Lies, Damnable Lies, and Fishing Gear Specs

[BackBayMan]

I learned a long time ago that all of the reel manufacturers fudged on their line capacities. No matter how meticulous I was in matching line/reel specs, every reel would hold significantly less line then the manufacturer claimed. Back then I always had my reels spooled by a pro in a tackle shop, and they all told me the same thing, all the reel manufacturers lie.

Now, as I keep upgrading my gear and trying out new lines, the more I learn about rods and reels, the more it's apparent that all the fishing equipment manufacturers test their stuff in different ways to produce a spec that looks great on the Internet or sounds good when you're talking to your buddies, but you'll never actually get it when fishing. Or if you did, it would destroy your gear.

Part of the problem is that there are no standardized tests conducted by an independent organization. What's worse, I've also been informed that there are a couple of people who are basically banned from the large fishing shows because they dared to speak the truth.

Reel capacity. Max drag. Line diameter. Line strength. Abrasion resistance. Rod ratings...

I was speaking with a buddy of mine who is thinking about a new spinning rod. He, like a lot of us, would like a little more distance. A little more backbone. He likes to try to upgrade his gear a little bit each year. I remember when I thought $75 was a lot of money for a fishing rod. Now that I understand the differences in performance, $200 looks like a bargain. I'm happy with the rod I have, but I know there are better ones out there. I'm happy with the reel that I have, but a two speed sure would be nice.

But with all the bullsh!t out there clouding the market, it makes comparisons really hard and buying gear that will actually meet the specs you need even harder.

All I can suggest is don't believe everything you read. Talk to guys that know what they're talking about that have used the same gear, and if possible, caught big fish with it if that's your goal because a lot of gear works great until you actually fight a monster or two with it and then it's beat to sh!t.

Ok, rant over, now I have to go learn about Cone of Flight and some new 16 strand braided fishing line    

[spideyjg]

Capacity is likely just a math equation and never verified with actual line.

[BackBayMan]

Capacity is likely just a math equation and never verified with actual line.

Unfortunately their math doesn't add up

I've lost a couple of really big fish because I had to use a reel with 50 to 75 yards less line then the stated specs. I mean seriously, would it bankrupt them to actually spool up their reels with a couple of dozen different kinds of line and publish the results so we actually know what we're buying? In many cases for me it would have meant that I jumped up to the next sized reel.

I'd also like to know the real drag specs and how they computed them. Say at full spool, half spool and oh sh!t!

[Eric H]

Ive seen rods with line & oz ratings way off. For this reason i wont buy a rod online unless ive felt one up elsewhere. I go by what the rod feels like to me, not what it says on it.

[FISH86R]

That's what happens when the manufacturer listens to the engineer and not the machinist..

[BackBayMan]

That's what happens when the manufacturer listens to the engineer and not the machinist..