Options for one-hand casting reel?

[Than]

Yes, I realize that "everyone" prefers continuous anti-reverse, but I'm a casual fisherman and far too old to change my ways.

 

Unfortunately, it seems that Shimano's quickfire reels have substantially declined in quality in the last 30 years.  The Syncopate barely lasts a season (as a casual fisherman -- I'd think a hard-core angler would be lucky to get a month out of it!).  And the Spirex is ... designed for something else?  I would be exhausted fishing a spinnerbait with that reel.

 

These appear to be the only reels that Shimano still offers with quickfire.  But at this point, the quickfire casting system should be off-patent, so I'm wondering if there are other options for a reel like this?  I'd be happy to pay some real money if somebody has a one-hand cast reel that is smooth and last a long time.

[MN Fisher]

Find some old Abu Cardinals - I've got an old 562 with the trigger cast (same as Shimano quickfire) that's still in excellent working condition.

 

[PressuredFishing]

1 hour ago, Than said:

Yes, I realize that "everyone" prefers continuous anti-reverse, but I'm a casual fisherman and far too old to change my ways.

 

Unfortunately, it seems that Shimano's quickfire reels have substantially declined in quality in the last 30 years.  The Syncopate barely lasts a season (as a casual fisherman -- I'd think a hard-core angler would be lucky to get a month out of it!).  And the Spirex is ... designed for something else?  I would be exhausted fishing a spinnerbait with that reel.

 

These appear to be the only reels that Shimano still offers with quickfire.  But at this point, the quickfire casting system should be off-patent, so I'm wondering if there are other options for a reel like this?  I'd be happy to pay some real money if somebody has a one-hand cast reel that is smooth and last a long time.

My father grew up with the quick fire designed reels, quantum used to make some as well as shimano.  Shimano has two different ones,  the spirex and the syncopate. The one is "higher specs" than the other. I think companies have moved away from this reel design because the longevity is questionable and having automatic bail flipping mechanisms adds line twist compared to manually closing bails. This is why the old Mitchel 300 reels stopped closing themselves manually as well as langleys spinning reels and so on and so forth. It can be hard to change I know, but there isn't a large enough market for them to sell these anymore. If you have a medical condition preventing you from using spinning reels, you can go two different routes. Bfs (baitcasting for light lures) or spin cast. I use a shimano fx 200 reel my dad had for trout and it works good, but it has a back drag. It has a spare spool so when fishing creeks and you get bad linetwist on one spool you can retire it for the day and pull on the other one.

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Find some old Abu Cardinals - I've got an old 562 with the trigger cast (same as Shimano quickfire) that's still in excellent working condition.

 

Wow that's quite a collectable!

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Wow that's quite a collectable!

Gets worse when you realize that I bought that new back in the 70s.

[Reel]

I don't understand when you say the Spirex... is designed for something else ? ?

[Than]

12 minutes ago, Reel said:

I don't understand when you say the Spirex... is designed for something else ? ?

I either got two in a row that were defective, or that reel requires massive effort to reel in even a "medium drag" lure like a small spinnerbait.  It's pure speculation on my part, but maybe the short handle and high gear ratio are intended for fishing very-low-drag lures at high speed?

[bulldog1935]

the other I know of was also from the '70s, Mitchell 440 Ottomatic. 

 

[WRB]

Bait casting reels are 1 hand operated.

Zebco Omega Trigger Spin is a 1 hand operated reel, very reliable.

Tom