Longer Handle On Baitcaster?

[Darren.]

Darren and others... can you put into words what it is about the longer handles that improves your fishing experience.  I provide "leverage" with the rod, so I'm looking for other tangible and intangible qualities.  How long is your Hawgtech handle... frankly, I'm not even sure what the stock handle length is on my Chronarch 51e.

 

 

oe

 

The stock handle is 90mm, the Hawgtech I bought

for one 50e is 102mm and the swept model. It took

a little getting used to at first, and I'm actually okay

switching between the two I have - one 50e is stock...

 

The intangible for me would be overall feel of the  

product.

 

Dang. I didn't think it would be this hard to put a pin

on the intangible donkey tail.

 

Tangible are the lightness and build quality. It both looks 

and feels good in the hands.

[Catch and Grease]

I'd like to add this to the discussion as well... What advantages does a "bent" handle provide over a "straight" handle to a bass fisherman?

 

 

oe

 

Some people say it helps balance the reel by keeping the weight closer to the reel or some BS, I just think it looks cool haha

[tomustang]

I'd like to add this to the discussion as well... What advantages does a "bent" handle provide over a "straight" handle to a bass fisherman?

 

 

oe

More compact design

[Darren.]

I'd like to add this to the discussion as well... What advantages does a "bent" handle provide over a "straight" handle to a bass fisherman?

 

 

oe

 

I read somewhere, and it could be only marketing-speak, 

that the closer to the reel your handle, the less torquing 

there is in your hand.

 

Do I feel that? Well, perhaps if I had a swept handle the 

same length as the stock, it might be really noticeable.

As it stands, the longer handle took a little to get used to, 

perhaps for fact that it was longer, and not the Shimano

designed spec of 90mm.

 

Oh, I was hoping for more inches per turn with the longer 

handle. I really wished Shimano made a 7:1.1 Chronarch.

[J Francho]

Darren and others... can you put into words what it is about the longer handles that improves your fishing experience.  I provide "leverage" with the rod, so I'm looking for other tangible and intangible qualities.  How long is your Hawgtech handle... frankly, I'm not even sure what the stock handle length is on my Chronarch 51e.

 

 

oe

 

I'm in the leverage on the rod guy as well, BUT....

 

There is leverage on the reel.  How much?  Enough to keep the rod fully loaded.  This might not be a lot, say on a finesse rig, with 6# line.  But consider other methods, like fishing slop with an XH power rod and 50+ lb. line.  To keep that rod loaded certainly requires some leverage on the handle.  Another situation might be a cranking rod.  It doesn't take much to get fully into the bottom third, "power" section of the blank, and often, I find fish come in easier if I use the reel to slowly tease them in and gain line.  The longer handle helps in both scenarios.  Maybe those scenarios aren't applicable.

 

The swept handle thing, I see that as a stylistic aspect of the reel, with minor ergonomical consideration.  I don't find any advantage to it, other than some reels have such a long crankstack, that the knobs stick out too far.  Abu Revo reels really fit that description, as do Zillions.  They need a swept handle.  Many reels with a clicking drag, like my Zillions, add to that length all the mechanics to get a clicking drag.  If you look at an Alphas and a Zillion stacked, and aligned on the reel foot.  The knobs of each are pretty much in the same position.  The Alphas doesn't have a clicking drag, and therefore has a shorter crank stack.

[tomustang]

Darren and others... can you put into words what it is about the longer handles that improves your fishing experience.  I provide "leverage" with the rod, so I'm looking for other tangible and intangible qualities.  How long is your Hawgtech handle... frankly, I'm not even sure what the stock handle length is on my Chronarch 51e.

 

 

oe

You still provide leverage with the reel handle, the handle length is more of comfort really, like palm ability

[Fish_Whisperer]

One rotation of the handle,no matter the length, still turns the spool the same amount of times. It changes nothing but torque. Ipt stays the same.

 

I agree with this... nothing about the ratio changes.  Your hand goes through more motion by adding a longer handle.  

[OkobojiEagle]

 

Oh, I was hoping for more inches per turn with the longer 

handle. I really wished Shimano made a 7:1.1 Chronarch.

 

 

I acknowledge that "muscle memory" plays a significant part in my fishing concentration... turning the reel handle with a similar tempo in most retrieve situations.  A longer handle would result in "slowing down" the bait speed.  (I'm not venturing into the mechanical ratio change discussion!)

[OkobojiEagle]

Maybe those scenarios aren't applicable.

 

 

They seem plausible to me

 

 

oe

[QED]

On 10/17/2014 at 6:39 AM, Darren. said:

 

I read somewhere, and it could be only marketing-speak, 

that the closer to the reel your handle, the less torquing 

there is in your hand.

 

Do I feel that? Well, perhaps if I had a swept handle the 

same length as the stock, it might be really noticeable.

As it stands, the longer handle took a little to get used to, 

perhaps for fact that it was longer, and not the Shimano

designed spec of 90mm.

 

Oh, I was hoping for more inches per turn with the longer 

handle. I really wished Shimano made a 7:1.1 Chronarch.

Torque is τ = r × F (bolded variables denote vectors).  Hard to see how having a handle closer to the reel centerline affects any practical torque effect on fishing rigs, if the reel configuration is in the normal range.

[dodgeguy]

On 10/17/2014 at 10:06 AM, Fish_Whisperer said:

 

I agree with this... nothing about the ratio changes.  Your hand goes through more motion by adding a longer handle.  

Absolutely. Correct

On 10/15/2014 at 4:12 PM, Josh Smith said:

1. It produces greater leverage, as was said. In doing this, you reduce the overall gear ratio of the reel, thereby reducing the top speed of the retrieve. Mostly this won't be noticed.

2. It some (maybe most) cases it allows the elbow to help with the retrieve, allowing greater power due to improved ergonomics.

Remember that the crank is a glorified lever. It transforms distance traveled to power. The greater the distance traveled for one spool revolution, the more torque imparted on the spool, gears, etc.

Josh

Wrong. The handle is linked direct to the pinion. That's like saying stroking a crankshaft changes gear ratios.

[bulldog1935]

Someone is fishing for an early winter argument and snagged this 8-yr-old thread - we fish for fish all winter in S. Texas, and I have a proposal out for friends to plug into December new moon nite-lite dock fishing in the TX tropics. 

 

A reel is a gearbox, it Reduces input torque, turning it into speed. 

The motor is the hand and the handle. 

 

You can equate what comes out of the reel in the circumference of the rotated handle. 

 

If I was answering the original OP, I'd agree a longer handle puts more torque into the reel. 

That's one reason I put longer handles on high-geared reels.  The other is that it gives you more subtle lure movement, similar to a low-geared reel with a shorter handle. 

The reel on the right will be catching big fish on UL tackle at the Dec new moon. 

 

[newapti5]

On 10/17/2014 at 9:28 AM, OkobojiEagle said:

I'd like to add this to the discussion as well... What advantages does a "bent" handle provide over a "straight" handle to a bass fisherman?

 

 

oe

 

Also more leverage on paper, but not so much in reality for bass reels. 

 

For me, handle length is not much about leverage than comfort. For 80~85mm handles, my finger sometimes will bump into the drag star or handle nut. 90mm is the minimum length for me; 95~100mm will be more comfortable. 

 

 

 

 

[WRB]

The 1st part we changed on Ambassador reels was the reels stockshort handle to longer handle with larger knobs....in the 60’s -70’s.

My 1st longer handle fresh water bass rod was a 7’ Fenwick Popping rod blank with the reel seat centered at 14 1/2” in ‘71, the fore runner of the Trigger Stick.

I was used to using longer 8’ rods salt water fishing and wanted a 2 handed crank bait rod. 

Tom

 

 

[huZZah]

On 10/15/2014 at 12:43 PM, bootytrain said:

I have feels with handles ranging from 80mm to 100mm. After using them I personally think my sweet spot is 85-90mm for moving reaction lures. Just feels less cumbersome than the 100mm handles.

Agree. The longer handle really felt more of a hinderance to me. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Disclaimer I’m a Hawgtech user & supporter. The longer handles just feel better in hand especially for cranking & with larger baits like swimbaits. They increase your leverage & make for a more comfortable experience when fishing baits that  add resistance on the retreive. For example Shimano adds a longer stock handle to many of their XG reels over the 6:0 ratios & the HG ratios. 

[Columbia Craw]

I forgot the question