Are you looking for the best electric fishing reel?
The electric fishing reel is a newer style in the fishing world and is much welcomed in specific niches.
For those going to depths greater than 500′ and hooking up with modern-day sea creatures, a motorized reel can make hauling up 1 and 3-pound weights or working kites much simpler.
Digital readouts and programming specific depths when trolling is also heaven-sent in these fishing scenarios.
In this article, we will take a look at six of the best electric fishing reels and detail what makes them worth investing in and relying on when on the water.
Table of Contents
What is the best electric fishing reel?
Here is a quick preview:
- Daiwa Tanacom 1000
- Shimano Force Master 9000
- Shimano Force Master 400
- Daiwa Seaborg Megatwin 1000
- Kaigen 1000 Electric Reel
- Shimano Plays 3000
Let’s take a closer look…
What is an electric reel?
An electric reel (also known as power assist reel) is a reel that has an electric motor to assist you to reel in or fight the fish. Most of these reels plug into a 12 or 24-volt battery and are used mainly for offshore deep drop fishing. Many of these reels include features as automatic stop and jigging, hands off hoisting, corrosion resistance and variable speed control.
Before such big fish that lived deep in the ocean were only caught by commercial fishermen, now with eletric reels, recreational anglers can have fun catching giants too.
Features
- Ball Bearings: 4
- Gear Ratio: 2.3:1
- Line Per Crank: 16.5 inches
- Line Capacity: Mono, 30lb/700 yards, 40lb/500 yards, Braid, 80lb/880 yards, 100lb/660 yards
- Weight: 53 ounces
- Maximum Drag: 48 pounds
Is the Daiwa Tanacom 1000 the best electric fishing reel? We think so and here is why…
The first feature that I really like is the LCD display. This LCD display is extremely easy to use and is highly visible in just about every lighting scenario. You may have some issue with a glare at certain angles, but in a fighting stance, you should have no problem.
The electronics system runs on 12V and can be connected to the boat’s battery via cables or used with Daiwa’s portable battery pack.
The oversized line aperture is also a brilliant feature to this fishing reel as it allows extra clearance for large knots and kite swivels that are often used in scenarios where this type of reel is needed.
Along with programming depth level and the line counter feature, this reel also features an automatic stop feature, so the motor will cut off when the lure reaches the surface. When using the automatic retrieve, the speed dial is conveniently placed and is easy to access and manipulate.
Overall this is a well-built fishing reel with an aluminum body, spool, and handle that can lay down some cranking power when working large saltwater species.
This reel is excellent for saltwater applications with both a sealed electronics system as well as a sealed drag which greatly increases the longevity of the reel.
The Daiwa Tanacom 1000 can dish out up to 48lbs of max drag and can be fine-tuned throughout the entirety of its range.
The retrieval is incredibly smooth when automatic or manual retrieval is used. You can also spool a huge amount of line onto this reel with up to 800yds of 80lb braid.
Take a closer look at this reel in the following video:
Features
- Ball Bearings: 3
- Gear Ratio: 3.1:1
- Line Retrieval 88 cm per crank
- Line Capacity: 1030 yards of 80-pound Power-Pro
- Weight: 1530 grams
- Maximum Drag: 25kg
The next reel that we want to take a closer look at is the Shimano Force Master 9000. Now I am going to warn you, this is not a cheap reel, it comes at a very big price tag.
However, you get what you paid for right? And that is true with the force master. It is definitely a quality reel designed to fish those deep depths.
The Shimano Force master is an all metal reel pack with a large amount of drag designed to take on toughest of fish and built to last you many years out on the ocean.
It has a pretty good sized spool holding about 1030 yards of 80 pound braid. In addition, it is equipped with a 3.1:1 gear ratio bringing in about 88 centimeters per crank of the reel.
Lastly, it has an astounding 25 kg drag. See! Didn’t I tell you this reel was designed for the biggest fish?
Important note: This is a Japanese product, so if you decide to order this product, please be sure to get an English manual otherwise you are going to have difficulty if you don’t speak Japanese. You can also find the Shimano Force Master 9000 instruction manual here.
Features
- Ball Bearings: 10+1
- Gear Ratio: 5.1:1
- Line Capacity: 20lb/200 yards, 30lb/140 yards, 40lb/100 yards
- Weight: 358 grams
- Maximum Drag: 5kg
The Shimano Force Master 400 is a highly efficient electric reel that can be used for smaller game fish that need to be reached at a depth of 150-250′.
It features an extremely fast electronic retrieval rate, and even manually, with a 5.1:1 gear ratio this reel can get the line in quickly.
Line capacity on this reel is decent for the reel’s size and its overall smoothness on retrieval is above average. This reel is very lightweight for an electric reel, and it is mainly from the carbon composite material the body is made from.
You might lose a little efficiency trying to land a larger fish, but generally, it should hold up pretty well to twisting and torquing when you have a fish on the line. It feels great in the hands and has a nice compact and ergonomic design.
The two knob power handle is also a great feature when it comes to putting some lift on fish.
This reel has a 20kg max winding power when on automatic retrieve and features 5kg of max drag power. This reel also features a “thumb in use” speed retrieval dial that can be easily adjusted with the thumb while working fish.
The high-resolution liquid crystal display is crystal clear and easy to read in just about any weather situation. Depth and retrieval speed information are easy to scroll through, and there is also a jigging function available.
This electronic system is not as programmable as others on the list, but it’s great at providing key information to adjust your fishing strategy.
Features
- Ball Bearings: 25
- Gear Ratio: 2.4:1
- Line Capacity: Mono, 40lb/480 yards, 30lb/660 yards, Braid, 120lb/550 yards, 100lb/660 yards, 80lb/880 yards
- Line Per Crank: 17.9 inches
- Weight: 50.3 ounces
- Maximum Drag: 44 pounds
The next reel to add to our list of the best electric fishing reel is the Daiwa Seaborg Megatwin 1000.
This is a fantastic deep water electric fishing reel for medium to large game fish. It is a reel built for the salt with a tightly sealed body, including the drag and electronics system. It has great retrieval speeds and can spool a tremendous amount of line at 880 yards of 80lb test braid.
Probably the most unique feature of this reel is the dual speed power assist winding. It is extremely easy to switch between settings using a button on the electronic display.
In an instant, you can go from high rate, which gets your line in quickly to add some fresh bait, to high power which focuses more on cranking power to land large fish. The high rate can bring in 656 feet of line per minute while the high power mode can generate up to 20lbs of winding power.
It also has a patented power lever for switching to manual retrieval control at any instant.
The electronics run on 12V and uses a crisp and clear LCD display. This fishing reel can be programmed to line depth memory, automatic stop, jigging, and lined counting giving you tremendous control of the reel’s performance and makes implementing your fishing strategy as simple as hitting a few buttons.
This is one of the smoothest reels on our list as it features 25 of Diawa’s highest quality ball bearings that are situated in key support and movement areas.
From simple retrieval to landing big marlin, this reel performs flawlessly.
It has a tremendous drag system as well and can pump out up to 44lbs of max drag pressure. You will also find that you have excellent control of the drag settings across its entire range.
Features
- Ball Bearings: 2
- Gear Ratio: 2.8:1
- Line Capacity: 100lb / 800 meters
- Jigging Button – 160m/minute
- Maximum Drag: 45 pounds
- Weight: 1630 grams
If you’re in need of an electric reel to go to the extreme depths in search of the biggest fish in the ocean, the Kaigen 1000 Electric Reel might be your best option.
This reel features a large motor and all aspects needed in a reel to land large fish efficiently.
This big boy can dish out 45lbs of max drag, more than enough to put the brakes on any fish. It can also spool a ridiculous amount of line with more than 800 meters of 100lb test braid. Also, with a 160M/minute electronic retrieval rate and 35kgs of winding power it’s the go-to electric reel for heavyweights, extreme depths, and big fish.
We like the easy to read and waterproof digital readout. It serves as a line counter and can also be programmed for jigging as well as for electronic depth control.
Regarding reel performance, we have already mentioned the incredible power of the drag system, but we are also pleased with the smooth performance of the reel.
It also has incredible cranking power and the aluminum body, spool, and handle do a great job at keeping gears in line and churning when working trophy fish.
Features
- Ball Bearings: 5+2
- Gear Ratio: 3.9:1
- Line Per Crank: 70 cm
- Weight: 685 grams
- Maximum Drag: 15 kg
Our last option for an electronic reel is the Shimano Plays 3000. This is an excellent electronic reel for more medium to medium-large sized fish species, although it is capable of landing trophy fish if you happen to hook into them.
This reel can put out excellent cranking power. The aluminum body and frames and digitally cut stainless steel gears provide a nice smooth performance under duress.
The 5+2 ball bearings are placed in key locations to provide extra support to the gear system, and the reel features a sealed body making it a great saltwater reel.
Besides cranking power, the Dendou Maru has great hoisting speeds up to 190m/min winding and 70 centimeters per crank when retrieved manually.
In fact, it is equipped with a muteki motor that has been able to increase the overal power by 20 percent when compared with previous models.
The drag system can crank out around 15kgs of drag pressure, which is pretty impressive for the size of this reel.
More importantly, the drag is incredibly smooth and can be fine-tuned throughout the drag range.
The LCD readout screen is very large and provides a clear digital readout of line out, power setting, depth, and other relevant information. You can also implement programs for line deployment.
Final Thoughts…
For the moment, electric reels are only popular in a pretty small niche of the fishing world, but that doesn’t mean they are not extremely useful.
If your trolling, fishing kites, or going deep with the intention of landing huge fish, an electric reel provides numerous benefits.
We have listed five electric reel models that we are confident will perform on the water and give you an enjoyable and satisfying experience.
Now it is your turn, please share with us your experience in the comment section below.
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