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

Ergonomics: When it comes to weight these reels are no lightweights, they are built like tanks and the B-197C weighs 18oz. and the B-270C weighs 2oz. more. These reels are comfortable to hold and the smooth edges of the reels actually make it possible to comfortably palm the reels when fishing lighter applications.

During one of our tests we got into a lot of jellyfish that actually turned our Accubraid line reddish in color. A little trolling for Albacore washed the line and restored it back to a nice pearly white

The reels are also available with a variety of handle choices ranging from ball handles to ergonomic rubber handles. The ball handle looks phenomenal and the workmanship matches the frame of these reels. The ball handle is machined hollow and is further ported for balance and weight reduction. The ergonomic rubber handle is more comfortable to grip but doesn’t look anywhere as cool. Both handles are bearing supported and spin freely, aiding in a smooth crank of the handle with each rotation.

Lingcod posed no challenge for the B-197C whatsoever

Price and Applications: The B-197C retails for 408 dollars and the wider 270C costs just 20 dollars more. Both reels come with a reel bag and are backed with a one year warranty and the company’s “AccuCare Reel Service” which gives anglers direct support from the factory or one of the authorized service centers located worldwide.

The Accurate 270C in trolling position pulling plugs for Albacore

These reels are extremely well built and inspire confidence to handle fish much bigger than you would expect to be able to target with a reel of this size. One of the reasons why the reels are able to step up to the challenge of big game is because of the excellent drag system. The 197C is an excellent reel for anglers that are light tackle enthusiasts and can be used with 15lb mono or a combination of 200yds. of spectra topshot with a 50 yd. fluorocarbon or mono leader. If you’re looking to fish smaller irons, swimbaits or natural live baits this is the reel of choice.

The reel also proved excellent at tossing irons when the schools were thick

While I like the ergonomics of the 197C better there are times when just a little more capacity is necessary for thicker diameter line. The 270C is able to hold 300yds. of 20lb. line and is a good reel for plugs and larger artificial baits as well as natural bait. Both of these reels can be found for slightly cheaper than they originally debuted at because they have been put on clearance to make way for the BX2 reels. There is nothing wrong with this original series and we found that we could quite easily push them beyond their rated specifications in most categories. There have been reports to some e-tailers that these reels while reliable have been somewhat finicky in the field and require tuning after prolonged use, we didn’t experience this over the course of the year with either of our two test reels, and they continue to pull duty on our test rigs.

That's what we like to see.... bloody decks

The 197C and 270C can still be found at a number of dealers but not for long, the BX reels are replacing these reels. The BX reels are designed to better suit the applications that anglers were already using the current reels for, for example the 270C was designed for fishing 20lb. test like we mentioned in this review but many anglers fished the reel with lines 40lb and even higher. The new BX reels features beefed up gearing and shafts to handle these heavier lines, especially Spectra with fluorocarbon topshots.    

The Accurate 197C and 270C reels handled everything we threw at it and can be used for everything from calico bass and halibut to big stripers and tuna