is there a 13 fishing spinning reel coming?

[87tpita]

Wondering when you guys are planning to release ( or if at all) a spinning reel?

[13Fishing]

We often get inquiries about spinning reel development, I think its safe to say YES! we are working on a few projects. We look forward to making a huge splash into the spinning market soon.

But since you brought it up....drop us a note and tell us what you would like to see in a spinning reel from 13 Fishing.....

Matt Baldwin
Director of Product Development-Reels

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

Focus on line management. Like line twist.

[13Fishing]

Line Management is definitely something that is getting solid attention. Thank you for the feedback.

Matt
13 Fishing

Focus on line management. Like line twist.

[uljersey]

We often get inquiries about spinning reel development, I think its safe to say YES! we are working on a few projects. We look forward to making a huge splash into the spinning market soon.

But since you brought it up....drop us a note and tell us what you would like to see in a spinning reel from 13 Fishing.....

Matt Baldwin
Director of Product Development-Reels

Honestly, take a cue from Daiwa's Tournament SS series ... ridiculously well made simple reels that stand the test of time. Try and develop the next great reel that will go on for decades. Function should always trump form, but a badass looking reel never hurt anyone. Blingy, overdeveloped reels are all too common these days. You're going to have to decide to either make them for shelf queen collectors or guys that will fish the snot out of them. I hope you choose the latter if you decide to go forward

They have to be able to do everything well and have a superior drag. Nice long shallow spools too. And offer them in a true 500 size for the ultralight/finesse/skinny water crowd in addition to the more traditional bass sizes. One last thing, buck the current trend and keep the A/R switch please.

Sorry for the long wish list, but hey, you asked

Happy Holidays to you Matt

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

We often get inquiries about spinning reel development, I think its safe to say YES! we are working on a few projects. We look forward to making a huge splash into the spinning market soon.

But since you brought it up....drop us a note and tell us what you would like to see in a spinning reel from 13 Fishing.....

Matt Baldwin
Director of Product Development-Reels

Honestly, take a cue from Daiwa's Tournament SS series ... ridiculously well made simple reels that stand the test of time. Try and develop the next great reel that will go on for decades. Function should always trump form, but a badass looking reel never hurt anyone. Blingy, overdeveloped reels are all too common these days. You're going to have to decide to either make them for shelf queen collectors or guys that will fish the snot out of them. I hope you choose the latter if you decide to go forward

They have to be able to do everything well and have a superior drag. Nice long shallow spools too. And offer them in a true 500 size for the ultralight/finesse/skinny water crowd in addition to the more traditional bass sizes. One last thing, buck the current trend and keep the A/R switch please.

Sorry for the long wish list, but hey, you asked

Happy Holidays to you Matt

What he said. Shallow spools. Who needs 210yds of 8lb line?

[JWR075]

A true UL sized aluminum framed reel to match up to the AU Omen 2 light spinning rod.

[87tpita]

Line management. ... weight .... simplicity in build design. .. those would be my 3 areas of focus. ..

[Susitnasalmonguide]

As a 30-year fishing guide who depends on spinning gear when my guests are casting, I agree line management is important -- part of line management for me would include a bail that snaps over securely when tripped by cranking the handle. Yes, I know that manual bail closing is better for keeping line twist down -- but when you deal with guests on a daily basis who only want to close the bail by cranking, it gives the perspective that closing by cranking is very important to many anglers. Continuing with that thought -- a system that securely closes the bail -- every time -- even if an older style external trip -- should have strong appeal to this type of angler. In my opinion way too many "modern reels" may trip very easily -- but lack power to sufficiently close the bail adequately OR their "lifetime" bail system / spring wears out after only a few fishing trips.

Other aspects that would encourage me to purchase a spinning reel:

Must have smooth drag with adequate setting range
Braid ready spool
Lightweight
Balanced rotor / smooth retrieve
prefer "crank in" handles / machined handles
little or no back play in anti reverse
prefer a thicker bail
Durability
Price point

For me a close example of such a reel is the Pflueger Supreme -- I've been using the larger two sizes --- and the only issues I've had with these reels has been Quality control / Durability. For some reason the screws on the side plate work loose at times as well -- sometimes I only catch this after the gears have stripped.

There are so many aspects of spinning reels that are now taken for granted -- but upgrades over the years I have been guiding have made spinning reels much better.

My hope is this will help or reconfirm your design of a great spinning reel.

Thanks for the opportunity to provide input.

P.S. Forgot to mention that I greatly prefer a rigid reel stem / frame. In my experience I've had better experience with metal than with graphite or "other" material -- so I tend to purchase metal when available --- but am open to other options.

Going back to what I said about a reliable crank closing bail --- I don't know that all spinning reels need to be built in this manner -- however, just as manufactures provide different reel models with other characteristics that may be specific to that one model -- I would suggest offering at least one model of spinning reel with a reliable / secure cranking close bail. The bail system should then be listed as one of the positives for purchasing that particular reel model. As mentioned earlier -- during my charter season -- I have anglers who greatly desire this particular spinning reel feature on a daily basis in my guide boat. I own well over 100 spinning reels branded by at least 7 companies -- so some reels stay at home --- no matter their original cost --my least used reels are the ones that have unreliable crank closing bails. I simply can not afford to provide reels my guests consider inferior.

[Congoman775]

If you could make a 13 fishing version of the Stradic 2500/3000 series reel with ultra smooth drag/8-9oz weight, you'd sell a ton of them.

[13Fishing]

Thank you for all the great feedback. We will consider everything.

Matt
13 Fishing

[GaterB]

You guys come out with a spinning reel version of your concept a or c (lightweight and tough as nails), I will most likely own an entire lineup of 13 rods and reels.

[vinnieb729]

Definitely a shallower spool option. Or even an insert of some sort that mounts in the recess of the deeper spool to make it shallow . Nearly every spool of fluoro comes in 200yd lengths. A reel spool option that holds half that would be ideal (say .008 diameter line)...nice and easy to get two reel fillings from a single line spool without messing with backing.

...also, instead of making it completely smooth like JDM Shimano shallow spools, develop a recessed tie or clipping point to get the line on the spool so it doesn't need to be taped down. JDM Daiwa spools have a recess for the line and knot but the line still slips when trying to start spooling it up and needs to be taped down.

[Bronzeye]

I'm in accord with the suggestions above, with two qualifications:

• 1. An alternative to vinnieb729's recessed clip suggestion is a short tunnel molded into the spool core transverse to the spool axis. The angler pushes the line through the tunnel, then ties the emerged end around the spool; the tunnel keeps the line from slipping around the spool. In my experience, this is only a significant feature when tying braid directly to a shallow spool without mono backing.
  2. I would not buy a 500 size reel (assuming that refers to spool diameter, rather than body size), because coiling problems are worse with one and a smaller amount of line paid out with each trip around the spool means a faster drop in the circumference of the remaining spooled line, resulting in shorter casts. (I would have no objection to your offering that option, of course; it's just that the only reason I could see for buying one would be to make fish look bigger in photos where they are laid next to the reel--or lower reel weight, which can be achieved other ways.)

Here is THE BIG FEATURE that would make your spinning reels--or at least one line of them--stand out from the crowd: a return to a rear drag. Yes, this would take guts, since many who still remember the rear-drag alternative probably assume that the market moved to front-drag reels because they were somehow superior. But let me review the three benefits of the rear-mounted drag and address the limits of front-drag superiority claims for warm-water fishing.

Benefits: (1) Better reel balance. Putting the weight of the drag assembly behind the reel stem makes the rod/reel combo less tip-heavy, even if it slightly increases the weight of the reel, just as adding weight to the end of a rod helps balance the combo. Putting the drag assembly at the front of the reel, ahead of the reel stem/fulcrum, exacerbates tip-heaviness. (2) Quick, safe changing of spools. When I am wading midstream or shorefishing in tall grass and want to change spools (say, because changing conditions make me need a more visible line, or because I need stronger line to fish cover), I hate the perils of removing front-drag spools: the drag knob must not be dropped while cupped in one's hand to protect the grease at its base while one spool is removed and pocketed and another installed, and there is always a risk that one of the plastic washers on the shaft will adhere just enough to the back of the spool to slide off the spool shaft and fall into the water or grass. It is infinitely easier to remove a pop-off spool--say, of Abu-Garcia's 750 series or Cardinal series design--pocket it, and pop on the replacement spool. This encourages using the best line for the conditions. (3) Easier changing of drag levels during a fight. Especially if one is holding the bent spinning rod high to keep the fish out of weeds or protect the line from rocks, it is easier to change the setting on a rear-mounted drag than a front-mounted one during a fight. I list this benefit last because I backreel most of the time (and for that reason, join others above in insisting on including selective antireverse in a reel).

Drawback? Drag smoothness Rear-drag spinning reels dominated the freshwater market in the 1980s. The claim made by those who changed that was that the larger drag washers permitted by front-drag reels made drags smoother. The legendary smoothness of the rear/bottom drag Cardinal 3 and 4 reels (not washer-based) calls that into question. But even if the claim is true for steelhead, rear-drag designs on even $30 reels never let me down for warm-water fish, including carp (the fastest-swimming warm-water species in North America) and pike (which have explosive bursts of speed). And bass just don't swim fast enough or far enough to require superior drags (witness TT reviews which showed drag stuttering in the lab that never translated into a lost bass on the water). If you (13 Fishing) wanted to examine proven rear-drag systems, I could lend you for a couple of months a Cardinal 4, a Cardinal 753, and a Shimano Custom-X 1000 reel, all of which use pop-off spools.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• 1. Consider graphite spools. The lips don't get dings in them like aluminum spools do, and they are lighter (again, this improvess balance). They can also be priced low, encouraging robust aftermarket sales and duplicate reel sales. An angler who fishes multiple spinning outfits from a boat when walleye or panfish angling, for example, might buy three of the same model reel and half a dozen spare spools to take along, so that he can shift lines on all the reels to best meet the conditions of the lake and day.
  2. Include a spare spool with the reel.
  3. As others have suggested, for warm-water fishing there is no need to have more than 100 yards of line in the sweet-spot strength for a given reel size. More line just increases reel nose weight and hurts combo balance.
  4. Use a line clip on the spool skirt that doesn't snag the line. This is a major headache on many spools.
  5. Keep the reel stem thin. Tapered sides of the stem also contribute to comfort in holding the reel between fingers for hours.
  6. A good target weight for an ultralight is 6 oz.; for a 2000 size, 7.5 oz; for a Daiwa 2500-size, 8.5 oz.

Don't underestimate the market importance of spinning reels. In states where most anglers pursue walleyes, panfish, or trout, I would guess that the ratio of spinning reels sold to baitcasting reels exceeds 5:1; countrywide, I would guess the ratio is at least 2:1 and probably higher. If you can come out with a spinning reel that stands out in appealing ways from the rest of the offerings at an affordable price, your business should grow exponentially.

[cortman]

Less plastic and NO CHROME PLATING ANYTHING. A solid aluminum frame would be great too.