‘Nah, I don’t need a bigger baitcaster. I’ll just throw big swimbaits on my river rod!’
We all know someone who is keen to throw bigger baits but too tight to bite the bullet and upgrade to the right gear. Like throwing a lamb to the slaughter they use their medium size low profile baitcaster to throw baits that weigh as much as a microwave.
Although running this gauntlet may be fine in the short term, it won’t be long, after prolonged use, before their reel begins to slowly sh*t itself via either damaged gears, bent handles or bulk birds nests.
Gearing Up
Like the little engine that could, these low-profile reels are built for throwing big baits and retrieving baits that push a lot of water.
Whether you’re throwing a 5.4oz Jackall Gigantarel swimbait into the depths of Blowering dam or retrieving a wide bibbed 130mm Legohead hardbody through the sunken redgums of the ‘Bidgee, the hardened brass gearing system of the A3 means they won’t chip, bend or mesh from big bait abuse.
Drag-on
Since the inception of the A3 a few years ago its 40lbs of bulldog drag has been a feature that’s hard to ignore.
Almost double a lot of cod reels on the market, the badass drag on the A3 is strong enough to stop a bull on a charge and smooth enough to not stutter when an angry Goodoo is making a charge for its underwater liar.
The new model also features an alert clicker drag that is great if you’re trolling a few baits behind the boat, whilst giving the shoulder a rest from tossing house-brick-sized swimbaits.
Line ‘em Up
The extra-large spool on the A3 means it can hold plenty of line compared to a standard 100-150 size baitcaster. Now, if you are anything like us you like to run a pretty thick diameter of braid on your big bait reels. We usually like to use 80lb J-Braid Grand in Island Blue.
As all 80lb string has a thick diameter, it’s a huge asset that the extra-large spool on the A3 will allow more than enough 80lb braid for all casting and trolling. All this in a low-profile package.
Also, if you run line with a larger diameter (eg straight mono or fluorocarbon) this means more room for more line, which is very useful for thundering out long probing casts or relaxing into an afternoon on the troll.
The Size is Right
Personally, my favourite feature of the A3 is the compact size. No matter what size your hands are, the reel palms very easily courtesy of its low profile nature, compared to a bigger barrel reel like a Shimano Conquest 300.
I also like the way the A3 feels just as at home on the end of my 8” 50lb swimbait rod when fishing impoundments, as well as on my 7”1’ 30lb baitcaster rod, that I use to fling baits from the Hobie in remote streams and rivers.
Hook a Brother Up
One of the final, seemingly cosmetic features of the new A3 is its surprisingly useful Keep-R Hook keeper. This is a rod guide’s best friend and ensures you aren’t tempted to hook your baits up on the first guide of your rod and put their ceramic inserts in jeopardy.
Located on the top of the reel I was surprised how quickly I became reliant on the feature and kept looking for it on my other reels. While it seems like a small superficial addition, it actually makes a really big impact on the functionality of the reel in your overall fishing system.