Ultralight Underspin Reels

Balvar24 · April 09, 2020, 06:40:06 PM

Looking for one for my 4-year old.

Are the older ones any better than the newer ones? I wasn't impressed with the drag on the newer ones.

Thanks.

philaroman · April 09, 2020, 11:25:10 PM

will try to figure out which Quantum was my brief foray into underspin

cheap & not built to last, but you'll be looking to upgrade in a couple years, anyway

cute tiny thing w/ surprisingly decent drag smoothness/adjustability

not much power, but that's GOOD -- more than 5# might pull a tot off the bank/boat
(too stubborn to let go / don't know enough physics to sit down, LOL)

Balvar24 · April 10, 2020, 01:33:13 AM

Thanks. We usually fish mostly ultralights.

philaroman · April 10, 2020, 02:03:50 AM

mine looked smaller/similar to older Zebco Bullet, but that whole egg-shaped style seems to be gone

otherwise, Daiwa US40 may be worth a look -- it has a front drag which is the most "set-it-and-forget-it"

I've ever seen on a spincaster (hence, not for me) but that's fine for a youngster

Gfish · April 10, 2020, 03:41:15 AM

If you get one for him, can we see a picture of the munchkin with his new reel?

Danwin22 · May 18, 2021, 12:51:12 PM

I love ultralight fishing for Bluegills and other panfish.

Panfish see bait in the water and couldn't care less about the age, pedigree, price or how many bearings in your reel.

As long as the reel operates with little drama you can haul in as many panfish with a Garcia-Mitchell 308 from the 1960's as you can with a modern Pfleuger President.

Wolfram M · July 05, 2021, 02:13:41 AM

I've been using the Daiwa 80DX triggerspin reel, and with the rear drag it's doing fine with 8lb test and some 20" channel cats on the end of my "heavy ultralight" rig. The 40DX has a front-drag setup, and is smaller. I haven't had to adjust the drag but once or twice this year, the 22" flathead took a bit of a run and it did need a little tightening after that one!

Amazing what you'll hook into fishing minnows for crappie around here.

So far I've only got three weights of rod, my found-in-a-dumpster bass pro saltwater combo, an old Berkley "Light Action" with a plastic Zebco on it, and this cheap Gander Mountain"IM6 Ultralight" combo rod that got the reel replaced. After the 80XD went on it's become the first rod I grab most days on the water.