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First Impression - US Reel SuperCaster 1000 Pro
A couple of years ago US Reel rocked the fishing world with their SuperCaster spinning reels. The oversized spool, smooth drag, and ability to survive in harsh applications earned them wide acceptance. Texas wade fishing guides whose unpracticed clients are prone to dunking reels found a highly sought solution to sticky bails, stuttering drag clutches and countless hours hunched over workbenches to keep gear in good order.
This past July at the ICAST show, US Reel rocked us again. Rumors of a radical new baitcaster had been leaked but the nuts and bolts of what Fred Kemp, founder and president of US Reel, had up his sleeve were sketchy. Given the innovative design and performance of the SuperCaster spinner, everybody was dying for a peek.
"Today, we are unveiling the greatest innovation in baitcast reel design since the introduction of the free spool," was how Kemp kicked off his press conference.
If Fred's opening statement conjured skepticism, I believe it evaporated quickly. The slide presentation that followed was packed with radical concepts. The levelwind system and reverse rotation spool were quite unlike anything we had expected. And these were only the beginning.
If a better mousetrap is one with fewer and simpler parts, the SuperCaster 1000 gearing system has to be a winner. While other reels utilize external gear teeth to transfer power, the SuperCaster drive employs internal toothing. Way back when I used to get involved in gear manufacture, and while I had no idea how these teeth might be formed, the simplicity of the design just leaps out at you.
Now if fewer gears and other moving parts does not catch your eye, the absence of a deep gear case to provide gear alignment and power transmission to the levelwind will. The gear case measures a mere 0.200" deeper than the opposite frame.
The SuperCaster Angled Bar Levelwind steals the show. While conventional designs employ a worm and pawl system to provide movement to the levelwind guide, this one uses what US Reel calls a See-Saw. Again, fewer moving parts.
Best of all, during casting, there is no requirement for the line to "find" its way through the levelwind guide when the pay-off point is out of alignment with the guide. Friction is all but eliminated as the line simply peels from the spool and flows without restriction. Greater casting distance for unit of casting effort and greatly reduced tendency for overrun and backlashing are the result.
But that's not all the Angled Bar Levelwind has to offer. A quick push and twist of the fingertip raises and lowers the See-Saw. The full-down position allows line to skim unrestricted across the levelwind bar, full-up brings more contact. This feature combines nicely with the reel's centrifugal spool brake system to afford nearly infinite control. Much of what you need to prevent overruns and backlashes when you change from casting to pitching or turning to face the wind can be dialed in with no need to change centrifugal brake or friction control settings.
In the durability department, and given the track record the SuperCaster spinners have been laying down, the first question that came to my mind was, "How's it going to hold up to saltwater?"
Let's run down the list. First comes 7+1 stainless ball bearings that have already been proven in the spinners. Next is what US Reel calls SUPERCOAT-6. Six layers of surface protection starting with an anodizing treatment, two layers of EDP Anti-Corrosion, primer coat, base coat, and then clear coat. The spool is anodized, the spool shaft is stainless, the reel handle is forged for greater strength, the See-Saw Levelwind bar is titanium nitride (TIN) coated, the drag clutch is of dual disc "high heat sink" design.
Had enough "tech-speak?" Let's go fishing!
I received a pre-production sample reel via UPS on January 26, 2009 at 3:00pm. We were packed and ready to leave for Port Mansfield to fish Friday and Saturday with Capt. Mike McBride. McTrout, as we call him, had been burning up my email and telephone with invitations.
"Listen Everett, this kind of fishing don't come around often, we're into some really good stuff right now. These trout are running pretty steady at five to six pounds and one of Tricia's guys popped a heavy seven yesterday. You need to get down here."
So with my shiny red reel on the dashboard where I could ogle it, Pam and I along with Joe and Norma Meyer of Fishing Tackle Unlimited fame, headed south with visions of big trout splashing in our heads. Checking into the motel, we readied gear for an early start and filled the spool of the SuperCaster 1000 Pro with 20-pound TufLine braid.
Friday morning was anything but inviting. Fifty-degrees and stiff wind from due north gusting to 30-something makes another pot of coffee and another taco pretty inviting. Long about 11:00, and carrying too much coffee for dressing in breathables, we stowed our gear on Mike's big Explorer and headed south toward the Arroyo and some protected water.
Cruising a surprisingly clear flat, we were soon running amid innumerable mud boils. Mike shut 'er down and stuck the Power Pole while we bailed off hoping to get bit. Tucked in as we were, the wind was at least bearable even if it wasn't any warmer.
Now working with a new reel always means a few mistakes, but after a few adjustments and practice casts I was letting it rip. I can honestly report that aided with 10-15 mph wind on my back I was pitching the combination of a 1/16-ounce Hogie screwhead and Texas Trout Killer II farther than I could fish it effectively in two feet of water with grassy bottom. Before I could gather slack and pop the lure it was grassing up. Switching to a 1/16-ounce weighted worm hook and rigging a 5" Assassin in weedless fashion reduced casting distance just slightly and reduced the grassing problem greatly.
I cannot say I never backlashed the reel. After gaining confidence I reduced the centrifugal pegs in "on" position from three to twobacked off the friction knoband lowered the See-Saw bar. First cast sailed like it was it was shot out of a cannon. Second cast kinda gave me a problem. I had to wade back to the boat and work on it for a few minutes.
I finally got everything settled into a good working position and began to concentrate more on the fishing. Pam and Norma had already strung us two reds for dinner and Joe was struggling with what turned out to be a 31-inch beast that pulled his Boga to eleven pounds.
My turn came shortly, not quite as big as Joe's, but a strong fighter at 29 inches and almost nine pounds. The drag ran as smooth as butter during the several long runs the fish made. I didn't keep count, but over the next two hours I think it would be safe to say I caught at least a dozen more, all longer than 25-inches. The SuperCaster continued to perform very well.
The reel seems to like very slight thumb pressure placed evenly between the frame and the edge of the spool. Actually, pressure is somewhat of a misnomer, the weight of your thumb is probably enough to prevent the line from "loosening" around the spool during the early stages of a sharp cast. With the exception of the bad one I caused during my distance shenanigans, the occasional few made when flipping and pitching into the wind came untangled with little effort. It is worth noting though, the absence of a levelwind guide dictates pinching the line between your thumb and forefinger for resistance to engage the levelwind mechanism when gathering completely slack line.
If I could cite a downside or disagreeable feature it would be the thumping sensation of the line running across the See-Saw during the cast. At first I thought the spool was running eccentrically at high speed. Taking time to observe more carefully, I was able to time the thumps to the line crossing the high points of the levelwind. Phoning Fred at US Reel to report my findings, I learned the fix was already in and the first production batch would not do this. Actually, it was not that big a deal. By the end of the day I learned to ignore it and it never interfered with the reel's casting or winding performance.
As for McBride's promise of big trout jumping in your waderseverybody got a couple of three to four poundersexcept me! Saturday brought better conditions and an earlier start. We again caught a pile of good reds, Mike got a husky speck that weighed just shy of seven, I pulled a heavy five. All things considered, including shrieking wind, we had a great trip. We shared the new reel around our group and had the good fortune to bump into Capt. Ernest Cisneros on the water. He too agreed... nice reel!
Two days of wade fishing is only the beginning of a test; I'll be giving it more duty in the coming weeks and months to determine long term durability. If this little number holds up as well as its spinning siblings it's going to be awesome. Look for a follow-up report and be sure to check out the US Reel SuperCaster 1000 Pro at the Houston Fishing Show.
This past July at the ICAST show, US Reel rocked us again. Rumors of a radical new baitcaster had been leaked but the nuts and bolts of what Fred Kemp, founder and president of US Reel, had up his sleeve were sketchy. Given the innovative design and performance of the SuperCaster spinner, everybody was dying for a peek.
"Today, we are unveiling the greatest innovation in baitcast reel design since the introduction of the free spool," was how Kemp kicked off his press conference.
If Fred's opening statement conjured skepticism, I believe it evaporated quickly. The slide presentation that followed was packed with radical concepts. The levelwind system and reverse rotation spool were quite unlike anything we had expected. And these were only the beginning.
If a better mousetrap is one with fewer and simpler parts, the SuperCaster 1000 gearing system has to be a winner. While other reels utilize external gear teeth to transfer power, the SuperCaster drive employs internal toothing. Way back when I used to get involved in gear manufacture, and while I had no idea how these teeth might be formed, the simplicity of the design just leaps out at you.
Now if fewer gears and other moving parts does not catch your eye, the absence of a deep gear case to provide gear alignment and power transmission to the levelwind will. The gear case measures a mere 0.200" deeper than the opposite frame.
The SuperCaster Angled Bar Levelwind steals the show. While conventional designs employ a worm and pawl system to provide movement to the levelwind guide, this one uses what US Reel calls a See-Saw. Again, fewer moving parts.
Best of all, during casting, there is no requirement for the line to "find" its way through the levelwind guide when the pay-off point is out of alignment with the guide. Friction is all but eliminated as the line simply peels from the spool and flows without restriction. Greater casting distance for unit of casting effort and greatly reduced tendency for overrun and backlashing are the result.
But that's not all the Angled Bar Levelwind has to offer. A quick push and twist of the fingertip raises and lowers the See-Saw. The full-down position allows line to skim unrestricted across the levelwind bar, full-up brings more contact. This feature combines nicely with the reel's centrifugal spool brake system to afford nearly infinite control. Much of what you need to prevent overruns and backlashes when you change from casting to pitching or turning to face the wind can be dialed in with no need to change centrifugal brake or friction control settings.
In the durability department, and given the track record the SuperCaster spinners have been laying down, the first question that came to my mind was, "How's it going to hold up to saltwater?"
Let's run down the list. First comes 7+1 stainless ball bearings that have already been proven in the spinners. Next is what US Reel calls SUPERCOAT-6. Six layers of surface protection starting with an anodizing treatment, two layers of EDP Anti-Corrosion, primer coat, base coat, and then clear coat. The spool is anodized, the spool shaft is stainless, the reel handle is forged for greater strength, the See-Saw Levelwind bar is titanium nitride (TIN) coated, the drag clutch is of dual disc "high heat sink" design.
Had enough "tech-speak?" Let's go fishing!
I received a pre-production sample reel via UPS on January 26, 2009 at 3:00pm. We were packed and ready to leave for Port Mansfield to fish Friday and Saturday with Capt. Mike McBride. McTrout, as we call him, had been burning up my email and telephone with invitations.
"Listen Everett, this kind of fishing don't come around often, we're into some really good stuff right now. These trout are running pretty steady at five to six pounds and one of Tricia's guys popped a heavy seven yesterday. You need to get down here."
So with my shiny red reel on the dashboard where I could ogle it, Pam and I along with Joe and Norma Meyer of Fishing Tackle Unlimited fame, headed south with visions of big trout splashing in our heads. Checking into the motel, we readied gear for an early start and filled the spool of the SuperCaster 1000 Pro with 20-pound TufLine braid.
Friday morning was anything but inviting. Fifty-degrees and stiff wind from due north gusting to 30-something makes another pot of coffee and another taco pretty inviting. Long about 11:00, and carrying too much coffee for dressing in breathables, we stowed our gear on Mike's big Explorer and headed south toward the Arroyo and some protected water.
Cruising a surprisingly clear flat, we were soon running amid innumerable mud boils. Mike shut 'er down and stuck the Power Pole while we bailed off hoping to get bit. Tucked in as we were, the wind was at least bearable even if it wasn't any warmer.
Now working with a new reel always means a few mistakes, but after a few adjustments and practice casts I was letting it rip. I can honestly report that aided with 10-15 mph wind on my back I was pitching the combination of a 1/16-ounce Hogie screwhead and Texas Trout Killer II farther than I could fish it effectively in two feet of water with grassy bottom. Before I could gather slack and pop the lure it was grassing up. Switching to a 1/16-ounce weighted worm hook and rigging a 5" Assassin in weedless fashion reduced casting distance just slightly and reduced the grassing problem greatly.
I cannot say I never backlashed the reel. After gaining confidence I reduced the centrifugal pegs in "on" position from three to twobacked off the friction knoband lowered the See-Saw bar. First cast sailed like it was it was shot out of a cannon. Second cast kinda gave me a problem. I had to wade back to the boat and work on it for a few minutes.
I finally got everything settled into a good working position and began to concentrate more on the fishing. Pam and Norma had already strung us two reds for dinner and Joe was struggling with what turned out to be a 31-inch beast that pulled his Boga to eleven pounds.
My turn came shortly, not quite as big as Joe's, but a strong fighter at 29 inches and almost nine pounds. The drag ran as smooth as butter during the several long runs the fish made. I didn't keep count, but over the next two hours I think it would be safe to say I caught at least a dozen more, all longer than 25-inches. The SuperCaster continued to perform very well.
The reel seems to like very slight thumb pressure placed evenly between the frame and the edge of the spool. Actually, pressure is somewhat of a misnomer, the weight of your thumb is probably enough to prevent the line from "loosening" around the spool during the early stages of a sharp cast. With the exception of the bad one I caused during my distance shenanigans, the occasional few made when flipping and pitching into the wind came untangled with little effort. It is worth noting though, the absence of a levelwind guide dictates pinching the line between your thumb and forefinger for resistance to engage the levelwind mechanism when gathering completely slack line.
If I could cite a downside or disagreeable feature it would be the thumping sensation of the line running across the See-Saw during the cast. At first I thought the spool was running eccentrically at high speed. Taking time to observe more carefully, I was able to time the thumps to the line crossing the high points of the levelwind. Phoning Fred at US Reel to report my findings, I learned the fix was already in and the first production batch would not do this. Actually, it was not that big a deal. By the end of the day I learned to ignore it and it never interfered with the reel's casting or winding performance.
As for McBride's promise of big trout jumping in your waderseverybody got a couple of three to four poundersexcept me! Saturday brought better conditions and an earlier start. We again caught a pile of good reds, Mike got a husky speck that weighed just shy of seven, I pulled a heavy five. All things considered, including shrieking wind, we had a great trip. We shared the new reel around our group and had the good fortune to bump into Capt. Ernest Cisneros on the water. He too agreed... nice reel!
Two days of wade fishing is only the beginning of a test; I'll be giving it more duty in the coming weeks and months to determine long term durability. If this little number holds up as well as its spinning siblings it's going to be awesome. Look for a follow-up report and be sure to check out the US Reel SuperCaster 1000 Pro at the Houston Fishing Show.