Bait runner/free spool reels - When did this become a thing?

[Santiago]

I have several shimano baitrunners (early '90s) and use them every season for barbel, pike and eel fishing from my punt. Instead of using bite alarms I listen out for the line being pulled, which is quite noisy after dark but means when your night fishing you still have to fish (rather than sleep). And worse, I use two rods at the same time; but strangely catch 90% on just the downstream one.

[Shaun Harrison]

Just to get back to the original question I'm afraid there are a few inaccuracies in dates quoted in this thread.

The first Baitrunner reels available here in the U.K. didn't arrive until the mid 80's. The first ones were the Shimano Triton Sea Spins which had been developed for trolling but were also suitable for carp angling albeit atrocious line lay. Seems strange now as most of the modern anglers take this type of reel for granted but they didn't half take some selling when first released over here, particularly the 'Plus' range that had a fighting lever as well as the secondary Baitrunner clutch.

There was a grey slightly cheaper version as well as the black version which came in 3500, 4500 and 6500 sizes.

The Aero system followed these and although the Triton Sea Spins were much better engineered reels most then wanted Aero's and the TSS's became much less popular.

[Shaun Harrison]

Just thought I would copy paste the following from an earlier thread. I couldn't remember if it was '86 or '87 but Bob says its '87 and he should know because of what he wrote - he became redundant.

Bob Brookes
Post subject: Re: The Baitrunner....Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:12 pm

Dace


Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:54 pm
Posts: 168
Location: Nottinghamshire
Back in Autumn 1987 I was working at Raleigh where we used Shimano gears on our high end cycles. We regularly had their Japanese engineer come & visit us &, as Quality Manager, I had close dealings with him. Although Japanese he was based in their German European HQ.

We spoke of their fishing tackle in the pipeline including the Seaspin Baitrunner, which was not yet for sale in the UK. I asked him to bring one over for me on his next visit. Sure enough one month later he arrived with a 3500 which I was believe was the first in the UK in private hands. Needless to say I was chuffed to bits especially as it only cost me £25. So pleased that I asked him to bring its pair on his next visit in 2 months time. I took it to Walkers of Trowell & showed it to Shaun Harrison & they had not yet seen one, but it had been in the trade press.

The postscript to this story is that on the 12th December my Job at Raleigh became redundant & I never got my second reel & the spare spools he was to bring me. Some lucky devil probably got a good bargain. By now they had been released & I bought one which, from memory, was about £80.

I still have those 2 reels together with a pair of 11ft, 2lb T.C., Daiwa Whisker Kevlars, which I bought with my redundancy payout, & I still use regularly.

Bob

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[Mark]

Thread edited and tidied up.