Baitcasting Young Guns: Fresh New Low-Profile Reels
Introduction: When it comes to baitcasters Shimano and Daiwa are typically top of mind as they not only have the largest marketshare but are able to support the most proprietary reel platforms with in-house design and manufacturing. Other leading and well-established brands include Pure Fishing's Abu Garcia, Okuma, and Lews. While the reel market is very competitive there has been a number of rod manufacturers that have introduced their own branded reels, as well as a few independent reel makers that are entering the fray. Let's take a look at some of these baitcasting "young guns" that launched new low-profile reels at the recent ICAST.
ARK and Haibo are actually partners in the design and manufacturing of these reels. ARK markets and sells in the Americas and Haibo in Asia. Patent for the braking system is shared between the two companies.
Cal, Managing Editor "fish with mindfulness : beware the darkside"
whose going to be the first the give the young guns a shot? see what I did there, no pun intended
i'm telling you a career in comedy is calling my name..
on a more serious note. they all "look" the same to me. same silhouette if im just looking at them.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible
waiting for someone to create an actual dedicated ice fishing casting reel...but not like the 13 tear drop dead weight.
I've been using an older Calcutta 51 on my MH and H ice fishing rods with great results.
Awesome, been using the Chronarch Mg50 since it's inception along with the Calcuatta 50GT. Then the CU50E and the CU70. The Scorpian BFS and Curado BFS are awesome. Slaying all those panfish and perch to catfish and eelpouts. Just that all these reels are looking at around $200+ retail.
Simple ice fishing could use some cheapo graphite reels but shallow spool designs like BFS reels. Still quality design to handle 2# mono line diameter without the line somehow sneaking past the edge of the spool and onto the spool shaft. Plus graphite is less cold to the freezing hands compared to cold aluminum frames, especially the Calcutta.
