What is the best way to maximize your fishing fun? Using good quality equipment is a large part of the answer. It is extremely frustrating to have a nice fish on and then have your gear let you down. I am going to show you three fantastic fishing reels that won't let you down. The reels can be used to catch fish in both saltwater and fresh water. Out of the three reels, two are made by Shimano and one by Daiwa.

First up is the Shimano Sustain FE 5000. The Sustain spinner weighs in at a lightweight 13.9 ounces. This is one of a series of reels that vary in weight and power. Reels in the range have different weight, line capacity, price and drag pressure.

The Sustain reel has a lot going for it including good looks and quality construction, but what makes it really stand out is its smoothness. This is a highly regarded feature when it comes to fishing as any keen angler will tell you. After all the very essence of fishing is casting the bait and hauling in the fish and if a reel does this well its game on! Clever design and a titanium coating on the spool lip allow the line to spill effortlessly off the reel. This translates to 5 - 10% extra casting distance and works well even with lighter baits. The other cool thing about the reel is the drag. Once you are hooked up to a fighting fish the drag operates very smoothly and with no lack of power. Jerking is pretty much eliminated. The reel is so much fun when you hook up to a powerful fish. It absorbs the runs so smoothly without ever letting the pressure off.

You won't experience any line twist problems either and the bail arm doesn't close unexpectedly. Combine this with good seals to stop the moisture getting in you have eliminate a lot of the things that can spoil your fishing experience. Handle strength is maximized by machining from a single piece of aluminum. Of course there are plenty of less expensive reels available but if you can afford it, this is a wonderful reel that will give plenty of value.

Not everyone likes a spinning type reel. If that's you then the Shimano Calcutta 400 is a top conventional style reel. Don't be fooled by the compactness and light weight of this reel. It holds plenty of line and pulls like a train. It weighs in at a light 12.8 oz and costs around $450.

The finish of the reel is a low maintenance but attractive gold colour. And, its not just pretty. Seems as if Shimano have made a strong priority out of providing good casting from their reels because the Calcutta casts just as easily as the Sustain, and that's saying something. Really nice to cast with good distance too. You will not find anything to fault the drag either. I don't know if it is the Dartanium material that makes the difference but the operation of the drag is so smooth without giving up the line easily. With 16 lbs of drag available it has an impressive power to weight ratio. This all translates to a whole lot of fun in your hands when you are fishing. Where the Calcutta really excels is when your bait gets snapped by a 50 pound monster. You have an excellent chance of landing that fish as long as your tackle can hold it.

Sure the price is at the high end of the scale for a reel in this class, but so is the performance and quality which makes it good value for the money spent. It is designed and built to not only offer the highest performance but also for long term durability..

The last top reel we have reviewed is a top end product for heavier fish. The Daiwa Saltiga 6500 Expedition reel designed for big powerful fish. In terms of stopping power 66 lbs of drag is seriously impressive. A stunning amount of power for a spinning reel. So if sports fishing is your game you will find this reel very interesting. Equally at home hauling a monster fresh water bass, or a marlin out in the salt water this reel gets the job done well. One of the toughest materials available is marine bronze, and Daiwa have used a precision digital cutting technique to fashion this material for the main drive gear. Daiwa call this feature Digigear which results in extremely fine tolerances and flawless matching of the gear faces. This is housed inside a super stiff aluminum housing that is waterproof for reduced maintenance. Other durability features in the reel include a hyper-performance drag, super corrosion resistant ball bearings, and a very strong handled formed out of one piece of aluminum.

The drag on this reel is match for any other tournament reel and is supremely smooth, while the cranking power produced by the gear and handle combination is top notch. Most reels can't be washed down without the risk of water penetrating the housing. No problem with the Saltiga which has been designed so you can wash it off and remove any trace of saltwater. With the addition of a duct underneath the reel, water can pass through without causing any harm. All of these features contribute to less maintenance and greater durability. When you are paying over $1000 for this top performing reel it is very reassuring to know it is not going to die early from corrosion problems.

That's it in a nutshell. So for all you keen fishermen out there, if you are looking out for a new reel you wouldn't go far wrong choosing one of these three

If you want to read more about these reels and get all the specifications, come visit us at www.bigbitefishinggear.com

 

Tags: Daiwa Saltiga 6500, Shimano Calcutta 400, Shimano Sustain FE

What is the best way to maximize your fishing fun? Using good quality equipment is a large part of the answer. It is extremely frustrating to have a nice fish on and then have your gear let you down. I am going to show you three fantastic fishing reels that won't let you down. The reels can be used to catch fish in both saltwater and fresh water. Out of the three reels, two are made by Shimano and one by Daiwa.

First up is the Shimano Sustain FE 5000. The Sustain spinner weighs in at a lightweight 13.9 ounces. This is one of a series of reels that vary in weight and power. Reels in the range have different weight, line capacity, price and drag pressure.

The Sustain reel has a lot going for it including good looks and quality construction, but what makes it really stand out is its smoothness. This is a highly regarded feature when it comes to fishing as any keen angler will tell you. After all the very essence of fishing is casting the bait and hauling in the fish and if a reel does this well its game on! Clever design and a titanium coating on the spool lip allow the line to spill effortlessly off the reel. This translates to 5 - 10% extra casting distance and works well even with lighter baits. The other cool thing about the reel is the drag. Once you are hooked up to a fighting fish the drag operates very smoothly and with no lack of power. Jerking is pretty much eliminated. The reel is so much fun when you hook up to a powerful fish. It absorbs the runs so smoothly without ever letting the pressure off.

You won't experience any line twist problems either and the bail arm doesn't close unexpectedly. Combine this with good seals to stop the moisture getting in you have eliminate a lot of the things that can spoil your fishing experience. Handle strength is maximized by machining from a single piece of aluminum. Of course there are plenty of less expensive reels available but if you can afford it, this is a wonderful reel that will give plenty of value.

Not everyone likes a spinning type reel. If that's you then the Shimano Calcutta 400 is a top conventional style reel. Don't be fooled by the compactness and light weight of this reel. It holds plenty of line and pulls like a train. It weighs in at a light 12.8 oz and costs around $450.

The finish of the reel is a low maintenance but attractive gold colour. And, its not just pretty. Seems as if Shimano have made a strong priority out of providing good casting from their reels because the Calcutta casts just as easily as the Sustain, and that's saying something. Really nice to cast with good distance too. You will not find anything to fault the drag either. I don't know if it is the Dartanium material that makes the difference but the operation of the drag is so smooth without giving up the line easily. With 16 lbs of drag available it has an impressive power to weight ratio. This all translates to a whole lot of fun in your hands when you are fishing. Where the Calcutta really excels is when your bait gets snapped by a 50 pound monster. You have an excellent chance of landing that fish as long as your tackle can hold it.

Sure the price is at the high end of the scale for a reel in this class, but so is the performance and quality which makes it good value for the money spent. It is designed and built to not only offer the highest performance but also for long term durability..

The last top reel we have reviewed is a top end product for heavier fish. The Daiwa Saltiga 6500 Expedition reel designed for big powerful fish. In terms of stopping power 66 lbs of drag is seriously impressive. A stunning amount of power for a spinning reel. So if sports fishing is your game you will find this reel very interesting. Equally at home hauling a monster fresh water bass, or a marlin out in the salt water this reel gets the job done well. One of the toughest materials available is marine bronze, and Daiwa have used a precision digital cutting technique to fashion this material for the main drive gear. Daiwa call this feature Digigear which results in extremely fine tolerances and flawless matching of the gear faces. This is housed inside a super stiff aluminum housing that is waterproof for reduced maintenance. Other durability features in the reel include a hyper-performance drag, super corrosion resistant ball bearings, and a very strong handled formed out of one piece of aluminum.

The drag on this reel is match for any other tournament reel and is supremely smooth, while the cranking power produced by the gear and handle combination is top notch. Most reels can't be washed down without the risk of water penetrating the housing. No problem with the Saltiga which has been designed so you can wash it off and remove any trace of saltwater. With the addition of a duct underneath the reel, water can pass through without causing any harm. All of these features contribute to less maintenance and greater durability. When you are paying over $1000 for this top performing reel it is very reassuring to know it is not going to die early from corrosion problems.

That's it in a nutshell. So for all you keen fishermen out there, if you are looking out for a new reel you wouldn't go far wrong choosing one of these three

If you want to read more about these reels and get all the specifications, come visit us at www.bigbitefishinggear.com

 

Tags: Daiwa Saltiga 6500, Shimano Calcutta 400, Shimano Sustain FE