Accuracy and distance are the two main attributes that counts at castingsport results. The third on is speed. Of course just at accuracy events and the fights for medals.
There is not much you can do with your gear, to speed up casting at Fly accuracy event. So remaines 3 plug accuracy events. And here we can do much more.
To reel your line back faster you can move your wrist faster or you can use reel with higher gear ratio. Standard gear ratio for spinning reels used at castingsport is 1:5 – 1:6. For baitcasting reels slightly higher 1:7-1:8.
To get even higher gear ratio casters started to convert their reels to extra high speeds.
It was one of the World best casters Wlodek Targosz who made me to built my very first extra high gear ratio reel. I asked Wlodek to convert my own reel and he answered with smile „ you want everything“. That was the impulse , the moment when I told to myself, „do it yourself“ .
My first converted reel was Shakespeare Ambidex 2499 – and I still use it. It was I guess in 2011 year.
Through the years I´ve converted many reels for my castingsport friends. Some old models - Mitchell 308, but mostly the latest models of Daiwa and Shimano reels, Stradic, Sedona etc. From the baitcasters I will mention the first converted reel Bass Pro Extreme - Karel Kobliha still uses, and very old Shimano Citica. All the reels were converted to Hi-speed reels the same way , using a timing belt.
The only improvement was using 3D printer to buit the main plate for the conversion, started probably in 2019.
Well, all this above is history now. The winter 2021-22 changed a lot. And again, there was someone who made me to think about next step, next generation of my Hi-speed conversions. In this case a father of two promising young casters and current manufacturer of our casting plugs, Tomáš Buráň. We discussed small gearboxes that could be used instead of the current timing belts one day, and couple days later he came with his gearbox version.
I´ve started looking at possibilities on the gearboxes‘ field. Within last 4 months I´ve used 4 types of gearboxes. And here you can see the results. All These gearboxes are approx 1:3 ratio.
My lovely Ambidex 2499 in production
3 different gearboxes
Daiwa Exceler, the right one of the 3 on previous picture.
I talked about 4 types. Here is the latest, I believe „the best“.
This is Daiwa Exceler 1:6,1 gear ratio with gearbox 1:3. In total 1:18,3 ratio.
Gearbox weight cca 25g.
