21
March, 2015
F&D ARCHERY'S
PRO REEL SEAT II and
STRAIGHT SHOOTER ROD
BOWFISHING ACCESSORIES
BUILT TO LAST
by PETE GREGOIRE
Fred and Darlene Christen of F&D Archery in Osseo, WI have been running their archery shop for 34 years. In all that time Fred has learned a thing or two about what works for bowfishing. Fred took his years of experience and collaborated with Smooth Machine, LLC to produce some of the finest bowfishing accessories on the market today.
However, most everyone does choose to use a rod with their spincast combo to take the stress off the reel, especially when fighting big fish. F&D produces a very robust rod that does this job extremely well.
The F&D Strait Shooter Rod features stainless steel construction and two 90 degree bends in the body of the rod which serve a significant purpose. First, the bends align the tip of the rod with the output hole of the reel, allowing the line to flow out smoothly on the shot. Also, the sharp bend allows line to be wrapped around the rod, serving as a line puller when your arrow is stuck in something other than a fish.
The tip of the rod features sweeping support structures that keep the eyelet in it's intended place. This heavy-duty construction houses a ceramic eyelet that is gentle on line, enhancing the flow of line from the reel, and cutting down on line wear.
Installation of the rod is extremely simple. Thread the rod into the end of the reel seat using the included lock washer and jam nut. When the rod is is threaded in nearly all the way, align the tip with the reel and use a wrench to finish tightening the jam nut against the lock washer and the end of the reel seat.
With the newest generation of reels sporting longer caps, F&D has adjusted the length of their Straight Shooter rod to accommodate. The 5" rod fits well on the new Muzzy XD Pro reel with the built in reel seat.
The F&D Pro Reel Seat II has a retail price of $29.95 and the Straight Shooter Rod can be had for $19.95. All prices are quoted from the F&D Archery online catalog. There are many choices in the marketplace for similar items, however you will not regret using products produced by F&D.
The F&D Pro Reel Seat II is machined out of solid aluminum. It threads into the stabilizer hole on the bow and offers rock solid mounting of all popular spincast reels like the Muzzy XD, TI 20, or Zebco 808.
Machined into the body of the seat, on the riser end are two flats that allow the seat to be snugged tight with a 5/8" wrench. The connection between the riser and the seat can be a weak area on some real seats that could break, espec-ially if jam nuts are used, however the F&D Pro Seat utilizes the full length of the threaded mounting rod to avoid this.
The end cap of the reel seat has a groove to secure the reel's foot and when everything is tightened, the reel cannot move in the seat. In original F&D reel seats the cap actually fit a little too snugly, often requiring the aid of tools to remove it. Fred has rectified that in this newest model. The end cap is held on with a 5/16 hex head bolt (included) should the buyer not want to use a rod.
Gear Review
The F&D Pro Reel Seat has been upgraded to allow for easier end cap removal. The fit and finish of this product are excellent.
These pictures illustrate the features outlined in the article, especially the robust construction.
The added length of the rod is apparent when comparing the TI20 on the left to the extended cap Muzzy XD Pro on the right.