guys are enjoying the tail end of the fall bite, and until next time, good luck!

Girlfriends First Monster Catfish

In July 2013, the girlfriend (Jonous) and I took a trip over to Ohio to fish with Kip. We spent some time on the Muskingum the first night, and Jonous picked up her first ever flathead. 

The next night was on the Ohio, where I caught a small flathead about 8#. Then we caught some channel cats. We moved up into the Muskingum late at night, where I caught several more channel cats while Kip and Jonous slept. Around first light we headed back out onto the Ohio in some really cold conditions. Not long after getting set up we had a light bounce on one of the rods, then it bent double nice and slow. It was Jonous's turn, since I caught all those channels. She had a hard time removing the rod from the holder, but finally managed to get it out, and the fight was on. The fish was pulling drag, something she didn't realize as she was reeling as fast as she could. I reached over and tightened the drag a few clicks, and then left her to it. The fish stayed on bottom until it reached the boat. Kip kept saying "that's a big fish!" Upon reaching the boat, it tried to go under the boat and was headed for a snag. Jonous redirected the fish, at which point it headed for the motor. Jonous redirected the fish again, and brought it to the surface. I said "that fish is over 40#, and Kip said 42#. Kip slid the net under the pig, and we hoisted it in the boat. His scale registered 36#, and mine was bouncing between 35-39#. So we called it 36. This was the most awesome take down I have ever seen, and Kip agreed. Also the best fight I've seen in person. 

Here is the best shot of Jonous's new personal best flathead.

 That was it for that day. Next we made the trip back to Kip's house. Jonous and I went back to the hotel for about 2 hours sleep, before Kip called saying it was time to head out to fish with Robby Robinson(Katfish) So we headed off to Senaca for an evening with Robby. He had cooked some burgers on the grill, so we grabbed a bite before heading out. We didn't get any fish, but Robby had us on one of his big fish spots, looking for a trophy. The next morning we headed back to the hotel, for some much needed rest. This trip was the most fun I have ever had fishing. Way too many laughs to count. We're looking forward to fishing with Kip again anytime we get the chance. Big thanks to Kip and Robby for all the laughs and good times. 

Jonous and I at Senaca.

Here are a few more of my favorite pics from the trip.