In line reels

[bryan62]

Anyone have a comparison/opinion on the Eagle Claw versus the No. 8 CGI inline reels?

[dsqui]

cgi's are junk.  i lost alot of fish last year due to line getting inside the real.  im not the only person i know that had this problem either.  later in the year last winter i switched to the frabill 371 and couldnt be happier.  they are about double the price of a cgi but well worth it and still come in alot cheaper then a black betty.   the eagle claws are basicaly the same thing as a cgi i wouldnt recommend either.  imho inlines are like baitcasters its worth it to spend a little more to have a better working real to not have to deal with the head aches.  its a PITA to tear apart a real to get the line out of the gears with frozen fingers

[DR.SPECKLER]

I have both and they are about the same except the cgi has a spool guard,they both work alright for the price but I use the pencil grip hold and they are awkward for me because the spool rubs on my hand.i do like the free spool feature and no line twist though.

[wax_worm]

I have 8 of the eagle claw and have no issues with line getting on the spool.  If you add another washer under the spring washer in the star drag the drag can be adjusted much better on the lighter side of the drag settings.  You have to get used to the free spool when letting line out, otherwise you can end up with mess like in a baitcaster .

[Fishking83]

I have an Eagle Claw with the extra washer in it and the drag seems to go too easily from loose to tight.  Seems like its difficult to get the drag just right and usually either too loose or too tight.  However, I still prefer using the Eagle Claw inline over a spinning reel if fishing in deep water.  Don't have good luck at all with fishing spinning reels in deep water as I usually use size 16 jigs.  Weight of the jig isin't enough to take the memory coil out of the line.  I'm hoping to add a few more spinning reels to my arsenal this winter.

[frmboybuck]

Anyone have a comparison/opinion on the Eagle Claw versus the No. 8 CGI inline reels?

I have 2 CGI reels and love them. People that have trouble with them more than likely have to much line on the spools which will cause backlash and birds nest.  On the flip side, I tried 2 different frabill 371 reps and they felt like coffee grinders. Not smooth at all

[bryan62]

I have 8 of the eagle claw and have no issues with line getting on the spool.  If you add another washer under the spring washer in the star drag the drag can be adjusted much better on the lighter side of the drag settings.  You have to get used to the free spool when letting line out, otherwise you can end up with mess like in a baitcaster .

You need to hook a brother up on how to add the extra washer!!

[wax_worm]

You need to hook a brother up on how to add the extra washer!!

Pretty easy to do once you get the extra washer.  I will send you a picture of the washer I used.

[Stinkybaits]

The CGI, EC, and 371 internal are the same exact reel. Cosmetically they look differently with the 371 offering a couple different neck lengths and spool housing for easy palming of the reel. The CGI also has a housing too. That being said the 371 is overpriced for what it is. The CGI is on but the housing can get the line caught up just something else on the way to go wrong imo. EC for the money great reel of you add a second spring. BB 661 is by far the best of the internals imo but it's also more expensive but if your buying a 371 your pretty close to the price of the BB so it makes better sense to buy the BB at that point.

[wax_worm]

You need to hook a brother up on how to add the extra washer!!

Here are the steps to add a washer to the drag.

1 .  remove the button you push to free spool line off the reel
2.  Remove the spring
3.  Remove the small Phillips screw
4.  Remove the flat locking plate on reel handle
5.  Remove the nut holding handle on
6.  Remove the handle
7.  Remove star drag by spinning counter clockwise while holding spool.

This will expose the single spring washer on the shaft.  Add a nylon washer on top.  Size of washer is ID of 0.33, OD of 0.50 and thicknes of 0.03.  Measurements are in inches.

8.  Reassemble in reverse order making sure not to cross thread star drag, and handle nut.  Also do not over tighten the Phillips screw when replacing.

[dsqui]

im sorry stinky but you are completely wrong.  this is the problem with the internet you have guys trying to state facts that just arent true and people just believe it because its there.  the cgi and eagle claws may have the same internals but the 371 is not the same it has a fasster gear ratio then the other two so the components cant be the exact same.  by this if it was summer time yould be saying well this real is 4.3.1 and that real is 8.1.1 same exact reals just cosmetically different no there not. also the 371 has 6 bb  the cgi and eagle claw has 5bb so how are the internals exactly the same

[philk]

im sorry stinky but you are completely wrong.  this is the problem with the internet you have guys trying to state facts that just arent true and people just believe it because its there.  the cgi and eagle claws may have the same internals but the 371 is not the same it has a fasster gear ratio then the other two so the components cant be the exact same.  by this if it was summer time yould be saying well this real is 4.3.1 and that real is 8.1.1 same exact reals just cosmetically different no there not. also the 371 has 6 bb  the cgi and eagle claw has 5bb so how are the internals exactly the same

dsqui, you are absolutely spot on with your assessment.  So much incorrect information is stated in some of these threads.  Do your due diligence on the products.  There is plenty of information/manuals available on line.  Familiarize yourself with information and then ask for reviews of the products.   

[Stinkybaits]

im sorry stinky but you are completely wrong.  this is the problem with the internet you have guys trying to state facts that just arent true and people just believe it because its there.  the cgi and eagle claws may have the same internals but the 371 is not the same it has a fasster gear ratio then the other two so the components cant be the exact same.  by this if it was summer time yould be saying well this real is 4.3.1 and that real is 8.1.1 same exact reals just cosmetically different no there not. also the 371 has 6 bb  the cgi and eagle claw has 5bb so how are the internals exactly the same

I tore the crap apart last year side by side pictures and all don't believe me I don't give a flying fish either way what Chinese reel anyone purchases. I pound fish regardless so makes me no difference just stating the facts. If you would like to get together and buy me dinner when I prove it's the same internal guts then I'm down for the challenge and  dinner will be surf and turf at the Cork N Cleaver  PhilK you can get in on this bet I can eat two dinners at once. Drinks on losers too....

[wax_worm]

im sorry stinky but you are completely wrong.  this is the problem with the internet you have guys trying to state facts that just arent true and people just believe it because its there.  the cgi and eagle claws may have the same internals but the 371 is not the same it has a fasster gear ratio then the other two so the components cant be the exact same.  by this if it was summer time yould be saying well this real is 4.3.1 and that real is 8.1.1 same exact reals just cosmetically different no there not. also the 371 has 6 bb  the cgi and eagle claw has 5bb so how are the internals exactly the same

I have no skin in the game as it is not my money you guys are spending, but here are the facts:

It is not worth the 45.00 extra bucks for the differences.  EC weighs only 5.6 oz, brings in 15.75 inches of line per turn of handle and has a 2.6:1 gear ratio.  371 weighs nearly a full 3 ozs more at 8.5 oz, brings in 22 inches of line per turn and has 3.7:1 gear ratio.  EC is 4+1 ball bearing system and 371 is 5+1. 

Now consider what you are doing when ice fishing.  You are dropping the line down a hole.  High gear ratios are for picking up line quickly, which is great when bass fishing in open water in tournaments because you can get in more casts in an 8 hour period.  For ice fishing this concept is nearly meaningless considering most people fish in less than 30 ft of water.

Lower gear ratios are for power.  If you want speed, you lose power in a reel and vice versa.  A bit more education here.  You can't look at the gear ratio alone without also looking at the spool diameter.  A reel can have the same internals and a larger spool and pick up more line.  A reel can also have a higher gear ratio and small spool and pick up less line than one with a smaller gear ratio and large spool.  They can also simply reduce the number of teeth on the small pinion gear and use the exact same drive gear and change the gear ratio to a 'faster' less powerful reel (marketing trick).  The gear ratio is calculated by dividing the number of teeth on the large drive gear (the one you turn with the handle) by the number of teeth on the pinion gear which turns the spool.  So 72 teeth on the drive gear and 12 teeth on the pinion gear would be 6:1 meaning every handle turn the spool turns 6 times, which depending on spool diameter is how much line you bring in.

The 4+1 vs. 5+1 regarding ball bearings is another marketing ploy.  Without knowing the make up or quality/location of the bearings themselves, there is no way to tell if it actually makes the reel better.  Even if you assume it is of quality and located where it is needed, it is certainly not worth even 5 dollars of the 45 dollar price difference.

Don't be confused/fooled by marketing lingo into spending 65 to 70 bucks for 1 more bearing (you are dropping line down a hole for God's sake), and  less power so you can retrieve 6 more inches of line per handle turn.  Isn't the goal of fishing to enjoy the fight once the fish is hooked and not to 'horse' it out of the hole as fast as possible? Light line (thread or 1lb- 2lb test) and fast gear ratios are a recipe for a lot of break offs unless the drag is set very light then the gear ratio is virtually meaningless.  The weight, if accurate, is concerning also (I got the weights off amazon as Frabill does not list the weight...hmmm I wonder why??).   I know I would not want a reel that weighs half a pound on the end of my ice rods.  Most of my bass reels weigh less than that and I have 7 feet of rod to balance against it there.  An ice rod would be very rear end heavy with an 8 oz reel.

IF you want an EC (or any reel for that matter) to pick up more line, use some cheap backing (4 lb omniflex is dirt cheap) from WM to fill the majority of the spool, then tie in 30 - 50 yds of your normal line.  This will increase the spool diameter by quite a bit and increase the line pickup without spending 45 more dollars for 371.  It also saves the more expensive line for actual in water usage instead of buried on your spool where you may never use it.

[crappieslayer37]

Very well put Wax.

[first sergeant]

And that my friends is being educated.. thanks again wax you always amaze me wish I were a little more like you   ...I myself have 6 of the 371's but then again I have a friend who is sponsored by them so ....

[sprkplug]

Wax's  primer on geartrains and mathematics aside, the statement was, quote: "The CGI, EC, and 371 internal are the same exact reel.".

Well, if we concede that the gear ratio is in fact different, then somewhere as wax stated, there is a varying number of teeth between the two reels. That's how a geartrain works. In light of that, "exact" is incorrect. At least when viewed literally. Practicality is another story altogether. Count the number of teeth on the gears....there's a difference somewhere. Maybe not much, maybe not enough to count for anything, but that wasn't the issue...."exact" is the issue. Or, someone in corporate is stretching the math, somewhere.

Real world, practical application? Negligible difference. Letter-of-the-law, literal interpretation? I think Stinky's buying dinner and drinks.

[Greg2ha]

Not trying to get this thread going backwards or anything but which model eagle claw are we talking about and what is the price. Sorry
for not catching that info.


Greg

[bryan62]

Here are the steps to add a washer to the drag.

1 .  remove the button you push to free spool line off the reel
2.  Remove the spring
3.  Remove the small Phillips screw
4.  Remove the flat locking plate on reel handle
5.  Remove the nut holding handle on
6.  Remove the handle
7.  Remove star drag by spinning counter clockwise while holding spool.

This will expose the single spring washer on the shaft.  Add a nylon washer on top.  Size of washer is ID of 0.33, OD of 0.50 and thicknes of 0.03.  Measurements are in inches.

8.  Reassemble in reverse order making sure not to cross thread star drag, and handle nut.  Also do not over tighten the Phillips screw when replacing.

Thanks Wax!!

[Elrik]

I tore the crap apart last year side by side pictures and all don't believe me I don't give a flying fish either way what Chinese reel anyone purchases. I pound fish regardless so makes me no difference just stating the facts. If you would like to get together and buy me dinner when I prove it's the same internal guts then I'm down for the challenge and  dinner will be surf and turf at the Cork N Cleaver  PhilK you can get in on this bet I can eat two dinners at once. Drinks on losers too....

Your side by side was the eagle claw and cgi (was an awesome tear apart i really appreciated at the time!). The other poster was stating that the 371 is different. The frabiil 241 is the identical sibling of the eagle claw and cgi, the 371 is more like an older brother with some part differences.

[wax_worm]

Not trying to get this thread going backwards or anything but which model eagle claw are we talking about and what is the price. Sorry
for not catching that info.


Greg

I am speaking about the ECILIR which retails for 25.00 to 29.00 at most places.

[SirCranksalot]

Now consider what you are doing when ice fishing.  You are dropping the line down a hole.  High gear ratios are for picking up line quickly, which is great when bass fishing in open water in tournaments because you can get in more casts in an 8 hour period.  For ice fishing this concept is nearly meaningless considering most people fish in less than 30 ft of water.

  Isn't the goal of fishing to enjoy the fight once the fish is hooked and not to 'horse' it out of the hole as fast as possible? Light line (thread or

I agree with most of what you said but not this. If you fish in 100 ft of water, as I and many people I know do, then what 'most people' do is of no interest. The advantage of a high gear ratio for me and others fishing in deep water is not the speed with which we can reel in a fish. It's the speed with which we can reel in our bait/lure to change it or make sure it's still there. It's not always easy to tell when using a minnow, for e.g., in deeper water whether or not it's still on your hook.

[wax_worm]

I agree with most of what you said but not this. If you fish in 100 ft of water, as I and many people I know do, then what 'most people' do is of no interest. The advantage of a high gear ratio for me and others fishing in deep water is not the speed with which we can reel in a fish. It's the speed with which we can reel in our bait/lure to change it or make sure it's still there. It's not always easy to tell when using a minnow, for e.g., in deeper water whether or not it's still on your hook.

No one in indiana is fishing even half that deep and the vast majority are fishing less than 30.  Fishing in IN is where I was talking about since it was asked on the IN board.    Unless you are changing lures 50 times an outing or losing 4 dozen minnows a trip the 6 inches of line per turn is not worth the 45.00 price difference in price IMO.   Might be time for some newer electronics if you can't tell when your minnow is gone.  I can easily tell in 30 ft if I lose a minnow without the zoom.  With adjustable zoom you should be able to see the difference between a jig and minnow and just a jig at a 100 ft or more.

[philk]

Mike, great product assessment/review.  I don't know how this tread got twisted to pounding fish and betting dinners LMAO. 

[Greg2ha]

Thanks Wax

[big_fisher]

I have no skin in the game as it is not my money you guys are spending, but here are the facts:

It is not worth the 45.00 extra bucks for the differences.  EC weighs only 5.6 oz, brings in 15.75 inches of line per turn of handle and has a 2.6:1 gear ratio.  371 weighs nearly a full 3 ozs more at 8.5 oz, brings in 22 inches of line per turn and has 3.7:1 gear ratio.  EC is 4+1 ball bearing system and 371 is 5+1. 

Now consider what you are doing when ice fishing.  You are dropping the line down a hole.  High gear ratios are for picking up line quickly, which is great when bass fishing in open water in tournaments because you can get in more casts in an 8 hour period.  For ice fishing this concept is nearly meaningless considering most people fish in less than 30 ft of water.

Lower gear ratios are for power.  If you want speed, you lose power in a reel and vice versa.  A bit more education here.  You can't look at the gear ratio alone without also looking at the spool diameter.  A reel can have the same internals and a larger spool and pick up more line.  A reel can also have a higher gear ratio and small spool and pick up less line than one with a smaller gear ratio and large spool.  They can also simply reduce the number of teeth on the small pinion gear and use the exact same drive gear and change the gear ratio to a 'faster' less powerful reel (marketing trick).  The gear ratio is calculated by dividing the number of teeth on the large drive gear (the one you turn with the handle) by the number of teeth on the pinion gear which turns the spool.  So 72 teeth on the drive gear and 12 teeth on the pinion gear would be 6:1 meaning every handle turn the spool turns 6 times, which depending on spool diameter is how much line you bring in.

The 4+1 vs. 5+1 regarding ball bearings is another marketing ploy.  Without knowing the make up or quality/location of the bearings themselves, there is no way to tell if it actually makes the reel better.  Even if you assume it is of quality and located where it is needed, it is certainly not worth even 5 dollars of the 45 dollar price difference.

Don't be confused/fooled by marketing lingo into spending 65 to 70 bucks for 1 more bearing (you are dropping line down a hole for God's sake), and  less power so you can retrieve 6 more inches of line per handle turn.  Isn't the goal of fishing to enjoy the fight once the fish is hooked and not to 'horse' it out of the hole as fast as possible? Light line (thread or 1lb- 2lb test) and fast gear ratios are a recipe for a lot of break offs unless the drag is set very light then the gear ratio is virtually meaningless.  The weight, if accurate, is concerning also (I got the weights off amazon as Frabill does not list the weight...hmmm I wonder why??).   I know I would not want a reel that weighs half a pound on the end of my ice rods.  Most of my bass reels weigh less than that and I have 7 feet of rod to balance against it there.  An ice rod would be very rear end heavy with an 8 oz reel.

IF you want an EC (or any reel for that matter) to pick up more line, use some cheap backing (4 lb omniflex is dirt cheap) from WM to fill the majority of the spool, then tie in 30 - 50 yds of your normal line.  This will increase the spool diameter by quite a bit and increase the line pickup without spending 45 more dollars for 371.  It also saves the more expensive line for actual in water usage instead of buried on your spool where you may never use it.

When I lurk this is the kind of info I like to lurk on!

[Stinkybaits]

I haven't posted the 371 tare down yet. We did and I'll tare the others and get down into the dirty details only because I love you guys lol.

[sprkplug]

Looking forward to the teardown. The way I see it, only two possible outcomes. Either the 371 doesn't have the gear ratio it's advertised to have, or the internals (gearing) are/is different when compared against the other two. So which is more likely: The company falsified the info, or the internals aren't exactly the same? I know what I'm thinking, dinner and drinks are on Stinky.

[Stinkybaits]

Spark you need in on this bet then anty up!! I still don't have any takers on the offer. Your offer can be year round pass to Sparks fish zoo. I'll catch and release them all. Your feeding them some kind of weird growth formula and I don't want to glow at night. 

[SirCranksalot]

No one in indiana is fishing even half that deep and the vast majority are fishing less than 30.  Fishing in IN is where I was talking about since it was asked on the IN board.    Unless you are changing lures 50 times an outing or losing 4 dozen minnows a trip the 6 inches of line per turn is not worth the 45.00 price difference in price IMO.   Might be time for some newer electronics if you can't tell when your minnow is gone.  I can easily tell in 30 ft if I lose a minnow without the zoom.  With adjustable zoom you should be able to see the difference between a jig and minnow and just a jig at a 100 ft or more.

Sorry, I didn't notice the Indiana part. It came up on my feed as 'new posts since last visit'

My FF is quite old but my buddy has a Lowrance 4X HD and he can't tell if he's lost a minnow at 100ft. Maybe some of the fancier models can?