BobP Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 In my experience, casting distance is more about lure weight, lure aerodynamics, and the rod used - and less about reel design. I shy away from "novel designs" from small companies and gravitate to proven baitcast reels sold by larger companies like Shimano, Abu, etc. When I want to get the last possible bit of casting performance, I use small diameter line (I like 20 lb Sufix 832 braid, which is 6lb mono diameter), and make sure the reel's spool bearings are clean and lubed with low viscosity bearing oil. One reel that should be available in Europe is the old round silver paint Ambassadeur Pro Max, which comes in several sizes and can be bought in the $50-75 range on Ebay and elsewhere. I have several size 1600 and 3600 Pro Max reels and they cast as far or farther than my late model Shimano Curado/Chronarch and Abu Garcia Revo SX reels. 5.3:1 gear ratio, 6 bearings. They are the only reels I've used that you can put 2 centrifugal brake blocks on, then loosen the cast control until there is slight side play in the spool (i.e., cast control completely OFF) and cast any weight lure all day with never a backlash. And parts to refurbish the old Pro Max are still readily available from Abu Garcia, if needed. They originally sold for $170 and came with a lifetime warranty back in the 1970's. They usually look beat-up with flaking paint and scratches but I fell in love after trying one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
