BUZZBAIT
PENN’S SQUALL (LEFT) DAIWA BALLISTIC (MIDDLE) AND ABU’S REVO S ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF
A KAYAK ANGLER’S ABUSE AND BUDGET. PHOTO: RIC BURNLEY
[TACK LE]
REEL DEALS E
GET HIGH-DOLLAR FEATURES AT A ROCK-BOTTOM PRICE BY RIC BURNLEY
veryone knows you get what you pay for, but I bet you didn’t know that a kayak fisherman was the first to point this out. Right after he broke off a
trophy fish because his reel seized up, rod snapped and line gave way. Beating a big fish in a little boat isn’t easy, and few kayak anglers can shell
out a thousand bucks for a reel that is truly up to the task. Fortunately, tackle manufacturers have figured out how to add high-dollar features to reasonably priced fish winches. For a tour of the landscape, I headed to Oceans East Bait and Tackle in
Virginia Beach. The shop’s fishing specialist, Mark Lozier, showed me a couple of $200 reels with features once reserved for more expensive models. He handed me a light-spinner. “I’ve been using the Daiwa Ballistic,” he said, “I can land 30-inch reds with a 2500 size reel.” The reel has a watertight drag, 10 stainless ball bearings and magnetic oil that seals the rotor to the shaft. These features were previously offered on models pushing $500. Then he showed me a slick white and black compact baitcaster. “This one
has been popular with the freshwater and saltwater guys,” he told me. I was holding Abu Garcia’s Revo S. Lozier explained that the reel has the same alloy frame, brass gears and carbon drag as the more expensive Revo X. “And it’s smaller and lighter than the old model.” The price tag had me sold. I left the shop with my head full of Lambo reels and a Honda price tag.
How could manufacturers pull it off? That’s what I asked Curt Arakawa, marketing manager at Daiwa. “As we sell more high-dollar reels the volume helps to reduce the cost
of manufacturing the best features,” he explained. The competitive tackle market drives companies to build better reels for a lower price. “We are willing to sacrifice profits to bring our anglers the quality and performance that they demand.” Abu Garcia has a horse in the race, too. In addition to the re-designed Revo
S, Abu Garcia is including high-dollar features throughout their line of reels. Paul Davis, marketing manager at Pure Fishing, explains, “The biggest factors affecting the price of a reel are materials and marketing.” By purchasing raw materials in bulk and producing thousands of reels, the
company is able to cut costs and develop new technology cheaper. Even if the price is low, expectations for performance and durability are high. “These reels were tested against our more expensive models,” he says. For
the Revo S, that meant a trip to El Salto Lake in Mexico. “We caught hundreds of bass, many over seven pounds, in the worst conditions,” Davis told me. And there’s more good news. These features will trickle down to even
lower-priced models. Arakawa says Daiwa plans to include magnetic oil and other features on reels under $150. Abu Garcia is expanding these innovations to other models.
22…KAYAK ANGLER
THE BALLISTIC BY DAIWA USES MAGNETIC OIL TO MAINTAIN A WATERTIGHT SEAL
BETWEEN ROTOR AND SHAFT. GET MORE DETAILS AT
WWW.DAIWA.COM.
FRAME, BRASS GEARS AND CARBON DRAG. CHECK IT OUT AT
WWW.ABUGARCIA.COM.
ABU GARCIA’S REVO S FEATURES ALLOY “Even our famous round reels are getting an overhaul to include higher-
quality features,” Davis told me. As the big boys blaze the trail, other reel companies will follow. Back at the tackle shop, Mark Lozier pointed out one problem. “With
inexpensive reels getting better,” he worries, “it will be harder for customers to choose which one to buy.”
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