Redesigning Baitcasting Reels

In the graduate-level course 2.76 Global Engineering, the Okuma team was approached with the problem that baitcasting fishing reels are a challenging product to sell to new users in emerging markets. Their complex and less-than-intuitive design make them poor candidates for a novice fisherman selecting his or her first fishing reel. The team was given the Okuma Cerros reel to work on, with the goal of lowering the price point and making the user interface more intuitive such that the average fisherman in an emerging market would choose to buy both a baitcasting reel and a spinning reel. We approached the redesign in three phases: reducing cost via alternative materials and replacing certain bearings with bushings; prototyping a simplified cast control system; and proposing an improved user interface for the thumb bar and handle. The final product, improved user intuitiveness in the cast control and retrieve systems, and reduced cost both in bearings and in cast control parts.