2 speed reels

[Hooker]

Haiya great guys
Need your views.
I own a shimano jigger ld 2 speed. Any views on this reel and how to fully utilise the 2 speed function, that is on what condition would the 2 speed be use, tank ya!

[MaxZmus]

I just noticed this post and saw that nobody responded. That tells ya how many guys on this forum do saltwater stuff. I'm not familiar with your reel but it's definitely for the salt. 2 speed reels have a low gear and hi gear. The hi gear is used when you need to catch up to the fish or simply said, faster line pick up. The low gear has more POWER and is usedr when YOU are tired and need to winch the fish in. Hope this helps.

[GARRIGA]

I have a few 2 speed reels that use for bottom fishing to offshore. My main reasons for having 2 speeds is the luxury of being able to pick up slack quickly but having a cranking low gear available to pull up large groupers and amberjacks or when fishing offshore for deep water dwellers like tuna and swordfish. Sort of the best of both worlds. For those situations, I wouldn't be caught out there without them. Would be nice if a 2 speed for basing was available.

[Carlos Carrapiço]

I have a few 2 speed reels that use for bottom fishing to offshore. My main reasons for having 2 speeds is the luxury of being able to pick up slack quickly but having a cranking low gear available to pull up large groupers and amberjacks or when fishing offshore for deep water dwellers like tuna and swordfish. Sort of the best of both worlds. For those situations, I wouldn't be caught out there without them. Would be nice if a 2 speed for basing was available.

Abu made some 2-speed reels for bass. I remember the C3 and the Pro Max.

[GARRIGA]

I have a few 2 speed reels that use for bottom fishing to offshore. My main reasons for having 2 speeds is the luxury of being able to pick up slack quickly but having a cranking low gear available to pull up large groupers and amberjacks or when fishing offshore for deep water dwellers like tuna and swordfish. Sort of the best of both worlds. For those situations, I wouldn't be caught out there without them. Would be nice if a 2 speed for basing was available.

Abu made some 2-speed reels for bass. I remember the C3 and the Pro Max.

Interesting. Any idea why it didn't catch on? Too heavy? Too big?

I can see myself using a 2 speed for certain techniques like punching where high speed is good for covering water but putting it in low gear would help winch a monster and all the cabbage out. Actually, any application where high gears is beneficiary but would be nice to drop to a low 2:1 to slowly drag a big fish in without having to use the rod and potentially create slack or a big hole at the hook point.

When I fish the Middle Gounds for grouper, we have a term, crank don't yank. Only possible with low gear reels or HEG of the Trinidads. Kind of weird at first but does result in less lost fish.

[Carlos Carrapiço]

Interesting. Any idea why it didn't catch on? Too heavy? Too big?

I can see myself using a 2 speed for certain techniques like punching where high speed is good for covering water but putting it in low gear would help winch a monster and all the cabbage out. Actually, any application where high gears is beneficiary but would be nice to drop to a low 2:1 to slowly drag a big fish in without having to use the rod and potentially create slack or a big hole at the hook point.

When I fish the Middle Gounds for grouper, we have a term, crank don't yank. Only possible with low gear reels or HEG of the Trinidads. Kind of weird at first but does result in less lost fish.

I really don't know. I have a Pro Max an is heavy but mostly due to overall construction.
The C3 would be a more light and easy reel to use and the person that showed the 2-speed reels to me for the first time loved them.

Nevertheless, I think the 2-speed of the Abu's reels is different from what is used in saltwater.
The Abu systems works with a preset tension (using the wheel next to the drag star). When you overcome this preset tension by turning the handle without moving the spool, it changes gears. So this is more or less like automatic gears while in saltwater reels I believe you have a switch and you choose when you change gears.

[spicytuna]

Haiya great guys
Need your views.
I own a shimano jigger ld 2 speed. Any views on this reel and how to fully utilise the 2 speed function, that is on what condition would the 2 speed be use, tank ya!

The high gear is generally used for vertical jigging presentations, so that your iron moves through the water column quickly to induce a strike. You may also find it useful for taking up slack or getting your lure back to the boat quickly once it is out of the strike zone to cast again. The low gear is used after you hook a fish, so you have more winding torque to winch the fish to the boat.

[GARRIGA]

Interesting. Any idea why it didn't catch on? Too heavy? Too big?

I can see myself using a 2 speed for certain techniques like punching where high speed is good for covering water but putting it in low gear would help winch a monster and all the cabbage out. Actually, any application where high gears is beneficiary but would be nice to drop to a low 2:1 to slowly drag a big fish in without having to use the rod and potentially create slack or a big hole at the hook point.

When I fish the Middle Gounds for grouper, we have a term, crank don't yank. Only possible with low gear reels or HEG of the Trinidads. Kind of weird at first but does result in less lost fish.

I really don't know. I have a Pro Max an is heavy but mostly due to overall construction.
The C3 would be a more light and easy reel to use and the person that showed the 2-speed reels to me for the first time loved them.

Nevertheless, I think the 2-speed of the Abu's reels is different from what is used in saltwater.
The Abu systems works with a preset tension (using the wheel next to the drag star). When you overcome this preset tension by turning the handle without moving the spool, it changes gears. So this is more or less like automatic gears while in saltwater reels I believe you have a switch and you choose when you change gears.

Sounds like the Tuburon reels that down shift as drag pressure increases. This would be the best of both worlds. I've thought about getting one and if I get back to fishing saltwater, probably will.

[Choupique]

I have an old Shimano Bantam BeastMaster that shifts from 6:1 to 4:1 its pretty funky.

[ScoobyDoo]

The low gear of the Talica is just a muscle gear. Its nice but not usually needed. I fish talica's, and tiagra's. Shimano is going to be nice enough to give me a few talica 25's to torture on some tuna. Its nice to know that you do have that muscle winching gear when a big tuna is doing its death circles under the boat. But as long as your arms are too tired its usually easer to short stroke it in high gear.

I prefer low gear on trolling gear to bring up fouled spreader bars or dredges while on the move.

Depending on what your after and size reel you have. I recommend you spool that sucker up with 80lb fins metered braid. Good stuff...

[Capt Ray]

Two times a two speed reel is essential. One is tuna fishing. When a big yellow fin puts his head down you need that low gear to turn it. Short stroking can help but match that with a low gear and you will boat that fish before the sharks can get to it.

Second, bottom fishing near structure. In high gear you will be lucky to stop a big bottom dweller from rocking you, in low gear you can turn them and get them coming up, then switch to high gear and get them in the boat.

[Tunanorth]

I absolutely feel that 2-speed reels are necessary when tuna start to exceed the 75 pound mark.

[Seph]

Lots of really solid info on this thread about 2 speeds. Covered everything.
I would like to mention one more thing though. To anyone who isn't sold on the torque difference in low speed and high speed I would recommend a fun demo.

Line up a 2 speed and place it on any boat/jigging rod. Tie something heavy to the line. I like to use a 5 lb downrigger ball, but anything will do... cinder block, weightlifting weights, small children. Beginning with the hi speed gear try to reel the object in without using the rod. Next drop to low gear and be AMAZED at the increase in torque. Even if you understand that the two speeds have a different amount of torque, this is really a fun demo that puts a tangible feeling into your hands/head about power fishing.

[GARRIGA]

The difference between high and low gear is why I'm surprise more bass fisherman don't use their cranking reels to punch or flip with. I can move a ten # grouper a lot faster with a 4.6:1 gear reel then with a 6:1. Can't see how that doesn't translate to bass stuck under pads of vegetation. If they only made a 100 size Tiburon under 10 oz it would be the next big thing.

[Carlos Carrapiço]

The difference between high and low gear is why I'm surprise more bass fisherman don't use their cranking reels to punch or flip with. I can move a ten # grouper a lot faster with a 4.6:1 gear reel then with a 6:1. Can't see how that doesn't translate to bass stuck under pads of vegetation. If they only made a 100 size Tiburon under 10 oz it would be the next big thing.

I think this has to do with the distance between the fishermen and fish.

When punching and flipping, the fishermen is very close to the fish in comparing with grouper fishing.
In bass fishing situations, I believe that using the rod may produce more instantaneous results and also bass behaves differently from a grouper. Once you got the bass coming in your direction, most of the work is done. I don't believe you can say the same with grouper fishing.

Another factor may have to do with the added weight of the two speed gears. Most bass fishermen are very weight sensitive ....