The Demise Of Round Reels

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I was just thinking, why does nobody use round reels for bass fishing. A lot of muskie and walleye guys use them for casting and trolling, so why not for bass fishing?

[J Francho]

Plenty of bass fisherman using round reels. I have a couple. Maybe Maico1 will chime in, I think he has like 20 round reels, and two lo pros.

[Teal]

I was just thinking, why does nobody use round reels for bass fishing. A lot of muskie and walleye guys use them for casting and trolling, so why not for bass fishing?

Although low profile reels are the norm now for bass fishing now, a lot of angler stil use round reels for bass. We have several members on this site that have a dozen or more specifically for bass fishing.

I see more or less of the round reels in use for swimbait and umbrella rigs and some deep cranking rods. The advantage is line capacity.

The fall off from where round reels where 30 years ago is due to the reduction in weight and palm ability.

For my striper, catfish and flounder rigs, I use round reels.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I have kind of started seeing a trend. Companies making larger low pros (TranX, Lexa 300 and 400, Komodo 364, among others.). Do you think that these are really just more ergonomic round reels, or do they fall behind in some aspects.

[Teal]

That's a good question. Maybe Maico or someone more educated in round reels and the larger low pros will chime in

[jtesch]

Really don't need the line capacity for one thing. Unless your using like a Daiwa 100 series they are way to heavy for today's bass rods for another. I bought a Daiwa Luna 253 when they came out And it didn't take me long to realize it just wasn't a reel I wanted to use for Many bass applications. Now it is my big swimbait reel and sits in the rack most of the time. Bottom line is low profile reels are lighter, more comfortable and handle most bass techniques better than round reels. The few high end smaller round reels that would work will cost you a fortune compared to low profile reels. The one exception being the old team Daiwa x which was kind of a small hybrid round reel and a favorite of a lot of bass guys

[Jrob78]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/132098-why-are-the-old-round-baitcasters-still-popular/?hl=round

[Goose52]

The thread linked above has lots of discussion on this topic....

 

For me, round reels are fun. Modern round reels are fairly light (most of mine run from 6.5 to 9.5 ounces), and in the 50 and 100 size Calcuttas, are very palmable.  I like using lots of different gear - round reels are just another way to expand the fishing experience.  I still mostly fish low-profile BC reels, but I really do enjoy getting out the round reels as well.

 

I've got an Ambassadeur 1500 and a 5000, plus a couple of Calcuttas/Conquests...    Fun stuff...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Catt]

All I own are Calcuttas & Cardiffs

[Maico1]

Technology has moved right along including Round Reels,thus making them fun to fish with.They palm very easily and probably are a little deceptive when you look at them from that aspect. With a recessed reel foot they do lay down real sweet onto the rod making them very comfortable to cast with. Unfortunately they do get over looked by many as old school but they are still alive and well as some here are already know and some are finding out. The 50 size are my personal favorites both in Digital and Standard models.....

John just for the record it is 17 Rounds and 10 LP's.....

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Technology has moved right along including Round Reels,thus making them fun to fish with.They palm very easily and probably are a little deceptive when you look at them from that aspect. With a recessed reel foot they do lay down real sweet onto the rod making them very comfortable to cast with. Unfortunately they do get over looked by many as old school but they are still alive and well as some here are already know and some are finding out. The 50 size are my personal favorites both in Digital and Standard models.....

John just for the record it is 17 Rounds and 10 LP's.....

I am drooling looking at that photo...

[WRB]

Before Lew's speed spool that patented low profile shape reels, all bass reels were round. The level wind being push out further away from the reel spool allowed the reel mounting foot to be lower or closer to the spool lowering the overall height. The gear housing could also be lowered.

The Fenwick rod company came out with the first popular trigger sticks to take advantage of the lower profile Lew's reel, before the trigger stick, bass rods had pistol rod handles that lower the center of gravity of round reels. The trigger seat design also allowed the rod to extend to the rod butt, before that casting rods ended in front of the reel, the handle being a separate part of the rod.

When you put a round reel on a trigger stick design rod, the reel sits up higher, center of gravity is offset, alignment of the first rod guide creates more line drag, the guides need to be higher off the rod blank.

There several reasons that come together to make low profile reels more popular to the majority of bass anglers.

Today I only use round reels (Calcutta and Cardiff) for cranking and swimbaits due to the larger spool capacity and frame strength, all my other baitcasting reels are low profile.

Tom

[Raul]

It is a matter of design and size, for people like me with small hands a regular sized round reels are nearly impossible to handle, previous round reel models also had the problem of not having a recessed reel foot which made them sit high on the reel seat, also the only difference between one reel size and the next was the width. Nowdays in many companies those problems have been solved, different sizes are indeed different sizes ( not just different width ) take a look at the Calcutta/Conquest 50 and you´ll see what I mean, the reel foots are recessed and the reel sits low on the reel seat, much better systems and features have been incorporated to round reels ( the first digital cast control reel was the Calcutta DC ) so they are as refined and sophisticated as the most refined and sophisticated low profile baitcasters.

 

So I don´t think that round baitcasters are in demise.

[0119]

I have 15 round reels and one low profile.  It waits in its box for me to figure out windows 8 and my stupid new cellphone so I can put it up for sale.  I bass fish 4 or 5 times a week but they are the smallest most anemic fish I target.  I require all my reels be able to pursue any fish not just bass.  If I'm beating the banks I might start out tarpon fishing and end up bass fishing.

[*Hootie]

I just started this year, using a Calcutta 100B for my crankbait fishing.

Hootie

[ColdSVT]

My first BC was a calcutta...loce that thing even though the rest of my reels are low pro

[Maico1]

Thought some may find this useful, it is copy of my reel inventory. As you can see the Round and LP spools are pretty close in capacity considering the size you choose.

[oldschoolbasser]

As long as the major manufacturers build them, people will still buy them.As a Ambassadeur man,I will never stop using my round reels as they are an extension of my body LOL!That being said, I do have 2 Megabass round reels,a Monoblock Bespoke Topaz,and a Black Jungle Lin 25th Anniversary model because I appreciate the workmanship, wnd quality those reels possess. I use my 15-2500C's for worm and shakey heads,and my 4500- 4600C's for jigs,cranks,and blades.I build my own reels now as parts are readily available, and the aftermarket has stepped up the game providing me with custom made parts to upgrade my reels. I have over 75 round reels,and I continue to build more. I've been using them since the "70's" and I will never stop using them as they have caught so many fish for me.As for how they sit on the newer trigger grip handles, it's not a problem for me as I hold the rod above the reel. Most of my rods are the older Phenix rods with the offset Fuji graphite pistol grip handles,so the reel sits lower,and the balance with these reels is perfect. Yeah they don't have. 8.1 gear ratios,or weigh 6oz,but they catch fish,and that's all that matters. Reading a lot of the post,you'd think how'd we ever catch fish before the advent of the newer reels,what with our 20lb reels with only 4.7:1 gears,and only 2 bearings! Not to mention our ridiculously short 5 1/2 foot rods lol!

[OK Bass Hunter]

All I have right now are round reels and they work fine for me.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/10418967@N05/13245322373/

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/132098-why-are-the-old-round-baitcasters-still-popular/?hl=round

 Some tools are better suited for certain jobs.

[*Hootie]

A round reel is like a 62 Corvette or a 65 Mustang. They are never going to be out of place or out of style.

Hootie

[bigbill]

Me too I have two or three and some still new in the box too. I have some of the heavier casting setups for the great northern pike.

[BobP]

There's no inherent reason that round reels have to be engineered differently from low profile reels, or vise-versa.  I put the survival of round reels down to 2 things.  First, Shimano Calcuttas and similar reels are overbuilt for reliability and toughness, weight be damned.  Their lower ratio gearing also promotes smoothness and durability.   Whether or not they balance on a rod, many guys are very attracted to supreme durability.  Second, tradition - all reels started out as round reels.  If you build a completely bullet proof round reel and continue the model line for many years, some guys will favor it just because that's what they're used to.  Could Shimano or Abu build all metal low profile reels engineered the same as their round reels?  Sure, but would bass fishermen favor those "low profile heavy metal" reels over the light, modern low profile alternatives?  I don't think so.        

[BassinLou]

I don't want to stray to off topic, but this thread made me look at my older reels and I have 3 round reels that I don't use anymore. 2 are Abu's Royal express II and III, and the other one is a Shimano Catala. Do you guys think they will sell or are they collector items? 

[Teal]

Abu garcia actually has launched more round reel line up in the last year or so. I don't ever see round reels going anywhere