The little reels that could, Accurate Boss Magnum E-Series 197 & 270 (continued)

Real World Tests: To test the Accurate Boss Magnum E-Series 197 and 270 reels we targeted a variety of species including rockfish off the Northern California coast, Lingcod and Albacore Tuna. Both test reels were spooled up with AccuBraid, a line marketed by Accurate for use on their own reels.

The B-197C is small enough to palm like a freshwater baitaster

Casting: The Boss E-Series reels make use of the AccuCast system which is not a magnetic braking system, nor a centrifugal system, instead it is a physical braking system. A tension knob on the non handle sideplate adjusts the drag washers to slightly contact the side of the spool during the cast much like a biker would apply braking pressure to the disc brakes while speeding downhill.

On the non handle sideplate is the AccuCast knob and a clicker

Rotating the knob in the clockwise direction applies the pressure in reasonably small increments and it is easy to make adjustments in the field to fine-tune for varying lure weights. Both of these reels proved to be good casters of even light lures and natural dead baits. With the AccuCast system dialed in I found it actually difficult to induce a backlash, the system just plain works.

Each reel is machined from a solid bar of 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum

Retrieving: The 197C may be small in size but beneath the reel’s condensed exterior is an absolute powerhouse of a reel. I can’t even imagine what the BX2 reels feel like because this reel is already a potent winch when it comes to turning big fish. The reel is smaller in size than many freshwater round reels and yet it easily outmuscles most fish. It is no wonder why so many Accurate anglers feel so confident to spool up with much higher pound test line than both the 197C and 270C are actually rated for. In our tests rockfish proved to be absolutely no challenge at all and only larger Allies were able to test the lower limits of these reels.

Because the frame is machined from a solid block there is no non-handle sideplate, instead the frame and side are all one piece making for a seamless transition

Both of these reels don’t necessarily feel “smooth” in the traditional sense when cranked. Anglers will feel the oversized stainless steel gears meshing together beneath the frame and when paired with a graphite rod you can actually feel and hear the gearing at work through the blank. While you can definitely sense the gears at work the reels do feel refined and generate some serious amounts of torque. Both reels feature a clicker which is activated on the non handle side, this system delivers an audible strike and there is no mistaking when a fish hits, this system is LOUD!

Set in the strike position, anglers can go beyond to max out the TwinDrag but we never encountered a fish that required us to do so in our tests

Drag: Both the 197C and 270C drags tested out pretty similarly, and it was actually hard for us to get an accurate drag measurement on these reels because they go so high at full lock. It actually got dangerous testing the max drag on these reels and interestingly the company doesn’t publish the max settings anywhere that we could find. In the lab we were able to get the drag to max out at 58lbs. and only successfully got that reading after breaking off the 65lb. Accubraid twice and even snapping out one of the steel line holders on our drag machine.

The drag is adjusted with a clockwise turn of the knob

Suffice to say that the drag pressure on these reels is more than most anglers will ever need, and simply dialing it into strike will be enough for most applications. The Accurate Twin-Drag system is not only powerful but extremely consistent. Unlike many other reels that put pressure only on one side of the reel the Accurate system puts pressure on both sides much like a car applies breaking pressure to both wheels.

Another handle option is the new ergonomic grip

This not only is good because it applies equal pressure to the bearings but also doubles the heat dissipation keeping the drag system in prime condition throughout extended battles. When trolling plugs for albies the reels handled the initial strike particularly well and we let the fish hang on longer to maximize our chances for a double hookup, even when loading up for long periods and dealing with prolonged runs both our test reels never exhibited any shuddering or slip, these drags bring new meaning to the word “consistent.”   

The ergonomic grip may not look as "cool" as the ported knob but it is extremely comfortable when winching up fish

Next Section: Ergonomics, Ratings and the new BX Series