By Mark Romanack
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| Mechanical line counters like this popular Okuma Cold Water can be tremendous trolling aids in the hands of anglers who understand how they function and how to get the most from them. |
Simply stated, a
mechanical line counter reel is only as accurate as the angler who owns it and
uses it properly. Trolling style line counter reels are gear driven devices
that in the hands of a skilled fishermen can convert trolling from a pursuit of
blind faith into literally a “fish harvesting” system.
Getting the most
from line counter reels starts with understanding how they function. Mechanical
line counters feature a digital counter that click away numbers as line is
played off the reel. These clicks or numbers on the counter are intended to
represent real feet in terms of the amount of line played out. That’s the idea,
but a lot of variables can have a line counter reel telling a story that isn’t
completely accurate.
The first issue
is associated with the type of line that is used on the reel. All the major
brands of these trolling reels calibrate their line counter functions using a
particular diameter of fishing line. Depending on the size of the reel, the
line diameter used in calibration could be 14, 17 or even 20 pound test
monofilament. Using a line diameter on a reel other than that which the reel
was calibrated for causes the line counter mechanism to misrepresent the actual
amount of line that is being played off the reel.
The reason for
this misrepresentation is simple, but the solution isn’t quite as easy to grasp
or correct. Here’s why line diameter makes a difference in how a line counter
reel displays “feet back” numbers. Say, for example, a rather thin diameter line
is spooled onto a trolling reel calibrated at the factory for use with a larger
diameter line. Each rotation of the spool as line is spooled onto the reel is
actually putting a little more line on the reel than the factory calibration
setting indicates. Because the reel actually has more line on it than the
calibration would suggest, when line is played off the reel the counter numbers
or “feet back” suggestion on the line counter is going to read a higher number
than the actual amount of line played out.
Confusing? You
bet it is and most anglers have no clue how inaccurate line counter reels
actually are unless each and every reel is loaded with a line diameter that
matches the reel’s factory calibration.
The question is
how much variance are we talking here? When just 40 feet of line (according to
the line counter) is played off the reel, the variance from the actual amount
of line out is only about a foot or two. In reality this minor variance makes
little or no difference in practical trolling applications. That’s the good
news.
The bad news is
the more line that is played off the reel, the more pronounced this discrepancy
becomes. At a measured 150 feet out, the reel’s “feet back” estimates according
to the line counter are going to be 20 to 30 feet greater than the actual
amount of line that was played off the reel!
In other words,
an angler who looks at the counter and thinks he has 180 feet of line out may
in reality only be fishing 150 feet behind the boat! Discrepancies like this
are enough to impact significantly on trolling success causing anglers to
either be fishing above or below their target depths depending on the diameter
of the line they are fishing.
You can prove
this dirty little secret to yourself in the back yard by measuring off a set
distance and then testing your line counter reels against this known distance.
Experiment with different line diameters loaded onto your reels and you’ll
become amazed at how complex this subject quickly becomes.
Unfortunately
most trollers just go about their business blissfully thinking the line counter
reels have it all figured out! The truth is line counter reels are tools that
used properly provide accurate and valuable information to trollers. When used
without consideration to details like line diameter, line counter reels lose
much of their value.
or the record,
loading a reel with line diameter that is thinner or thicker than it was
calibrated for is one of the common mistakes most trollers make when getting
their reels ready for fishing. If any thought is given to line it’s what break
strength is best suited to the type of fishing at hand. Almost no one thinks
about matching up line diameters to those a line counter reel is calibrated at
the factory to use.
Currently there
is no industry standard for calibrating respective sizes of line counter reels
on specific line diameters. Different manufacturers do it differently and this
is precisely why it’s so common for line counter reels of all brands and models
to be generating “feet back” numbers that are not exactly accurate or even
consistent. Most anglers don’t give this idiosyncrasy a second thought and go
about the business of setting lines, never realizing a mechanical line counter
reel has limitations to what information it can communicate.
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM LINE COUNTER REELS
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| Catching trophy walleye like this one taken by Bruce DeShano of Off Shore Tackle would be much more difficult if it weren't for the advantages of line counter trolling reels. |
When putting
line on the reel make note on the counter as to how many feet of line the reel
accepts. Once one reel is loaded, repeat the same process over and over again
with all your reels and each will calibrate “feet back” numbers consistently
with one another.
CALIBRATING REELS OF DIFFERENT SIZES
If you have a
collection of different brand and size reels, it is possible to calibrate the
reels so they all read the same “feet back” numbers. Accomplishing this will
require a little more work than simply loading the reels to capacity, but this
is where the process starts.
Put the same
diameter line on each and every reel and fill the respective reels to capacity.
Thread the line through the rod guides and line up all the rods and reels on a
table pointing the same direction. Now, zero out the counter device on each and
every reel and then go to the rod tip and grab the line from each rod.
Walk away slowly
until you’re a measured distance from the rod tips. A distance of 100 feet is a
good representation of a common lead length. In theory all the reels should
read the same “feet back” number on the line counter because the exact amount
of line was pulled off each reel. In reality every one of the reels will post a
different number.
Line counter
reels used for walleye fishing typically over estimate lead lengths or, in other
words, the counter will say 105 when actually only 100 feet of line was played
out. This deviation occurs because the line diameter used by most walleye
anglers is thinner in diameter than the line diameter used to calibrate reels
at the factory. This issue can be corrected
by simply removing a little line from the reel spool and then repeating
the same simple test.
Every 20-30 feet
of line removed from the reel will cause the counter to lose 1 to 2 feet on the
“feet back” reading. It’s best to go slow and take off a little line at a time
so as not to remove too much line and under calibrate the reel in the process.
By cutting away
a little line and repeating this simple experiment, all the reels will soon be
calibrated so 100 clicks on the “feet back” reading will actually be 100 feet
of line played out.
OTHER OPTIONS
As just
described it is possible to calibrate each and every line counter reel on the
boat to all read the same “feet back” numbers. It takes time to accomplish this
and after fishing with the reels for awhile naturally line is going to have to
be removed for retying or if lures get snagged. At that point the reels must be
calibrated again to match up.
Fishing with
mismatched line counter reels is something to be avoided. It’s a much easier
option to simply invest in reels that are all the same size and brand. These
days with auction sites like E-Bay so common, it’s easy to sell used reels and
use the money to reinvest in buying new ones that all match.
For the angler
who just isn’t willing to invest in line counter reels, there are other options
for monitoring lead lengths while trolling. On level-wind style reels it’s
surprisingly accurate to watch as the line plays off the reel spool and simply
count the passes as the level-wind goes back and forth. Each pass is equal to
about the same amount of line and by counting passes and duplicating the most
successful passes, a rather crude but accurate method of monitoring lead
lengths can be achieved.
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| Most trolling applications cry out for the use of line counter trolling reels. While an angler can monitor lead lengths with other methods, line counter reels make this process accurate and much easier to monitor. |
Some years ago a
number of manufacturers produced metered fishing line before line counter reels
became mainstream in the trolling business. These days you’ll be making your
own home brew metered fishing line if you’re not willing to fork out the bucks
for line counter reels.
SUMMING IT UP
The truth about
mechanical line counter reels is they can be accurate when used correctly. When
a line counter reel is loaded with a diameter of fishing line larger or smaller
than the factory calibration the numbers aren’t going to jive. Fishing one reel
with the spool full and another half empty is also a common problem that
prevents line counter reels from functioning as designed.
Serious trolling
requires line counter reels and serious anglers must learn how to calibrate
their respective reels so every reel is speaking the same language. Taking this
critical step is often the difference between catching fish or blindly going
fishing.
