13 Fish Free Fall

[spikes]

I purchased couple of these last season and like using them.   Around here our walleye average is under 18”.   Looking to be taking couple trips to walleye destinations and wonder how well the drag works on some larger eyes.   Anyone have experience with these?

[TickleStick]

I've never used one but work at a retail store that sells them frequently, we have played around with them a lot, from what I can tell is Shimano spinning reels priced
in the same category have a way better, consistent and smoother drag.

[HWeber]

Inlines are more or less known to have worse drags than spinning reels

[slipperybob]

Shimano's are known for their gear reliability.

As for inline's there is an expensive Shimano version originally designed not for ice fishing but can be repurpose for ice fishing.  It's called a Shimano Seihakou reel.

[maddogg]

I'll stick with the $100 reels.

[TickleStick]

Shimano's are known for their gear reliability.

As for inline's there is an expensive Shimano version originally designed not for ice fishing but can be repurpose for ice fishing.  It's called a Shimano Seihakou reel.

Now that is a sweet reel, but I wonder how some of those models work without a drag???

[Adironzach]

I might have just had a dud of a reel, but i found the "free fall" feature on mine to not work properly, unless i had a heavy jig on. I bought an UL tickle pickle so it was my primary panfish rod. I was disappointed that most of my panfish jigs didnt free fall and i eventually just switched the reel out for a small spinning one.

[jrjach75]

I might have just had a dud of a reel, but i found the "free fall" feature on mine to not work properly, unless i had a heavy jig on. I bought an UL tickle pickle so it was my primary panfish rod. I was disappointed that most of my panfish jigs didnt free fall and i eventually just switched the reel out for a small spinning one.

Mine was the same way, I ended up moving the free fall to a bit heavier rod to fish bigger/heavier jigs. I put a spinning reel on my tickle stick also.

[slipperybob]

Now that is a sweet reel, but I wonder how some of those models work without a drag???

It's too expensive for me, like how fly reels are just expensive for the good ones.

Some of them models have drag.  There's a drag nut right next to handle too.  Like bait casting reels have a star drag nut too.


Google image.  Shows one without drag and one with drag.

[slipperybob]

Weird contraption from Ebay.

Looks like geared fly reel with a level wind line guide.  Description listed as:

11BB 2.6:1 Fishing Reel Valve Micro Lead Raft Sea Ice Lake Rod Line Wheel Metal

I'd be very careful about getting a finger caught in that little vice.

[Gunflint]

Mine was the same way, I ended up moving the free fall to a bit heavier rod to fish bigger/heavier jigs. I put a spinning reel on my tickle stick also.

My Black Betty FreeFall works great for me.

My experience is that it does great even with tiny jigs or hooks with tiny splitshot.

Is that a consensus here?

[HWeber]

My Black Betty FreeFall works great for me.

My experience is that it does great even with tiny jigs or hooks with tiny splitshot.

Is that a consensus here?

Only if the black Betty free fall works significantly better than the ghost. Bought a ghost when they came out,  it became a paper weight pretty quick. Couldn't force myself to use it

[Sylvanboat]

Try this Black Betty. Blast to fish.

[Unclegillhunter]

I might have just had a dud of a reel, but i found the "free fall" feature on mine to not work properly, unless i had a heavy jig on. I bought an UL tickle pickle so it was my primary panfish rod. I was disappointed that most of my panfish jigs didnt free fall and i eventually just switched the reel out for a small spinning one.

No you didn't get a dud. Bought one and would not free fall. took it back got another one and same thing. Just put it on a heavier rod with heavier jigs. Freefall ghost same deal, except didn't replace.The BB-6061 is a nice inline, I have 3 of those.
Keep it safe!JDL

[slipperybob]

Fact: Most reels comes with excessive grease and oil.  If one really wants to achieve the optimal performance, it does take a little cleaning out the excessive grease and oil in the reels.  Even spinning reels gets sluggish when fished in cold freezing weather.

Reels like bait casting have some spool bearings.  Cleaning them out and putting in high speed oil helps them a lot.  Especially in the case of casting lighter weight lures, namely in the 1/4 oz or lighter.  It can be achieved to get free fall on lures with 1/32nd oz.  Although a lure pulling a spool/wheel will tend to be slower than line just peeling off a spinning reel.

For your inline reels, cleaning out the spool bearings will get them to free fall lures even better.  It follows the same principal of using just enough lubricant to achieve the optimal results.

[Unclegillhunter]

Fact: Most reels comes with excessive grease and oil.  If one really wants to achieve the optimal performance, it does take a little cleaning out the excessive grease and oil in the reels.  Even spinning reels gets sluggish when fished in cold freezing weather.

Reels like bait casting have some spool bearings.  Cleaning them out and putting in high speed oil helps them a lot.  Especially in the case of casting lighter weight lures, namely in the 1/4 oz or lighter.  It can be achieved to get free fall on lures with 1/32nd oz.  Although a lure pulling a spool/wheel will tend to be slower than line just peeling off a spinning reel.

For your inline reels, cleaning out the spool bearings will get them to free fall lures even better.  It follows the same principal of using just enough lubricant to achieve the optimal results.

Ok the freefall function didn’t work in an ambient temperature of 85f. At that temp could it be that easy that it has too much grease? Never had any problems with the 6061’s or for that matter any of my spinning reels. Would be great if all I had to do to get the freefall to drop a 1/32 oz jig is clean some grease.
Keep it safe! JDL

[slipperybob]

Ok the freefall function didn’t work in an ambient temperature of 85f. At that temp could it be that easy that it has too much grease? Never had any problems with the 6061’s or for that matter any of my spinning reels. Would be great if all I had to do to get the freefall to drop a 1/32 oz jig is clean some grease.
Keep it safe! JDL

Just like motor oil.  There's thick oil and thin oil.  If it is resisting at normal temps, it will resist more at colder temps.

Something to do with physics too.  If your line itself is too much weight, that tiny lure ain't going to pull the weight of all that spool.  That lure weight has to drive the turning of the entire spool.

[maddogg]

Try tri flow or another dry lube on the spool shaft.

[Bucket Rump]

Spooling up with Nanofil made a big improvement in the drop for me.  Tried floro and Fireline, but both those would bind enough on the spool to make me have to pull on the line to free it.

[RedRiverRick]

I purchased couple of these last season and like using them.   Around here our walleye average is under 18”.   Looking to be taking couple trips to walleye destinations and wonder how well the drag works on some larger eyes.   Anyone have experience with these?

I’m up by Lake Winnipeg, I used mine a couple times. And sold it. Not very good for big Walleye.

[hnd]

we were catching 3-5lb white bass on a freefall a few years ago and the drag was terrible on them.   I'd look into a spinning reel. 

[Junkie4Ice]

Try this Black Betty. Blast to fish.

Still my favorite reel. Absolute blast for any species and has the best drag system out there! (Me )

[TickleStick]

we were catching 3-5lb white bass on a freefall a few years ago and the drag was terrible on them.   I'd look into a spinning reel.

I've heard this a lot from Customers "Cabelas" and from people on youtube..

[hnd]

was not smooth at all.  would just all the sudden scream off.  I imagine you could probably modify them to work better but for me,  the variables for it to be a successful product were not there.   It does not "freefall" a 3-4mm tungsten jigs in any outdoor/wind condition.  and I don't like the drags for fighting larger bass/walleyes/whitebass.   the trigger system is awesome though.  beside those issues in each of those situations, the other features of the reel shine.   

[NateD]

Same problem with my ghost, does not like to freefall small stuff, especially when it is cold and/or windy. Has anyone ever tore one down and replaced the oil/grease to something lighter?

[pmaloney86]

All these in line reels seem to be made for shanty jigging only.  You take them out in the elements and they don't work like they should.  Pros and cons but I'll take a solid spinning setup any day of the week.

[NateD]

All these in line reels seem to be made for shanty jigging only.  You take them out in the elements and they don't work like they should.  Pros and cons but I'll take a solid spinning setup any day of the week.

Me too but when it does work it's awesome

[Unclegillhunter]

Same problem with my ghost, does not like to freefall small stuff, especially when it is cold and/or windy. Has anyone ever tore one down and replaced the oil/grease to something lighter?

Yes. Can't find it but one of the members actually had a step by step post on this site. good luck!
Keep it safe! JDL

[DR.SPECKLER]

Ive done it on the ec inline and the cgi no8.best thing to do is get all the grease out of the reel gears.put a few drops of oil in it.they still suck but smoother in the cold.

[NateD]

Yes. Can't find it but one of the members actually had a step by step post on this site. good luck!
Keep it safe! JDL

I can'r seem to find it either, gonna have to just open 'er up