A lot of people has this myth about crappie fishing… That you can’t get good performance with cheap equipment. And when you goes into the big box stores, you often spot those bright orange Zebco boxes sitting there; they look like a kid’s toy.
So typically serious angler won’t even give it much thought… They think the drag isn’t going to hold up to any sort of pressure and the line will tangle all over the place. But that simply just isn’t true with the Zebco Crappie Fighter reel.
Its low price is actualy one of its best features. It was build for a purpose… Fishing smallmouth and largemouth crappie, whose mouths is soft and prone to breaking off from tackle that is too heavy.
With the Crappie Fighter, there is no titanium shield or carbon fiber plate that add unneeded weight or cost. You simply don’t need those items. You pay for what works.
Why Zebco Crappie Fighter Reel Is Great
Lightweight Nylon Construction
It costs less then a tank full of gas and often do more than expected for the price. First thing you notice is how well built this reel is. It feel light in the hand on purpose.
If you are fishing crappie, it’s all about finesse. Most of the time, you’re throwing very small jigs around heavy cover. A heavy reel tire out your arm and makes lure sink faster.
But the nylon used for both the body and spool make the reel really nice and light without sacrificing durability. Yes, nylon sounds like a cop out compared to metal. But it doesn’t rust, it floats if you drop it in boat, and it takes the shocks out of hard fights better than a solid piece of aluminum.
Smooth Drag System Performance
That help on lakes that has lots of structure. The drag system are smooth, but it’s not the most advanced one on the market either. But really, crappie don’t pull like a bass; they dart and spin around.
So this reel have just the right amount of resistance to wear them out without ripping hooks out. And it’s easy to set based off how much you want it. Even with cold fingers, the large adjustment knob turn well and makes a difference when you has numb hands.
Optimal Line Capacity and Sensitivity
And this reel has good line capacity, holding a good amount of fluorocarbon or mono line on the spool. These are also nice, visible, and stretchy lines. They will make reels more sensitive when rated for lighter lines.
No wrestling with a bunch of stiff heavy line and you’ll be able to feel bites better. Bail wire is true and tangles rarely occur if you takes care of the reel. A bit of grease and all is good.
Simple Maintenance and Repair
It is simple. There aren’t a lot of complicated components, which make maintenance quite easy. It’s not a sealed up reel.
You can take the side plate off to see how gears are operating and clean out any built-up old grease. That makes it repairable and ultimately saves you money in the long run. You buy it, fix it and put it back in service for years.
Value Over Brand Names
Finally, its value is such that you can certainly pay more for something with more bells and whistles, but that doesn’t mean you’ll catch more fish. They don’t give a hoot what the brand name is, only how you present the bait to them and what the bait look like. So the Crappie Fighter gets out of the way and lets you fish and the price point is such that if you lose one, it wasn’t a tragedy.
Leave the high dollar stuff at home and go with this reel because it’s simple. It’s less than it fishes, and that’s a good thing. You should of tried it yourself to see how much better livig is with easy gear.
