For many fishermen, spinning reels has become more popular than the baitcasters. Apparently, spinning reels are more easier and flexible to use, even for beginners. Also, the inner structure and material are also vital in terms of performance and ease of use. Choosing the best spinning reel for your need, however, can often be challenging if unfamiliar with it. Please read the following guide to know some helpful advice for choosing the spinning reel.
All parts of the spinning reel:
line roller:
This is the crucial part of the reel. No ball bearing Design! Ceramic processing techniques. Innerly Adopt high-strength plastic and alloy. So very abrasive; excellent tightness, no more breaking line！
Gearing:
Inner Gearing! High-precision production machinery and production molds. More closely synchromesh gears. Make the reel spinning more smooth and well balanced. Unique in spooling line with Perfect uniformity and Low noise. The golden copper pinion gear pinion is highly anti-corrosion. Highly corrosion-resistant zinc alloy drive gear. Power transmission is much stronger than ever.
one-way clutch:
Corrosion-resistant.
Carbon Drag washer.
High corrosion-resistant (acid and salt). Also High temperature prevention. Strong friction. Excellent drag performance. Water-proof.
A short recount of my experience using this Piscifun fishing gear.
I am stationed in Jinan China for a short period of time, chance to relax is very rare. However one evening I was approached by Katy and Sophia in the park to ask if I liked fishing. Yes I said but I have neither the time or my equipment here with me. Not to worry was Katy reply, we can help you with equipment from our store. Well I was surprised when A few days later I was given the news that they would pick me up from my hotel and transport me to an inland lake for some big mouth bass fishing. In my many years I have never tried to catch big mouth bass and had no real idea of the gear to be used or the method to be used. I should not have worried, PISCIFUN took care to supply a very nice carbon spinning rod and a beautifully balanced series 2000 spinning real. I loaded it with 6lb line and with a simple rig of a weight and hook with bait being a jelly. The rod was a six foot length two piece rod, with a simple two cork butt handle, one of which was positioned just right to rest on my arm when being used. The real attachment was a fixed receptor and another receptor that screwed to the rear to firmly lock it down. The whole rig was light and well balanced. Casting was real easy, just flick the bale arm over, rod back and lightly holding the spool I let it fly. A good ten yards with a bait of only a gram or so was easy. And to my surprise after only a few casts I hooked my first fish. A fish of just over a kilo. The rod bent very nicely from the mid point of the lower section through to the top and as an even bend. This gave me good control over the fish and I was a very happy man. My first big mouth bass and only after setting on the water less than 20 mins. Out on the water on the electric boats I was able to fish sitting down and cast with one hand easily, a further 5 fish were caught in the range of a kilo up. Again I noticed on hook up and fighting the fish a good curve on the rod and a reel retrieve that just felt perfect with a drag that was easy to set with one hand as well as to be able to flick the no back with my finger. What is my opinion of the rod and real, well to be honest as it was my first time bass fishing and first time to use this make of kit I was very impressed. As a long time user of tackle out of Japan, this manufacturer really surprised me with the quality and performance. Negative aspect for me was that the reel was a shiny anodized aluminum unit, I am and all ways will be a fan of dull or black/grey equipment and not just for looks but to be able to blend in with the bushes ect where I fish. Having said that it was really easy to clean and keep clean, servicing the gears was only a matter of 4 screws to remove gear box cover and to re lube. The spool is kept in place by screwing in or out on the spool head. This was also where the drag is set, and its easy. One impressed and happy man.
Long story short: Comparing with Abu Garcia Pro Max II (shortened as Abu) which is in the same price range, Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel (shortened as Piscifun) is made with better material. As a fisherman with engineering PhD, a couple of smooth castings cannot satisfy me completely. I need to understand the reel inside and out: how it is designed mechanically, what material is used, whether the reel is going to be durable... When I get this Piscifun reel, I compared it with my Abu which I bought three years ago. Both are ranged in $60~$70 interval, the market section targeting the amateur fishermen using baitcaster. Like a research report, all photos attached are numbered. Both reels are about 8Ozs, while the Piscifun is a quarter ounce heavier (Fig 1). Lighter is better, but this tiny bit additional weight does both bother me. The metal frame is well worth the additional weight.
Piscifun's spool is wider (Fig2), the width is very close to Daiwa Tatula and Shimano Curado. One theory about the spool width is that wider spool helps longer casting: pulling line from spool near outer surface takes less effort. Actually, the new Abu Garcia Pro max III, just announced in ICast 2015, also features a wider spool. Seems this is the trend for reel design. To my surprise, the weight of the Piscifun spool is a gram less than Abu's, even with a larger size. Lighter spool helps casting control of lighter lures, since less kinetic energy is stolen by spool during casting, at the moment you release your thumb. Other than the metallic frame, you can find a lot more metal on Piscifun (Fig 4): worm gear sheath, worm gear paw nut, star drag, thumb screw and end plug on knobs.
A larger spool increases the overall width of the reel (Fig 5). When mounted on a rod, I can definitely feel Piscifun is bulkier than Abu. The feeling of Piscifun in palm is similar to Daiwa Tatula: fingers need to reach further to grab the rod, but still manageable.
Cranking takes less effort on Piscifun: gear ratio is lower than Abu, and the handle is longer (Fig 3), giving you more toque on the handle shaft.
On the handle shaft, a proper design should use three bearings: an instant-anti-reverse bearing (IAR) and two ball bearings (BB) on each side of IAR. IAR allows the handle rotating in only one direction, but it is weak: the plastic parts in IAR cannot tolerate too much load in radial direction. And this is the reason we need two other BB to support IAR. In the mechanical schematic diagram of both Abu and Piscifun, I can see the 3 bearing; however in real product, Abu skipped one BB which pissed me off (if not designed in due to cost, it's OK I can understand. But fooling customer using schematic is dishonest. IAR of my Abu failed and was replaced after 2 years use, and I believe it's related with the missing bearing). All the 3 bearings can be found in Piscifun (Fig6 & Fig 10)
Other than Shimano reels, the thumb bar designs of many mainstream brands like Daiwa and Abu are pretty much the same: the thumb bar is rubbing against the frame whenever pressed down or coming back. In Abu's Max reels, the friction between thumb bar and the frame is mitigated using grease, a lot of grease, even on new reels (you can check the new Abu reels in Walmart). Each time after use, I need to apply grease on to my Abu, between the thumb bar and the frame to extend the life span of the reel. On Piscifun, there are plastic pads made of slicker material between the thumb bar and frame, and this is the common practice of reels over $100 (Fig 7). The result is longer life span, easier maintenance and smoother button action than Abu. The drag in Abu is paperbased material, works OK and I have no complaints. In Piscifun, the drag is using multidisk cross carbon fiber, a lot better construction and material (Fig 8). I really need to land some big fish to tell how much better Piscifun's drag is. Another observation is the drive gear (the big gear in Fig 8, rotating around handle shaft): When turning the handle of Abu, I can hear gear grinding sound, only occurs around a certain angle of the handle. This is cause by the offset error between the center of the gear and the rotation axis. On Piscifun, the grinding sound is much less, which means the concentricity accuracy is better.
Abu's spool tension knob is better than Piscifun (Fig 9): it has the clicking sound for more accurate and "quantitative feeling" of the adjustment. Piscifun's spool tension is similar to Shimano Curado and Daiwa Lexa/Tatula, no clicking, but it is OK. BTW, in so many Youtube videos, even some professional anglers call it "centripetal something". This is just spool tension, applying pressure on spool axis to generate a constant braking torque, has nothing to do with centripetal force. A centripetal brake is the one used in Abu Revo S or Shimano Curado.
Bearings, bearings, bearings... engineers' favorite topic. I cannot comment on the "two Japanese high speed NMB bearings", since NMB has plants all over the world, and I cannot see any marking on spool bearing saying they are NMB. However I can confidently say that Piscifun used the number of bearings they promised in the right places (Fig 10): two on worm gear; two on spool axis, two on pinion gear (a great feature I like, see the difference in the attached video; other companies give such design fancier names, e.g. "Shimano Super Free Spool"); three bearings on handle shaft. Abu's design has one less bearing comparing with Piscifun, Abu's product cheated by using one less bearing comparing with their own design; Abu puts two BB in handle knobs, which make the gear box (where bearings are most desired) have much less bearings than Piscifun.
Another nice feature on Piscifun, especially for geeks like me, is the little cover on the handle-side. Without the need to pull the reel apart completely, I can lubricate the drive gear and pinion gear through this little cover (Fig 11 left).
Nothing is perfect, and I do have three comments on the reel which may have the room for improvement, just my personal opinions
1. Logo: When I open the box, it says "Haibo Overlord", not Piscifun Thunder. Although the reel is exactly the same as described other than logo, it surprised me a little bit.
2. Magnetic brake: to cast properly I need to use about 90% of the brake. This may be caused by the way I cast or the techniques I use, so maybe you do not need such amount of braking. When casting against the wind, the mag brake will be maxed out and still not enough. A stronger brake (i.e. more magnetic bits in side plate) will be beneficial.
3. Reel seat: Unlike metal frame reels from mainstream brands, such as Abu, Shimano or Daiwa, the Piscifun's seat is a separate piece of metal, riveted onto the reel frame (Fig 11, right). Between the two is a piece of plastic sheet, like a washer to provide compression stress in the rivet (Fig 7 right). The reel seat is good and firm so far, but it may be questionable for long term durability, when the plastic washer dries out and flakes apart. If the frame is one piece, I will feel much more confident in the rigidity and durability.
As fast as my legs can carry my body, I gather up my fishing gear and scoot all the way back to the marketplace. In my rush I did not see my fishing basket full off trout and it was not me who caught them. That is all complimentary of the guardians of Casterly Rock.
“Are you alright lad? You look as white as a sheet! And you are as wet as one that just came out of the washing!” A tall stranger was looking at me quite queerly, clearly started by my appearance. I knew that was one of the people I gave fish to at the marketplace.
I did not sleep one wink at all. At dawn, I restlessly began my walk up to Casterly Rock. I could hear my Piscifun Stainless steel line cutter clatter in my bag. I see the guardian waiting for me at my usual fishing spot before I even turn the corner.
“You did not even ask for an explanation yesterday. You just ran. That is not what a guardian does. He never runs!” The guardian’s slimy finger pointed straight at me.
“I was shocked! You can’t keep that against me! If I were to be a guardian of Casterly Rock, I mean a true guardian, will what I saw yesterday be a reality?”
“Yes, yes Brad, that will be your fate yes. You cannot be a guardian without sacrificing all of who you are and what you are.”
“I can understand now why Mr. Stanley did not want to be like you. He did not want to sacrifice himself in such a way.”
With a grimace, the guardian replies, “That is where you are mistaken Brad. Mr. Stanley’s mind began to toil with him. He saw the riches of Casterly Rock as his own, which it is not. He did not give a dime as to what he was to sacrifice. All he cared about was the money he would get. He didn’t care about what he would look like or what he had to do in order to get that.”
It all becomes quite clear to me now. “So, in order for me to be a guardian of Casterly Rock, I have to sacrifice my soul, become like you, a half human half fish, and fish for trout for the rest of my life? With no gain at all? Just to feed those who are hungry at the marketplace? I do not see why anyone would want to do that!”
“As I said, Brad, you will be compensated in other ways. Ways your imagination will not even fathom. I will expect an answer from you by tomorrow morning. Remember, it’s either be a guardian of Casterly Rock or meet the same fate as Mr. Stanley, you choose.”
With ever way I look at this, I am in deep trouble. With a troubled mind, I spend the rest of the day fishing for trout with a brand new Piscifun Baitcasting Fishing rod, compliments of the guardians. Tomorrow I will meet my fate then…
Today is the day. Today I will finally come to terms with what being a guardian at Casterly Rock is all about. I will also get to meet more guardians and maybe even get to meet THE guardian, the one who makes it all happen, the leader of the pack, as per say.
Putting my fishing gear into my Piscifun shoulder bag, I cannot help but wonder what this day has in store for me. I purchased a brand new Piscifun spinning fishing reel the day before and can’t wait to test it out. Upon arriving at Casterly Rock, an eerie fog lay across the lake, making it really hard to see what is lurking inside the murky water. I am sure the trout will make it difficult for me today.
The fog parts some near the water’s edge, and a strange urge comes over me to dive right into the icy water. Without hesitation, I put my Piscifun Travel mate spinning fishing rod against an old oak tree and dive right in. The water hits me like a thousand knives, the cold claws almost getting the better of me. My lungs fill with air; I can actually breathe under water! A strange force is pulling me down, farther and farther, drawing me to something I have never encountered before. There, just over the sand bank, a circle of fish like creatures sits, staring straight at me, as if waiting for my arrival.
“Brad, you have come as I have asked.” I hear the guardian’s voice, but his fish like lips do not move.
“I am here; ready to be part of this meeting, ready to know what my destiny at Casterly Rock will be.”
“You are too eager, Brad. Your mind is not ready for the responsibility that awaits you. The reason you were brought here is so that you can see and experience firsthand what being a guardian is all about. This will not be taken lightly and you will be compensated in better ways this world could ever give you.”
I am led to a vortex like sphere, sucking water into what looks like a big black hole in the rocks at the bottom of the lake. “Look, Brad, and tell me what do you see?”
I look into the watery mush and am stunned to see myself, swimming to the water’s surface. I can almost feel the air being drained from my lungs as I break the surface. I swim to the water’s edge and stumble to the nearest rock. As I look down upon my hands, a slimy, green and fish-like hand is all I see. Gasping at the sight, I try to move to a pool of water to see my fate. However, where my feet once were, is now a fish tail, just like a trout. The water that soaks from my hair forms a puddle as if luring me to look into the mirror image of myself. Looking into the puddle, I see what looks like a half human and half fish face. The face, or so I think, of a guardian of Casterly Rock.
With a jolt, I tear myself away from the vortex the guardians want me to see. “Brad, tell me, do you not like what you see?”
That night I have a dream. I dream that I am crowned ruler of Casterly Rock. The guardians all bow down to me and give me a crown made of golden fish scales. They name me god of the guardians. I am their master and they are my servants to make with as I please. Upon waking up the next morning, I feel a sense of guilt washing over me for having such a dream. Is that not what the guardian at Casterly Rock warned me against? Pushing the troubling thoughts to the back of my mind, I begin the usual route to my fishing spot. For some reason, my Piscifun Crossbody bag feels unusually heavy…
I settle down next to the bank covered with soft moss, making it my home for the day. I have much fish to catch and even more people to feed. My Piscifun Carbon casting rod glistens in the morning sun, making it look as if the sun only shines its rays on my rod; giving it a god-like look. God like…
“Brad, your mind is an open book to me. What you think goes straight through my veins. What you feel makes my bones shudder with pain as well. I am however wary of what goes on inside your mind as it is not what the guardians of Casterly Rock want your mind to be filled with. I warned you of the power that comes with guardian status.”
Feeling like a kid caught in the act of being naughty, I spin around to see the guardian standing at the edge of the bank, his scaly skin like diamonds in the sun. “It was just a dream, just a subconscious meddle of the mind,” I try to come up with a valid explanation.
“They all say that, and yet they all follow the same path. Make sure you are not one of them, Brad. You are special and our last hope.”
“Yes, I understand. I will rid myself of these ludicrous thoughts and notions and concentrate on the task at hand. Making Casterly Rock the salvation for those in need and guarding it from any harm that might come lurking.”
“Good. I would like to inform you that you will be summoned to a council meeting tomorrow as you arrive here for your fishing venture. Do not be late and do not bring your negative thoughts with you. Leave them be where they do not bother you or any of us.”
Just as he appeared, he disappeared again into the water, making the trout in the lake surface for just one moment, making it much easier to catch them. Not long after my encounter with the guardian, the sun sets its rays on the mountain, ready for another night of darkness. As I pack up my fishing tackle, satisfied with the days catch, I open my crossbody bag and reach out to get my Piscifun fishing pliers. My hand glides across something cold and wet inside the bag. I glance down into the bag and am appalled at what I see. What stares back at me makes my breath catch in my throat. Eyes, or what used to be eyes, drawn back in their sockets, glassy with no life at all. My head lies in the bag, the look of fear still visible. As if the wind could feel my fear, a whisper sings softly in my ear.
“This will be you if you dare disobey.”
Now I know. Do not let the status cloud your mind. You will regret it. Shaking, I glance back at the bag to see my lifeless eyes. Nothing; the bag is empty. I gather up my trout and head back to the village. Tomorrow at the council meeting I will talk to the guardians about this. They had to have something to do with what I had just seen.
Many bass anglers have a low-profile baitcasting reel. Baitcasting reels can also be used for larger fish like redfish and pike, or small panfish like crappie and bluegill. They are lighter and allow for easier wrist action, letting you place lures precisely where they need to be. They have ergonomic design, giving you a comfortable feel, which can pay off after hours of fishing. However, not every experienced fisherman knows how a baitcasting reel is built and how the mechanics works. Here I will show you how to choose a baitcaster based on the design, quality and construction of the reel. This is Piscifun Thunder series low-profile baitcasting reel.
In the following image, the reel is disassembled to show all the parts in the reel.
You might be surprised by all these little pieces in the picture. Well, there are many other small parts I have not disassembled; in totally the reel consists of more than 100 parts. Ok, here we go!
Frames Made of either aluminum or graphite. Graphite generally less expensive and lighter in weight but won't withstand much abuse as aluminum.
Braking System Most of the basitcasting reels in the market today are using either centrifugal braking or magnetic braking. Both techniques are proven to be effective in controlling birdnest during casting, and this Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel uses magnetic braking.
Spool
Aluminum spool with drilled holes dominates the market. The key is making it lighter. This Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel spool features a wider and sealed spool, which is precisely machined from a whole piece of forged aluminum and weighs only 0.7oz/20g (even lighter than narrower spools in other brands). The sealed spool can prevent dust, sand, and saltwater getting into the bearing and make this reel more durable when used in saltwater fishing.
Ball Bearing Well, quality over quantity, as many professional guys agreed. Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel uses Japanese sealed stainless steel NMB ball bearings. The corrosion resistant bearing also contribute to the long life span of the reel , even if used for saltwater fishing.
Line Guide The easiest part to get corrosion, they are made from either titanium or ceramic,with the latter being less expensive but can crack or break from alleviated abuse.This reel definitely uses titanium line guide, the more expensive and more durable option, to accommodate saltwater fishing.
Gearing The main gear, gear shaft and pinion gear of this reel are made of brass which is light and corrosion resist. Under the pinion gear there is a clutch ring made of metal in order to support the spool. Together with the two ball bearings that support the spool, they make the spool sit and spin precisely, during casting and retrieving. Most of the others baitcasting reels don’t have this metal clutch ring.
Drag washer The material of the drag washer is often the bottleneck of the reel’s life span. Common drag washer are made of asbestos, plastic and carbon. The most costly option, carbon drag washer, is way better than other two. It could provide High corrosion resistance (acid and salt), High temperature prevention, Strong friction, Excellent drag performance and Water-proof. To achieve long service life span, this Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel generously uses 3 carbon drag washers.
One more thing you need to pay attention to is maintenance. Unlike many baitcasting reels which require disassembling at least the handle and the side-plates, this reel Has a small opening for easy access and lubrication of the gears by just removing one screw.
To get a better understanding and deeper insight of how a reel works, I would strongly recommend you dissembling a reel by yourself. Remember to keep the schematic for reference and take as many photos during the dissembling process as possible, so that you can put it back together. I am sure you will appreciate the high quality material and well-thought-out design, A well-built reel with a low price tag, why not give it a try?
It had been an utterly exhausting day, giving trout from Casterly Rock to those who needed it most at the marketplace. As I saw it, I was their hero! It quickly became known to me that I will have to catch twice as much trout the next day if I was to stay their hero.
Early the next morning, before the sun bragged its luring rays of light, I went round the bend and over the next hill; back to Casterly Rock, back to what I wish I would forget. Upon getting there, I was met with a delightful splash; trout in the reeds, ready for the breakfast I was about to serve. I assembled my Piscifun Shadowcat Casting Rod and added some bait; Fly Fishing Flies with a Floating Fishing Lure. Fantastic for the amount of fish I wanted to catch today.
As the day wore on, I began getting an unsettling feeling that I was being watched from beneath the trees in the distance. As Mr. Stanley was no longer alive to watch my every move at Casterly Rock, the watcher was unknown to me. With a jolt, I heard a voice behind me.
“Brad, you are a good fisherman, Piscifun products agree with you. I have a proposition for you, if you are interested.”
I turned my head, already knowing I was about to speak to one of the Guardians of Casterly Rock. “A proposition, I would love that!”
“Brad, you are so enthusiastic, but I warn you, it is not an easy task. You must become a guardian of Casterly Rock. You must guard this wonder we live in with your life. Guard it from fishermen that want to exploit its riches and use it only for their own benefit. Mr. Stanley was asked to become a guardian, and the status went to his mind; see where that got him. Will you be able to become one of us, Brad?”
Gob smacked, I uttered the few words I could, “Yes, I will become a guardian of Casterly Rock.”
“Good. Remember, you are to protect this place from newcomers that wants to reap the benefits of what we have here. You are to catch fish from this pond and give it to the poor at the marketplace, not sell it for your own benefit. You will be poor yourself yes, but as a guardian, you will be compensated for good behavior in way you would never imagine! “
“Yes, yes I will do that,” is all I could muster.
As if talking to the wind, there was a slight splash into the pond and then nothing. I was alone again, only me and the trout. I could not believe what had just happened! I was asked to protect Casterly Rock from harm and in return I would be compensated, by money hopefully. As I picked up my rod to call it a day, I saw a Piscifun Portable Fish Lip Gripper next to my fishing box; a present from the guardians. I made a mental note to thank the guardian when I came to fish tomorrow; if I was to see him again.
I walked up the road and past Mr. Stanley’s post. So, that is why he was such a bitter man. The guardian status went to his mind. Poor soul was my only thought. As I walked into the marketplace, an idea became to form in my head…
“Trout, trout for those who are hungry! Come get some trout, those who need it most!”
As if drawn to my voice, a huge crowd of hungry men, woman and children began to gather, eager to get a taste of the trout of Casterly Rock.
This is the crucial part of the reel. No ball bearing Design! Ceramic processing techniques. Innerly Adopt high-strength plastic and alloy. So very abrasive; excellent tightness, no more breaking line！
Corrosion-resistant.
