Daiwa Free Swimmer EX now available - Swims freely, hit ferociously
by Daiwa 11 Jan 2024 19:32 UTC
Free Swimmer EX © Daiwa
If you haven't live-lined, you haven't lived. Like a kid seeing a bobber slide under the surface, watching line jump, or better, run, with free-lined live bait off the back of a nearshore or offshore vessel is adrenalizing.
Whatever seized that live sardine or mullet wanted it bad and is presently finning away with hopes of digesting its catch.
But the joke is on them if that predator took a hook that was operated by DAIWA's NOW AVAILABLE Free Swimmer EX live-lining spinning reel.
Free Swimmer EX features an Automatic Bite N' Run clutch at the base of the body, allowing anglers to instantly disengage the spool so line can peel off with little or no resistance while the bail is closed. Simply pull down on the lever to place the reel in free-spool mode and flip it back instantly to reengage when a fish grabs your bait. A small Tension Control Knob at the back of the reel makes it easy to adjust spool tension to control the speed at which line plays out.
No one wants to get shut out on a tuna trip, notes DAIWA Marketing Manager Marc Mills, but big fish don't spend much time next to the boat. So, if you have a difficult time casting a conventional reel, you can be at a significant disadvantage. With the Free Swimmer EX, though, it's easy to cast energetic live bait away from the vessel, so it can swim freely where you're most likely to draw a strike.
Indeed, whether live-lining Gulf Coast hardtails or sardines, feeding big baits to tarpon in the Florida Keys, targeting huge cobia in the mid-Atlantic region or swimming big bunker in Northeast waters for cow stripers, DAIWA's Free Swimmer EX provides that extra edge. Using the tension control, you can moderate the speed your offerings swim, slowing overly active live bait to keep them centered in the strike zone. The ability to free-line with a closed bail also adds an extra degree of safety since you never have to keep a finger to a braided line to hold your bait in the perfect position.
The Free Swimmer EX is DAIWA's next level reel into this category, upping the ante of DAIWA's original Free Swimmer, which was introduced last year.
To that end, the Free Swimmer features an AIR ROTOR and AIR BAIL that stands out for its balance, toughness, and sensitivity. Its arched profile and 15% weight reduction compared to standard rotors offers optimal winding smoothness while eliminating vibration thanks to a lowered center of gravity. Its waterproof, waterproof carbon Automatic Tournament Drag (ATD) system uses an improved drag grease with low viscosity at rest that becomes more viscous immediately after drag start-up. The result is a super-smooth drag with low initial inertia and beast-stopping power.
Available in both 8000 and 10000 sizes, the Free Swimmer EX also sports a corrosion resistant light weight graphite frame and features DIGIGEAR technology. Compared to the competition, the gears are larger and digitally cut and polished, resulting in better meshing and longer gear life, up to three times that of similar reels. Add in a Machined Aluminum Screw-In Direct Drive Handle with a large aluminum handle know for generating extra leverage, and the power is in your paws.
MAGSEAL is unique to the enhanced Free Swimmer EX. MAGSEALED patented technology to applies magnetic oil that can change density and shape when a magnetic field is added. When MAGSEALED technology is applied to the main shaft and/or line roller of a spinning reel, it produces a low-friction seal that keeps water, dust and grit from disrupting the internal components of the reel. The result is a watertight seal with much lower resistance than conventional rubber seals.
"We think these reels have the potential to refresh the whole live-lining category," sums up Mills, "and they're great for casting lures or drifting out cut baits, too. They even have significant surf-fishing applications - think snag-and-drop live-bait fishing for stripers and gorilla blues, live-lining shark from the beach, or throwing eels around inlet jetties, bridge abutments and other hard structure."
"A lot of new anglers have entered our sport recently," concludes Mills, "and many have never tried this reel category. Once they see how versatile, easy to use and effective the Free Swimmers are, that's likely to change."
Saltwater driven and designed to battle trophy fish, DAIWA's new Free Swimmer Saltwater EX reels feature a 4CRBB+1BB+1 ball bearing system - the key being corrosion resistant. Its 4.7:1 gear ratio brings up a significant amount of line per turn, 36.1-inches on the 8000-size, 39.7 on the 1000-size.
Swim free. Run free. Set the hook with gusto. That's the Free Swimmer EX way.
Free Swimmer EX features:
- Automatic Bite N' Run Clutch
- AIR DRIVE ROTOR
- AIR BAIL
- DIGIGEAR
- Waterproof Carbon Automatic Tournament Drag (ATD)
- MAGSEALED
- 4CRBB+1BB+1 Ball Bearing System
- Aluminum Handle Knob
- Machined Aluminum Screw-In Handle
- 4.7:1 Gear Ratio
- Available in 8000- and 10000-sizes
- Inches of line per handle turn: 39.6-inches (10000-size) and 36.1-inches (8000-size)
MSRP $299.99