Favorite inline reel and why?

[jerryfishing]

I know...I know... We have been down this road before, but want to hear any new opinions and new equipment recently acquired and used. Thanks for humoring me!

[hardwater diehard]

I have some Eagle Claws that seem to do me just fine ...I pencil grip/palm the reel ...and have no issues even though its an open face/no fender . I may look into changing the drag washers as time goes on as other have said it really improves performance. I just got a No 8 CGI but have yet to use it ...smaller profile w/fender so that may be a game changer ...I also have two 13 descent reels on the way...again may prove to be a game changer . I noticed when I placed my camera down  I was getting a lot of lure spin ...even with a ball bearing swivel...was interested in the in line reels to reduce that some.

[slipperybob]

Okuma Vashon 3/4 fly reel.  cuz it works just fine for me.

[Dave R]

I have a No 8 CGI and didn't care for it. For some reason I never could get the free fall adjusted to my liking. Last year I bought a Frabill graphite reel. You have to either pull line off or back reel, but since I rarely fish in water deeper than 20', it's not an issue. It has a drag, but I hold the reel in my palm. I also have some Schooley reels mounted on a couple of rods.

[4ssss]

I bought a Black Betty when they 1st came out and liked it so much I bought a BB 6061, and like that one better. It has a nice drag, and drops easily with the small jigs I use. The free spool button and the drag adjustment is also easy to use with gloves on.

[Unclegillhunter]

At this point bb-6061, got a freefall ghost have not used it on the ice. The 6061 has a great drop rate have no issues with the drag pricey but I like the way the 6061 works. Ice fishing is about all I spend money on so I am fine with the price.
Keep it safe! JDL

[Gator800r]

My vote is the Frabill 371 best bang for you buck in IMHO. I have a couple and you can usually find them for under $40 I have seen them a couple times this season for $30. I do have a new Black Betty Freefall to try out with my TUCR Bullwhip rod this season. Freefall cost me $90 though which is more then i paid for both my 371's it will be tough to beat my 371 but i had to give it a try.

[Oscoda Ice]

Like others here, I love my Black Betty 6061. Great build quality and can get her tuned in just how you like it. The "fender" on it works great and plenty of room to pencil grip with gloves. I know it's pricey but I see myself having the reel for years to come with no issues.

-Kyle

[filetandrelease]

I own B.B. 6061s , I find the drags smooth and no issues wth the drop rate ,I fish them from 20-to well over a 100’,  I picked mine up for $50.00
 I have not tried any others on the market
 

[FishDoc_1]

For panfish in shallow water I like the Frabill 101XLA.  Deeper water the Black Betty 6061. The Frabill is light and simple.

[hnd]

my favorite is any one not installed on any of my rods.

[jerryfishing]

On the Black Betty 6061; does it have a clicker noise on drag? Also, have any of you fished it or any other inline reel deep 50-100 feet with braid for bigger fish?

[Oscoda Ice]

On the Black Betty 6061; does it have a clicker noise on drag? Also, have any of you fished it or any other inline reel deep 50-100 feet with braid for bigger fish?

Yes, it has the "clicker". I haven't fished that deep with mine. I do however have braid spooled up on it.

[jerryfishing]

I am concerned about braided line "digging in" and getting stuck with bigger fish in deep water and I heard that 13 Fishing's Freefall and Ghost do not make noise when drag is going. ??

[RyanW]

De-Ma-Reel.

Panfish. Cheap. Time tested.

[dekatronic]

https://rapala.ca/products/concept-multiplier-centrepin-ice-reel

Going on its 3rd year no issues. Spooled with braid. Haven't landed anything over 2 lb but have brought fish up from 110' deep. I paid $60 end of season.

[Figure ate]

Baby 6061 is the only inline reel I own, but I REALLY like it. Drops fast, decent (Not great) drag, and it's user friendly. It's my go to reel for panfish.

[Moosehaed]

https://rapala.ca/products/concept-multiplier-centrepin-ice-reel

Going on its 3rd year no issues. Spooled with braid. Haven't landed anything over 2 lb but have brought fish up from 110' deep. I paid $60 end of season.

Really $189?  Even in canadian thats a lot.

[fishyholes]

If money was no object then I would choose the BB FF. I bought the Ghost recently, have a FF, CGI and my buddy has the 6061 we used last season.

The FF + Ghost platform for the pencil grip is superior. The tolerances are tight on the FF, better than the Ghost and definitely the CGI. The drag star mechanism and indexing is more quality and seems like it will last a while vs the flimsy Ghost star indexing. The FF has mag brakes and Ghost has mechanical like the CGI, but I would recommend removing the mags and turning off the mechanical. Flushing the bearings is a must for superior performance out of your reel, ice or open water. On my FF and Ghost I now get 2min 15sec of free spool vs the stock 14 sec. This all interprets to faster start up speeds and quicker lure decent. The drags on the FF is the best of the bunch.

Good luck and have fun!

[CoachWalleye74]

"Fishyholes"... wow.    'removing the mags and turning off the mechanical. Flushing the bearings is a must for superior performance out of your reel'; I would greatly enjoy getting some instruction and guidance on these two modifications.  Cam I PM you?

Thank you.

[dekatronic]

Really $189?  Even in canadian thats a lot.

Yeah I agree. When I saw that I was like "holy sh#%" immediately followed by "I shoulda bought two". There's no way they're worth that much, even at $60 they're still making money.

[Oscoda Ice]

I am concerned about braided line "digging in" and getting stuck with bigger fish in deep water and I heard that 13 Fishing's Freefall and Ghost do not make noise when drag is going. ??

Braid does "dig in" if it is being pulled HARD, but I have not encountered it as being a problem while ice fishing or open water fishing.

The Freefall & Freefall Ghost appear to not have the "clicker" (or as 13 Fishing calls it "Bait Alarm") according their site.

-Kyle

[jerryfishing]

Very helpful information guys! Thank you very much!

[IveGotWorms]

Have any of you folks used them on big eyes?  I spend most of my time chasing big walleye on Bay of Quinte and really like BB as you can grip it properly for hooksets on big eyes.  I like the idea of no twist and no tip bounce when fighting a fish.  Are they capable of handling 15 Lbs walleyes?  Or am I better to stick to baitcast and big spinner combos?

[Oscoda Ice]

They'll handle the bigger walleye. I don't know if I would use it for monster Lakers but eyes are not problem.

-Kyle

[fishyholes]

Have any of you folks used them on big eyes?  I spend most of my time chasing big walleye on Bay of Quinte and really like BB as you can grip it properly for hooksets on big eyes.  I like the idea of no twist and no tip bounce when fighting a fish.  Are they capable of handling 15 Lbs walleyes?  Or am I better to stick to baitcast and big spinner combos?

I'm sure either of these reels would be fine. Just know that you aren't going to be running high drag with either of these reels and stock drag material wears down kind of quickly. I would advise replacing it with Carbontex or Smoothies for better drag performance.

[river_scum]

i prefer the small open water baitcasters like abu 2500s. 

[Tye]

Really $189?  Even in canadian thats a lot.

Rapala.ca has ridiculous prices. I don't know why anyone would order direct from them!

[zgiller]

For my style Fabill's 101xla is unmatched.
I like a lightweight well balanced feel in my setups. The large arbor eliminates the need for any backing line. This is a huge pro when using super ultralight line.
 The drag system is both pro and con for me. It is a good drag system for the price but it could be better!
 I am going on yr 4 with the 3 I have and I don't see anything out there that would be better for my style in any price range.

[Dave R]

For my style Fabill's 101xla is unmatched.
I like a lightweight well balanced feel in my setups. The large arbor eliminates the need for any backing line. This is a huge pro when using super ultralight line.
 The drag system is both pro and con for me. It is a good drag system for the price but it could be better!
 I am going on yr 4 with the 3 I have and I don't see anything out there that would be better for my style in any price range.

x2 I bought one last year after my CGI started giving me issues. I wish it had an anti reverse, but that's not a deal breaker. I have some Schooley reels mounted on a few rods and they work just fine.