The Okuma Hakai DT 101H-A is one of the best baitcasting reels I’ve ever gotten my hands on. It checked all of the boxes for castability, durability, profile, feel, and even price. At $200, the Hakai ...

When I first started fishing in the 1980s, baitcasting reels were mysterious and a little bit daunting. The old-timers told us tales of monstrous “bird’s nests” and “backlashes,” which ...

The Makaira series reels from Okuma feature forged aluminum bodies, side plates and rotors, with 17-4 grade stainless steel main gears for strength. They are designed with Okuma’s 4D concept: design, ...

Today’s baitcasting reels bear a passing resemblance to the first one I bought in 1983 as a tween, but in terms of performance there’s little comparison. Today’s reels are lighter, are more durable, ...

Until well into the mid-1970s my dad used an ancient South Bend level wind bait casting reel for just about all of his bass fishing.I never got the hang of the cursed thing and managed to run fast ...

Submitted photoCraig Nels (left), of Baldwinsville, and his 86-year-old grandfather Harry Bailey and their 5-pound largemouth bass. The photo was taken in 2004. Bailey is holding a spinning outfit.