Shimano reel

[DirectDrive]

Jerry McGinnis of the Fishin' Hole (ESPN) did a show on the Columbia in the John Day reach.
They targeted smallies with jigs.
He was in direct the whole time with a spinning reel, back reeling as the fish ran.
It got my attention.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

Yeah it’s pretty much an anachronistic behavior exhibited by smallmouth anglers. The trouble is smallies have a pretty tough jaw, so keeping a tight drag helps get them hooked, but then you are often using light line, so tight drags aren’t such a good thing once you hook them. Backreeling is the best answer. Kids don’t mess with it but old school knuckle heads like me still do it.

 

[DirectDrive]

Yeah it’s pretty much an anachronistic behavior exhibited by smallmouth anglers. The trouble is smallies have a pretty tough jaw, so keeping a tight drag helps get them hooked, but then you are often using light line, so tight drags aren’t such a good thing once you hook them. Backreeling is the best answer. Kids don’t mess with it but old school knuckle heads like me still do it.

With a running steelhead you have to backreel like a madman.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

Lol I’ll just bet. I’ll have to take your word for it, I’ve never targeted them.

I did try backreeling on a bonefish once.
I was busier than a one legged cat trying to bury turds on an ice rink.