The slingshot fishing reel—in the footage below—is easily one of the coolest pieces of gear out there. It throws out the traditional 7-foot fishing rod and replaces it with a compact, sometimes even wrist-braced, catapult that looks like something straight out of a survival movie. To use it, you just click the free-spool button on the attached mini-reel, lock a heavy-duty steel dart into the rubber bands, pull back, and let it fly. The second you hit your target under the water, you just crank the reel handle to engage the gears and haul your catch right back to you.
While it looks like a crazy novelty gimmick, it’s actually quite the interesting piece of engineering. Because it fires in a straight line with a ton of speed, you can easily shoot past overhanging branches or cut through stiff winds that would ruin a normal cast. Plus, the whole aluminum frame folds down small enough to throw into a backpack, making it a huge hit for camping, hiking, and survival kits.
It completely changes the game by turning a lazy day of fishing into an active, close-quarters hunt—just make sure to check your local wildlife laws first, and see where this reel is categorized, as many consider it a bowfishing tool.
