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RAY
SCOTT OUTDOORS, INC. Here's
Cure for Tough The first thing you'll observe about the spinning reel in Fred M. Kemp's hand is the unusual oversize line spool. A sizeable 2.25 inches diameter, almost an inch larger than standard spinning reel spools. A St. Louis, Missouri home builder turned reel designer, Kemp has been issued a patent (No. 6,082,651) by the United States Patent Office for his open-face reel: "a lightweight spinning reel with large diameter spool." You ask, "What's the big deal about a big spool?" Your reaction is similar to my thinking three years ago when Kemp first offered his prototype U.S. Reel for my inspection at the St. Louis Boat & Sport Show at the Transworld Dome. Inside the Dome were countless booths and displays of the newest innovations and fishing tackle products. Seemingly, all the best to be offered to fill a bass angler's spinning reel needs. But, Fred M. Kemp begs to differ. "This reel will outperform any other reel in this show," he said with a straight face. "It cast a country mile, particularly with
light lines," continued Kemp, "and with the big spool, twist and
line memory problems are almost nonexistent." Can it be true? Longer casts. Less line twist. Low-line memory. Key features. And, in a spinning reel weighing just 8.0 ounces. The lightweight, large diameter spool concept in Fred Kemp's mind is the "biggest advance in spinning reels since the skirted spool." Also, the designer believes he's built a reel with all-around versatility, capable of handling a range of line sizes from 2-to 15-pound test. And, a retrieve of 28 inches of line per turn of the handle, a super-fast retrieve rate. Since we were in Missouri, naturally the reaction was "Show Me." The model in hand was the prototype, but as soon as the first SuperCaster 225 rolled off the assembly line, Kemp assured me of an on-the-water test to prove his claims. In late November, just before the winter chill hit central Alabama, Fred Kemp arrived at my 55-acre lake near Pintlala, Alabama with his first production model. "Still not the finished, ready for the market product," explained Kemp, "but ready for a no-holds barred field test." "Well, if this reel can live up to your claims, and my expectations, it may be the answer to the perfect mate I'm wanting for light-line Sportackleä fishing," I offered. "Sportackleä" is my concept for making bass fishing fun, again, and getting more strikes. Fishing 4-pound test monofilament qualifies as "light-line" presentation, but lightweight doesn't mean lack of strength in the rod or reel. Is the professional tournament trail ready for light-line bassin'? Probably not in the case of going after bass in heavy cover. Don't argue with proven results. Flippin' is the technique of choice for bass in the thick stuff. I'm not suggesting giving up your favorite bully sticks. But, think about it. There's a place and time for using light-line Sportackle™. As in tournament fishing pressure. Clear-water conditions. Post frontal weather woes. And, perhaps, post-spawn bassin'. When you really need a bite in tough tournament competition, light-line and Sportackle™ can step up BIG. So, hear me out. This is not a fairy wand we're waving. The SuperCaster 225, as mentioned, weighs only 8.0 ounces with a graphite spool and slightly more (8.6 oz.) with the standard aluminum spool. "Lightweight, but tough," said Kemp, who explains the reel body is made of space-age, aircraft-grade carbon fiber and "much stronger than graphite and some metals." With some spinning reels, a crank on the handle results in a noticeable "wobble" in the rotor and gear train. But, "smooth" is my comment on giving the reel a couple of spins. Kemp smiles and quickly points out why. "The drive and pinion gears are machined from magnesium bronze and stainless steel in a special process to get the highest quality and smoothest gears." He adds, "The SuperCaster shaft is made of specially treated stainless steel alloy that can take more than twice the punishment of ordinary steel shafts." If the number of "stainless steel ball bearings" in a spinning reel will impress you, Kemp's designed seven, placed at stress and support points from the handle to the rotor, and an 8th bearing supports the line roller. The drag mechanism, with conventional drag assembly, is on the face of the spool for easy, quick setting and quick-response adjustment - an important function in light-line fishing. Also, the conventional skirted-spool feature helps prevent line from becoming entangled with the rotor or rotating cup of the reel. Basically, these are standard features on any quality spinning reel, but what Fred Kemp says makes the "performance difference" is his reel's lightweight and the large diameter spool. Functionally, with the oversize spool the lip is within convenient reach of your index finger and makes feathering the line and improved casting accuracy much easier. From this point forward, understanding why Fred Kemp's rather simple solution works, but has escaped the attention of such skilled reel manufacturers as Shimano or Daiwa is interesting to ponder. Kemp explains it all with one word: "versatile." With the reel's ability to handle the wide range of line sizes, the SuperCaster 225 performs the job of several reels. "Such a versatile reel will mean fewer overall reel sales in the long run," he believes. In 1995, standing in the middle of a mass retailer's tackle department, a friend asked Fred Kemp to pick out a reel for his two sons. "There was every reel known to man in the store," says Kemp, "But not a single reel to buy." The friend could afford to buy one reel for each boy. But, trying to pick a reel for fishing 4-pound line for bluegill or crappie and also using heavier 14-pound test for bass in heavy cover seemed impossible. Kemp reasoned the reels either weighed too much or had too small of a spool diameter. Later, Kemp wondered if such a reel had merit. Cannibalizing parts from several reels, Kemp fashioned a larger diameter spool reel that weighed about the same as a typical ultralight spinning reel. "I'd never cast 4-pound test on a large spool before," recalls Kemp. "The difference was tremendous and immediately apparent." Buoyed by his experience, Kemp visited friends and tackle shops. "Here, cast this thing," he insisted. To the caster, each was surprised and amazed how far the tiny practice plug sailed, according to Kemp. For the past seven years, Fred Kemp has tinkered with his idea. Researching the U.S. Patent Office filings - the research and development documents - eliminating any previous claim to his "field of invention" as a spinning reel improvement. Working on his home computer, Kemp designed the reel in graphic detail and set about with local St. Louis-area die cutters and machinists to build his prototypes. Upon filling the oversize spool with STREN monofilament, I quickly observed, "You need a bulk spool of 4-pound line for this job." Kemp listened as we suggest using an arbor on the spool with light-line. Using plastic tape, I positioned the reel on as a Tennessee handle, on a 7-foot custom-made Ray Scott Sportackleä designed rod blank. Like the reel, the rod is "lightweight," only 2.6 ounces, with a fast-taper tip, but a solid butt section for setting the hook and playing a larger bass. This is a rod design I've spent many years in testing and improving, just as Fred Kemp has struggled with his spinning reel. As fundamentally different, as Fred's big spool, is my concept of the smaller the guides, the better the casting accuracy and distance. The theory being that the quicker loops coming off the spool and the line slap on the blank are reduced or totally eliminated, the less resistance and added distance on the cast. As a result, the first stripper guide located ahead of the spool is about the size of a dime as compared to a half dollar's size diameter on conventional spinning rods. My reservation with the larger spool and bigger loops was: would the line behave and function without snarling in the downsized stripper guide? Rigging a 4-inch Slider worm with a 1/16-ounce head, I aimed at a stickup and flicked my wrist. The tiny Slider worm took off like a rocket. Distance was no problem. Feathering the line on the spool's rim, the lure settled softly on the edge of the target. I'd like to say the first cast produced a "thump" and a resulting 6-pound bass. But, that sequence would be later. Cast after cast, the reel and rod combination performed. Distance and accuracy as advertised. Line twist, no problem. Curious about how the drag system would fair, I got my answer when the six-pound largemouth wanted the Slider. First, on line-light (4-pound test), you sweep the rod and grind the sharp wire hook with quick turns of the reel handle into the fish's jaw. The 28-inches of line per handle turn worked great. Now, play the bass with the 7-foot rod action and pay a mind to the reel drag adjustment. Again, a smooth drag, working against the fish's power. With light-line fishing, your mind, body and tackle need to function as one. Any mistake or tackle flaw will go in the fish's favor. The purpose of a "field test" is to prove a point as well as find flaws. For the most part, the U.S. Reel's claim of "when performance means everything" proved out. But, Fred Kemp still wants to tinker. Some cosmetic color combinations, rather than the basic all-black model we fished. Honestly during our test, we experienced premature closing of the bail on some hard casts. However, a new bail system, designed by U. S. Reel, changing from a torsion spring to a compression spring that loads up more when the bail is opened than when closed now works with no problem. Fred Kemp tells us the tweaking on the reel is just about complete, and expects to be ready for Spring 2003 product debut. For more information, contact: Fred M. Kemp, U. S. Reel, P O Box 31744, St. Louis, MO 63131 or visit the company's website: www.usreel.com. As for my Sportackleä rod line, I'm interested in recruiting a few good volunteers to spread the gospel and the power of light-line bassin'. A limited number of the Ray Scott's Sportackle™ rod is available in 6 ½-and 7-foot models offered direct to interested bass anglers. If routed through normal fishing tackle sales channels, this Sportackle™ rod would be priced at $189 retail. My initial marketing plan is to get this rod into the hands of a few good bass anglers. We're prepared to offer a special $99.00 field tester's introductory offer. For more information or to order, contact: Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., 238 Whitetail Trail, Pintlala, AL 36043, Ph: 800-518-7222 or email: ray@rayscott.net. And, thanks for hearing me out. |