At the Saltwater Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ this year I was pawing my way through all of the latest and greatest new equipment that all the manufacturers had on hand. One of the things that caught my eye that day was the Doug Hannon WaveSpin series of Reels. From a distance one can tell that the reel is something different and soon took a closer look at the DH3000 model and found a reel with a number of unique innovations that had my curiosity peaked.

With fishing season upon me, I laid my hands on one of the DH4000's that was more suited to my style of fishing. The first thing that sticks out at you when first see the reel is the shiny gold-anodized aluminum spool which has a saw-tooth pattern cut into it's edge. At first it draws a strange glance or two, but the theory is very interesting - and definitely the idea of a fisherman. The toothed design is meant to keep wind knots from forming in your casts by helping stop them at the spool edge. This a great feature that's definitely and example of "thinking outside the box" as tackle is adapted for optimum use with braided lines. By trapping the loops that cause the tangles and wind knots which can be so frustrating to the angler, the reel casts perfectly every time. The added benefit is found in an increase of up to 30 percent casting distance. The machined edge equates to less spool surface area and therefore lesser friction than a traditional spinning reel.

Another innovative feature of the spool that exemplifies the fisherman based design is the two part design. The spool is machined from two separate pieces of aluminum stock which thread together at mid-spool. This split spool - quick slip design means that when the time comes to change out your line a simple twist allows you to separate the halves and slide off a small "doughnut of (easily recyclable) fishing line. Also there are no tools necessary so it can be done on the fly after that fish of a lifetime makes off with half your spool before breaking off. At the center is a solid 12 layer multi-disc drag system which has the power to clamp down on big fish when you've spooled up with 50-pound braid (the top rated line choice) and it still is smooth as silk when you go ultra-light tackle and pile on 290 yards of 8-pound mono. The full line capacities can be found below.

The body is of lightweight yet ultra tough graphite and houses a set of sturdy interior mechanics. There are 8+1 stainless steel ball bearings fit into the compact reel making it smooth as silk whether you're dragging in an empty line or battling a demon bluefish. The infinite "Dead Stop, No Slack" anti-reverse is a solid as can be with absolutely zero handle slop an can be turned on and off, a feature disappearing from many other designs. At the base of the reel an easy to reach lubrication port allows you to keep things smooth when too many trips prevent you from giving it a full lube job. Saving the best for last, the solid cut aluminum knob handle means you can crank with power or speed and that both happen in complete comfort.

I spooled up my DH4000 with about half a spool of Sufix mono and topped it off with a 150-yard shot of 30-pound Sufix Performance Braid. Of course two weeks of lousy weather for every planned trip kept the reel sitting in my house but I finally got to use it on a snotty Saturday striper fishing in Raritan Bay. We anchored up on a favorite spot toting a livewell filled with bunker, I quickly pinned one onto my hook and sent it down live with just a little weight. The bunker didn't last long as a 22-pound bass quickly swallowed it whole and decided to test the new reel on its first cast.

The sturdy drag and comfortable handle soon brought the bass boatside with ease. Unfortunately it would be the only bass I took for the day, but the reel got a full test at the mercy of alligator sized bluefish which quickly marauded our baits. With heavy leader and a cranked down drag I put her through the paces with more blues than I care to remember. All of them better than 12 pounds, the bluefish made a mess of our tackle and the bass fishing tough, but you couldn't ask for a better time to find out how much you like a new reel. The WaveSpin got an appreciative nod from my cap as it yanked and cranked on some of the meanest fish I could find without the slightest whine of protest.

The steady bluefish action also gave me a chance to work it out throwing lures. It cast like a rocket, without a single wind knot and I had filled the reel with a new spool of braid that was spooled up by hand - as if I were just asking for trouble. When I threw tin and metal jigs the round knob let me crank them at ultra-high speed and draw reactionary strikes from angry blues. At the same time it was as comfortable as anything I've used when I tied on a pencil popper and worked it hard. Bait or lures it didn't matter, the Doug Hannon WaveSpin DH4000 performed flawlessly, and has continued to over several trips at this point, all in similar conditions. Also, considering that the reels come with a 2-year warranty I'm confident it will continue to give me problem free use.

The WaveSpin Reels come in three sizes, the DH3000, and the new DH4000, and DH5000. Also planned for release this year is a graphite Xtra Lite version. For more information on Doug Hannon WaveSpin Reels, dealer locations, or direct purchase, visit www.wavespireel.com.

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