PRODUCT REVIEW 2010
New Release Reels
Have Raised the Bar

The new fishing reels that I am writing about may very well be the biggest step up in innovation and creation that I have ever seen that will benefit the everyday angler. The coolest part of the story is that it is a homegrown idea created by experienced anglers for their fellow anglers.

Captain Ryan Rogers (The Midnight Sun Charters), 1st Mate Kenny Nance and Wes Seigler from the Northern Neck of Virginia began brainstorming ideas almost a year ago to create a fishing reel that would hold up to the everyday abuse of charter fishing. They wanted a reel and rod that would be high quality, stand up to the punishment of the saltwater environment and still be affordable. Honestly I cannot think of a better trio of guys to create a new reel.

Captain Ryan has been fishing since he could hold a pole and the other guys have been fishing most of their lives too. Captain Ryan has also been a part of the charter business his entire adult life and he knows the value of quality equipment for everyday use and abuse. He has seen a lot of poorly made equipment and knows what he wants in a reel for his business.

Kenny works for Ryan on his boat and sees the everyday things that make and break a reel. He often has to repair reels on the spot and he lives through the abuse that clients and nature put on the reels. If there is someone who can test a reel and know if it is good it has to be Kenny Nance. I have often taken gear that I was testing on the boat to let Kenny have a crack at it.

Kenny will give you a straight up opinion and he is not afraid to try and break something either. If I had to have a quality control guy and really wanted to make gear that was made to stand the elements, Kenny is the go-to man.

Wes is the designing and marketing guy with the contacts for making the reel come alive as a product. He takes Ryan and Kenny's problems and then brainstorms with them to come up with an innovative solution. Wes's next step is to draw out concepts on paper, which evolves onto the computer then into the manufacturing process. It takes a lot of patience and time to handle this step of the process and Wes is the man for the job. He knows who to go to in order to get the best deal with the best materials all over the world and he is very good at pushing for top quality.

Nearly a year ago the trio began discussing plans for an affordable quality reel that would be much better than what you could buy on the market. They talked about what they liked and disliked about the reels that they were using. During their down time they tore apart reels that were used on the boat and took careful notes about what was rusting, cracking and slipping. They listed qualities that their dream reel would have to have to pass the test. A lot of reels were torn apart, the list of improvements was long and then the work began.

Wes began making calls and putting together ideas on how to make the dream come alive. They procured the best materials they could get their hands on and even traveled around the globe to make sure that the product that they were having made was high quality and not just being slapped together.

The trio tested their new reels for seven months before they were satisfied and recently took delivery of the first batch of reels. Their smallest reel is a 15 Wide Model. This reel is high speed with a 6:1 ratio and will take on up to 450 yards of 40 pound braid.

So, what are the reels made of? The bodies are CNC machined in China. I know that China is a bad word to many people. Please read on. I promise it will be worth your while. Wes and Kenny personally went to China to be sure that what they were getting was top quality and the craftsmanship was what they wanted.

The gears are stainless steel, made in the U.S.A. The lubricant is also made in the U.S.A. The guys found that some lubricants commonly used in reels were causing some problems in cold weather and decided to use Wes's contacts and get a lube that is top notch to do the job and therefore avoid any issues that other reels have in very cold weather.

Finally, the drag, one of the most critical parts in a reel when it comes to successfully landing big fish, is made of carbon in Japan.
It is the smoothest part of the reel.

The guys have a very good man working for them in Asia to ensure that the quality and all of the improvements they wanted done along the way were taken care of. MANY improvements were made too. I cannot even list all of the ones I heard about while trying the reels out. There simply is not enough space here. I will give you a teaser though. The drag release location is redesigned so that it is naturally right where you would put your finger to work it. That is but one of many great improvements over reels typically found on boats.

I was invited along on an amberjack fishing adventure out of Virginia Beach a few weeks ago. Imagine what you would think if someone put a rod and reel in your hand that was the size of a bass fishing reel and told you that you would haul in a fish that weighed 45-50 pounds without an issue.
The first amberjack slammed a live bunker and took off with it.

I hustled towards the rod in the rod holder and JEEZ, if you know how an amberjack feels then I need not say any more. I was not really skeptical about the reel because I knew Kenny and Ryan were straight up guys and Wes, although I just met him, seemed to fall into that category as well. But, again, when you see a fish over four feet long streaking away like a runaway train and you feel the power throbbing in your hands through the rod you have to wonder just what is going to happen to a reel that size.

This is the best part of the story. The fish made multiple runs around the boat. I let the reel do the work and was VERY pleased. It was so smooth I had to actually look down a few times to see if the drag was letting line out. Then I purposely loosened and tightened the drag. You never should do that while fighting a fish, particularly a big fish. However, I had to do it to get a feel for how the drag would respond. Would it grind when adjusted mid fight? Would it slip and not remain set where it was supposed to? Would it just hic cup and burp at the worst times? Nope! All was good. I got that fish to the boat and was just stunned how smooth the reel was despite the size of the fish that was trying hard to get away.

There were several of the Release Reels on the boat that day and they were used all day long. Four citation amberjack were caught and not one reel had an issue. Prior to that trip the same reels hauled in seventy-pound bluefin tuna and pulled a white marlin right up to the boat where Kenny had his hand nearly on the leader. Huge drum have also been caught with the Release Reels. Suffice to say that these reels have already been through the grinder and they come out the other end smoothly reeling as if nothing happened.

Mark Fike and Kenny Nance show one of the four citation
amberjack which were caught using the new Release Reels.

This reel is going to set the standard for charter boat anglers and serious fishermen alike. You don't have to be a saltwater angler to find good use for these reels either. I can definitely see a market for trophy catfishing, landlocked striper angling or any other large fish both fresh and saltwater. They can be used to freeline bait, jig spoons or troll.

The guys are even having rods made up to their specs for different types of fishing applications. I can tell you that I will be buying these reels to replace some of the stuff I have. While I was on the boat amberjack fishing Capt. Ryan's phone was ringing and I overhead one anglers busy purchasing reels from him right on the spot.

The Release Reels are backed up 100% and the guys have information on them at www.releasereels.com to include prices, technical information, and ordering information. They also have a huge selection of fluorocarbon and braid line in all colors and sizes to spool your new reel.

If you want a quality product designed by anglers who fish every day that will last for a long time this is the reel to get. You can bet I will be getting a few for my arsenal.

Editors Note:
Release Reels are now available
at these tackle shops.