By Kyle MacNall

The Mechanical Fisher’s Yo Yo Automatic Fishing Reel is a very unique product. The name is exactly what it is, a spring-loaded fishing reel that automatically retrieves the line when triggered. Made in America, this product has remained basically unchanged from its original design made in 1949.

The reel is made of up of a stainless-steel spring with 60 pound test nylon line. When you think of a fishing reel, you likely imagine it on a fishing rod in somebody’s hand. However, the Automatic Fishing Reel doesn’t need a rod, nor does it need a person sitting there waiting for the fish to bite. It is designed to be attached to something like a dock, tree limb or boat and left to wait for a fish.

At the end of the nylon line is a swivel to connect a hook or lure. For more finicky fish, I would attach a short one or two foot monofilament leader to the swivel and then a hook. This way the fish will not see the nylon line. At the top of the reel is an extra piece of nylon string used to affix the reel to whatever object (stick, dock, boat, etc). Once it is attached, pull down on the line until it is at its desired length and carefully set the trigger while easing back on the line until the trigger engages with the notch in the reel. If fishing in a river or wavy water, you man need to add a weight to keep the line straight.  Once a fish pulls on the hook, it releases the trigger, setting the hook and the reel begins to fight and retrieve the fish. The reel may actually pull smaller fish right out of the water. So, if you are fishing for Sunfish and Bluegill off the dock, you may want to stay close.

This reel is ideal for somebody who is fishing for food. Tie it to a limb river side for some catfish, off a dock for bluegill, or hang multiple off your boat above a school of perch. Small and compact, it’s a great item to throw in a tackle box. It is also very popular with the prepping and survivalist crowd. Think of it almost like a trap for fish.  At under $5.00 retail consumers often buy the reel in packs of a dozen or more. The more traps you have set, the higher the chance that you are going to catch dinner.

On the market for over 60 years, Mechanical Fisher’s Automatic Fishing Reel is carried in sporting goods, big box and hardware stores all over the country. Even if a store has very little or no fishing supplies, the uniqueness and low price of the Automatic Fishing Reel, placed in the right location, can be a great impulse item that people may buy just out of curiosity. Others will want to stock up on them for their survival kits or just to fill the freezer. For more information and wholesale pricing information, you can email sales@yoyoreel.com or visit their website at: www.yoyoreel.com.