New Daiwa Free Swimmer Reel Stops Trophies in Their Tracks
Move over saltwater lunkers; you’re about to meet your match. It’s called the Free Swimmer, and it’s from Daiwa, so you know you’re in deep trouble. Get ready bluefin, yellowfin, amberjack, stripers, cobia, sharks, and other large predators on the prowl. This is the new king of live-lining spinning reels…and it means business.
“Our new Free Swimmer reel is a great equalizer,” says Marc Mills, Senior Marketing Manager at Daiwa. “It’s designed to be the ultimate saltwater spinning reel for live-lining trophy-sized fish and can help even intermediate, and beginner anglers keep pace with the pros.”
Surprisingly lightweight yet exceptionally powerful, the Free Swimmer features an Automatic Bite N’ Run clutch at the base of the body, allowing anglers to instantly disengage the spool so the line can peel off with little or no resistance while the bail is closed. Pull down on the lever to place the reel in free-spool mode and flip it back to instantly to reengage when a fish grabs your bait. A small Tension Control Knob at the back of the reel makes it easy to adjust spool tension to control the speed at which the line plays out.
“Let’s face it,” continues Mills, “With the cost of gas, bait, and everything else these days, targeting offshore tuna and other pelagic or near-shore bruisers can be expensive. That means you need to maximize your chances whenever heading out – and the Free Swimmer does just that. Plus, it works especially well when using circle hooks or any style that sets better with a steady pull than a jarring strike.”
No one wants to get shut out on a tuna trip, notes Mills, but big fish don’t spend much time next to the boat. So, if you have difficulty casting a conventional reel like the old sharpie standing next to you at the rail, you can be at a significant disadvantage. With the Free Swimmer, though, it’s easy to cast an energetic live bait away from the vessel, so it can swim freely where you’re most likely to draw a strike.
Indeed, whether live-lining Gulf Coast hardtails or sardines, feeding big baits to tarpon in the Florida Keys, targeting huge cobia in the mid-Atlantic region, or swimming big bunker in Northeast waters for cow stripers, Daiwa’s Free Swimmer provides that extra edge. Using the tension control, you can moderate the speed your offerings swim, slowing overly energetic live-baits to keep them centered in the strike zone. The ability to free-line with a closed bail also adds an extra degree of safety since you never have to keep a finger to a braided line to hold your bait in the perfect position.
The Free Swimmer is Daiwa’s next-level reel in this category. Still, it has several additional features that separate Daiwa saltwater spinning reels from the rest of the pack. These reels build on the company’s success at ICAST 2021, where Daiwa took home gold in both the Saltwater and Freshwater Reel New Product categories with the Saltist MQ spinning reel and Zillion SV TW baitcasting reel, respectively.
To that end, the Free Swimmer features an Air Rotor that stands out for its balance, toughness, and sensitivity. Its arched profile and 15% weight reduction compared to standard rotors offers optimal winding smoothness while eliminating vibration thanks to a lowered center of gravity. Its waterproof, carbon Automatic Tournament Drag (ATD) system uses an improved drag grease with low viscosity at rest that becomes more viscous immediately after drag start-up. The result is a super-smooth drag with low initial inertia and beast-stopping power.
Available in 8,000 and 10,000 sizes, the Free Swimmer also sports a corrosion-resistant lightweight graphite frame and features Digigear technology. Compared to most of the competition, the gears are larger and digitally cut and polished, resulting in better meshing and longer gear life, up to three times that of competitive reels. Add a Machined Aluminum Screw-In Direct Drive Handle with a Power Round EVA knob for generating extra leverage, plus an O-ring sealing system to ensure high-quality waterproof saltwater performance. It becomes ever more apparent why the Free Swimmer is sure to show out.
“We think these reels have the potential to refresh the whole live-lining category,” sums up Mills, “and they’re great for casting lures or drifting out cut baits, too. They even have significant surf-fishing applications – think snag-and-drop live-bait fishing for stripers and gorilla blues, the live-lining shark from the beach, or throwing eels around inlet jetties, bridge abutments, and other hard structure.”
“A lot of new anglers have entered our sport recently,” concludes Mills, “and many have never tried this reel category. Once they see how versatile, easy to use, and effective the Free Swimmers are, that’s likely to change. I think we’re going to have a big hit on our hands.”
Saltwater driven and designed to battle trophy fish, Daiwa’s NEW Free Swimmer Saltwater Reels both feature 4BB+1 ball bearings, a 4.7:1 gear ratio, and a maximum drag of 22 pounds.
The FRSW8000 retrieves 36.1 inches of line per handle turn and holds a generous 330 yards of 16-lb.-test mono or 280 yards of 20-lb.-test. For Daiwa J-Braid line, capacity is 40/330 and 50/280.
The FRSW10000 cranks 39.6” per handle turn while holding 330 yards of 20-lb.-test mono or 280 lbs. of 25-lb.-test. For Daiwa J-Braid, line capacity is 50/330 and 65/280.
All this at an eye-catching MSRP of $199.99 for either reel.
No matter where you live-line your monsters, these reels provide an edge you can’t afford to ignore.
