Big spinning reels part one
First a verry happy new year to everyone, I am still in the UK for a week so if you want to get in touch for fishing holiday details or just a natter just call 01668 216173. Spooky or what Henry Gilbeys first blog 2012 is about spinning reels and so is mine just a question of size. Henry loves his little 2500 size and just love my 8500 size as they say horses for course. Many years ago on my first trips to the Florida Keys the local love for big spinning reels seemed a bit strange coming from a UK boat fishing background. When you start to use them it starts to make sense. Firstly you notice when fighting a big fish the rod and reel are truly balanced, all forces are pulling down and you are pulling up. A multiplier sett up is 180 degrees out of balance and during the fight the rod is continually trying to turn upside down to get the line under the rod. With the bail arm open line can come off freely with no drag at all so the fish feels nothing at all no chance of a bird nest. Casting big baits very easy and line recovery outdoes any multiplier with over 50 in per turn on some reels and you can spin the handle far faster than any multiplier. Years ago we all used the big Penn spinning reels they were built like tanks but alas when production went to China the reels were never the same. An old established company Fin-Nor came to our rescue with their Offshore range.
These reels are also built like tanks, all stainless internals just 4 massive double shielded bearings. An eleven washer stack drag system giving up to 60 lb of drag and best of all over 600 yd capacity of 20 lb mono. The most solid body I have ever used and not a piece of chromed plastic anywhere and not a tiny ball bearing in the bail just good old bushing which just need a quick clean. The only down side of this reel is no one way clutch so very hard to use for jigging but hard to beat for everything else. All this comes for a very reasonably $160 just what you need on a hard working boat like mine I have three.
Other companies are getting on to this big spinning reel band wagon and Italian maker Alcedo are selling a cracking big reel their Ener Jigger Titian. This is being sold by UK company Italia Fishing I have been using this reel all summer in the UK and now in the Florida Keys and so far no problems. Best of all with this reel it does have a one way bearing in its 8 bearings with 3 being sealed. It also has a massive drag at nearly 40 lbs and gets back 102 cm per turn of the handle. They are so confident in the sealed body if you don’t take it apart they are giving a 5 yes 5 year warranty on internals. All this comes for a very reasonable £179 well worth a look .