Daiwa Free Swimmer EX Spinning Reel, FRSWEX8000

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. 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. Fishing 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.