A reel suitable for bow fishing and the like provides a cowling covering a reel with a wide opening to reduce frictional restraint on high-speed paying out of the line with the flight of the arrow. An optional guide arm may be used to minimize line diversion and hence friction during line payout while absorbing forces when the line is retracted permitting use of a lighter cowling design without loss of strength. A high torque bevel gear transmission and safety lighting is further provided.

A reel suitable for bow fishing and the like provides a cowling covering a reel with a wide opening to reduce frictional restraint on high-speed paying out of the line with the flight of the arrow. An optional guide arm may be used to minimize line diversion and hence friction during line payout while absorbing forces when the line is retracted permitting use of a lighter cowling design without loss of strength. A high torque bevel gear transmission and safety lighting is further provided.

A reel suitable for bow fishing and the like provides a cowling covering a reel with a wide opening to reduce frictional restraint on high-speed paying out of the line with the flight of the arrow. An optional guide arm may be used to minimize line diversion and hence friction during line payout while absorbing forces when the line is retracted permitting use of a lighter cowling design without loss of strength. A high torque bevel gear transmission and safety lighting is further provided.

A reel suitable for bow fishing and the like provides a cowling covering a reel with a wide opening to reduce frictional restraint on high-speed paying out of the line with the flight of the arrow. An optional guide arm may be used to minimize line diversion and hence friction during line payout while absorbing forces when the line is retracted permitting use of a lighter cowling design without loss of strength. A high torque bevel gear transmission and safety lighting is further provided.

Fishing reel system embodiments herein include an extendable arm assembly and a reel assembly rotatably attached thereto. Certain reel assembly embodiments include an adjustable drag washer stack that can be adjustably compressed to adjust the amount of friction within the washer stack. Other implementations include solely a reel assembly with such an adjustable drag washer stack.

Fishing reel system embodiments herein include an extendable arm assembly and a reel assembly rotatably attached thereto. Certain reel assembly embodiments include an adjustable drag washer stack that can be adjustably compressed to adjust the amount of friction within the washer stack. Other implementations include solely a reel assembly with such an adjustable drag washer stack.

An automatic fishing system includes a plurality of fishing machines each of which has rotation drums capable of winding fishing lines and capable of rotating in a reeling direction and an unreeling direction, a drive motor for driving the rotation drums in the reeling direction and the unreeling direction, and an electromagnetic clutch for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotation drums, a hooking detection means for always detecting hooking of fish at any one of the plurality of fishing machines, and a fishing machine control means for controlling operations of the plurality of fishing machines in accordance with detection result of the hooking detection means. The fishing machine control means controls the rotation drums of other fishing machines that hook no fish in the reeling direction so that hooks of the other fishing machines are wound up to a water surface or near the water surface.

An automatic fishing system includes a plurality of fishing machines each of which has rotation drums capable of winding fishing lines and capable of rotating in a reeling direction and an unreeling direction, a drive motor for driving the rotation drums in the reeling direction and the unreeling direction, and an electromagnetic clutch for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotation drums, a hooking detection means for always detecting hooking of fish at any one of the plurality of fishing machines, and a fishing machine control means for controlling operations of the plurality of fishing machines in accordance with detection result of the hooking detection means. The fishing machine control means controls the rotation drums of other fishing machines that hook no fish in the reeling direction so that hooks of the other fishing machines are wound up to a water surface or near the water surface.

An ice fishing hole covering assembly includes a unitary fishing hole covering with a panel that is rigid and has a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge. The top side is planar and the panel is translucent with a circular shape and a central axis. A reel is rotatably coupled to the bottom side of the panel and has fishing line spooled thereon. The panel has a plurality of apertures therein extending to the top side and outwardly through the bottom side to define finger grips. A strike indicator is attached to the bottom side of the panel and includes a light emitter that is turned on when the fishing line is pulled downwardly from the bottom side. An entirety of the unitary structure is positioned no higher than 0.30 inches above a plane of the top side before and after actuation of the strike indicator.

An ice fishing hole covering assembly includes a unitary fishing hole covering with a panel that is rigid and has a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge. The top side is planar and the panel is translucent with a circular shape and a central axis. A reel is rotatably coupled to the bottom side of the panel and has fishing line spooled thereon. The panel has a plurality of apertures therein extending to the top side and outwardly through the bottom side to define finger grips. A strike indicator is attached to the bottom side of the panel and includes a light emitter that is turned on when the fishing line is pulled downwardly from the bottom side. An entirety of the unitary structure is positioned no higher than 0.30 inches above a plane of the top side before and after actuation of the strike indicator.