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* Photo: Tom Schierlitz * What it is:
Shimano Tiagra reel with Elec-Tra-Mate 1380-GH drive
What it's used for:
plucking large fish from the sea
It takes more than elbow grease to ply the ocean depths for big game. Commercial deep-drop fishing requires using 10- to 20-pound weights to sink the bait and keep it stationary in strong currents, and each line suspends multiple hooks that can each snare 100-pound fish. Instead of cranking in all that tackle and marine life by hand, lots of pros use the 1380-GH electric drive. The motor is capable of deadlifting 950 pounds and bringing in up to 2,800 feet of 80-pound-test monofilament in less than six minutes (as opposed to an hour or more when reeling manually). The aluminum monoblock housing and bracket keep the 1380-GH light—just 13 pounds—and the drive is built to mount onto one of the world's largest ocean-fishing reels, the Shimano Tiagra TI80WA. Clamp the cables to a 12-volt battery, cast your line, crack a cold one, and wait for that big tug.
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