Best Low Profile Baitcaster For A Design Project

[jason41987]

before i get into too much detail, im the type of person who likes to tinker, design, and build just about anything, heck i've even designed a couple rifles for myself, so i dont want to hear anyone tell me what kind of work it would take to do what i want to do, etc.. im well aware

 

ok, so now my idea is to find a good, inexpensive baitcaster to use as a template, a design that is cheap, maybe around the $50 that has some potential for some redesign, modification, or fabrication.. im looking for a design thats relatively simple in construction, strong, and would be a good platform for a reel to do all this too

 

say take a cheap graphite frames low profile baitcaster, fabricate an aluminum or carbon fiber frame to replace the graphite one, upgrade or redesign the drag system, work on the levelwind, and transform into something entirely different as a side engineering project, or at the very least a reel that will work as a good template to get some key dimensions and measurements from to use as a template to design my own low profile baitcaster from scratch

 

so.. any ideas as to what would be an inexpensive design with some potential, or at least works as a good representation to the typical baitcaster i can base my own design off of?.. 145 yards of 12lb test seems to be a standard spool size for most for example, and a common feature for example

 

its kind of hard to explain what im looking for but i hope someone gets the idea

[ColdSVT]

Id look at a bps pq, or an used citica

[FishTank]

I picked up a shimano Citica at dicks sporting goods for $45. It's similar in design to the curado g,the core, and the chronarch e. There are difference between each reel that make them each unique and special but it is a proven reel design that shows the progression of development and features that can be accomplished in fabrication.

[jason41987]

one of my favorite current reels is the abu garcia ambassadeur reels, i love its brutally simple, rugged design.. i was thinking of employing some of the manufacturing techniques of the ambassadeur into a low profile design, using essentially flat sides to the frame connected in the middle with metal bars to create a rigid metal frame for example

 

what do you guys think about making a brutally simple workhouse type low profile baitcaster based on the ambassadeur round baitcaster construction?  

 

(im just looking for ideas to changing or designing a new low profile reel)

[FishTank]

one of my favorite current reels is the abu garcia ambassadeur reels, i love its brutally simple, rugged design.. i was thinking of employing some of the manufacturing techniques of the ambassadeur into a low profile design, using essentially flat sides to the frame connected in the middle with metal bars to create a rigid metal frame for example

 

what do you guys think about making a brutally simple workhouse type low profile baitcaster based on the ambassadeur round baitcaster construction?  

 

(im just looking for ideas to changing or designing a new low profile reel)

Not a bad idea. Somewhere in my travels, I recall I guy in England that does this with ambassadors. He does custom side plates, spools and handles. If I can find it I'll post a link.

[FishTank]

It's pimp my reel (PMR). He's on you tube.

When i said travels above...... I meant online. Sorry....

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I've given some thought to what the ultimate hybrid reel would be. Ease of maintenance would have to be E series Shimano Citica/Curado. The full floating spool of Daiwa/Revo, dual bearing supported pinion (ala Daiwa as they've been doing it for a while, clutch system and frame mounted yoke posts from Quantum, either Daiwa magforce Z braking or old style shimano standard cent. brakes. The Shimano level wind is durable and simple. I don't see a huge advantage to bearings in a level wind that disengages.

[jason41987]

i guess what i should just do is find a cheap $50 low profile baitcaster just for the general scale and size of it, then design something simpler, easier to work on, that maybe had parts compatibility with a common, long-running reel that has easy to find parts

 

and im checking out some of those "pimp my reel" videos now

[baluga]

I would go with the round reels, like the Calcutta's.  It has more potential to have that wow factor, instead of the low profiles.  There's too many version of the low profiles already.  Someone coming up with a Carbon fiber Calcutta GTE would be like beating the Conquest model easily. 

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I've given some thought to what the ultimate hybrid reel would be. Ease of maintenance would have to be E series Shimano Citica/Curado. The full floating spool of Daiwa/Revo, dual bearing supported pinion (ala Daiwa as they've been doing it for a while, clutch system and frame mounted yoke posts from Quantum, either Daiwa magforce Z braking or old style shimano standard cent. brakes. The Shimano level wind is durable and simple. I don't see a huge advantage to bearings in a level wind that disengages.

X2

Don't forget about a 2 way clutch though. Very nice feature IMO.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'll go along with the two way as long as it's not one of the "insta-gage" style. Awkward to use and a weak point mechanically.

[jason41987]

it would be nice if we had a low profile baitcaster that was modular, had a way of easily being upgraded or modified to your liking or at least a design thats simple enough to tweak for your liking

[A-Jay]

I've given some thought to what the ultimate hybrid reel would be. Ease of maintenance would have to be E series Shimano Citica/Curado. The full floating spool of Daiwa/Revo, dual bearing supported pinion (ala Daiwa as they've been doing it for a while, clutch system and frame mounted yoke posts from Quantum, either Daiwa magforce Z braking or old style shimano standard cent. brakes. The Shimano level wind is durable and simple. I don't see a huge advantage to bearings in a level wind that disengages.

 

Nice ~ Sounds like you need to go straight into production.

 

I'd buy a couple.

 

A-Jay

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I heard that the guy at reelex (is it Dan?) was behind the design of the curado I. That reel turned out great IMO, so why aren't other brands doing this?? Reel maintenance guys like DVT, e_bassfisher, etc. ought to be hired by big reel companies more often as they have the experience!

[jason41987]

ill look at the curado, i likely wont buy one, but ill check them out and see what it is they have

 

i get the impression most people just dont like magnetic brakes?..i dont have too much experience with magnetic brakes, only centrifugal

[jason41987]

question.. in pondering the whole magnetic vs centrifugal debate, why hasnt anyone designed a hybrid braking system that consisted of one braking system that offered the benefits of both?.. benefit of magnetic is it doesnt contact the reel, spool free spins freely.. benefit of centrifugal is you get more brake at the beginning, less at the end.. so why hasnt anyone designed a centrifugal brake that used magnets as opposed to contacting the body of the reel?

[Tywithay]

question.. in pondering the whole magnetic vs centrifugal debate, why hasnt anyone designed a hybrid braking system that consisted of one braking system that offered the benefits of both?.. benefit of magnetic is it doesnt contact the reel, spool free spins freely.. benefit of centrifugal is you get more brake at the beginning, less at the end.. so why hasnt anyone designed a centrifugal brake that used magnets as opposed to contacting the body of the reel?

Daiwa did. MagZ/3d use centrifugal force via magnets.

[jason41987]

how well did that turn out? i have my own idea in my head of how such a system could work, i should check out theirs and compare.. but was this a good braking system compared to the conventional magnetic or centrifugal brakes?

[jason41987]

i just looked at daiwas brake, looks like a conventional centrifugal brake but with magnets instead of the friction pieces.. my idea was different, mine was to use two fairly large rare earth magnets facing towards the side plate.. these magnets would ride in an angled groove so the further towards the outside the magnets go from the centrifugal force, the closer to the side plate they get, the sideplate will have a ring for the magnets to act upon.. adjustments are done via the outside of the side plate that moves the ring the magnets act upon closer or further from the spool to decrease and increase braking force

[Tywithay]

i just looked at daiwas brake, looks like a conventional centrifugal brake but with magnets instead of the friction pieces.. my idea was different, mine was to use two fairly large rare earth magnets facing towards the side plate.. these magnets would ride in an angled groove so the further towards the outside the magnets go from the centrifugal force, the closer to the side plate they get, the sideplate will have a ring for the magnets to act upon.. adjustments are done via the outside of the side plate that moves the ring the magnets act upon closer or further from the spool to decrease and increase braking force

Daiwa's system is similar. The inductor cup moves on the spool shaft closer to the magnets, using centrifugal force, the faster that the spool spins. The external dial moves the magnets to give more or less initial force.

[jason41987]

so anyway, i guess all i need to start with is some basic measurements for scale.. maybe something that uses a magnetic brake system since i already have one with a centrifugal so i can study both and start working on my own design, luckily reels with magnetic brakes are the cheapest and i dont think i need something with an aluminum frame either.. so really any of the entry level reels should suffice, any suggestions?.. i think daiwas entry level reel with that twitching bar thing is kind of pointless.. what about the abu black max? any other suggestions?

 

whichever reel i choose to be a testing platform will also likely end up having a lot of modifications done to it, so while i make certain components, whichever reel i select will be what it gets installed on and tested with

[Loop_Dad]

I thought this was a different kind of thread. Sorry, I just like to fish

[ThatZX14Fella]

Black Max, it's around $55 after tax and it sounds like all you need is the measurements of the parts.

[jason41987]

Black Max, it's around $55 after tax and it sounds like all you need is the measurements of the parts.

yeah, basically.. i mean, the daiwa megaforce has the whole magnetic centrifugal brake system which could be good too and id spend more for that one if it wasnt for that "twitching bar" that seems like something incredibly idiotic they put on just for the sake of advertising something else about it

[Tywithay]

Look for the old model Daiwa Exceler with magforce Z. Great little reel that's on sale for around $50 at some places.