High Performance Reels


About eighteen months ago I was on an internet bulletin board doing a little surfing when I came across a batch of posts about high performance reels. As I read the posts I became fascinated with all of the technical data that these guys were talking about. They had some links in the posts and I went to them. After cruising through these sites I found one that seemed to have it all. The site was www.japantackle.com A fellow by the name of Jun runs the site. I began reading through the articles that Jun has written and I was just blown away by all of the technical data on so many different reels. Reels that I had never heard of and have never seen. There were breakdowns and comparisons of different breaking systems, spools, bearings, and different materials that are used to make them. page_break

I decided I had to try one of these reels. But which reel should I choose? The prices on these things are enough to give the workingman a heart attack. I started reading everything that I could get my hands on about the individual reels. I read on how different components, such as bearings, are made. Then it was a study on the different materials that are used to make the components. The result was eight months of reading and parsing through more data than I have ever done in my life. I learned more about titanium and magnesium than I cared to. I learned about physics with topics that included terms like the ?moment of inertia? and mathematics with gear ratios. Then it was charts and graphs on casting distance vs. breaking systems vs. spool weight vs. clutch systems and on and on. By the time I was done I felt like I should have been awarded an honorary engineering degree.

I chose to buy a Shimano Scorpion 1000. I went on line and ordered the reel. I watched the minute hand on the clock in my den until it was delivered. It was a beautiful piece and I couldn?t wait to get on the water and try it. I adjusted the reel like I have done all of my reels in the past. I got out on the water and got to one of my favorite cranking spots. I picked up my cranking rod with the new reel and made the first cast with my new equipment. The result was a balled reel. I sat down on the front deck of my boat and picked out the birds nest. It was a beauty. When I was done I made another adjustment to the reel and made another cast. Balled it again, and again, and again. I was really getting upset with this thing. I had made all kinds of adjustments to the reel and I could not seem to throw it. I finally adjusted the reel so tight that the large crankbait that I had on the end of the line would not even drop once the clutch was disengaged. All of the braking pins were on. I was going to give this reel one more shot before I put it down and picked up old faithful for the remainder of the day. I had spent more than an hour trying to make one good cast. I stood up and made the cast. The lure sailed farther than any cast I had ever made. I mean this sucker was headed to the moon. It probably would have made it if I hadn?t had my thumb all over the spool during the cast. I threw the reel for about another hour and went back to my usual reel for the remainder of the day. During that hour I was getting the hang of the new reel, but I was still having my problems. With all of this said, it took me about 5 trips in the boat to learn how to throw this reel with some proficiency. I have been throwing casting reels for over 16 years and have never had this much difficulty with anything. This reel was HOT!!!! After using the reel for quite some time I have learned how to cast with it. But it was a real patience game.

So the question is if this purchase was really worth it. Do these reels really live up to the hype. My Scorpion has advantages and disadvantages. I assume that other high performance reels have similar attributes. I will list both the advantages and disadvantages that I have experienced below.

Advantages:

1. Extremely well constructed ? Everything on my Scorpion is well made. The frame and components all fit well. Everything is tight with close tolerances. All of the moving parts are smooth and the components perform extremely well. These reels are very tough and durable.

2. Light weight - My reel weighs 8.2 oz. When matched with a light rod, it is easy to throw all day. Some of these reels get down to 5.7 oz. This is extremely light. Most reels that are this light are made from magnesium. Matched with a light rod it is like holding a feather. This can be a big advantage for those who experience pain from arthritis, bursitis, and other problems. It really does make a huge difference on the pain factor during and after a day of fishing.

3. Performance ? There is no comparison. These reels will throw much farther
with less effort than anything I have thrown. They are smooth as silk. For flippers and pitchers I feel this type of reel is a must. My pitching accuracy improved tremendously with every type of bait conceivable. Even with weights of 1/8 of an ounce, my flipping and pitching distance greatly increased with little effort. I no longer have to work for that long pitch and I am no longer splashing baits on entry. My longest cast with a crankbait has been 85 yards. I could have gone longer, but I emptied the spool of 12 lb. line. Most of these reels are very small and compact. They fit extremely well in the palm of your hand. Your grip on your whole outfit as you palm the reel is greatly increased along with the accuracy of your casting. Even though most of these reels are very small, their cranking power is tremendous.

4. Dependability ? I have never had a failure of a component or a function. The clutch always engages and disengages with no failure. Nothing slips and nothing fails. Everything is tight and solid.


Disadvantages:

1. The reels are high maintenance - The components such as bearings, gears, etc. are high performance parts. Lubrication of these parts with either factory or specialized lubricants are recommended. You have to be handy with reels to maintain them. They require lubrication more often than normal reels. Normally I lubricate things like bearings and spool shafts after 24 hours of use. I clean and grease gears, pinion gears and level wind gears every two months with factory lubricants. Usually only one drop of oil on these parts is all that is needed. More than that decreases the performance of the reel.

2. Documentation ? most of these reels are from Japan. Therefore, the instructions are in Japanese. You can usually find English versions of instructions and schematic breakdowns of the reels on the internet.

3. Service and Parts ? There are only a couple of places that I know of in the U.S. that service these reels. You should really know how to service your own reel. Otherwise it can get tedious and expensive to get it done. Parts are usually not available in the U.S. Most dealers that sell these reels will take care of getting parts to you. This is something that you need to verify with the dealer before you buy. The parts for these reels are shipped from Japan. Very few of these reels have American versions of the reels that parts will interchange with. The turn around time on orders with the vendors is really pretty fast. Normally a part can be shipped to your door within 3 to 5 working days.

4. Practice required ? At least for me there was a big learning curve. It took allot of practice and patience for me to become proficient with my reel. My Scorpion was so sensitive that I had to learn to make adjustments to the reel even throughout the day to maintain peak performance. If you are fishing and it is calm and then comes a prolonged period of wind you will have to make adjustments to the reel or you will spend the day picking line. After you have done this for awhile you will be able to make those adjustments very quickly. It is not as bad as it sounds, but you will need to take the time and have the patience to learn how to do it.

I feel that one of these reels would make a good choice for someone that needs to do long distance casting, especially crankbait lovers. It is an excellent choice for the flippers and pitchers. Using one of these reels for the above specialties is a large asset. Also if you are into light line and light lures, these reels will perform well. These reels are the ticket for folks that would like to use a bait caster instead of a spinning reel for tactics such as drop shoting. These reels will handle anything from 6 to 20lb. test with ease.

If the majority of your fishing is done in close and with short distances then I feel one of these reels would be a waste of money. There are plenty of well made reels on the market that handle that style of fishing. The price is allot better also.

If you are thinking about buying one of these reels and have concerns or questions that were not covered in this article then leave me a post under this article or drop me an email and I will be glad to answer you. If I don?t have the answer to your question then I will get it for you.

Skeeter