Home | Rod Splint | Reel Splint | Reel Mount | Reels | Spin Fishing | Fly Fishing | Spincasting | Bottom Fishing
Extra Notes | Links | EMail

Fly reel
The fly reel I recommend is the Okuma Integrity I-10/11. It has a tremendously large arbor, is comparatively inexpensive, and is very easy to make adaptable for this apparatus. There is a screw holding the handle to the reel. Simply unscrew the back of the handle in order to remove it. Find a wooden dowel that is approximately one inch thick, and cut it approximately four inches long. From inside the reel, use an electric drill to set a screw into the center of one end of the dowel. That dowel is now the new handle for the reel.
Prior to using this reel, I have used much less expensive conventional fly reels. Rather than removing the handle, I came up with a rather uncanny way to adapt the handle. I would use a piece of clear rubber aquarium tubing approximately one inch long with a diameter of approximately 1/4 inch or 5/8 inch. I slipped half of the tube over the handle. Then I slipped a five inch long wooden dowel of approximately 1/4 inch in diameter into the other half of the tubing. Let me warn that the fit is very tight. You will need someone to really put their strength into cramming everything together. It works effectively too.

   

Baitcasting reel for bottom fishing
The reel I use for bottom fishing is the Okuma Convector 30LX, but most baitcasting or conventional saltwater reels will do. When choosing a reel, be sure to inspect the handle. In order to support the pressure that will be placed on the new handle, you will want a reel with a handle that has an arm made of a thick metal. You should also look for a reel that does not have a double handle, as the extra handle will most likely get in the way when reeling in. Typically, the part of the handle that someone holds is riveted into the arm of the handle. You will need an electric drill to bore out that rivet. You should then be able to separate the two parts of the handle, and the arm of the handle should have a hole in it. Find a wooden dowel that is approximately one inch thick, and cut it approximately five inches long. From the back of the arm of the handle, use an electric drill to set a screw into the center of one end of the dowel. That dowel is now the new handle for the reel.

   

Spincast reel
The reel I use for spincasting is the Daiwa Goldcast GC120. I chose this reel because I am a lefty when it comes to reeling in, and this reel offers the option of left / right hand retrieve. It also has a single handle, holds a lot of line, is rather strong, and the button depresses quite effortlessly. There are other reels that will do the job too. Make sure that the button of any reel you choose depresses easily enough. Like I stated about choosing a spinning reel, be sure to inspect the handle of the spincast reel. In order to support the pressure that will be put on the new handle, you will want a reel with a handle that has an arm made of a thick metal. Typically, the part of the handle that someone holds is riveted into the arm of the handle. You will need an electric drill to bore out that rivet. You should then be able to separate the two parts of the handle, and the arm of the handle should have a hole in it. Find a wooden dowel that is approximately one inch thick, and cut it approximately five inches long. From the back of the arm of the handle, use an electric drill to set a screw into the center of one end of the dowel. That dowel is now the new handle for the reel.

   

Spinning Reel
When the fishing calls for a spinning reel, the only reel I’ve found that works for me is the Quantum Hypercast, which has been discontinued. The main reason this reel stands out from other spinning reels is its trigger, called a Firing Pin, that when depressed, flips the bail and holds the line in place until released. When the reel is mounted upside down, I can easily operate that trigger by placing a seven inch lever over it. The base of the lever lays perpendicularly over the trigger, therefore I have about five inches of surface area on the lever that I can push down upon.

I happen to be a lefty, so another benefit of this reel is its left / right hand retrieval option. It also has a single handle, holds a fair amount of line, and is rather strong.

On the handle, the part that someone holds on to is riveted into its arm. You will need an electric drill to bore out that rivet. You should then be able to separate the two parts of the handle, and the arm of the handle should have a hole in it. Find a wooden dowel that is approximately one inch thick, and cut it approximately five inches long. From the back of the arm of the handle, use an electric drill to set a screw into the center of one end of the dowel. That dowel is now the new handle for the reel.

My Quantum Hypercast is the HC-3x, which holds 165 yards of 10 pound test monofilament. As mentioned before, The Quantum Hypercast has been discontinued, but you can still find various models available on Ebay at times.

   

Designed, Hosted, and Maintained by Sportsman's Resource, Inc.