Reel Tuning.

Tuning for distance, and tuning for speed.

Or, building the 3 minute reel.
This section has been a long time coming because i’ve not really
settled on a firm option till just recently. I used to have various
tunes for differing reels, but now i realise technique has a large part to play.

So, what have we learned……

I’d say, from experience that you should set your reels,
and then leave them alone. There are basic steps you must take to
tournament reel setups, and its those we’ll discuss here. I don’t
purport to know all there is to know about this, and can only relate
my findings with my reels.

Reverse theories

Which school of thought suits you ?

I’ve adopted more mags with thin oils, others go for less mags and thicker oils,
some go for no mags, no blocks and just oil etc, etc. Each has its merits, some will suit
and others will not. Only experimentation will tell the story. I do not say one
method over the other is better, only that it suits me. The pros and cons need to
be worked out in logical and reasoned fashion and i found that the less mags/heavy oils
approach didn’t allow me to get the spool delivering enough line tension free (reduced).

I’d get the mags off early, and watch line getting towed off the spool. I needed more
range in the control of the spool and adopted the following.

Line balancing.

Controversial subject that it is, i’d say it works.
We need to get the first 30 -50 yards of line on the spool in such
a way as to quieten the operation of the reel. 6500 spools require
either 3 small humps or 2 and then a build up in the middle.
5500 spools normally only require 2 humps or sometimes even none.
I have a few 5500 spools that just require a cotton reeled approach
to early line lay.

Either way, when you have balance, leave it alone.
If and when you change the line, only change the
line as far as the balance.
Tie in a small knot, and make sure the knot is central
on the spool before continuing.

End float.

Important is this. Set the spool so there is no noise from the bearings.
Spin the reel up, centre the spool, and then adjust the end caps until the
reel bearings just begin to scream. Then very carefully
decrease the end tension and the reel will run silent !

Do NOT adjust end tension/float mid cast.

ABU CT with benfield centre mag conversion 0.35/31mm and 0.28mm
The 3 minute race reel version.

Do not use this tune if you are not sure about what you are doing
i use this tune exclusively for tournament casting now, and find
it very versatile. easier tunes are below, but they are still very
fast and smooth. You need to be too.

3 Minute Tune: or mags off runs 2-3 minutes free spool. Set mags to
run reel at 12-14 seconds mags 1/4 turn off from the spool.

Magnet configurations:
0.35mm 6500, 4 mags all neg
0.31mm 6500, 5 mags + - + - +
0.31mm 5500, 5 mags - - - - -
0.28mm 5500, 5 mags + - + - +

Line level 2mm overfill on 0.35mm and 0.31mm. 0.28mm runs flush.
ceramic bearings, shields removed. No oil.

Once the bearings are in and the reel is running fine, end float set,
etc i melt sealing wax on the right and left hand caps so as if they
move i know they’ve moved.

End float matters, dont have any discerable float.
Spin it up till it screams and adjust till it goes quiet.
Thats it, leave it alone. Just make sure its dead centre first.

i have recently been doing the odd 240 mtrs (0.31mm/150g)
on the 5500 humped in this way, and not getting on to the
balancing line. There is plenty left to go.
The 2mm overfilled hump might give 20-30 mtrs i guess.
I choose a 5500 over 6500 because its lighter, and the spool
has less weight and should technically be easier to start up,
which i think does happen. In turn the overfill starts the spool
up slower and as such is easier to brake.

The way to look at it is, the reel has to turn fewer times to
deliver the same amount of line as a reel that is reducing
rapidly in diameter because of line loss.
Its also easier to start up a than a wider diameter spool will accelerate
faster, hence the extra mag and the overfill to quell the fast paced
start up speed.

So in turn a humped reel will have to turn fewer times to
deliver the cast than that of a flush spool.
Also the further down the spool you go the more the line relaxes.
This relaxation gets worse the deeper into the spool you go when
the reel and line are in free floating mode
(throwing 1 or 2 controlled coils).

There is also less chance of hitting the balance knot, which in
the past has killed some possible big casts
for me and some others i know.

ABU 6500 CT with benfield centre mag conversion 0.35mm line.

Remove standard sideplate, attach lugs, remove the brass washer from
the gear side of the spool.re-assemble spool with tournament rocket fuel
in the bearings. You want 6 mags set + - + - + -
with 3 mags either side of the lug which stays the mag carrier.

With 0.35 line, the spools line level will drop rapidly,
and for this reason i’d suggest going with a line level higher than flush.
Just enough to get the 8-10 turns of shockleader required for the cast.

A 1/4 turn away from mags full on should give us around
a 12-14 second start up speed, and mags fully off should run the reel for
over 2 minutes. A vast range with which to play whilst the sinker is airborne.

ABU 6500/5500 CT with benfield centre mag conversion 0.31mm line.

Remove standard sideplate, attach lugs, remove the brass washer
from the gear side of the spool. re-assemble spool with yellow/tournament rocket
fuel mixed 50/50. You want 6 mags set + - + - + -
with 3 mags either side of the lug which stays the mag carrier on the 6500,
and 5 mags set - + - + - on the 5500. The 5500’s spool doesn’t have the mass
of the 6500 spool, so 5 mags is more than ample.

The reason we have changed from pure tournament fuel to yellow/tournament mix,
is the line level on 0.31mm doesn’t drop as fast as 0.35mm. And although we still
want to get those mags off quickly in the cast, the addition of some yellow fuel
aids the spool in staying together.

On line level, again we want enough to do the job with control.
Go flush with the spool lip.
A 1/4 turn away from mags full on should give us around a 10-12
second start up speed, and mags fully off should run the reel for nearly 2 minutes.

ABU 5500 CT with benfield centre mag conversion 0.28mm line.

As above but yellow fuel in bearings with 5 mags or yellow/tournament 50/50
with 6 mags. Line level at just below spool lip. Pure tournament fuel can be used
with the 6 mag option, but the line level should be at least 1mm under the spool
lip, and good down court conditions available.

Ultra Mag Series

ABU ultra mag II XL conversion 0.31mm line.

Can be used with 0.31 comfortably. Line level humped proud of the spool flange
would see 5 mags set + - + - + with a 50/50 yellow/tournament fuel mix, or
5 mags set as before with just tournament fuel for a flush spool. There is plenty
pf room for a 240 meter cast with 0.31mm on these reels.

ABU ultra mag II XL conversion 0.28mm line.

As the sinker get smaller, so they leave the rod top much faster, and hence
more braking is required. 6 mags in these, as the 125g and 100g sinker really
scream off the rod top. We need good initial braking and 6 mags set + - + - + -
allow that. On mine, i set the reel at 38-40 clicks, thats nearly on the spool
without actually touching. This dampens the cast just enough to hold it all together.
Of course the smaller sinkers lose energy much quicker than the bigger 150 and 175g
weights, so we need to back off to allow the line to flow off the reel
and feed the sinker without blowing it all up. With this setting,
tournament/yellow 50/50 works well.

The other method to adopt is my old system of less mags and heavier oil
on this line rating. 4 mags all negative with wide spacing and red fuel.
I’d tend to use this tune on blustery days when we don’t have a perfect on court
wind. You can get away with alot on this tune.
Its also very versatile, allowing you to adjust the initial setting at 38 clicks
(on my reel), yet really back it off quick to allow virtually just oil braking
throughout the final phases of the cast.
Winds picking up from behind might see me start this reel on as little as 32 clicks
and the sinker will scream away but mostly stay intact.