I ran into a couple of these reels on auction and had to buy them for curiosity's sake. I don't do any downrigger fishing but I like the concept of an inverted conventional star drag that can be used with a conventional rod. The frame of the reel is kind of nice. I won't know about the plastic parts until after extended use. I'm kind of impressed by the ergonomics of the reel. You put your ring finger through the hole in the stand and operate the brake with your index finger. It feels kind of natural and secure. As for the innards, they're very similar to the Pro Challenger GSD 30 that Alan wrote up. https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=34.0
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/e090fd89-010a-43f2-8aab-eb473aaf0191-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/941f310e-baa0-45f6-ba14-c5d3e59ed5ec-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/f875b4a1-459b-4074-aa39-2f80e58df96b-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/f002fed8-cd33-4769-b2a5-50928898810a-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/5735d05a-e13d-4408-94a9-de0aca075f79-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/0bd494ea-77b1-44e8-afcb-041c793d8ddb-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/880cf831-06ae-48c5-a82d-fec3b7e755df-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/q410/ourford/0/d52a23c4-876e-4bdb-8542-67e88c295d12-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
I haven't seen many 'inverted' or underhead reels, only the Jiggingmaster 'Underhead' and Accurate 'Mutant' models. Thanks for sharing this one with us - let us know what you think after fishing with it a few times and get used to it.
Mike
I used to sell the old Walker reels/should have bought one at the time.
Anyway it's a bit of strange company originally from the USA sold to Canadians for many years and now once again owned by a US company but the only website is the old Canadian one.
The reel itself is from Omoto though. They have been making these for close to twenty years, if they still do. I guess it took a while to catch on.
Quote from: Robert Janssen on June 30, 2019, 07:08:29 AM
The reel itself is from Omoto though. They have been making these for close to twenty years, if they still do. I guess it took a while to catch on.
That's interesting Rob - the Omoto version pre-dates both the Accurate 'Mutant' around 2014 (ish)? and the Jigging Master 'Underhead' around 2012 (ish)? Now I'm wondering when the concept was first marketed?
Mike