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RedDot Reel Gulf 5000/6000 Series Fishing Reels
Fishing Reels Manufacturer: RedDot Reel
RedDot Reel Model: Gulf 5000/6000 Series
Review Category: Fishing Reels
Purchase: Fishing Reels I acquired these reels straight from the manufacturer to do some testing and and reviews on their Spincast Gulf Series reels. I paid nothing for the reels. I own and manage one of the top California Saltwater/Freshwater Sportfishing websites (www.hookandsinker.com)
Things I like about the RedDot Reel Gulf 5000/6000 Series Fishing Reels: First off I would like to say that it would be hard to justify the hard work that went into this review in simple text form. I do have the review displayed on my website which can be viewed at http://www.hookandsinker.com Introduction: As promised...here is the long anticipated review of Red Dot's Gulf Series spinning reels! Red Dot was kind enough to ship us a Gulf Series 5000 and 6000 reel for review. For all the fishermen on a tight budget you are are going to love this reel. Formed in 2002, Red Dot Reels is a division of Red Dot Industries. The corporate offices are located in New Orleans, Louisiana, home to Mardi Gras, speckled trout, red fish, bass, flounder. . . bass fishing's biggest event, the Classic, Redfishing Tournaments and, the "Big Easy" never needs an excuse to have a party. Red Dot Reels was started by fisherman and fishing guides so that they (everyone at Red Dot is a fisherman) could have products that they liked, that were durable and mostly, inexpensive. Red Dot worked for a long time designing, changing color schemes, making alterations, listening to their guides. When they were happy with what they saw, they gave it to their engineers so that they could find new ways to manufacture what Red Dot had conceived. The factory was tooled and made ready for production. They tried. We re-tooled and started over again. Red Dot continued doing this until their manufacturing process became so efficient, that it could only do one thing. BRING COST WAY DOWN! Red Dot products are made of space age, light weight, highly durable and strong materials. Red Dot's products are "ultra coated" for corrosion resistance. Our products are lubricated with the best marine anti-corrosion lubricants. We use aircraft quality aluminum where needed for strength, and to reduce weight. We use other light weight, high strength, impact resistant materials where other manufacturers don't.
What I don't like about the RedDot Reel Gulf 5000/6000 Series : Wear?: During disassembly/assembly I found that the inner guide which the main shaft passes through the rotor, was very easy to wear significantly. During our one-time disassembly you can already see markings, this could cause problems later on in years with repeated disassembles for regular maintenance. *Notice the marking where the arrow is pointing in the photo. I think a metal sleeve would have been better to use here to prevent wear causing play later. Once apart we noticed that the paint on the internal casing was very easily flaked off. As you can see during the normal disassembly the paint was scratched off, though this is not necessarily a cosmetic problem because it is internal.
Fishing Reels Gulf 5000/6000 Series quality: Impressions: The new Gulf Series reels are very handsome! The paint job is high quality, and ultra coated to give the reel it's "corrosion protection", of which are both very glossy and scratch resistant. The polished metallic spool is decorated with gold as well and made from aircraft quality aluminium. I did find the overall weight of the reel which is noticeably less then competing reels of the same size to be very well-balanced. I was impressed when I removed this reel from the box, Red Dot even goes as far as to print the reel schematic right on the box flap, however I myself would have preferred to have it on a separate sheet included. I would give the Red Dot Gulf Series an 8.0 on first impressions. I was itching to get right into the guts of this reel and see what made it tick. I've known and reviewed quite a few reels that sound good on paper and look good from the outside but once you get inside its not always the same impression. Definately not so with this reel. Disassembly was very easy, I particularly liked that the screws were sloted for both flathead and phillips because there have been times that I was on the water and needed to do some emergency reel maintenance only to find I had the wrong type of screwdriver. The casing is very well machined from impact-resistant composite material and fits snugly to keep as much water out as possible. The Breakdown Machined Aluminum Handle is very sleek with a solid feel, not the play that you find in some of the Shimano breakdown handles. It's unique design lends to its solid feel, too bad Shimano didn't have these guys on their team! Switching from left-hand to right-handed is a snap with no loose parts to lose during the switching. Red Dot offers their SpinCast reels in the following models: 4000 = 8.2oz. (230g) 4/155, 6/105, 8/75 5000 = 16.6oz. (470g) 16/220, 20/165,24/130 6000 = 16.8oz. (477g) 16/270, 20/220,24/165 Aluminum combines strength with light weight and where tight tolerances are desirable, the finely machined aluminum spool was better quality than I've seen in much more expensive reels. I have to compliment Red Dot on the quality of workmanship that went into the spool itself, from the smooth machined finish to the design holes to allow easy washing and water drainage. Casting: My favorite part about the bail besides it's looks, is a noticeable improvement on the smoothness of the bail locking system, which rarely locks up in that peculiar spot when the handle and the bail gear come into sync. Although I did have several times that the bail would not lock properly when casting which was somewhat annoying. The line flows off the wide diameter spool smoothly and manages to make line flow evenly and quickly off the spool on each cast. Line twist was not a problem at all using our 20lb line. Retrieving: A total of 11 bearings means your getting a pretty smooth ride here. The Red Dot's lightness combined with the smoothness of the reel make this a unique feeling reel. I guess the best way to explain it is, it's "unexpected". You pick it up and say, "wow it's light for it's size!" and then you think, "and really smooth too!" Under fast retrieve, there is no wobble in the spool. The line spools on the reel smoothly. The line is rolled on perfectly without a lump even when you get down to the last few yards of line (God forbid). I have no gripes in this category at all.
Gulf 5000/6000 Series summary: Construction/Quality The unique blend of metals and composites make this reel special because it's light in weight. I think the rotor should be designed differently to prevent wear. The paint on the interior is too easy to flake off. 7.5 Performance Performance is excellent! Great casting, fast and smooth retrieve! 8.5 Price Hard to find a reel this size as light in weight for the price. Not very many reels with these features and quality in this price range. Budget minded fishermen will be especially happy to own these reels. 8.5 Features Lots of features that are normally associated with reels twice this price.. Nice addition adding the collapsible handle. 8 Design (Ergonomics) Balance is exceptional. Smoothness is exceptional. Looks are great. 8.5 Application - A good all round spinning reel that will keep you casting all day....actually resists saltwater quite well...though we still don't recommend it for everyday saltwater tackle 8 Total Score 8.17 Pluses and Minuses: Plus Light weight composite materials Minus Would rather see the rotor designed of stronger material to prevent wear Plus Beautiful looks, fantastic paint finish Minus Paint on interior is too easy to flake off Plus Very smooth retrieve Collapsible handle for easier storage Beautiful bail with great performance Minus Experienced some problems with bail locking properly during casting
Rating for this RedDot Reel product: 4
Author of this review on RedDot Reel Fishing Reels: Jeffery Holder
Date: 2004-04-20
Usefulness Rating: 4.90698 out of 5.
43 reader(s) voted.
This RedDot Reel Fishing Reels review brought to you by Hunting & Fishing Gear Review!
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