Which Straightline Reel To Go With?

[Dark Cloud]

DarkCloud, let me guess, tuna is the best bait for cats.lol Good idea though, I bet my lab would put up a pretty good fight with a noodle rod and slv.

He loves playing with fishing rods! An archery feather tied on is probably his favorite but he also likes a tin-foil ball the size of a marble. Out in the yard with the fly rod is another favorite

[ASMOLEY]

Thanks for the pics Dark Cloud. Really helps put things in perspective seeing it in ones hands. Is that a SLV 4/5 or a 2/3?

Still seems that the EC or the 6061 (If it's in your budget) are better choices. I'll have to look at those Frabil and Clam setups too.

Stripping the drag, no anti reverse, no free spool, and the line retrieve ratio(or lack of) are too many negatives to trade in my spinning reel for some of these inline reels...

[Jim Uran]

Clam's Ice Spooler does have a drag, there is a one way clutch bearing that will allow you to "set the drag" without having to reel against any tension like the BB. You could also crank the drag tight to set it up as an anti-reverse feature.

[Jim Uran]

Sorry for upside down pic but this is how I hold my reels.

[Dark Cloud]

Thanks for the pics Dark Cloud. Really helps put things in perspective seeing it in ones hands. Is that a SLV 4/5 or a 2/3?

4/5

[FishingNorth]

Asmoley,

I have a family of right hand reelers and have been doing the same search for a right hand straightline. After searching youtube and finding the video on how to convert the Eagle Claw to a righty reel, I ended up ordering a few of them to try. I just placed my order tonight. I found them for around $20.00 each with free shipping. For that price, I'll take a chance. With the 6061 listed at $99.00, if these work half way decent, I can afford to buy minnows for the rest of the year!

[wbliceman]

I have the first gen Frabil, An Okuma, black betty, the 6061, tear drop as well as others and I find my self buying more and more of the 13 fishing reels because of the way they are made. I can beat them up and they will not break. I have not had any black lashes but I also watch the spool because I have learned from my frabil and the line jumping.

[Luke_M]

I picked up an EC reel this year and paired it with a noodle rod. The EC reels are a bit cheap feeling but they seem do well and I will be replacing some of my other panfish reels with them. I did switch the reel over it didn't take to long nor was it that hard.

[Jcup]

I have been using the black betty 6061 for the last couple weeks and I have to say, its not worth the price. I'm disappointed with how cheaply made it is. caught two fish and the free spool stopped working. Took it apart when I got home and found the problem. There is a tiny spring in there that basically is held on by the pressure of this tiny spring. (little to no pressure) Its only a matter of time before it comes off again. handles are junk. mine was slightly bent out of the box, not a very big deal because you can just bend it back. One of the cork paddles spins freely and the other is much stiffer with a slight bend. I didn't try to bend this back because I'm afraid I will hurt it more than help. Not a deal breaker, but still annoying for a $100 reel. Drag is alright. I caught a 30in northern with it and was satisfied. It got the fish up the hole but its not the smoothest drag out there. I really wanted to love this reel but I'm afraid I cant. Not at the $100 price point.

I think I'm just gonna put it up for sale on the c'list and put the money towards a beam elite 21 and be done with it. I handled one in the store the other day and I have to say the quality is sooo much better than the 6061. Feels so much more sturdy and the machining is much better.

[Up North2]

I have a Beam and Clam straight line. Only had them out once at Red and since no crappies in Red I didn't use them much. But so far I think I like the Clam better. It has the drop down from the rod so you can grip it like a standard spinning reel. Also because of this it will fit in the rod holders in the Ice Castle. With the Beam I wind up cupping the reel in my hand which is no big deal really but because it does not have the drop down from the rod it will not fit in the rod holders. However I think the Beam is a better quality and well built reel.

Both are reversible for left handers.

As a side note I really like the Beam rods. I bought a spinning reel combo from them as well. I bought a carbon 28" medium light blank which really has a nice action to it. The led lights built into the rod handle really fire up those glow jigs in a hurry. They have some quality stuff.