Electric Reels Why And Why not

[stream]

I was reading the post on halibut and was wondering what is wrong with electric reels? Is that it’s not fair to the fish? What is it?

[Phil Layer]

They give a definite advantage to the fishermen in deep water over a manual reel in that electrics allow you to do frequent bait checks. Outlaw electrics and the catch rate will undoubtedly go down.

For us old codgers, it is the only way we can realistically fish the ranch or the banana. Take away my electric, and I will need to say goodbye to halibut in deep water. My surgically repaired shoulder just won't be able to bring up lead from 80 fathoms.

[fish_on]

I don't think they give you a big advantage and don't think they are used widely enough to effect the catch. We tagged out last year and only had manual reels.

[stream]

I like them my self and don’t under stand why people would want to get rid of them. I caught my first halibut this year on electric reel and it was fun. Then went out Depoe bay with my own boat and used my hand reels and needed to drive the boat with my left hand but still got it in the boat. One fish per person no different then with the electric reels one fish per person. Thanks for the response.

[Grady252]

I personally don't think it will effect catch rates much if any. I think it is simply changing techknowlogy. Like there didn't used to be 2 speed reels either. Should we outlaw 2 speeds because they give an unfair advantage?

Wait a minute what about a weight release that leaves the lead on the bottom, so you can reel up with ease? Those have been used for years.

I have been butt fishing for 10 years and I have always tagged out with my single speed Penn 345, and single speed Penn 320's.... Three years ago a friend bought a electric reel, and I gave him so much crap about being a sissy....

Once the fish is hooked it very seldom if ever is lost, especially with a circle hook. I don't think I have ever lost one. It is simply a matter of mechanics and cranking it up..... the cranking part really isn't fun. Sooooo, I caved in and got a couiple of electrics one for me and one for my wife.....THEY ARE GREAT!!!

There is no more sport in hooking a butt and laying the rod and the rail and putting a two speed in low gear and cranking very easily till it reaches the surface, it is not more than a winch.

I use my electric reel for reeling up the fish like many others do. Many guys say they only do bait checks, but that is mostly straight crap..... I have been at the banana and the chicken drifting by a boat with electrics cranking up fish..... call it like it is.... their rods are bent and tugging it is not a bait.....

I personally stand up and hold my rod and use my electric. I do not lay it on the rail and use it like a winch. There is not much sport in halibut fishing beyond the initial hook-up, it is mostly meat fishing.

Every piece of gear we own gives us an advantage, maybe no fishfinders, maybe not thermometers, maybe not boats with motors, maybe we should hunt with stones....

[HugeDuckFan]

Fishing Deep Creek Alaska last Spring, 250' water, 8 knot current and 9# dog nuts to keep it on the bottom, little chickens hitting all day...electrics are awfully nice to have around. Just pulling up that lead against the current felt like I was hooked into a record fish. I'm adding two on my boat this season.

[Bucolic buffalo]

I bought my first electric this year after fishing with Nalu with his reels and it never even entered my mind to winch my halibut in using the electric feature. I used it for bait checks. I guess you can use the electric to land the fish but it isn't the same as reeling in a butt yourself. As for having an unfair advantage once the fish is hooked it is only a matter of winching it in until it sees the boat and makes a run or two. With the circle hook they seem to stay with you. It isn't like you can catch a huge number of fish, there is a limit and a quota no matter what. My old arthritic shoulders feel a lot better at the end of the day and I may have a fish to show for it.

[tracker]

I used to be one that said no electrics on my boat but last year "Old Crow" corupted me by insisting I take his electric with me on a trip. Try as hard as I could to leave that evil thing in the pole holder and not use it was fruitless. Soon it was out of the closet and in active use. Ithink old crow should change his name to the "Candy Man".

[old crow]

tracker
that is the best picture i have ever seen of you

by the way have you got a reel yet?

[5 Salt]

Because real men do not use electric reels....

Auto-helm, auto-flush, cruise-control, hard working crew who does all clean up while you chat with other skippers, auto-nav, auto-tune, auto-target acquisition, auto-selection, auto-gain???

YOU BET!!....but not electric reels

[Nalu]

I like the OTC shirt in the pic!

[fishinmagician88]

It's a wee bit lazy I'd say. Use a manual and fight the fish head to head. "mono e mono" if you will. Here in BC electrics are illegal as far as I know...and thank goodness for that.

[lor]

I also find it intriguing that some of more able bodied guys think they are somehow in an evenly match game against the halibuts. Mono e Mono, come on, if you go down and get one spearfishing. Bring him all the way up to the surface, your feet against his tail, then I can see it. However when your in your comfy boat, a low gear ratio reel, heavy backboned rod, and practically unbreakable string, the deck seems kinda of stacked against the fish having a chance. Maybe if they threw the hook, but as others have said, thats almost impossible now with the widespread use of circle hooks.

The position I have always held is, Electric reels or manual reels which allow a cordless drill to be attached for bait checks. However all of us if we live long enough will reach a stage in life when we cannot go "mono e mono" with the denizens of the deep. I don't fault the old salts if they want to use technology, and find it comical how we randomly choose which technology is ok and which type is bad based upon our personal means and abilities. Back to the electric reels, I would hate to beach grandpa just because he can't reel a fish from 800 ft.

[Grady252]

Originally Posted by fishinmagician88

It's a wee bit lazy I'd say. Use a manual and fight the fish head to head. "mono e mono" if you will. Here in BC electrics are illegal as far as I know...and thank goodness for that.

Give me a break! What a laugh: "mono e mono" if you are using a reel, you are not going head to head..... you have the unfair advantage of a gear ratio of your choice to drag it up.....

Lazy.... most of your butt fishing is probably not near as deep we are fishing 600-1000 ft. of line for our halibut..... you get some pretty shallow opportunities up in your neck of the woods....

Boats, fishfinders, GPS, reels, circle hooks, electric, you name it techknowlogy kicks the halibutt.

Maybe we should take away the GPS numbers and fishfinder, so you can go mono e mono and find them on your own?? Maybe we should take away nav charts too.....

Lazy? Maybe, but the rest of your post is not even close. There is no mono e mono.....

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by fishinmagician88

It's a wee bit lazy I'd say. Use a manual and fight the fish head to head. "mono e mono" if you will. Here in BC electrics are illegal as far as I know...and thank goodness for that.

Tell me.....what depth are you fishing in? 700-1000 feet? How many fish per day are you allowed? How much lead do you have to use? How many fish per year are you allowed?

Electric reels open up deep water fishing to everyone. They also allow boats to explore other areas easier so that perhaps everyone doesn't have to concentrate on the same known spots.

We've all used conventional reels for years. Electrics are a nice change.

Oh, and I'll tell you the same thing I tell any customer that asks about halibut fishing...."fighting" fish is a bit of a misnomer. Mono e mono?

[Beginners luck]

Ive never used electric reels so I cant speak for it. I HAVE however reeled in a 50 incher up from 800 feet at the Banana and I was hammered. Im in decent shape and in my late 30s.Then my retired, disabled Father hooked into one as well. He gave it all he had and I helped with it. I WILL BE BUYING ONE FOR HIM! And as its been said: With everything on most all of our boats. When do we decide what technology not to use?

[No Bail]

I've yet to use an electric, but plan on using a new reel I bought after fishing two days when the limit was raised for two fish per person. We were lucky to get into very nice fish each day. We also fished for tuna and salmon, but I was dead from the halibut alone. WE were fishing in about 700'.

I enjoy fishing for halibut but admit I enjoy eating them more. I plan on using the electric for bait checks and dog fish but time will tell if that is full of stuff or not.

[retaliate]

I don't have a electric Reel...yet, would like to get one for my wife, just cant afford one, I personally like to fight a fish, & would only use an electric Reel for bait checks...if I had one, reguardless Halibut fishing is mostly Meat fishing, & your only allowed 6 per year anyway, so I don't see how electric Reels would have any impact on the fishery, the quota would still remain the same.

[Bluefinn]

Originally Posted by retaliate

I don't have a electric Reel...yet, would like to get one for my wife, just cant afford one, I personally like to fight a fish, & would only use an electric Reel for bait checks...if I had one, reguardless Halibut fishing is mostly Meat fishing, & your only allowed 6 per year anyway, so I don't see how electric Reels would have any impact on the fishery, the quota would still remain the same.

I feel if you are able then use a regular reel.If you have a handicap sticker and you are allowed to shoot game from your vechicle or you are are over 70 .Then you should be able to use an electric reel.Part of the sport is the work to get them to the surface.If you are able and healthy.

[stream]

Well it sounds like most people like electric reels and don’t find to much wrong with them. What prices do the normally cost witch ones are the best? I have found some used ones for about $300.00 and new $550.00 and up. What ones do the charter boats use?

[5 Salt]

Electric reels are for....pzssss. Well you get the point.

PS...Easy on our new friend from BC. He's right even if he fishes in only 300-400ft of water.

[Grady252]

Originally Posted by stream

Well it sounds like most people like electric reels and don’t find to much wrong with them. What prices do the normally cost witch ones are the best? I have found some used ones for about $300.00 and new $550.00 and up. What ones do the charter boats use?

I have Mia Epoch CX-4, this reel has 50 lbs of drag, and can reel up a halibut. I reeled up a 90 lber last year with it. Mia has been making reels for 40 years in Japan, great techknowlogy. Permanent magnet motor, and a crank if you want to reel it in manually, or if you have electrical problems.

In the last few years Diawa Seeborg has been pretty popular. You will want the 700 or bigger in my opinion. Nalu has the smaller ones, but like he said he only uses them for bait checks.

I think if you get to small of one to save a few bucks it will over work the motor and shorten the life of te reel. The last thing you want to do is drop $500.00 and have it wear out.....

My CX-4 I ordered from Minstor Tackle on Ebay.... I ordered 5 and he gave me a discount for ordering so many, I thik we paid around $500.00 each. We then order 10 more for others... three days fed-x it was here.

I found about about these reels because two of my freinds bought them out of the dealer in California. They paid over $900.00 each for theirs.


Calvin: That's not nice..... You're a mean one mister grinch...

[5 Salt]

Mostly I am just jealeous of those who do...while I don't.

[Duckworth Dave]

Not why or why not but which one to buy? any advice aS i NEED 2 OF THEM.

[Grady252]

Originally Posted by Duckworth Dave

Not why or why not but which one to buy? any advice aS i NEED 2 OF THEM.

Here's a pic of mine....

[CrazyFish]

Originally Posted by retaliate

I don't have a electric Reel...yet, would like to get one for my wife, just cant afford one, I personally like to fight a fish, & would only use an electric Reel for bait checks...if I had one, reguardless Halibut fishing is mostly Meat fishing, & your only allowed 6 per year anyway, so I don't see how electric Reels would have any impact on the fishery, the quota would still remain the same.

Kenny, come on up to Halibut Hill and tell me you wouldn't use it for more than bait checks

[smalldog]

Originally Posted by Bluefinn

I feel if you are able then use a regular reel.If you have a handicap sticker and you are allowed to shoot game from your vechicle or you are are over 70 .Then you should be able to use an electric reel.Part of the sport is the work to get them to the surface.If you are able and healthy.

I agree. If they are just used to check bait and are disengaged to haul the fish up, fine.
But, if your handicapped or over retirement age 67 than fine to haul up your fish.
Any healthy guy who uses them for hauling up fish while sportfishing is just wrong.
Might as well let the sportfishermen longline too.

[Irish Pennant]

I don't own an electric, I used one once all day on a charter and I was missing my manual. It has never bothered me to reel up from depth. I've fished with some real old timers that fished all day with a manual without a complaint. I kind of conceder an electric reel to be a luxury item and I have the attitude that if you have the money to get a low end one then wait and save up for a quality one.