A Short History of Electric Reels

Electric reels have been around for a long time, going back as far as 1923. In 1940, Ettore Buggatti, an Italian Auto Designer, patented a battery powered Big Game Reel, but never manufactured it because of WWII. Later, a battery powered reel was highlighted in a 1952 edition of Popular Mechanics Magazine. This reel was powered by a common flashlight battery. Much has changed since then and an entire industry has emerged to accommodate the Angler’s need for landing big fish from deep depths.

Selecting the right reel for your particular needs can be challenging. There is a wide variety of reels with a huge choice of torque, reel options, price is just as varied. Deciding what you will be using your electric reel for is also a major consideration. Obviously, the equipment required to raise a 300 lb. swordfish will be different than the torque needed to raise a 30 lb. grouper. Depth is also a “Reel” consideration.

The following review is intended to help you be better informed when you make your decision to “Go Electric.”

One of the early pioneers in electric reels was Cart Huffman, the founder of Electra-Mate. Electra-Mate (www.elec-tra-mate.com) produces precision engineer electric reels specifically manufactured to power Penn, Shimano and Diawa reels. The engineers at Electra-Mate are very proud of the fact that they, and their gear ratios were selected by NASA for use in it’s Space Program.

Hooker Electric (www.hookerelectric.com) is a newer entry into the electric reel market, and they include a hand crank option on their reels so that you can “push” the bottom or go manual to fight the fish. It also has a variable speed control and a remote switch, both of which can come in handy.

Another recent entry is Fish Winch (www.fishwinch.com) out of Wilmington, NC. Fish Winch encourages their customers to purchase their reels on line and in doing so offer an exceptionally price point.

Diawa Electric Reels (www.daiwafishing.com) are a mainstay and are readily available throughout the US. They offer a variety of models designed to match up with nearly any need.

Preferences on electric reels? You just have to decide what your needs, budget and preferences are.

The good news is that the electric reel industry is alive and well, and there are enough quality manufactures and variety of models available to fit any need and any budget.

Go Deep.

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