FUNDAMENTAL discussion of reel-types

Back to fundamentals...

Learn how to adjust the spool preload for the weight of the lure, educate your thumb (the best magnet ever), go fishing.  You WILL make a few grand messes.  It is part of the process, but worth it!  Casting a zillion miles is for people stuck on the beach...we have kayaks.

Back to fundamentals...

Learn how to adjust the spool preload for the weight of the lure, educate your thumb (the best magnet ever), go fishing.  You WILL make a few grand messes.  It is part of the process, but worth it!  Casting a zillion miles is for people stuck on the beach...we have kayaks.

Well said.  Go catch some fish!

all true, but knowledge is a good thing. I see a number of fisherman that are
one-trick ponies. it's nice to at least know something about these
other worlds. besides, you have a moveable magnet in your new revo,  .
and probably also centrifugal brakes?

if you want to cast, and have the lure sink, then you can't use the spool
tension knob, because you are setting it so that the lure barely falls in
the air when you hit the freespool knob.

that means it aint going to sink in the water when it lands.

the spool tension knob is good for casting crankbaits, which will dive
when you retrieve them, or topwater lures, but not lures that
sink, like spoons or iigs, unless you don't want them to sink.

the magnet does not have this property. it slows the spool, but only at
high speed. same with the centrifugal brakes which work like magnets,
but with a slightly different braking profile as a function of spool speed.

so if you are in the kayak and want to cast your swimbait or jig out a bit,
and still have it sink a reel with a magnet might actually be a good call.

The most casting I do with baitcasters is in the front yard at targets
with my two boys just before dinner.
would be great to have the time to actually fish! on the other hand,
one of my boys (the younger one) can cast like a bass pro as a result
of the practice. of course, they immediately came up with the concept
of tying 10 feet of line to a small water balloon, reeling it on to the top of the spool
and then casting the balloon and 10 feet of line into the next block, 

holy catapults batman!

John

besides, you have a moveable magnet in your new revo, and probably also centrifugal brakes?

John,

I was able to fondle a Revo Inshore at Fishermans Warehouse a couple weeks ago. It has centrifugal casting drag but no magnetic casting drag. I was kind of bummed, but centrifugal drag is probably all that is needed. It's not meant to be used for finesse work after all.

Scott



P.S. How are you liking the T160? I've been out maybe half a dozen times on mine. Once in the salt, the rest on the lake. I find it way more stable than a Scupper/Pro, in that it's a piece of cake for me to stand up and look for fish while paddling. The water's too cold for me to try fishing while standing right now:)  I like it the most of out of all my SOT kayaks so far, but still want something a foot longer, 25 inches wide, and 10 pounds lighter. One of these days.

I was able to fondle a Revo Inshore at Fishermans Warehouse a couple weeks ago. It has centrifugal casting drag but no magnetic casting drag. I was kind of bummed, but centrifugal drag is probably all that is needed. It's not meant to be used for finesse work after all.

What kind of finesse work did you have in mind, pitching and flipping?

It's a low profile reel in the classic bass fishing mode - the finesse comes from your educated thumb, which falls naturally onto the spool due to the reel's compact shape. Compared to a Penn 500, it is a precision instrument. I'm curious - what freshwater reel were you hoping it would emulate?

What kind of finesse work did you have in mind, pitching and flipping?

It's a low profile reel in the classic bass fishing mode - the finesse comes from your educated thumb, which falls naturally onto the spool due to the reel's compact shape. Compared to a Penn 500, it is a precision instrument. I'm curious - what freshwater reel were you hoping it would emulate?

That does it. I need to take a communications class or something. What I said was:

It's not meant to be used for finesse work after all

Finesse, as in:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Finesse_Fishing.html
http://www.bassfishin.com/article35.htm
http://www.chapmanbalderrama.com/articles/bf002.htm



Regards,
Scott

Scott, the two fancier versions of the revo have magnetic cast control. the lowest end one
has only centrifugal braking. I think.

as for the t-160, I did do some rigging last weekend (two quick draw holders just behind
the seat, tested that my rolleez cart fits in it (barely!), etc) but when I fished two weekends ago,
I took a scupper out cause I don't want to rush the t-160 rigging.

I do think I would be able to stand on that thing pretty easily also.

it needs a seat pad and a transducer noodle holder and it's ready to try!

John

I went ahead and bought an Abu-Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 at Big-5 Sporting Goods where it was part of an offered $89 package rod/reel deal.  But the rod-tip was broken so I offered the Store Mgr $50 for the reel and he sold it to me.   Thus it came utterly without documentation.

It has a spool-control but I think it's just bearing-tightness.  I don't think this reel, which (I learned from an Internet query) first hit the market in 1979, has a magnetic bone in its body.

Nontheless I love it.   As someone said, bait casting reels are hugely more durable than spinning reels.   Another plus is that its physical size is smaller.   I like it.  I'm glad I bought it.   I enjoy fishing with it.   My "old drum-style reel casting skills" had not disappeared and I've adapted to thumbing the drum.

Pleased:

Judd

you got a pretty good deal there.

the spool tensioner knob, the little knob next to the star drag does not affect bearing tightness, but it does tighten down some metal against the spindle that goes through the spool, effectively braking it. the documentation you don't have will tell you to adjust it so that a lure drops down, but does not hit the floor
when you hold the rod horizontally and put it in free spool. generally this is kind of conservative and designed to handle the overspin when the lure hits the water. If your thumb is educated you don't need much of this if any, but it's smart to use when it's windy or you are a little rusty or are using a new rod, whatever.

if you open it up with the thumbscrews, you'll see two or six tiny plastic things on tabs depending on the year your reel was made. those fly outward when the spool spins, bump into the ring around them and act act as brakes. they are called the centrifugal brakes. they are not adjustable, but do only go into action when the spool is spinning hard, kind of like magnets.

when you try to put the reel back together, make sure the little centrifugal braking shoes are in the pulled in position, not the extended position, otherwise you can't get the side plate on the spool.

you can buy 3/8oz and 1/2oz practice casting plugs made of hard rubber or plastic. these are great fun for practice.

they are not adjustable, but do only go into action when the spool is spinning hard, kind of like magnets.

Good explanation J. Some are somewhat adj. my older Abu's have straight pins where you can change the sizes of the blocks with cause more or less dampining, and some reels like Calcutta's you can push the blocks past a lock on the pin so you can choose the number of blocks that slide out.

they are not adjustable, but do only go into action when the spool is spinning hard, kind of like magnets.

Good explanation J. Some are somewhat adj. my older Abu's have straight pins where you can change the sizes of the blocks with cause more or less dampining, and some reels like Calcutta's you can push the blocks past a lock on the pin so you can choose the number of blocks that slide out.

Ah, thanks for the enlightenment!

I like it the most of out of all my SOT kayaks so far, but still want something a foot longer, 25 inches wide, and 10 pounds lighter. One of these days.

looks like you'll have to try an expedition after all, 

John