History

The current design of a modern Baitcast reel has been designed around the earliest fishing reels that were invented in the late 1800’s. It consisted of a rotating spool which holds fishing line; a clutch to engage the spool;  and a handle to reel the line back onto the spool after the cast so you can retrieve your lure or live bait. This invention revolutionized fishing at the time.

In 1896, William Shakespeare Jr., patented a system that allowed the fishing line to be wound evenly back onto the spool of the reel. This was known as the "Level Wind" System. To date, this has been used in just about every type of Baitcast reel made in the world. A simple idea turned into one of the most innovative fishing reels at its time.  This led to the formation of his Company which eventually became known as "The Shakespeare Company"   And you thought the "famous" William Shakespeare was a writer!

Shakespeare later developed a way to prevent backlashes through the use of a braking system. A backlash is what happens when the spool over runs the line when the angler makes a cast.  The speed of the line coming off the spool is slower than the spool’s rotation, causing the line to become a tangled mess inside the reel. This also happens when your lure hits the water, causing the line to stop while the spool is still rotating.  Some anglers call this a "bird’s nest" because that’s what it resembles when it happens!   Others call it a "Professional Overrun"!  Regardless, it usually ends up as a big source of frustration trying to clear the line while your fishing buddy is catching fish!.  This is also the origin of "thumbing the spool" where you manually use your thumb to slow & stop the spool just before the lure hits the water which requires some very good thumb-eye coordination!

Challenges

Basically, the challenge any Baitcast reel faces is to allow the angler to cast a lure or bait as quickly and as far as possible (free spooling) and prevent the line from over running the spool (braking). The main factors that affect how the reel performs are

1. The weight of the lure
2. The size of the line
3. The speed of the line coming off the spool
4. The speed of the line when you retrieve your lure, and more importantly, any fish that you catch!

These four factors still affect Baitcast reels that are made today, over 100 years since the first reel was invented!

To overcome these challenges, let’s take a look at how Manufacturer’s solve these problems today:

Braking

Manufacturers have developed a system known as "Centrifugal Braking". This is a system that uses magnets that can be physically moved either closer to the center of the spool (less braking, faster speed), or closer to the perimeter of the spool (more braking, lower speed).  This system applies the principles of Centrifugal Force to affect the rotational speed of the spool.  Remember that the higher the speed, the farther you can cast your lure, but there is a greater probability that the rotational speed of the spool is faster than the speed of the line which will increase the likelihood of a backlash..

Look for reels that offer a "Free Spool" which allows the spool to rotate completely free. This allows farther casts with less effort. At the same time, look for reels with more brakes. Reels can come with anywhere from 4 to 10 brakes. Look for a reel that allows you to adjust the brakes externally. This comes in very handy when it’s very windy.

I fished a Tournament once during a very bad storm with extreme wind and rain. One of my personal reels (I won’t mention the Manufacturer or model, but it is the most Popular selling Baitcast Reel in the past 5 years of any Manufacturer) required me to take the reel apart to reset my brakes. That was the last thing I wanted to do, especially in a Tournament where every cast counts, as does every second spent not fishing.

Counter Balance

All modern high quality Baitcast Reels have a counter balance. This is usually a knob to slightly adjust the rotation of the spool to compensate for the weight of the lure or bait. The more a lure weighs, the faster the line will come off the spool because of the increased inertia caused by the heavier weight. To slow down the speed, a counter balance is applied to the spool. Most lures, regardless of type, typically weigh 1/16 oz, 1/8 oz, ¼ oz, ½ oz, etc. Live bait can weigh almost anything. The counter balance ensures that the spool always rotates at the same speed, no matter what size lure or bait you are casting. Look for an easily adjustable counter balance so that if you change the size of the lure, you can easily adjust the reel.

Drag

We haven’t even discussed what happens when you catch a fish!  When you catch a fish, the bigger the better, I always say!  However, a bigger fish can cause a problem.  If a fish hits your lure, there is a tremendous amount of force that is involved when you set the hook.  The worst that can happen is breaking your line (or even rod!) and losing the fish.  The weight (strength) and type of line is important.  The new braided line offers extreme strength with lower diameter and almost no stretching of the line when force is applied at both ends (1 end is the reel, the other is the fish!).  A traditional monofilament line with more stretch is more forgiving to force, but in my opinion is not as durable as the newer Braided Super  lines.  The newer  Baitcast Reels are better engineered to handle the increased forces involved with newer Braided Super lines.  To prevent line from breaking when reeling in a fish (especially a Largemouth Bass in heavy cover), drag is very important.

We looked at how spool design, brakes, and counter balance affect the line coming off your spool. Drag affects the line when you reel it back.

Simply put , drag allows the spool to rotate in reverse back towards the fish. It allows the fish to slightly pull the line so the line doesn’t break, but not so much that the fish can swim away with your lure still in its mouth!. You don’t want the fish to be able to freely pull the line.   After all, we do want to land that fish!   Drag allows you to reel the fish in as quickly as possible on a tight (taut) line without the fish being able to break the line because the fish is fighting and resisting your effort to reel it in.  Drag also helps to tire the fish so you can reel it in more easily.  Look for a Drag System that allows you to easily adjust it while you are hopefully reeling in a BIG fish!  Most Drag adjustment knobs look like a Star shaped device that is next to the handle so you can adjust with your thumb at the same time while you are reeling. Hence, they are referred to as "Star Drag". Fish come in all sizes (unfortunately). The bigger the fish, the more drag you will need to apply.

Retrieve Ratio

Retrieve Ratio determines how fast and how much line is reeled in per revolution of the reel handle. The higher the Retrieve Ratio, the more line is reeled when you crank the handle of the reel. The most common Retrieve Ratio is 6:1. This will allow you to reel roughly 2 feet of line per turn of the handle. You might want to consider a slower retrieve ratio of 5:1 if you are using a slower moving lure like a jig or plastic worm or if you want to use a slower lure presentation.

For 2006, several Manufacturers are selling reels with a high speed Retrieve Ratio of 7:1.  Kevin VanDam, the 2005 Bassmaster Classic Champion, and who has been called the "Tiger Woods of Bass Fishing" has revolutionized Tournament Bass fishing with his technique of "Power Fishing".  He has been known to make over 1500 casts in a single 8 hour Tournament!  He believes in High Speed fishing where he tries to cover as much water as possible in search of fish.  A High Speed Reel enables him to do this very effectively.  In fact, I have switched over to the exact same Quantum PT Tour Edition Burner reel he uses and I can tell you that it is smoother, faster and lighter than any other Baitcast Reel I have personally used in the $200-$250 Price Range.

I am selling Kevin VanDam's Quantum Tour Edition PT reel in my eBay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mans-Man/2007-Quantum-PT-Reels-FREE-SHIPPING.html

       

 

I am selling the NEW 2006 Shimano Curado High Speed 7:1 reel in my eBay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mans-Man_The-Sporting-Life_Baitcast-Reels_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ5418676QQftidZ2QQtZkm

See the NEW 2006 Team Daiwa Baitcast Reels in my eBay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mans-Man/Team-Daiwa-Rods-and-Reels-FREE-SHIP.html

A few more things

Other things to look at are the weight, materials and number of bearings. A lower weight reel will allow you to cast farther as well as reduce fatigue. This in turn will allow you to fish longer and not feel sore at the end of the day.

The materials used is also important. Look for a reel that is very strong and made with lightweight materials.  Aluminum is as strong as steel but much lighter. Titanium is the strongest and lightest metal available, yet it is very flexible and absorbs shock extremely well. The downside of titanium is that it is a very expensive material.  Magnesium is a light, yet strong metal, but is easily corroded by salt water and is usually made for freshwater applications.

The number of bearings affect how smoothly the reel feels when you turn the handle. The more bearings there are, the smoother the reel is and can range from 3 or 4 bearings up to over 10.  Kevin VanDam’s PT Tour Edition reel has a whopping 11 bearings and weighs just slightly over 9 ounces!

Reputable Manufacturer’s include Shimano, Quantum, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, among others.

The Last Word

My last tip applies to almost every Consumer Product, not just fishing reels.

You get what you pay for!

Paying a higher price for a top-of-the-line reel will end up saving you money in the long run because:

• It will last longer
• It is made of better materials
• It will have better construction
• It will provide years of trouble-free enjoyment
• Excellent used resale value when you upgrade
• Pride of ownership

 It won’t guarantee that you will catch more fish – that’s up to you!

There has never been a better time than now to either upgrade or invest in one of the new for 2006 Baitcast Reels from Quantum, Shimano, and Team Daiwa!

Please visit my eBay Store where I sell these High Quality Fishing Reels and lures! 

http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mans-Man_The-Sporting-Life_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ2988708QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Read my eBay Guide on Topwater Frogs and Lures

Tight Lines!

 Author, Russ Leong, Owner - The Man's Man Store

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I have been selling on eBay since 1998. I treat my customers exactly the same way I expect to be treated when I purchase items either here or at retail stores. Customer respect, courtesy & service are the cornerstones of my eBay Business.  I welcome your business!

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