Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Electric Fishing Reels
The current selection of electric fishing reels would certainly amaze the inventors from over 100 years ago when the first electric fishing reel was patented in 1913. Today‘s electric fishing reels are used for deep dropping, downriggers, teasers, dredge fishing and more.
The first known electric fishing reel seems to be the 1913 McCluer & Munn (Patent #1,062,488). With a few other patents issued along the way, it wasn’t until a 1949 patent for the Coit Electric Reel that introduced anglers to the first successful, mass-produced electric fishing reel.
Just like today, fishing was a popular activity around the world, even for the Italian automotive legend Ettore Bugatti, whose 1940 US patent for an electric powered, big game fishing reel demonstrated that anglers were looking for the accessories to help them catch more fish.
In his patent application, Bugatti noted that “the catching of a relatively big fish lasts for several hours, and despite all that has been done up to the present time, this work soon becomes exhausting to the fisherman and it lasts certainly much longer than it would be necessary if the fish, after having been hooked, were played, or tired out in a systematic manner”. So true 78 years later.
Different reels for different fishing.
Maybe you are buying your first electric reel or you are adding a purpose built electric reel to your collection, there are a lot of choices in today’s marketplace.
While the large and expensive reels seem to gather the most attention, a thorough review will help you select the best reel for the job and your budget.
When it comes to sportfishing, the largest and most powerful electric reels are most often used for dredge fishing. This is not the commercial practice where a dredge cage is dragged across the sea floor. A sportfish dredge entails the use of large, hookless “teasers” often made from fresh mullet, ballyhoo or artificial lures towed behind the boat to attract gamefish. Often more than one of these dredges are connected together, resulting in 36 or more baits on the end of the dredge line. Towing this at 6 knots through the water and you have a tremendous load on your gear.
When the dredge does its job and raises a gamefish, it is time to quickly retrieve the dredge to get it out of the way of the hooked fish (and boat). Without an electric reel to retrieve this dredge, it becomes an extremely difficult, if not impossible task.
One of the most popular electric reels used for dredge fishing is the tournament proven Lindgren Pitman (LP) S-1200 and also the newest models the SV-2400 and SV-1200 both variable speed. These reels are strong and powerful and include one of the most useful features, an adjustable electronic stop. The captain/mate predetermines where the dredge should stop when retrieved to fight a fish and the digital counter on the reel is set to zero for that stopping point. After deployment, a quick simultaneous press of two buttons will automatically retrieve the dredge to the exact pre-determined “stop at zero” point, allowing the mate to perform other tasks while the dredge(s) are automatically retrieved. The power, speed and durability of these reels are unmatched in the industry. These LP reels also have the ability to quickly swap spools, making them easily adaptable for other types of fishing. The same qualities that make them a number one choice for dredge fishing also keep them at the top of the list for deep dropping.
What makes a good electric reel for deep dropping? Power! Depending on where you fish, a strong current could require 10 to 15 lbs. of weight. Just bringing this up without a fish can be a time consuming and tiring task, therefore a powerful and fast electric reel is a necessity. The reel also needs to be compatible with the appropriate fishing rod and have the capacity for the fishing line in use, often 1,000 or more yards of line and up to 200 lb. test mono or braided line. Lastly, the reel needs to have a good drag system that won’t overheat or fail when the big one is on the line. The LP and Kristal brands of electric reels are the most popular for deep dropping.
The bridge teaser reels, once a resting place for old fishing reels, is now home to high-tech electric reels. This is where reel manufactures like Miya Epoch have done an outstanding job of designing a powerful, compact and reliable reel that can easily be fitted overhead in most boats to deploy and retrieve teasers with accuracy and reliability. Oftentimes, the Captain at the helm is the sole person on-board responsible for the teasers and he/she needs to be able to easily and quickly operate the reel and at the same time drive the boat and watch the hooked fish. The Japanese built, Miya Epoch reels are not an overnight sensation. They displayed their first electric reel in USA at a 1969 fishing gear show. In 1994 Miya Epoch established their USA branch – Technotren Inc. With over a dozen different reels and special US versions it can be confusing on what to buy, though it seems that you can’t go wrong with the popular US-9 series.
There are many other types of fishing that can benefit from the use of electric reels, like bottom fishing, balloon, kite and jigging. While some types of reels can be used for multiple applications, some are best suited for one particular type of activity. Many electric reels incorporate a manual crank handle that can be used for back-up if there is an electrical problem or when manual control is desired.
The most important part of operating an electric reel is getting the proper type and amount of electricity to the reel. As an example, LP provides a detailed electrical drawing showing the exact materials needed to properly install the wiring. Obtaining electrical specifications from other manufactures is not as easy, though you do need to be sure your boat is wired properly to handle the electrical load to ensure the proper performance and prevent damage to the reel components. Most reels are available in 12 or 24 volt. It is best to select the reel voltage that matches the boats voltage. If you have an outboard powered boat running on 12 volts, using 24 volts reels are a possibility, but may be more complex and expensive than planned.
On a large sportfish boat where most components operate on 24 volts, using 12 volt reels may require another set of batteries, transformer or other devices to get the correct power to the reels.
Once a luxury, electric reels are now found on most sportfish boats and have been proven to help assist with catching fish and winning tournaments. Be sure to research your choices and select the best reel for the task.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers.
