Reel Grips are the real deal!

You know a few months ago if you asked me about the "reel grip" product, I would have probably given you a smart ass remark about them being a gimmick, a product that is not really needed and just a cash grab.. boy would  I have been wrong

When placing an order with Tackle Warehouse this past spring, i decided to order 1 pair of reel grips to give them a shot. My one bait-caster has smaller reel paddles and although I loved the reel, it could be uncomfortable when used for long periods of time.

the grips arrived (black in case you wondering) and I threw them on my reel. Immediately i noticed and felt the difference. They added that something extra, made the paddles a bit wider, and much easier on the fingers when spending a long day on the water. They are textured (ribbed for your pleasure) and provide superior grip and comfort.

It was not long before I placed my second order, this time ordering enough to outfit the rest of the reels in my arsenal.. including some of my spinning reels. (Small reels like a 1000 Series Shimano Stradics are perfect for these grips). On the second order I also branched out and tried some various colors.. adding the orange/white, and metallic orange. the only problem I have now, is I much prefer the colors to the standard black so I will be placing a third order to replace the black grips with some more colorful choices.

here are some of the pros and cons to the reel grip as I see it..

Pros:

the reel grips come in a wide selection of colors, from the standard "black" for those of you who want to be discrete to bright Oranges that look great with my Dobyns Champion Extreme rods.

the grips fit a wide variety of reel with out issue. the soft rubber can be slid off and on fairly easily, but still stay put. They are durable and take abuse well. (I have pulled them off and on a few reels multiple times without weakening the grip)

these things are super comfortable.. from skeptic to believer after 1 use

the grips are readily available online direct from the source or from other retailers like tackle warehouse.

Cons:

not to many cons to these grips, for me they are slightly pricey coming in at $5 a pair.. if you are looking at one pair it was not really a price issue, but when buying for 10 or more reels the $50 price tag hurt a bit.

the grips will fit nearly all reels on the market, but you may have a hard time sliding them over any reel with a larger paddle. My Curado D series reel has wide paddles and it was a struggle to get the grips on. Once on they slide a bit with heavy use, but are easily slid back into place

Be sure to check out the reel grip website to see all the cool options they have for your reels. Also check out the new product recently launched.. a rod grip.. a 10.5 inch tube of plastic that sides onto you rod to provide the same grip and comfort that the grips add to your reel.. a cool idea and something I may have to give a test drive later this season