Hi All
Just unwrapped my latest 'toy', an SG from Release Reels, and despite the fact that we have had to pay for the freight from USA to Namibia, which was pretty painful, it is here now so shan't cry over spilt milk!
First visual impressions are that a lot of thought and care went into the design and placement of the components, and the original scepticism of the handle shape were soon dispelled, as it is nicely counter balanced to swing to just the right spot for easy grabbing. They must have designed it by taking a mould of what would be left if you grabbed a stiff piece of putty – a perfect shape for your hand.
The casings are smooth and rounded where they need to be and crisp and clean on the straight edges. There is a tight spool to frame clearance, which will be difficult for folks to get line snagged inside the mechanism – so a good point there. The index lever drag is positive, and although there is no designated 'strike' position, the 10 positions are easy to feel, so you can soon designate your own strike point.
Flush fitting allen head screws are great, and are tight in their housing, so ingress of sand and salt will be kept to a minimum, so it is going to be easy to keep clean. Also, being allen head, perhaps means that they will prove less problematic than crosshead screws – time will tell.
Loaded up with mono, the small capacity might prove to be problematic to those not using braid, but then we are looking at this reel for surf casting, and we will have to give it the full trial to see how that goes. Fitted to a 14' surf caster and across to our casting court. First a very soft cast to feel the spool and its action, and 80 metres down range was pretty standard, so no big worries; then wind in tight and go for something a little more substantial, and away it went – got a little wild about mid-flight but the free spool setting is just that – free - 120 metres. Next cast proved that you can't get complacent with this reel – a lovely crow's nest. Tried using just one click of the lever to dampen down the quite aggressive free spool, and it flies like a dream. Next to really see what problems we could get with this reel, and piled on the power into a good cast, and it flew – 155 metres with just a few loose coils coming about mid-flight, and a touch of thumb to calm them down. This is really going to be a reel for launching baits towards the horizon.
Last cast with a much more aggressive surf rod design, as the tip speed is so much more than we normally use, managed to really load the rod and launch, and away it all went towards 170 metres. This reel really flies, and managed to get the sinker over an obstruction down on the casting court, which gave me a chance to pull against the drag, well it was impressive, kept adjusting upwards until we had pretty much reached the limit for free spool, so I assume that it was near maximum adjustment, and started pulling on full drag – exceeded the pulling strength of the rod, so pulling horizontally, eventually managed to get the drag to slip, and it was smooth and very powerful – don't know whether I had reached the 30lbs drag advised by Release Reels, but it was certainly close to the breaking strain of the 32lb line, it was singing. Walked down to release the sinker from the obstruction, and that was the end of the test. Need to get this beasty out on the beach soon, but have to work on rods for the next few days, so will have to wait.
Think that if you were using this reel for braid, it would be awesome, as the capacity wouldn't be a limitation. But the small size might well put folks off this reel, as it is so small, smaller than the Avet MXL we are currently using. Certainly a powerful entity is a small compact little body. Casting live baits will be a dream, and a testament to the ceramic spool bearings. The thing that I also noticed during the casts was that it lacked all the noise usually associated with ceramic bearings – this reel was silent.
Will have to get the tools out and have a look inside when time permits, but first to the beach.
Cheers from sunny Africa
Jeri
Thanks Jeri. Can't wait to see inside.
I can tell you, any kind of head is better than phillips except flat head. Screw heads are one of my pet peeves. Enjoy your toy. Anxious for a report.
My fav screw heads are definitely Torq or star. I have yet had one strip out on me.
I received a Release SG a few days ago and also have some initial impressions. First, it is beautiful; the fit and finish is first rate. I'm still working with it but do have a couple issues. First the spool bearings are ceramic -- but they come heavily greased!! Mine has almost no free spool. Once I clean and lube them properly I suspect it will have good free spool. Second the side plate screws are torx head, but made of aluminum. This will reduce corrosion of course, but I fear it will be too easy to strip the heads. Finally, to look inside, you must remove the handle screw, but it is loctited and I'm afraid I'll strip the head and ruin it. Hmm. So I haven't been able to get inside. My understanding is that it has a huge anti-reverse bearing but no back up dogs. It does have a lifetime warranty, and the factory will service it for just $12 but for me personally, I like to get inside my reels more easily that this one lets me.
Hi Akfish,
If the ceramic bearings are heavily greesed, then I hate to think of the speel of the spool in a surf casting situation, if I clean them out - even with the reel as it is, the speed of the spool in the casting situation is 'scary'.
I concur with the fears about aluminium screw, I would probably ask for stainless steel screws to replace the standard ones, despite the loss of colour co-ordination. Probably the only critisism I have of the reel.
Cheers from sunny Africa,
Jeri
I want to say thank you for supporting Release Reels we value you all as our customers. When I get time here at the shop I will take some detailed pictures of our operation and the processes.
Our motto is making it simpler, In doing so we find when making something stronger, in doing so will always see the next weakness. We are always trying to solve the problems as we grow we know problems will come up. With that said I want to ensure you all we stand behind our products and we will create a new solution as soon as it arises. That is my promise to you all.
Keep us posted and whatever you all might want to see from the behind the scenes side just let us know and we will post it. If you all have any questions or problems please contact us and we will do our best keeping you on the water.
All the best,
Wes
Hi All,
Finally got to the beach to test the Release SG – 'in the briny' – seems sad that I wrote the original casting report back on the 23rd January, and only now got to the beach to test – pressures of work!!!!
The event was one that I don't enjoy as the competition venue was basically a very shallow area where we have to do a lot of wading – chest deep, to ridges out 2-300 metres off the beach, then cast out into the deeper waters and stand around waiting for the fish and sharks to arrive.
With our surf rods designed with the reel in the low position – just 8" up from the butt button, the reel inevitably has a hard life just sitting there under water. Then when we get a hook up, we fight the fish to you, then begin the long walk back to shore.
Conceivably, the absolute worse situation to test a new reel, but that was the point of putting the reel on the rod, "let us see what it will do?"
It performed beautifully, having cleaned out the ceramic spool bearings of grease, to overcome a slight 'lag' problem in casting on the test field, the reel was casting very well, despite having to push the lever up 1 notch to get some semblance of spool breaking in the cast – too wild at total free spool!!! Stood around for 30 minutes, then a 24kg shark happened along, and it really didn't have much choice against the drag on the reel – absolutely superb – smooth and efficient. So, even while having to work totally submerged, the reel was faultless.
Back on the beach for pretty much the rest of the competition, the reel was working well, good distances achieved with casting, and possibly a little more tolerant than my Avet, when cast with less than total concentration. Had loaded the reel with slightly heavier line than when field testing – started off with 0.40mm, and changed up to 0.45mm, which gave better behaviour when casting, but still getting serious distances off the beach.
Back home a quick rinse under the cold tap, and left to dry – then into the workshop, and popped the side cover off to just see a few 'bubbles' of water remaining – but everything else looked just fine.
This reel is going to be a serious contender for our 'distance casters', and really can't wait for the guys at the factory to release their LG model, as our big shark guys will be looking for some more line capacity. However, the 40lb suggested drag available to the LG will prove awesome, might break a few rods, and we will have to find a big enough angler to pull on a surf rod at 40lbs!!!! Not many of those about.
'akfish' – your comment about the small allen head screw on the handle is 'spot on' – stripped mine on trying to get past the 'locktite', will now be changing it for a cap head stainless steel allen head. I will live with the 'dis-similar metals' issue with a little grease on the screws before assembly. Probably the only observation I have that isn't totally positive about these reels. Small, compact and seriously powerful.
The reel is now out on loan to one of our club anglers to put it through further field/beach testing, so see how an independent, but competent surf angler feels about it.
Cheers from sunny Africa
Jeri
WHat is the cast control on this Jeri?
Hi,
There is no cast control - you can either just push the lever drag up one notch, or drag your thumb over the spool.
The lever dray is indexed with 10 positions - so you can choose your own settings.
Cheers from sunny Africa,
Jeri
Bill at Release Reels
When are you going to make left-handed reels? You know, there a lot of young and old fishermen that have changed there ways of fishing, one of them is there are more and more fishermen that are right-handed only using left-handed reels. Reason; you never have to swap the reel back and forth to the other hand, plus you fight the fish with your strongest arm.
I have asked people why the use right-handed reels, and they really can't answer, and didn't realize they had to switch back and forth. Plus, after a couple of big blues, fighting that last blue with your strongest arm is important. Most don't change or are to set in there ways or stubborn to change.
SO, when will you go left?
Thanks
RJ
Your educated thumb is your cast control.
Thumb
A quick question for Jeri and AKFish
How "curved" is the reel foot ?
I've got a 7' XXH musky rod I want to try using for tautog, seabass, and haddock this year, and I think this reel would be great.
But I've found it to have a slightly tight, and very "flat" reel seat.
Some of my reels fit, some don't.
Looking on the pics of the SG on the Release Reels website, the reel foot looks sharply curved, and I'm worried that it might not fit.
What's sad is, I looked at this reel at the Rhode Island saltwater fishing expo last month - they had a booth (they guy hadn't heard of this site but said he'd look it up). I bought the musky rod out of a bargain bin at the expo - but didn't think to bring it by the Release Reels booth to see if it would fit
( 'doh !! )
ok, so it wasn't as quick a question
You may not have been talking with Wes 'cause Wes is here. I'm hoping to see his reels sometime soon to check them out.
Quote from: Bryan Young on March 29, 2013, 05:10:23 PM
You may not have been talking with Wes 'cause Wes is here. I'm hoping to see his reels sometime soon to check them out.
Yes, the gent I talked with said he was new and not familiar with all of their exposure/interactions on the web.
Hi All,
With regards to the reel seat, we are using them on rods with 20mm and 22mm Fuji reel seats, and have no problem at all. Even when putting the reel under a lot of strain with the drag well pushed up, and effectively winching an active 22kg shark, there was no 'rocking' of the reel.
Hope this helps.
Cheers from sunny Africa.
Jeri
[When is Release going to make left-handed reels?
McCandrj,
You may want to call or email Wayne at (804) 453-3095 or info@releasereels.com. They are very nice and receptive suggestions. If you are on FB, they can be found at https://www.facebook.com/#!/release.reels?fref=ts.
Bryan
Well I got my Release SG.
Overall I like it.
I suspect that the vendor shipped me a floor sample or show display reel -- the box had one sticker for silver/red reel and one for gunmetal/silver (I ordered gunmetal and recieved red ::) ), the inside of the box was pretty beat up (the reel was rattling around loose in the box with the display/packing cardboard pressed flat) - it looked like it had been in and out of the box a bit - but that's on the vendor, not Release Reels :-\
The one part I'm not crazy about is the reel foot- it's very sharply curved. It would fit fine on one of my "heavier" rods, but part of my reason for wanting a 12oz reel was to toss it on an inshore rod - in this case a freshwater Musky rod that I'll be using for tautog and haddock.
I'm trying to put together a light weight, high strength combo - an alternative to my 113H on an 8ft ugly stick :)
Unfortunately, all of my inshore rods have reel seats that are very flat - shaped for a typical baitcasting reel foot. I was able to make it fit (kinda) but I think its deforming the rod's reel seat a bit.
I think that if they are looking at this for the inshore east coast market (Stripers, redfish, black drum, tog, etc) offering an alternative, flatter reel foot that fits common baitcasting rods would be a big plus.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get out on my usual spring trips for shallow water cod and haddock, so I haven't been able to really give it a try.
Give them a call. Maybe it can be an option.
Quote from: Bryan Young on April 26, 2013, 03:03:12 PM
Give them a call. Maybe it can be an option.
Thanks Bryan.
I'm probably going to send them an email at some point - like I said, I got it working for me for now, but it might be useful for others.
I just wanted to add my experience to this thread since the curved reel foot was the item I had initially questioned in this thread a few weeks ago.
I do LOVE the reel clamp - nice and narrow, worked great even though this is a trigger style rod.
I think the company is great and there are many good things about the reel. However, they are shipped without a schematic because the company does not want users to work on their reels; even for basic service you need to send them to the company. I worry that the aluminum screws will strip. The handle screw, for example, has no lock screw and instead uses loctite to keep it in place. There is no dog back up to the anti-reverse bearing -- and no way to service that bearing. The one I saw had ceramic spool bearings -- but they were greased so there was almost no free spool. A couple little changes would makes these great reels -- steel screws, a lock nut (not loctite) on the handle, and the ability for users to service the reel. And don't grease the spool bearings!! Until these changes are made I am reluctant to recommend them. But I do think the company is responsive -- they changed the handle based on user input, and I'm sure they will be oiling, not greasing, the spool bearings soon.
They now come with a lifetime guarantee
Just an update to this reel as I just received my new SG as well, all new reels shipped after June 1 have their patented new A/R pawl.