The brake
The quality of the drag is probably the most important feature of an eging reel. The tentacles of cuttlefish and squid are very fragile, especially those propelled at long distance. Too much tension on the line and they could sever during a vent impulse at the touch or during the fight. The drag must be extremely progressive and sensitive, meaning that it will offer constant resistance to the pull and, once properly adjusted, will release at the slightest stress.
The setting of the drag varies from angler to angler, but I recommend that you set it according to the jig you'll be animating. Your drag should not be triggered during animation, so that with the slightest extra weight at the end of the line, it will act as a shock absorber and limit your chances of tearing the cephalopod.
Of course, if you decide to use a jig of a different weight, whether heavier or lighter, it will be necessary to set the drag again. This may seem a little tedious, but with a little experience you'll be able to know how many clicks of the drag knob to make after a jig change and be even more efficient in fishing action.
The crank handle
On the market, the percentage of spinning reels equipped with a single crank handle is so high that those with a double crank handle seem exceptionally rare. On the other hand, double cranks are found on almost all spinning reels. It was only after trying it out for a full season of squid fishing that I realized how indispensable this technology was.
The fluidity of rotation offered by the double crank makes for more precise animations. With each throw, it's easier for our hand to find the crank, which makes perfect sense since there are 2 handles instead of one. This saves time, even if the gain is extremely small on a single throw, it's on the thousands of throws of an entire season that these fractions of a second really come into their own. Every extra cast in a season gives you one more chance of catching a cephalopod.
Crank handle
For most anglers, a sea-fishing crank handle should be round. However, this is the one that most restricts the precise grip of the crank when performing animations. A round or oval handle, while useful when fishing for very large fish, where the hand must be able to hold firmly and apply great force, is far from effective for fine fishing. Its shape inevitably causes extra rotation, in addition to that of the crank.
For precise retrievals and animations, choose an ergonomic handle that you can hold in the same position with your fingers while rotating the crank. It's a detail that may seem trivial, but it's an extra feature that makes you more efficient at the water's edge.
