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Please set me straight about the EC reel and/or the 6061, but they seem as though they are a lot of reel (size) to put on an ice rod. Is it safe to say also that these reels would be more likely something used for "deeper" water and not shallow water panfish for instance? For the later, the simpler and smaller Spooler or Betty seem more suited and priced in the case of the 6061. If the EC proves out and I like it after getting my hands on one next year, then I could see myself getting one for deeper water situations.Tight Lines and Hard Water
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just recieved my two ec reels that i ordered from the tip i got on this site before it got deleted so thx to ii believe to quigley257 they seem great for $15 a pc,and it will get the ball rolling for the rest of the industry or retailers as there should be a lot of improvements and even greater products in the future because of these first semi proto type reels. now to spool them up and order bait and wait for ice.
Did you press on the bottom plastic piece of the housing? If the reel is going to break it's going to be there as the reel is heavier than the rod and that is the part which is closest to the ground. Again, not a deal breaker just an observation. I also don't care for how much space is between the spool and the adjacent portion of the reel housing. For $15 it's a real nice buy. For $30 it's a decent reel. Obviously it needs time on the ice to see how it holds up, but so far so good IMO.
Better at what?
You know, the site where if you don't have an Otter, Marcum, Strikemaster, Polaris, St Croix or Tundra you ain't squat. It's a special place ya know.
I have been looking for the EC online and can not find it and out local stores don't carry them. If anyone know let me know thanks.
Feel...presentation.....ease of use
I see on the osprey tackle website they have the same type as eagleclaw it looks to be an iport so buy in big bulk
Couldn't find it on their website. However, wouldn't be surprised if I missed it. Looks like a 6 yro designed their website. What a headache.
I've used fly-reels / heavy rod on a above-ice rig for years. The classic 3M graphite fly-reel (modified for large spool) was and still is my standard. Tape it to a rod, hold the reel in hand and your fingers wrapped around the spool is the finest drag there is. The reels talked about with a long neck take away from the hand drag w/ a regular fly reel. The EC is (in my mind) is a RAFT reel. Google it and see the prices (from China). $85+ each. The EC @ $15 to $29 is beyond reproach/price wise. Drag, clicker, free-spool!!! (Smelting @ 70ft will never be the same)... You should be running thru the pucker-brush for this one.The 241@$59 is not in the same league. My 241 has a high spot on the input-gear which puts a heavy bump on reeling in. Drag is barely acceptable. On a scale of 1-10 it's a 2. You can't palm the spool for drag, poor quality, high price. Going back soon.The EC looks to be a Shimano-From-Japan and the 241 a Yugo from China.Of course this is my opinion only and might change when we are all walking on water.Cheers:Damn Yankee
A guy on another fishing website put one in the freezer to test it, passed with flying colors. So he then submerged it in Tupperware filled withwater and froze it into a block of ice, and it still worked after breaking it out.
Cabela's is marketing an inline they call ZT. Does anybody know anything about it? Right now it is backorderable. I have one on order and will let you know what I think of it when it gets here. They say it has a large arbor and a wide drag range with teflon drag washers,They do not say what, if any the retrieve ratio is.
this was me....i have since lubed them with hot sauce, and still have the issue with the free spool button not working properly on one of them but I can deal with it as is. i just wish we had some ice now!