<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  There&amp;#039;s something about fishing that goes beyond the primal urge to whup something lower than you on the evolutionary ladder. Maybe it&amp;#039;s the challenge of outsmarting your scaly opponent, although on paper comparing a human brain to a fish&amp;#039;s makes the contest appear one-sided. Maybe it&amp;#039;s the strike, that exquisite moment when the line snaps taut and all the neurons in your body jump to attention. To an avid angler, it&amp;#039;s a rush second to none. Then there&amp;#039;s the fight, as a 6-pound fish tries to pull you and your boat and your motor and your gear down to Davy Jones&amp;#039;s locker. Sure, it&amp;#039;s an exercise in futility, but what can you expect from something with fish brains for brains? Whatever the attraction, one thing is certain--recreational fishing in the United States is big, with 45.7 million anglers plunking down some $42 billion for tackle, trips and related services (2002 American Sport Fishing Association numbers). Bass fishermen, some 15.6 million strong, by far represent the largest group in this sport. That&amp;#039;s not surprising when you consider that bass, more than any other species, are very accessible throughout the States. Also, a bass, for its size, will pull harder than just about any other fish. Smallmouth and spotted bass (about 6 to 7 pounds) fight the hardest. They are followed by the largemouths, which can weigh more than 20 pounds.  Because bass fishing is so popular, all kinds of companies try to sell you all kinds of stuff all the time to help you catch more fish. The number of lures out there--crankbait, jerkbait, spinners, tubes and soft plastics (the list goes on and on)--is staggering. And, if that&amp;#039;s not enough to satisfy you, there are folks who will hand-pour and custom-scent a lure especially for you. Hey, if your lures don&amp;#039;t have a scent, you might as well just drop a hook with a sign on it that says, &amp;quot;Bite me!&amp;quot; While every aspect of bass fishing gear is evolving, one piece of hardware that recently caught our eye was Shimano&amp;#039;s new top of the line (so to speak) casting reel: the Calcutta TE DC (about $500). As every fisherman is aware, casting reels try to strike a balance between freespool for maximum casting distance and varying amounts of braking to prevent the spool from overrunning and creating a backlash. Most current designs employ an adjustable centrifugal or magnetic brake system to control spool speed. The new Calcutta is the first self-energizing casting reel, and the first reel with a &amp;quot;brain.&amp;quot; It uses a digital circuit board that is energized during the initial phase of the cast. The energy is stored in a coil that activates electromagnetic brakes to slow the reel enough to prevent backlash. You have to preset the reel for lure weight and spool looseness. The system allows the spool to accelerate up to 30,000 rpm during the initial cast, compared to 15,000 to 20,000 rpm for conventional spools. The amount of braking force required to keep the line tension as close to zero as possible is updated every one one-thousandth of a second. Anglers may notice line crowning, or fluffing, on the spool during the cast, which indicates the start of backlash. But the brakes will instantly apply to prevent backlash. The system, which requires no batteries, has eight preprogrammed braking patterns that you set by rotating an 8-position dial on the reel&amp;#039;s sideplate. The settings are based on lure type and weight, wind conditions and casting method. Of course, if you don&amp;#039;t preset the reel accurately, it won&amp;#039;t compensate for your ineptitude and can backlash just like any other reel. It&amp;#039;s bad enough to be outsmarted by a bass, but now you may also have to put up with a reel that is smarter than you. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a219/1278171/>