Any one have any luck with thier fly reel set up?

[Bull Giller]

 

[Layne]

Nope, bought one and used it a couple times.. so annoying in anything more than 10 FOW. Worked great for shallow water sight fishing though.

[jpmVT]

I'm actually curious to hear these answers. I've asked a few people what the advantages are, but I haven't really heard anyone too enthused about them.

[Oldfart]

It's been fine for togue and smallies. Just waiting for a salmon to put it to the test.

[poorfisherman]

I've done well with mine 6-40 FOW. Perch pike eyes and burbots

[TrikerJohn]

Honestly like mine, easy to pull line off, and the line doesn't seem to retain the "curling" memory of my spinning reels. Have't caught any hogs on it yet, but that's not the reels fault.

[fl18guy]

bought the black betty this season and cant stand it. Works well in under 10ft for me, but deeper i dont like it. Thinking of selling it.

[rgfixit]

Lot's of hype for the Betty Boop reels. My Cortland fly reel was just fine

RG

[fl18guy]

good thing i didnt buy the 6061 or i would be really upset.

[esox_magnum]

6061's are my go to reels, on every outing at least 1 is in use... Under 12' my Okuma SLV is my go to but deeper than that all 6061's love both the Okuma and 6061 and have only used a spinning reel a handfull of trips.... Over 12' the multipler reels are a must IMO, used the Okuma in 14' the other day and after 2 fish went back to the 6061's....

[stripernut]

Tried a fly reel this season, caught plenty of fish on the set up, but I like my spinning reels better. I don't seem to have all the trouble with line twist that so many have and that seems to me it's only advantage. If it matches your style of jigging great, one more tool, but not for me...

[RapidsJigger24]

Personally I love the fly reel set ups.  I have no problem fishing them in water up to 20 feet, which is where I end up fishing 95% of the time.  I bought some fly reels from LL Bean on sale and have no complaints on them at all.  The drag on fly reels is awesome when you hook into some toothy fish too.  I landed a few dandy pike this year while jigging for bluegills and crappies!

[RedWolfUSAF]

Mixed results here as well.... I like the thought, I like them in under 8 feet (comfortable reach back with right arm, grab with left hand and pull fish through hole) ...... but I don't really like the drop from a seated position..... I like to feather the jig drop with a spinning reel and I finally figured out that I can reverse reel the fly reel but the drop isn't quite the same.....

[Riffle]

I have a small 2/3 wt fly reel I use on a 7 ft rod for small streams and I think I would rather bang my head on and ice auger than use it on a ice rod.

I will just stick with my shimano 500 reels, which can't be beat.

[IceBalls]

Converted all my rods to fly reels this year (except one for deep water) and been having a great time with the Crppies, Yellows, Whites, Picks, Bass.  Havent used the spinner in the last month...... don't need it!

[iceauger57]

more trouble than their worth didn't help me catch more or less fish

[BaitBucket]

Free spool is key, like in the Eagle Claw reels. Hand pulling 20+ feet of line has got to get old after a while.

I love the Eagle Claw Inlines.

[ADKer]

Free spool is key, like in the Eagle Claw reels. Hand pulling 20+ feet of line had got to get old after a while.

I love the Eagle Clam Inlines.

Absolutely.

[pocono]

They are ok for shollow water but they are a 1 to 1 ratio and it is hard to keep up to fish at times and you can loose them.  I think a casting real is the best for cold weather with muliplying retreive and fewer items on it that will frezze

[oldfisher68]

Absolutely.

X3
Used mine on deep water Whitefish. Perfect

[bart]

 I tried a Fly reel, Cortland Fly Rim, is simply not designed for ice fishing. I love my Clam spooler, especially on my legend rod.

[BaitBucket]

They are ok for shollow water but they are a 1 to 1 ratio and it is hard to keep up to fish at times and you can loose them.  I think a casting real is the best for cold weather with muliplying retreive and fewer items on it that will frezze

The eagle claw is 2.6:1

Brings in about 15in of line per crank.

Heres a vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIC2ig9CB0

PS...Cheapest Inline Reels out right now i believe (if u can find them)

[stripernut]

Not the ones you sold on EBay!!!!!

[PDubs/NH]

I bought a Cortland Fairplay fly reel for $20. Silent while reeling in, light click while pulling line, disc drag system.  I love jigging with it.

Between the line twist, tight spool memory, ice/slush in holes, and light ice jigs/flys  I found that "freespooling" my lures down didnt work most of the time anyway and I was "hand lining" them out or tugging out tangles by hand most of the time with a spinning reel. 

It is a bit slower and feels awkward the first few times reeling a lure up of a fish in... but I quickly got used to it. 

Went out a bought a 2nd Fairplay to set up my second "panfish" jigger.

I will keep my heavier jigging rod with a spinning reel for deep water / trout .

[neveruminda]

For my liking, it wasn't practical with trout.  Manager at work (that I support often) bought me a Black Betty just before Christmas.  A few times of using with large trout and I set it back in the sled and picked back up my Frabill Finesse combos.  Glad it wasn't my $60

[CrappieVermonter]

Me and my son where looking fore perch on lake george one day hes was useing the black bettyreel and he ended up with a nice laker on his line. 4lb line a lite pole and a 10 year old you whould think he would brake off but no toke him 15mins to get the fish with the drag on the blake betty but I thinck it helped him play the fish better. That said he loves the fly reels setup but I only sight fish with it. If you try to drop a spoon with out free spool it loses all the flutter action. Next year I will try the frabill 241 and get a few more black bettys 13fishing has graet service

[eriksat1]

I have been using a fly reel for about 4 years now I love it, and I fish a lot of 20 - 30 foot of water. The jig only falls so fast anyway I have no problem pulling out line just as fast as the jig will sink. Btw a real fly reel not these new things that just came out. The drag/clicker works flawless never have had a fish break off even using 2 lb test line.

[Otto]

I got the Black Betty combo for Christmas with the basic reel, not the 6061 reel.  I've used it a handful of times.

 I must say I am not a fan of the reel, the 28" UL rod however is really nice.  I had several issues with line getting wrapped around the arbor and the handle.  At one point yesterday I had to take the reel apart to untangle the line.
 
I am going to remove the reel and try a small spinning reel on it, I'm not sure how it will balance out yet.  If that doesn't work, I'll put a fly reel on it with lots of backing and 50' of 2 lb.fluorocarbon line.  It can be my bluegill rod.

Or if I get lucky, maybe I'll upgrade to the 6061 and use that setup! 

[eriksat1]

Anyone who has never had the line get wrapped around the reel handle or get under the spool is a liar, or hasn't fished much. And that goes for any type reel. It happens but there are ways to greatly reduce the chance of it, like figuring out the proper line size and amount of line for the backing.

[Otto]

Eriksat1 - that is true.  That happens on all types of reels - but my experience this winter has been that it happens at a much higher degree with the basic BB reel than any spinning reel I have.  Maybe there's a learning curve with that style, but I only get to ice fish 7 or 8 times a season.  I'd rather fish than play around sometimes.