In-line fishing reels

[Yooper77]

OK, so this may be a dumb question, but I'm sure that somebody else is also wondering. When using in-line fishing reels and light weight lures, do you have to pull the line out, to get it down the hole?

[TheBigLIft]

I have a black Betty, and the answer is yes. The lightweight jig is not enough to allow my reel to back feed. However, I must keep the tension knob on the side a little tight. Otherwise one good yank and I have myself one heck of a rats nest 

You could also just spin your reel backwards to get the jig down, but if you've had a few brewskis,you might also end up with some tangled line if you're not paying attention!!!

Tight Lines
TheBigLift

[Rebelss]

Yup. Even the old school ones. Little split shot 6' up the line helps, too.

[bmxrider11976]

As other have mentioned the answer is yes. This is why I primarily use them only for shallow water (less than 15 ft) applications. After that I break out the spinning gear and deal with the line twist.

[esox_magnum]

Yes on my Okuma SLV no on my BB 6061's and Teardrop those have a free spool button....

[Osage]

Haven't tried them in the water yet,but my eagle claws have a free spool that drops a light jig pretty fast in my living room

[jethro]

Haven't tried them in the water yet,but my eagle claws have a free spool that drops a light jig pretty fast in my living room

It will in the water too! I used a tiny jig the other day on mine, no problem.

[mote1977]

My eagle claws will drop a 4mm tungsten faster than I can pull line by hand.

[mr.bartender]

Got 3 and they work fine. Just have to adjust the free spool for the jig. Also have a frabill that does not free spool. Use it for shallow fishing.

[marti375]

I have a black betty 6061 and with a small jig you may have to give it a nudge. However its so much better than a spinning reel. I love it.

[WalleyeHunter84]

My eagle claw seams just fine with light gear up to 15' and was a pain in 20 ft on speed.  When fishing for walleyes with heavier gear I noticed i could go deeper with a massive wait for the line to unspool.

[kevin e]

interested in an inline

[Yooper77]

I stopped by a sporting goods store on Fri and Bro was there doing an ice fishing expo. He was showing Frabill gear obviously and the new Straight Line 261, which has a free spool button. They didn't carry just the reel, and I was not about to drop over $80 on an ice fishing pole.

[Jig4M]

I got two black beauties last year and after about a half hour stripping line of the reel lower my jig to depth it was second nature to me. I mostly use them to pan fish though, in water no deeper than 20'.

[spudsaway]

I am using an Old Fly reel as an " Inline "  and i strip off line the deepest I use this on perch is 30 feet or so.. I strip it off once then i play in fish by hand and drop lure back in the water let it fall. the reel would come in handy of something larger hits i guess, that hasn't happened to me with this reel yet. Hope it does..  I saw the bass pro high end stuff and they seem so very slick I was spinning them with a little push of my finger, like you used to do, on the level winds ,to see the bearing quality. they were so slick, but very pricey.. 

[Hardcharger07]

The other year I got one of those frabil inlines and liked it so much I picked up another reel and also got two inexpensive Cahill #3 fly reels. I mainly am fishing on Winnebago for perch/gills/crappie in relatively shallow water and feel for dropping some very tiny jigs for tightlipped fish they are the ticket.  My pflueger and Mitchell spinning reels are now for my Swedish pimples/hali/spoons and other heavier lures. I did pick up one of the gray eagle claw reels this year and really like the free spool feature and am putting another walleye rod together with the red spooled eagle claw inline reel. Understand that I have a wife,son and two step sons (along with a brother) that I "manage" all the equipment for so I have quite the collection of equipment from tip ups to a plethora of jig poles. (Still have half a dozen old schooly's which I would like to do tip downs with) anymore when I am out by myself I have one spinning outfit with me and 3 inlines. Quick change snap on the spinning rod and different colored jigs on the inlines. (I am lazy when it comes to tie'n on different jigs if I can help it)  though I can see where they could be a pain for impatient fellas that fish much deeper water than I normally am on.

Long post but just how the "inlines" have been incorporated into how I do things on the ice, it works for me. To each his own just have fun, good luck and stay safe.

[Fatfish]

Mi Eagle Claw will let her drop. I fish in 8ft. or less but if it were deeper I know that it would go down easy.

[C.Tripp]

I  have two eagle claw in-lines and only time I have problems is when it cold and the ice builds up on the eyes.