Big Game Tackle: The Era of Lighter and Stronger Equipment

In the realm of big game tackle innovation, the pursuit of lighter and stronger equipment never ceases. Today, we delve into the exciting trends shaping the world of big game tackle, focusing on the development of lighter yet stronger rods and reels.

The Lighter Yet Stronger Balancing Act

Gone are the days when big game rods must be cumbersome, big and heavy, and not very agile, says Robby Gant, tackle brand manager for AFTCO, headquartered in Santa Ana, California. “With the new resins and graphite materials introduced over the last five or ten years, that 7-foot rod is now a fraction of the weight it once was,” Gant said. “Reels are becoming smaller, more compact, and lighter. It’s easier on the body to fish these days than it was not long ago.”

There are two major drivers for this innovation, according to Justin Poe, director of rods for Pure Fishing, in Columbia, South Carolina. “First, boats themselves are more agile than they used to be,” Poe said. “They’re designed to back down hard on fish. It’s tough to be agile in that situation with big, cumbersome reels and rods. Secondly, circle hooks are a big thing too. Especially in the billfish realm, a circle-hooked fish is going to stay toward the surface. Rods need to be a little lighter, and a little softer because a fish on the surface is going to change directions. So, the rod has to flex and be forgiving.” Still, adds Mark Mills, senior marketing manager for the Cypress, California-based Daiwa Corporation, “It’s taken about 10 years for the offshore market to realize and understand that you can catch big fish on light gear.”

If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It

An overarching theme to big-game tackle innovation is that changes are often small. The reason for this, according to Ben Joyce, senior product manager for reels at Penn Fishing, a Pure Fishing brand, is that when sportfishermen find something that works, they generally don’t change. This is especially true in tournament fishing when millions of dollars are on the line. That’s why Joyce says that the company’s prior generation of International reels was on the market for about 15 years, longer than a typical product lifespan. This is true of other manufacturers as well. Shimano’s Tiagra, and even some of the Okuma’s Makairas generally haven’t seen a lot of change.

When innovation comes, it starts at the finger-on-the-pulse of the pros. Major rod and reel manufacturers have a stable of professional fishermen on staff that offer a steady stream of feedback from fishing hot spots around the globe. When it comes to big game tackle innovation, anglers are always eager for the latest advancements. “We have a very large Pro staff made up of some of the biggest names you can find, and their feedback is constantly coming in, like I get texts every single day,” says Penn’s Joyce. “They’ll say ‘hey, what do you think about this or that?’ It’s my job to take that feedback coming in from the guys who are on the water 365 days 24/7 and filter it down to what the everyday person wants. For example, if a change only applies to a handful of people and you put that change into a product, then 95% of the other people are going to look at it and go, ‘well, that’s not really how I use it.’ So, we have to filter that down.”

Another impetus for innovation is when something starts to become a theme. “I may get several comments coming in like, ‘hey, you know this handle knob isn’t necessarily working’ or ‘I want a little bit more free spool on these reels’ or “I’ve had to replace the clicker on these Squall drag reels two to three times,’”, Joyce adds. “Then, we need to look at it and make it better. It’s like watching a game of football. If the official does a good job and you’re not talking about them, everything must be ok. Similarly, if we’re not hearing any feedback and people aren’t bringing it up, it’s generally working.”

Reel Trends

When Penn did change its International reels back in 2018, it represented a culmination of incremental improvements and fixing pain points. For example, the 50-Wide, one of the company’s best-selling offshore reels, was relatively heavy for its size. So, the manufacturer switched the way the internal mechanism worked, making the reel smaller, lighter, and stronger.

“With the new generation of Internationals, we put the drag washers on the same side as the handle”, Joyce said. “We didn’t do this earlier because of space constraints on that side with all the anti-reverse mechanisms. With the drag washer on the right, instead of pushing it apart as in the previous generation, we’re now pulling it together as we push that lever up. It’s squeezing the inside of the reel now.”

This did multiple things,” he continued. “First, because we’re not trying to effectively blow up the reel by putting pressure on the outside, we don’t need all that extra material on the outside of the reel to contain that. That allowed us to make the non-handle side of the reel thinner, and ultimately take a lot of weight out.”

Electric reels aren’t new. Commercial fishermen have used them for years. But compact designs that are smaller, lighter, and with an incredible amount of power via their drive systems are a recent development. Additionally, most recreational electric reels have a hand crank option, unlike commercial versions that essentially act like winches. Electric reels also lend themselves to multiple applications.

Our new Tanacom 1200 electric reel allows an angler to target swordfish with an electric reel for under $1000,” said Daiwa’s Mills. “So, if you’re a new angler or if you hear swordfish are biting in your area and the conditions are right, you don’t have to buy another reel. You can use that reel and still catch a 200- to 300-pound swordfish without a problem. You can take that same reel and use it for kite fishing or use it for dropping down to catch snowy grouper or tilefish as well.”

Electric reels are popular for kite-fishing, especially pulling kites in on windy days. Shimano’s Beastmaster and Forcemaster electric reels allow the simultaneous deployment and retrieval of multiple kites by a single angler.

Rod Revolutions

Lightness and strength are the specs nowadays in rod design, said Mills. “Today, all the rod is there to do is work the lure property or present the bait. We don’t use the rod to lift the fish anymore. The fish is all being torqued in by the reel. That means we’re seeing really thin rods. I’m talking about something that would bend double on a rainbow trout. This allows you to jig all day because you don’t have a big heavy 6- to 7-foot rod. You’re using a 6-6 rod, but the thickest part of it is the size of a pencil.”

Materials and design are making this possible. “Carbon fiber materials are lighter than they use to be to generate the same stiffness,” said Poe. “That said, there’s an inherent issue that can make products brittle if you don’t use them properly. We have a proprietary resin that contains nano silica particles in the resin itself, and that helps to overcome the brittleness of the carbon fiber. Plus, we can use less carbon fiber to get the same strength because the resin adds strength.”

As for design, the company’s latest SLS3 construction uses both inner and outer spiral wrap layers of carbon fiber. These sandwich together the middle layers of alternating lengthwise carbon and glass. This is presently found in Penn’s Carnage lineup. Likewise, Shimano’s patented blank designs, using Hi-Power X and Spiral X construction, have made for lighter and stronger rods.

“Greater distance and accuracy are the result of quicker blank recovery during the cast,” said Blaine Anderson, saltwater product marketing manager for Shimano North America Fishing, headquartered in Ladson, South Carolina. “These technologies combine to eliminate blank twist as well as ovalization under a load, and allow the angler to fight the fish rather than the limitations of old rod designs.”

Line – Beyond Braid

The introduction of braided line several years ago was one of the biggest changes within the last half-century. A good example of one of the next evolutions is the Cortland Line Company’s C16 Super Braid, which has spliceable hollow core construction. This means it’s possible to put mono inside the C16.

“Guys using C16 are getting more mono on their reel because they’re putting a certain amount of C16 backing on that, and when it layers on their reel, it almost lays flat,” said Ryan Edwards, marketing director for the Cortland, New York-headquartered company. “It’s still super round, but from a microscopic level it lays flat, and you get a lot more line on your reel and it’s a lot more compact. It also gives you a seamless connection.”

One team that used the Cortland’s C16 extensively is the 90-foot Jarrett Bay, Jaruco, with Capt. Jimmy Brown, fishing in Costa Rica. “Utilizing a short topshot on top of braid backing allows us to easily replace small sections of line where necessary, said Brown. “The braid also has much less water resistance, which reduces the amount of line belly you have when fighting a fish or when you have a fish strung out in a turn. Spliced connections with hollow braid are the smoothest and strongest connections you can make. If we ever need to add braid to one of our reels, we can splice a new section and you would be hard-pressed to find where the connection is.”

The Future of Big Game Tackle

When asked to look to the future, beyond anything even on the drawing board, Penn Fishing’s Joyce said he foresees the most innovation in the offshore market around sonar technologies. For example, sonar units on offshore boats come down out of a hole underneath the boat and give a live view of what’s underneath the water.

“Today, tackle is kind of its own thing on a boat. It doesn’t really interact with any other part of the boat,” Joyce said. “But in the future, I think everything will be paired together. So, you might have your 20-inch sonar screen that has all the information on there. I definitely see a day where you can run your reels and whether you’re trolling, whether you’re kite fishing, or whatever, you could run them off that screen. To achieve this will take a two-sided approach between the sonar companies and their software and companies like ours to develop the other working side of it. It’s in our sights, but nothing we’ll launch this year.”

On the reel side, “I could see the reel having a sort of brain where you would tell it what pound line that you have and the reel would automatically set your drag pressures depending on how hard the fish is pulling. That’s something cool and it’s feasible,” says AFTCO’s Gant.

Finally, sinking braid will be the next evolution, says Daiwa’s Mills. “Let’s say you have 200 yards of line out and it floats. It’s like putting your life jacket on and trying to swim down 10 feet. It’s difficult. Sinking braid allows your bait to swim down quicker and faster with that sinking line without having to pull that buoyancy. That’s an advantage here on the West Coast where you have 30 people fishing off the side of a party boat. Technique is one thing, but having the right tackle gives you an advantage against the competition as you drift down a swell. It’s something we’re looking into right now.

Big Game Tackle Innovation

“Innovation in big game tackle is an ongoing journey, with lighter and stronger equipment paving the way for exciting fishing adventures. As we look ahead, the future promises even more remarkable developments, from integrated sonar technologies to reels with AI-driven capabilities. To stay updated on the latest trends and gear, don’t forget to subscribe to InTheBite Sportfishing Magazine or explore our website. Your next big catch could be just a click away!”

Dive Deeper into the World of Sportfishing

Unlock Exclusive Savings: Enjoy 50% Off Your Subscription!

Are you ready to explore the thrilling world of sportfishing from the comfort of your home? Subscribe now and embark on a journey filled with captivating stories, expert insights, and insider tips. Choose between our digital or print edition and secure an incredible 50% discount on your subscription.

Subscribe today and get ready for an adventure like no other. Click here to subscribe and elevate your sportfishing experience with InTheBite Sportfishing Magazine.