What is the use of an anti-reverse switch

[sharkpr1]

I have an Okuma Cedros 65 spinning reel and after I catched a fish i saw my line completly loose and inmediately when check the reel noticed it had loose its brake, at the moment I thought it was damaged until I went home and discovered the switch that they call an Anti-reverse rear ball bearing. I consider myself a rookie fishermen so I ask you what ih the advantage or disadvanted of having this anti reverse switch. I have a Penn 650 ssm that does not have this feature and has work great and in tough battles.
Thanks.

[Double D]

Excellent question, I would like to know too. In 40+ years of fishing I have never seen anyone use reverse, but plenty of times when it gets disengaged by accident. I asked the Penn rep why they put in on the reels, he said the freshwater guys use it. So why put it on the saltwater reels

I have busted the antireverse gear on just about every Penn spinning reel I have owned, it is a small plastic piece of crap that cannot handle the impact of a hard strike. Have not had that problem since switching to Shimano

[lemaymiami]

Like most I never want any reel in my skiff that doesn't have the anti-reverse in the "on" position... and occasionally one of my anglers that comes from a freshwater background will switch it off and things will go very badly if a big fish tries to set that reel on fire. I'm also a guy who repairs lots and lots of reels (many for commercial hook and liners who really take their gear to the absolute limit, and then a bit more...). I can't count the number of reels that I've had to work on that needed that @#%^^ switch and its related parts un-frozen, replaced, repaired, etc. But there is still actually a valid use for it...

If you ever have line get under the spool or wound tightly around places where it's not supposed to be, the ability to switch the anti-reverse off is a godsend. You then carefully pull the line free as you wind the reel backwards until that particular tangle is un-done, then re-engage the thing and wind the line back onto the spool where it belongs. Without the ability to reel in reverse in that situation you're going to get out the nippers and start losing line - and spinners, in particular, just work better when they have all the line they need....

I'm certain that the manufacturers (that are always trying to figure out a way to save a few pennies on each reel they make) will convince everyone that the switch is no longer necessary and just quit using it on any of their designs. I'm not sure that's a good idea, but I'm sure that tons of anglers will never know the difference (unless someone points it out to them...).

[sharkpr1]

Like most I never want any reel in my skiff that doesn't have the anti-reverse in the "on" position... and occasionally one of my anglers that comes from a freshwater background will switch it off and things will go very badly if a big fish tries to set that reel on fire. I'm also a guy who repairs lots and lots of reels (many for commercial hook and liners who really take their gear to the absolute limit, and then a bit more...). I can't count the number of reels that I've had to work on that needed that @#%^^ switch and its related parts un-frozen, replaced, repaired, etc. But there is still actually a valid use for it...

If you ever have line get under the spool or wound tightly around places where it's not supposed to be, the ability to switch the anti-reverse off is a godsend. You then carefully pull the line free as you wind the reel backwards until that particular tangle is un-done, then re-engage the thing and wind the line back onto the spool where it belongs. Without the ability to reel in reverse in that situation you're going to get out the nippers and start losing line - and spinners, in particular, just work better when they have all the line they need....

I'm certain that the manufacturers (that are always trying to figure out a way to save a few pennies on each reel they make) will convince everyone that the switch is no longer necessary and just quit using it on any of their designs. I'm not sure that's a good idea, but I'm sure that tons of anglers will never know the difference (unless someone points it out to them...).

Thanks so much for your response, for sure i learned something new today.

[FishinTopsail]

sharkpr1, Thanks for the question, I have often asked the same question.
lemaymiami, Thanks for your answer. What you say makes sense. But after evaluating your answer, and thinking back over my 50+ years of fishing, I can name many situations that the anti-reverse has cost me time and money. And I can't think any situation that I have used it when I couldn't have done without it. I would prefer reels without it.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
http://www.fishintopsail.com