Have motor, will fish

Grant Rowe with his motorized deep water fishing tackle, which he hopes to put to good use over this summer.

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When targeting big fish in deep water, you need all the help you can get, especially after the first dozen or so drifts and drops.

East Auckland’s The Big Fish Fishing Club member, Grant Rowe, has come up with his DIY answer to the latest Daiwa and Shimano electric reels that are growing in popularity.

He has rigged up a 50cc petrol motor and connected it to his Daiwa 600H reel via a belt drive and a 3:1 reduction gearbox. The Daiwa is matched to a Daiwa Eliminator rod and spooled with 80lb braid.

The motor is controlled via a trigger throttle, with the reel’s drag taking care of any running fish in the conventional manner, backed up by the motor’s centrifugal clutch.

When fishing the as-yet-to-be-tested outfit, Grant intends using it in a Black Magic stand-up harness and gimbal belt to take up the weight of the motor and, of course, any fish he hooks.

We look forward to images of the deep-water rig in action. But it does beg the question – ‘do these modifications null and void the rod and reel’s warranty?’

- © Fairfax NZ News