I was able to check out the Release SG (small game) lightweight lever drag reel recently, and from what my experienced offshore hands could tell me, this is one very interesting little mighty-mite lever drag reel that should be able to tame a variety of near coastal and offshore gamefish. The most impressive aspects of this new SG fishing reel are its feather weight (13.5-ounce); run-stopping drag (30-plus pounds at full, while still getting free spool); a lighting fast 6:1 gear ratio, that will literally make a jig dance through the water column; an oversized form-fitted power handle for max leverage; plus an adjustable machined aluminum drag lever and carbon disc drag washer that will allow anglers to control the fight from beginning to end, even on oversized hard-charging gamefish. It’s incredible that something so strong can actually be so light. From what I could observe from this close-up cameo, the machining quality is very good and the gear tolerances are super-tight.
The Release SG can hold an impressive 500 yards of 50-pound braid, which opens up a world of possibilities. This reel would be absolutely ideal for deep-dropping tilefish, wreckfish and barrelfish at the edge of the continental shelf, especially with its 6:1 gear ratio, which retrieves 38 inches of line per crank of the handle. It would also be great for snapper fishing and amberjacks down south. As long as we are talking groundfish, the powerful 13.5-ounce SG lever drag would also be a good choice for tautog, cod, pollock and hake up north, as well as stripers, blues, ocean fluke, etc. Inshore trollers would also find the Release SG to their liking, especially when the football tuna and mahis are in the ten- to 20-pound class and are allowed to really strut their stuff on lighter tackle. I didn’t get a chance to cast with the Release SG lever drag reel, but I’ll bet that anyone with an educated thumb could make it happen.
As they move forward with production, I’d suggest a few improvements to this Release SG, like drilling a small hole in the spool to tie off your line and make it “braid ready”, putting a strike setting stopper somewhere in the lever drag’s quadrant arc and smoothing some of the reel seat’s sharp edges. Other than that, this yearling is a total blast and great value for the price. From what the Release folks shared with me during my product research, this SG reel comes in four color combos, is available in a left hand version, has an optional Magnum Ball Handle (actually made from a 44-mag speed-loader…no kidding!), plus they are releasing a larger LG (large gamefish) model as you read this.
MADE IN THE USA
In this era of farming out American manufacturing jobs overseas due to economics and a focus on the bottom line, Jonathan Sauers of Release Reels shared with me an opposite approach. In Release Reel’s formative years which started in 2009, spool and frame machining and assembly were originally done in Asia. As the Release Reel execs found out first-hand from their trips to the Far East, the high standards that they sought for their budding lineup of lever drag reels could not be consistently achieved to their satisfaction and changes needed to be made. Owners Wes Seigler and Ken Nance took it upon themselves to lead the way by re-thinking a newly restructured US operations facility, in addition to some all-new lever drag fishing reel designs. They worked closely with their in-house design team to do this and as more competitors are heading overseas to improve their bottom line profits, Release Reels accepted the challenge and brought their manufacturing operations back home to the USA, all while keeping a competitive price while improving quality.
This strategic move would allow the ownership to be literally right on top of the manufacturing process day-to-day, so Release Reels opened up a manufacturing facility right in the heartland of America, located in Reedville, VA. All Release Reels are milled in their shop from aluminum that is from USA suppliers and all parts not manufactured at their plant are sourced within the United States of America. Release Reels are proud to say they are 100% made in the USA and in this day and age, that’s really making a statement. Plus, they are backing this new SG reel with a limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser, which is a really great way to stand behind a product. With an MSRP of $249, this is an “affordable” luxury for those anglers looking to acquire a lightweight, mighty-mite, next-gen lever drag reel that can stop a 50-pound striper, cod, tuna or tilefish right in its tracks.
