Would You Fish With a Water Bottle Wrapped in Fishing Line?

It’s called the Reel Cool, and it’s the pride of Union, Ohio, inventor Matt Grimes. According to this story on Cincinnati.com, Grimes got the idea for this water bottle wrapped in fishing line after watching local anglers in Mexico catching fish with similiar homemade contraptions. The difference, of course, is that their water bottles were likely from the dump or the curb and didn’t look like anything you’d see on a shelf at Eastern Mountain Sports.

Grimes claims the Reel Cool is for “when it’s not convenient to carry a rod,” for example if someone is backpacking, rafting, kayaking or bicycling. On his website, Grimes includes safety tips for using the Reel Cool, one of which includes, do not throw, hit, or use bottle as a hammer or weapon.

The Reel Cool fishing bottle will set you back $20. Now here’s the thing; Though I suppose I could see some merit in the product as a survival tool, I could also make this out of a used water or soda bottle for a lot less than $20. Granted, mine wouldn’t have ergonomic grips to help retrieve the line, but in a survival situation, I wouldn’t worry about it. As for recreational use, if getting to a spot is so complex that it would be difficult for me to bring a rod and reel, I probably just wouldn’t go. What do you think? Might you add a Reel Cool to your arsenal?