13 Fishing took the tackle industry by storm with the release of their OMEN and ENVY series of rods at Icast 2012. Now they’re preparing doing it again with their new series of reels that will be hitting shelves March 17th.
At BassEast.com we have had the pleasure to field test the new Concept A and Concept E reels for some time now and they have proven to be flat out performers.
The Concept A and Concept E both share a similar frame design which sits low on the rod and palm perfectly which is ideal for those long days on the water.
The Concept A features a lightweight yet rugged aluminum frame, 7 total ball bearings which include 3 anti-corrosion and a Dead Stop Anti-Reverse, and weighs in at 6.7oz.
The Concept E sheds some weight of the Concept A, weighing in at only 5.78oz, through the use of 13 Fishing’s proprietary Featherweight Magnesium. This reel also features Hybrid Ceramic spool bearings, a Japanese NTN Dead Stop anti-reverse, and an Ocean Armor finish for use in saltwater.
Both reels sport 13 Fishing’s 22lb Bulldog Drag, their Arrowhead line guide design to improve casting distance, Concept cork knobs, and a 6-way Centrifugal braking system. Four different gear ratios are available in 5.3:1, 6.6:1, 7.3:1, and 8.1:1, allowing you to find one perfectly suited for any application.
The quality of these reels is apparent upon first glance. They seem to be made to tight tolerances and feel smooth and precise after 2 months of testing just as they did straight from the box. The reels match perfectly with the 13 Fishing Omen and Envy series of rods which allowed for long days fishing with minimal fatigue. Cork knobs on the reels were another pleasant addition which again was appreciated when spending long hours on the water.
The Concept A was paired with a 13 Fishing Omen 7’1” MH for and spooled with 40# Gamma Torque braided line and 10# Gamma Edge fluorocarbon during testing. The Concept A handled moving baits such as spinner baits, vibrating blade baits, and lipless crankbaits effortlessly. The gearing in the reel feels just as smooth as when it left the box after numerous fish being caught. The Bulldog Drag was extremely impressive and was very smooth yet strong.
The Concept E was paired with a 13 Fishing Envy 7’1” H and spooled with 60# Gamma Torque braided line for fishing Lake Okeechobee. The reel performed flawlessly across a range of weights from pitching a 1 ounce Jig to casting a near weightless swim bait great distances. The 22lb Bulldog drag easily handled all the fish caught of which the largest was over 5 pounds and the Ocean Armor finish held up nicely.
13 Fishing’s new line of reels are definitely worth trying out. The Concept A and Concept E will retail for $170 and $380 respectively and will be available March 17th, 2014 and are currently available for pre-order. For more information on the reels and 13 Fishing’s other products check out www.13fishing.com
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