Two Identical Reels. One Difference. Wildly Different Casts.
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Saltwater Fishing Reels, Tackle & Gear
You might be cutting your casting distance short without realizing it.
Everyone talks about lures, tides, and spots, but almost nobody pays attention to a detail that decides whether your bait even reaches the fish.
It may look harmless, but it steals distance, shrinks your strike zone, and costs you opportunities you never knew you missed.
So we ran an actual test. Same rod. Same reel. Same lure. Only one variation.
The difference showed up fast.
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Featured Gear
- Rod: Slam Stick Medium
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Line: 10lb Daiwa J-Braid
Key Takeaways
- Properly filled spools consistently reached farther
- Underfilled spools created a clear cluster behind
- A few extra feet can be the difference between a clean shot or a spooked fish
- Replace old line fully instead of splicing
- Correct spool height gives you max distance with fewer issues
Final Thoughts
This quick test reveals something you usually feel but rarely measure.
Spool height changes casting distance.
Casting distance affects opportunity.
Check your reel before your next trip and give yourself the best chance at every cast.
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Wow! 15 ft is a huge difference. Especially big deal in winter
Nice work Tony
Thanks Judson!
By any chance did you configure the percentage difference amongst your casts?
I only measured the furthest distance of the 2.
Thanks for the test Tony, so important to have a properly spooled reel. By the end of a trip, a lot more energy gets used because of trying cast harder to get distance & many fish can be spooked by having to ge t ” closer ” to one’s target area. btw, I admire your ” Quick Step ” abilities !!!
You’re welcome George! Yep and casting harder also shakes the boat/kayak putting pressure waves into the water and spooking the fish!
Hey Tony…
If you can have ONLY 1 spinning rod, for inshore fishing, targeting snook, redfish and trout, with artificial lures… what exact specifications that rod would have?? (Regardless brand name)
Length?
Power ?
Action ?
Reel size ? (Regardless brand name)
7’6 Medium Power Fast Action
2500 size reel. I have some 3000 size reels but they are pretty much identical in size to a 2500, just a different retrieve speed (gear ratio)
Nicely done Tony !
Thanks Barry!
Good to see some line/casting tests again, Tony! Do you have a rough idea of total casting distance of the under filled reel? When Luke did his first J-Braid 8 strand test years ago, he found it cast further than Power Pro 4 strand which caused him to switch over. Sometime later, he made another video where he didn’t find much difference in casting distance after the J-Braid had been used for a while. Were the two different lines you were using subject to similar use (i.e., not full spool, new line; under filled spool old line)?
Thanks Rob! I didn’t test to see how far each one could go. Kept the casts average without any extra power put into it. Both of the lines were put on at the same time a few months ago. The under filled spool was actually from a bad wind knot and lost a lot of line from it.
Thanks for the comparison.
You’re welcome Ron!
Tony have you tried out any of the new Shimano reels that came out with a new spool setup that allows you to cast further because the spool moves up and down slower? I want to know if this is marketing BS or truly something that gives you extra casting distance.
I haven’t heard of any reels with the spool that goes up and down slower. That would be more for reeling. Some of the spools on their reels are a bit longer, which I hear is supposed to help but I haven’t put it to the test yet. The Shimano Stradic FM reels I use have a longer spool that they call a “long stroke” spool which supposedly allows the line to lay smoother and cast further. I’ll have to test it out.
Look it up on the reel that is a step up over the new Stradic.
Well Tony ever since you did a report on the shimano nasci spinning reel years ago I switched from my old drag worn out shimano stradics to the nasci series and they have never failed me yet and my newest reel that I bought is a 2020 model all the others 5 to be specific are pre covid models and they all now and ever since have been smooth as butter and cast very well I LOVE the shimano nasci series they are a great reel for a great price but im an old school baby boomer and have always believed in what ever works stick with it but thats me but you are correct in getting the most best performance out of your reel by having the right line capacity and when changing lines change ALL the line and dont splice new to the old I know you know what your doing you always have and will thanks for the advice and all you do
Those reels are definitely bulletproof!
Good video with very good information and results …. Thanks Tony
Thank you Thomas!