Fact, there is probably more BS talked about reel tuning than any other angling related subject, with the possible exception of which is the best rod. However, reel tuning in not rocket science, does not involve baying at the moon nor sticking pins in Barbie dolls, just a portion of good old common sense.
The object of tuning a revolving spool reel is to apply sufficient braking to maintain control so the spool does not over run and cause the inevitable bird nest. However, this is a two edged sword. Too little braking and it blows up while too much braking will reduce the distance cast to unacceptable levels. The idea is to strike a happy medium with enough retardation to maintain control without so much that distance is reduced. And lets remember here, we are talking about casting baited rigs to FISH, not sending a plain lead into orbit on a field.
Okay, while searching for this goal here are a few things to remember when tuning a reel – some obvious, some not so obvious:-
1 - Fastest is rarely best;
2 - Reels work best with brakes;
3 - Oil thins much quicker than the time it takes brainwaves to reach your hand and tell it to let off the magnets;
4 - Gnats pee is no substitute for decent oil in the bearings;
5 - Overloading the spool with line only means you will need more initial braking;
6 - The object is to propel a baited trace out to the feeding fish – and stay attached;
7 – Thumbing the spool, except when the lead has touched down is bad, oh, and it can hurt like hell too!
8 – The whole point of tuning a reel is so that when you cast, once you let go of the spool the oil, brakes and line level work together to maintain control over the spool so you need not touch it again until the lead hits the water;
9 – Ceramic bearings are much smoother and last longer, however, they will not automatically increase your distance;
10 – Finally, no amount of tuning will compensate for a bad casting style;
So, how do we go about achieving this sometimes elusive state. Well, a revolving spool reel is controlled by a combination of at least three of the following:-
Oil - Centrifugal brakes and /or Magnets - Line level
In my opinion, thicker oil in the spool bearings and less centrifugal/magnetic braking is the way to go. A light oil means the spool will need more braking to overcome the initial surge. The same can be said of an overfilled spool. More additional braking is required to overcome the surge of the cast because the spool diameter does not reduce as quickly when the spool is overfilled which provides less natural braking.
Thin oil with a correspondingly large amount of centrifugal/magnetic braking with kill the cast stone dead. Remember, we are talking fishing here so mostly you will be using fixed brakes. But even with a braking system you can adjust during the cast, by the time you have wound off the magnets it is too late, the impetus required to sent the lead that extra ‘mile’ has been drained.
End tension – a better description is end float - is another area with many myths. Follow the instructions on a number of reels and the unwary can quite literally destroy a set of bearing is a single fishing session. Most modern reels were not designed to use end tension, certainly on a spool with inboard bearings the only thing end tension does is to do its best to push the bearings apart! When you are preparing a reel set the end FLOAT so there is a just discernable end play, no more, no less.
A few pointers when tuning a reel for the first time. Make one change at a time and start slow. If you change the oil and the amount of line at the same time and it runs too fast you will not know which had the most effect. For instance, if I have a new 6500 with conventional centrifugal brakes I might start with Red RF in the bearings, two medium fibre brake blocks and 0.35mm mono with the level 1/16in below the spool lip. If after five casts this was too slow I would remove one of the brake blocks. If this was still too slow after five casts I would change the oil for Yellow RF and so on, one step at a time. Also bear in mind no amount of spinning a reel with the line taped down will simulate a cast. Getting out there and casting with it is the only sure way to see how it runs.
With a 525 Mag I would use either Red RF or an EP80 Hypoid gear oil in the bearings, 0.35mm line 1/8in below the inner spool lip and have the magnets set on max. After five casts if it was a little too fast I would change the oil for EP120. Too slow and I would knock the mag setting back one notch at a time. If you have a flyer that you simply cannot control you have two options: 1 – fit another two magnets back to back on the two inner magnets or 2 - use Liquid Grease in the bearings.
Glossary of terms
Centrifugal brakes – mechanical plastic – or better – fibre blocks mounted on pins that throw out and rub on a brake ‘drum’
Magnetic brakes – single or multiple rare earth magnets mounted close to the end of the spool. When a spool made of a material that conducts electricity revolves it create an eddy current. This eddy current is affected by the proximity of a magnet(s), the faster the spool revolves the stronger the current. The closer the magnet(s) are to the spool the greater the breaking effect.
End float – is the amount of lateral movement a spool has within the reel frame. Old style Abu type reels with combined spool and spindle were suitable for applying a little end tension to help slow the reel. However, with modern reels, especially those with inboard spool bearings should NEVER be subjected to end tension. This will merely shorten – dramatically – the life of the bearings.
Spool balance – A reel that screams like a stuck pig at the start of the cast is a sure sign that the spool - more accurately the line on the spool – is out of balance, much like a tyre on a vehicle that is out of balance will cause the vibration.
Oiling a bearing – We use oil in the spool bearings primarily as a brake, the thicker the oil the slower the spool will run. It is always best to clean the bearings prior to re-oiling. Refined lighter petrol is good for cleaning bearings. Put the bearings in a small glass pill bottle and just cover the bearings with petrol and leave for 10 minutes or so. Remove, shake out the excess petrol and lay on a folded kitchen towel and allow another 10 minute for all the petrol to evaporate.
To re-lube, put the bearings on fresh kitchen towel and run a ring of oil around the dust shield. This will soak quickly into the bearings so as soon as the majority of oil has disappeared replace the bearings in the reel
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