YO Reel
The directness of handline. The reach of a rod.
A sidecast Cuban Yo-Yo refined around one idea: keep the angler close to the line.
A different kind of reel
Immediate by nature.
Intentional by design.
YO Reel starts with the simplicity of the Cuban Yo-Yo, then gives it a sidecast spine built around a rod.
No conventional bail. No drag stack. Just the line, a circular reel, and the decisions in your hands.
The motion
Turn. Cast.
Feel everything.
Cast
Turn the reel inline and let the line leave the spool cleanly.
Connect
Stay close to the line and read what is happening below.
Retrieve
Rotate back and wind directly onto the circular body.
On the water
Built to disappear in your hands.
When the mechanism becomes instinct, attention returns to the water—the tension, the current, the next move.
Designed down to the essential
Every detail has a job.
The current prototype is being tested and refined. Its purpose stays constant: direct control with less in the way.
- 01
Swiveling reel mount
Rotate 90° between cast and retrieve. One clear motion, without a bail or gearbox.
- 02
Direct line feel
Keep your hands close to the line, where taps, tension, and decisions stay immediate.
- 03
Ambidextrous body
The same reel works from either side, so the setup follows the angler—not the other way around.
- 04
Tapered sidecast form
The open circular profile is shaped for a clean release and an uncomplicated rewind.
- 05
Fewer moving parts
The mechanism stays legible, purposeful, and ready for the realities of shoreline fishing.
Currently in development
Still building.
Already fishing.
Follow each prototype, test cast, and trip to the water while YO Reel takes its final shape.