If you know little girls who fish with push button poles and want to step up to a more grownup rig, the WaveSpin reels are awesome. Amanda has been using them (mine) for years and I just set her up with their ultralight reel and a 5ft, 9in pole. She used it for the first time today and caught some beautiful bass and a huge pickerel for our neck-of-the-woods. It is definitely a good match-up for her small size.
Amanda D'Agostino. Photo courtesy of Bucky D'Agostino
WaveSpin is the only website I am affiliated with and I have truly put the test to these incredible reels. I use them in all of my fishing which includes salt water (I am only a mile from the ocean). My first fish with the reel was a monster bluefish in Barnegat Inlet on braid during an outgoing tide. I don’t know if you have ever caught a bluefish but they are as tough as any fish lb per lb.
Like I said, the setup just looked more fitting in Amanda’s hands (compared to my 7ft rod she often used) and it truly was. A young girl throwing small plastics in a 15 mph wind in the front of a canoe has the potential for problems. It was flawless!
Remember — anglers should not overspool line on these WaveSpins. Doing so does not allow the teeth to do their job. That’s all there is to it.
All The Best,
Bucky D’Agostino
Bucky sent us a message from the president of WaveSpin Reels, Inc., Russ Riley, and he mentioned that Amanda is using the ZTR 1500, half the price of the DHxL. He writes, “The two ZTR models are reels that we brought out last year designed to perform just as well as our higher end reels but on a budget friendly design. The ZTRs have four bearings instead of eight and a one year warranty instead of two, but the spool and drags as well as the bearing are the same IDENTICALLY as our higher end models, the only difference being the color of the spool. Of course, the ZTR are a different body style as well. People underestimate 8lb test line; it works well for bass in all but heavy cover and is great for our light tackle reels. The ZTR 1500 and DHxL are designed to handle 2 through 10 lb test with no problems what-so-ever. As far as my personal suggestions for line — I have found Bass Pro Excel to be the best bang for the buck in mono-filament line and I use it quite frequently. I also love co-polymer lines as they seem to have the best features of both mono and fluorocarbon all rolled in once nice package, a blended line that works well for me.
“Equally, the 5 foot to 6.5 foot rods are what my wife likes best. She is only a little over 5 feet tall with small hands she is most comfortable with a 6 ft rod and the 1500 size reels.”
Retail: $45.95
Editor’s note: We know that Bucky D’Agostino is proud of his daughter, Amanda, and rightly so … she looks like she is a pro already! And isn’t she lucky … to have a dad that takes her fishing? Thanks, Bucky!
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
