Ice Fish Ohio Forum
Ice Fishing => General Discussion => Topic started by: Just reeleyez on October 04, 2016, 11:05:07 PM
-
Looking for positive and negative feedback on these reels.
-
I tried a couple different kinds last year. Didn't like the cabelas or the clam. Ended up with 2 of the eagle claw reels. I Like the freespool feature. Pros. .. no line twist or coils, they are compact and comfortable to use. Cons... Don't really have any. They take a little time to get comfortable with but I like them. I mainly ended up using them for panfishing shallow water. Have them on clam 18 inch spring bobber rods. They are great on Indian. I still mainly use my spinning reels for deeper water or dock fishing.
-
Thanks for the info 30. Definitely would use for the picky panfish middle of the year. Gonna have to do some more homework on them
-
Wish you would have asked a month ago. I sold a bunch of fishing and hunting equipment I didn't use any more and it included some inline reels. I would have given them to you to try out. Oh well if you are like me it's never too hard to buy new toys
-
Haha thanks bud, I have no problem buying new toys. Still trying to figure out which ones I want to try
-
I bought a CGI inline reel last year and used them for bluegill. I was very happy with it and am going to get a few more for on my walleye rigs. Takes a little getting used to, but I was pleased with it.
-
Thanks Lee, I'll check into them. Where did you purchase yours at?
-
Online from gander mountain.
-
I bought a Clam and Eagle Claw to test them out this year. Haven't used them yet but the Eagle Claw free spool feature is good (from tests in the garage).
-
Thanks Lee. I'm gonna go check them out this week Andy, thanks for the info
-
I use the cheap ones and haven't had any issues, except not getting into the big fish pot at the first dock tournament last year. If you hook big cats keep the drag loose so they can make runs easier.
-
Lol quackpot, frabil and eagle claw have some for around 20-30$, still looking and doing homework. May just stick with my pfluegers!
-
I will put my 2 cents in on this, I use an eagle claws inline reel. It is great for pan fish and I like to use tungsten lures on this with max 4lbs test. The extra weight from the tungsten lure helps the line stay straight and not get as much slack. It is similar to using a bait caster where you need a little tension to keep the line and spool from backlashing and bird nesting on you. It is quick and easy when you get the hang of it, but you get a little anxious or don't pay attention, the line gets out and it's a pain to get it untangled. It's all about preference and willingness to work with it. Good luck in whatever you choose and hope to see you and the rest of the guys at some dock tourneys and ice fishing days.
Steve
-
I think they work well is shallow water. In deep water of the docks it seems to take a long time to get light jig back down quickly. They do reduce line twist.
-
Thanks for the info guys! Still doing some homework, got one coming from Amazon that was on sale so I'll play with it a little bit
-
Which one did you get????
-
Picked up a frabil straight line off Amazon that was on sale. I guess I won't be sure of them until I try them
-
Sorry I'm late on this, but I've tested the Clam, Frabill, Eagle Claw, and 13 fishing (black Betty and teardrop reels). The teardrop are my favorite, unfortunately also the most expensive. They're best for spoons and mid weights. For gills the clam with the eyelet are my favorite. The frabill reels are smooth, but sometimes the line gets wound around the shaft us there's slack. Then you have to take the spool off to untangle the line, which sucks when it's freezing and your fingers don't work. The eagle claws aren't bad, just not as smooth as I'd like. If I could only have 1 for bluegill and crappie I'd pick the clam. But it has to be the model with the line guide eyelet. The ones without it are not as tangle free. Wanting a tangle free reel is of utmost importance when you have cold fingers and super light line.
-
Thanks for the info slabslayer! I'm still debating lol
-
13 fishing has just come out with a new black betty with a 2.5 retrieve instead of the 1.1 it also has free fall and a trigger release,a little pricy110.00 you can see it at fish usa
-
I like my old betty ,
-
I saw that fast ratio, but didn't pull the trigger on one yet. That's a lot for an ice reel. Especially this year for me. :)
-
about the same as I paid for the teardrop.
-
Nice reviews & product info. Thanks guys.
-
Love and appreciate the feedback guys! Still not 100% sold on them yet but we will see!
-
Just reeleyez...2x
-
I got a Frabill straight line 261 last season and have not used it yet. I plan on mounting it to to an HWI flat line rod to use on shallow bluegills and crappies. The reel has a fairly large arbor which should help in reducing coiling and should not cause jig spin. I have sight fished and have witnessed fish come screaming into a bait, then stop when it starts spinning while being jigged.
-
I tie on a micro swivel 3ft above above the jig or pinmin,seems to help with spin.
-
Some of the water I fish is only 3' deep, otherwise I would consider using a small bb swivel. I have found fish are sometimes more focused on hardware such as split shots and swivels than a lure, even with live bait.
My 261 in-line has a 2.61 ratio and a reel nice, smooth drag. It also has a free spool mode for getting baits down deep.
-
Thanks for the info slabslayer! I'm still debating lol
yes I have a inline that was always getting tangled as well,i took a piece of spinner shaft wire and made a small loop in one end and then drilled and glued it into the reel body for a line guide,works fine now.