Straight line reel

[tank81]

What are some thoughts on the straight line reel I just bought a frabill to see what it's like

[FishDoc_1]

I have both the Frabill 101XLA and the 13 Fishing Black Betty (the 1:1 gear ratio model).  I like straight line reels for shallower water.  They are simple and don't twist the line so your the jig doesn't spin.  The large arbor on the Frabill is great because you don't have to fill up the reel with a lot of line or backing that you would have to use with a reel that has a smaller arbor. The extended foot is nice if you are wearing bulky gloves.  I'm not crazy about the Black Betty reel because it's metal and gets pretty cold.  Also, the line has jumped off the spool a couple of times and wound itself around the spindle.  The guts of the Black Betty reel are not that high of quality either.  It's a little finicky to get back together, especially on the ice.

[3300]

i tried two in-lines. they were not good. they are off balance big time. the star drag would change on it's own all of the time. you would have to mess with it every time you reeled in your jig. i did clean and use hot sauce inside of them. i sold them to some one here who last i knew is happy with them, so i guess it's to each his own, but i won't be buying geared in-lines any time soon. i did buy a one to one in-line and am happier with that, but it's about the same as a fly reel with a taller foot. i still prefer open face by far as they get me on fish much faster.

the idea behind them is less line twist, but i watched my jigs spin big time when using any in-line reel. the live bait makes it spin and all i use is spikes and only one at a time and is centered, but the part that's not hooked moves around and causes the spin.

[NYSporty]

i tried two in-lines. they were not good. they are off balance big time. the star drag would change on it's own all of the time. you would have to mess with it every time you reeled in your jig. i did clean and use hot sauce inside of it. i sold them to some one here who last i knew is happy with them, so i guess it's to each his own, but i won't be buying geared in-lines any time soon. i did buy a one to one in-line and am happier with that, but it's about the same as a fly reel with a taller foot. i still prefer open face by far as they get me on fish much faster.

I have had the same issues I hated the Black Betty1 and the eagle claw.
I will however be buying a Black betty Freefall ASAP it looks exactly what I want on my flat line rod.
I always have fish come up on the drop with that I can stop the free fall and set the hook when I see the tip go flat.

[3300]

if they would put the stem closer to the gears so it's balanced, they would have my attention. looks off balanced to me unless they counter balanced it some how.



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http://www.fishusa.com/product/13-Fishing-Black-Betty-FreeFall-Inline-Ice-Reels

[juangomer2011]

Are they only made to handle panfish, or are they able to be used for Walleye too?

[filetandrelease]

I have 6061s , I use them for perch , walleyes and Lakers without any problem, I have fished them as deep 150' , I did have  a problem with the drag tightening down on the first one I owned ,on mine the washer was up side down , man was I ticked ,

[Fedexguy]

I've paired all my rods to Number 8 CGI's. Absolutely love them! Built from composite so your hands don't get cold. Smooth drag, built in dead stick alarm, and fast! 1/2 the price BB and worth it. Give em a try 

[tank81]

Y'all have been great help thanks.

[joedevera]

I swear by the original inline reel...Schooley. I expand my arbor to get 9" per turn and don't have any issues. Very rarely do i fish deeper than 20' and when i do i have a couple of reels with gear ratio to help out a little

[chilly-willy]

X3 on what 3300 said I own two no 8 tackle code blue reels the reels are hard to operate cause there off ballaced.cause of the inlarged reel handle... all they still get line type spin for one cause of type of line I bought.. summer line is  not a winter line.. reason for the like to spin cause the waters so cold it causes the line to constrict like s mussel touching a high voltage wire.. .. then there is still the speed of getting your jig to depth these reels are just not fast enough tried every thing to speed them up.. but like said x3 on  the inline and won't buy another..

[SKIFFLAKEJIMMY]

I have a 13 Fish Teardrop. It just feels awkward, can't get used to it.

[Dave R]

I swear by the original inline reel...Schooley. I expand my arbor to get 9" per turn and don't have any issues. Very rarely do i fish deeper than 20' and when i do i have a couple of reels with gear ratio to help out a little

x2

[juangomer2011]

I just ordered the FreeFall on the Cabelas website. I hope it'll be a nice reel to pair with my TUCR quick tip!

[OIM]

I have been using Fly Reels AKA tightline, striaght line reels for about 20 years for ice fishing. The brand I like the most are the Ice Hopper Tight line Reels. They are a great vaule for what you get. They also have a reel called the sidewinder which is a upgraded schooley reel that I like to use also. Never was a fan of the orginal schooley reel personally.

I use the Tight Line Extreme the most takes up line has fast has any spinning reel and has a good drag system. Here is the Tight Line Extreme
http://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/icefishingreels/hwi-tight-line-extreme-reel-20/

I built some rods just for the Side Winder Pro from them here is the reel http://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/Side%20Winder%20Pro%20Reel/

[Hungrysportsman]

I have six 13 Fishing 6061 reels, 4 Black Betty reels, and 3 Teardrop reels. 
I LOVE the 6061!!! It is great for everything. Panfish, walleye, pike, etc.  You can use them with super light rigging or heavy lures as long as you adjust them accordingly. I wish the drag clicked like the Teardrops but other than that they are awesome.
I don't care for the Black Betty.  You have to hand feed the line out, but they work good in shallow water.  It is a new school schoolie. If you have one buy the fender for them. It makes a big difference. They are a better deal bought as a rod/reel combo and the rod they come with is real nice.
The Teardrop is alright, but as mentioned it is not well balanced. I use them on my JawJacker tips and think they are great for that.
I am excited about the Freefall but wish I could catch a break on the pricing.
The 6061 is worth every penny. Look for end of season sales next spring.  Gander Mt. usually has them for cheap after the season.

[firefish]

I bought 2 of the 6061 reels in the first year of production and loved them, but they didn't stand up to the abuse that I handed them in the first year.  I contacted 13 fishing and explained the issues that I was having.  It was my hope that they would simply replace the damaged or broken pieces, to my surprise 2 brand new 6061 reels showed up in the mail at no cost.  I had left line on both reels when I sent them in, so the returned the spool to me as well.  I am very happy with the service and the changes they have made in quality and design flaws.  I WILL be purchasing 2 more 6061 reels from these guys.  I use mine for panfish in the Irish Hills and walleye on the Western Basin of Erie.

[Cliodiver]

Was a committed spin ice reel for years. Bought a Eagle Claw inline "just to try out" and I fell in love with it. It can drop the lightest lures and with proper adjustment of reel tensioning control; backlash was a non-issue. Later in the season I got a BB 6061 that provided the same results. The Eagle Claw is a great reel at a inexpensive price. The BB is quality for a greater price but it is worth it. You can't go wrong with either.

[NYSporty]

I just ordered a BB freefall.
I want to use it for panfish primarily but I'd like to try it for pike, eyes and tigers on different rods of course. Instead of changing all the line out I think I will put some nice ice braid on and just run 10-20' leaders off a micro swivel of the pound line needed like I do with my tipups.
I never panfish deeper than 20'
What do you guys think?

[Chris338378]

The Freefall looks like a great reel but I can't justify spending that much money on a reel.  I've been looking at the Eagle Claw inline for a while now and am going to buy one.  I know some guys don't like the Eagle Claws and say the   Number 8 CGI's are better but I found a post where a guy took them both apart side by side and they look exactly the same part for part other than the finish and name. 

[NYSporty]

The Freefall looks like a great reel but I can't justify spending that much money on a reel.  I've been looking at the Eagle Claw inline for a while now and am going to buy one.  I know some guys don't like the Eagle Claws and say the   Number 8 CGI's are better but I found a post where a guy took them both apart side by side and they look exactly the same part for part other than the finish and name.

I bought one and it worked great for a few trips then it just went to he11. I tore it apart and removed a few guts set the drag permanently with a screw and still use it. I won the pool on game 7 last night for 250 bones so I just went ahead and ordered the Freefall.

[Illinoizboy]

Has anyone used the Ice Hopper Free fall from Sportmensdirect.com ?

[Chris338378]

I haven't used or seen one in person but it looks like a decent reel and I'd give it a try.

[Illinoizboy]

I think I'm going for it. I just ordered 3 Beaver Dam Tip sticks that I am going to pair them with.

[C P]

I've got a couple of new black Betty's waiting to slam them this year.

[DLB]

Was a committed spin ice reel for years. Bought a Eagle Claw inline "just to try out" and I fell in love with it. It can drop the lightest lures and with proper adjustment of reel tensioning control; backlash was a non-issue. Later in the season I got a BB 6061 that provided the same results. The Eagle Claw is a great reel at a inexpensive price. The BB is quality for a greater price but it is worth it. You can't go wrong with either.

I had a few points sitting around in my Cabelas account so I thought I use them before Bass Pro takes over and I ordered the Eagle Claw.  In place of an inline, I have used my dads old fly reel (85 years old) and liked using it but I don't want to take the chance of seeing it sliding down the hole.  Using the points, the price was right and I still have a few left.

[Dinosaur1]

I've got several of the Eagle Claw and I like'em. No twist, fast drop in deeper water. There is a small learning curve but once you get the hang of it... The kid doesn't like them tho.

[Moosehaed]

Has anyone used the Ice Hopper Free fall from Sportmensdirect.com ?

If the one I'm thinking of its small. Real small. 2 inches across.

[BK105]

More than pleased with the Frabill 371 last year, just ordered another one. 22" of line per revolution.

[zoombaiter25]

Tried the geared inline reels and just don't care for them. Both the Eagle Claw and Frabill 371 worked okay for me but I wasn't impressed overall. Yes there's a learning curve with them, but I spent many trips using these and they didn't prove to be worth it to me. I'm going to be adding some 1:1 ratio inlines back into my arsenal. They work great for shallow water.