Custom gun needs a custom reel

    For specific situations, I will want to use a reel on the carbon fiber gun that I'm building. For this gun, I'm talking about diving around oil rigs, but I also use my shorter gun around bridges and jettys, with lots of surface structure that can entangle a float line. Sure, I could buy a reel, but where's the fun in that. :D


    Unfortunately, I'm almost totally ignorant on the subject. So I would like to hear any and all thoughts on what makes a particularly good or a bad reel.


    1. Orientation (horizontal vs. vertical)?
    2. Design - open, vs the old "Wally Potts" enclosed design, or others
    3. Materials? (Plastic, aluminum, or stainless would all be possible)
    4. Line guides (yes / no)?
    5. Drag details?


    Any pictures of specific brands or features (good or bad) would be great. And remember, like a home made gun, this is a "one off". The design doesn't have to lend itself to mass production. Thanks in advance.

    Edited once, last by Guest ().

    Tin Man---as you know, I prefer the RA Vecta reel and have 3 loaded with 200f of 600lb QPowerLine each.
    I use this reel over 140 days a year without a problem.
    I like everything about this reel EXCEPT the drag, which is only better than nothing
    Many others here will have their own favorite reels. Seaweed uses a very nice reel.
    I think that HOW a spearo uses a reel is very important. A speargun reel to me is a spear line storage tool.
    A good reel to me is a reel that is simple, light weight, rugged, convenient and dependable.
    Just my opinion


    You are the man Larry :thumbsup2:

    I really like the drag on the new Riffe reels. It's a ratcheting type with a lever. But it's a bit too bulky for my liking and they're really proud of it...$160:@

    I'm a drag line guy 75%, but here's one on my kelp bed gun I fab'ed from 6061T6 and anodized gold.
    It is 3.75 wide and 2.75 deep it mounts on a 17/4 pin hub that is also a shaft guide in the top rail.
    I use carbon washers for the drag assembly.The line runs through a polished 17/4 clevis and pin.
    Cheers, Don

    My favorite so far is the Maorisub Dentex. It is delrin enclosed by stainless rods. Also unlike most reels the drag cannot lock the reel and once set the drag doesn't deviate from it's setting at all.


    I take the line guide off.


    How many feet of line do you require on it?



    Davie Peguero

    Another thing is that it is positively bouyant.


    Quote from Mariner

    Where did you get that reel Davie?


    Italy. That's the bad thing about the reel. I was quoted 60 euro plus 50 euro shipping from Maorisub, and good luck trying to communicate with the company. I was able to get someone in Italy to buy it from a shop and ship it to me for around $10 shipping costs.


    Harry lucked out and bought a personal stash from a dive store in Texas that went out of business.


    I was talking with Harry last week on how awesome it would be if someone could produce the reel here. It looks fairly easy for someone with a lathe or CNC. Producing one unit is a waste since the setup is already done.


    The only other reel I would use is a Riffe reel but they are so expensive and bulky.

    Davie Peguero

    Horizontal reel - they don't stick out as much as vertical reels


    Lighter the better - probably plastic is the best way to go


    Knob has to be easy to crank in line


    Have to have 2 models 50m of line or something higher like 80-90m of line


    The drag system isn't very important. Drag should always be set with the tiniest tension to prevent unwinding and tangling. The real drag is your hand on the reel slowing it down. As long as the drag remains where you set it, that is the most important.

    Quote from seaweed

    My favorite so far is the Maorisub Dentex. It is delrin enclosed by stainless rods. Also unlike most reels the drag cannot lock the reel and once set the drag doesn't deviate from it's setting at all.


    How many feet of line do you require on it?


    Do you know specifically how the drag design is different from other reels? Not sure about the amount of line. I won't need much for diving a short gun around relatively shallow inshore structure. More when offshore.

    Quote from Tin Man

    Do you know specifically how the drag design is different from other reels? Not sure about the amount of line. I won't need much for diving a short gun around relatively shallow inshore structure. More when offshore.


    I call it an isolating washer.


    Basically most reels use a straight metal arbor threaded on the ends as you can see in Marcos post. Those drag design have washers then the drag knob screwed on. When the reel spins the friction between the spool and washers is enough to move the drag knob. This can lead to the drag locking up when a fish pulls hard because it can tighten the drag knob when line is playing out.


    You have to be really careful and wind the reels in a direction that the drag will loosen when a fish runs not tightens. Some designs put a transverse pin in the threaded part to stop this but then drag adjustment can lock the reel in as little as 1/8 a turn. With the dentex reel the drag cannot lock the reel. Even if you really crank it down many turns of the knob it is never locking the reel.


    The dentex reel has a delrin arbor and a hole is drilled and tapped in the center. The top of the arbor is shaped by removing a chord from the arbor like in the picture and the same is done to low friction washer. The chord is cut to the depth of the 2 washers. This is what I call the isolating washer is allows the spool to spin and this rotating friction force is transferred to the arbor by the washer and not the drag knob.
    A rubber washer goes over the isolating washer then a derlin washer goes over that to sandwich it in. The drag knob is a regular plastic knob available probably anywhere.


    The drag washer is a good design in that in wears down, I think it is a layered material. The other day I took mines apart and there wash alot of "washer dust" after two years of use between it and the spool. The Isolating washer is a softer material than the delrin spool, that way only the washer wears and doesn't damage the spool.


    Davie Peguero

    Thanks for the detailed explanation Davie. It sounds like the dentex system is very similar to the drag that is built into the spool of a spinning reel (for H&L fishing). That makes sense, since you don't want a fighting fish on H&L gear to either increase or decrease the drag.


    I do get the point that the amount of drag is much less important, and the fact that it stays relatively constant more so.


    The reel i'm waiting for in the mail. It looks good, but you never know until you use it.


    Interesting idea similar to maorisub reel. I never used it so i cannot comment if its any good.

    Those open spools are fine as long as you don't fill them up. One good thing about open spools is you can regulate the amount pressure you want on the fish easily with your hand. This is important when you shoot a fish and it tries to hole up. You can put the brakes on him.


    The closed reel i think is a safer reel if designed correctly. The open reel might be able to take more line but I am not sure.


    Tin Man,


    What is the best way to make the reel as light as possible?

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