Precision Auto Reel Product Review

 Reprinted with permission, Sportfishing Report,  www.sportfishing-report.com

 By Capt. Roger Huebach

After years of fishing for red snapper, grouper, and other bottom fish, I had never made electric reels part of my fishing tackle inventory. During this time I had been content to just crank up the fish time after time, thinking that electric reels were just for the guys that are too lazy or too weak to reel in their own fish. One day a few years ago I happened to go fishing with a friend that was equipped with two electric type reels and on that day, I learned the real reason to have them.

First and foremost, it was just us two guys in the boat. This made it hard to take care of all the rods when we really got into the fish, like we did that day. While fishing without the help of the electric reels, many times I would have fish get off on one rod while I was making that long hard crank on another fish. Well, this time, with the use of electric reels, when we had multiple hits, we just hit the button, went to the next rod and did it again. Bingo….all the fish were soon in the boat. These electric reels enabled us to catch larger and more fish, and best of all without the sore muscles that I had come home with in the past. So that day I saw the benefit in electric reels and made my first purchase.

After using various brands of electric reels for the past years, I found that there are certain differences that appealed to me and my particular use. After using the Precision Auto Reel, I found that it filled most all those needs. So when I asked to do a product review on the Precision Auto Reel, I already had a few years of first hand knowledge. The Precision Auto Reel, unlike most others, fit my existing Penn 4/0 reels with ease. The same units work also work just as well on most of the more popular Penn setups. Some other brands had problems adapting the electric motor to my 4/0 reels. In this case I had no problem. I found that the Precision Auto Reel had a much quieter motor than others I had owned and used. This is due to a heavier insulation around the motor and the design that includes a reduction gear rather than a chain drive. While the quiet operation is not a requirement, it does make for a more pleasant fishing environment. The power cord is made up of 14-3 electric line that is both water resistant and oil resistant. I found the cord to have plenty of length to reach my battery, not having to patch an extension cord to a short power cord. The speed of the retrieval seems to be a bit faster compared to another brand I used to own and the motor was nearly twice as fast. I would caution that you pay close attention to your leader due to the high reeling speed. You could find your leader pulling through the rod guides. The Precision can surprise you with the quickness of the leader and fish return.

One of the biggest things that I was impressed with was the draw on my batteries. In the past I have owned electric reels that spent a well-charged battery in less than a half days fishing. This is a problem that I am yet to face with the Precision Auto Reel. The reel is also easy to clean. Rinse off the reel and housing with fresh water and store it where it will air dry. A little spray lubricant is also recommended. Fish-Ng Industries that makes the Precision Auto Reel does a good job making sure the motor is protected from saltwater spray that can be a problem from boat spray or even the spray from reeling in the line. The reel seems to be consistent with reeling both larger and smaller fish, and again, not over-working the battery on the larger fish. I have found the reel bracket to be well anchored in order to keep the reel properly aligned with the motor. Some other electric reels that I have used in the past have had a wobble that resulted in motor failure after a short period of time. The retrieve button is highlighted in red and easy to reach, making it easy to use even for novice fishermen.

In short, I have found the Precision Auto Reel to be a solid alternative to the other “more advanced” electric reels. It’s solid and gets the job done as quick, if not quicker, with less noise and less drain on my batteries. It’s easy to maintain and maybe a bit easier to operate than the other reels. I also found the pricing to be an attractive option to most other electric reels as well. After looking around, the Precision was priced lower for what I believe to be as good if not better electric reel. I have also learned that many commercial fishermen in my area use the Precision Auto Reel. This made an impression on me about the lasting power and toughness of the product.