The Reel Debates 2024

RiskKid. reply :

Well we got the Shimano Posse, the new Abu Garcia Posse and the Pflueger Mooks. I'm just wondering why Team Daiwa is just kind of sittin quietly on the side.....

Actually the debates (even though they get a bit contentious at times) have been very helpful to a rookie like me. It has been tough on the pocketbook but the information is great and I'm convinced I've avoided some mistakes as a result.

Raul reply :

The truth ? Daiwas can be very good or very bad, it all depends on what reel you are buying. For ex, between two reels: the TDX and the TDX super tuned, the TDX is a very good reel mechanically speaking but don 't ask me what are they finishing the reel with because the finish is quite lousy, it rashes and peels if you breathe hard on the reel > , but the Super Tuned version of the same reel is a completely different animal, not only it 's factory super tuned ( no need for aftermarket parts ) it only costs 10 dollars more than the regular TDX and the finish is different, go figure. :-?

Daiwa can sometimes be too innovative, innovation that YOU pay when the things go sour, the PT33SH was a so-so reel, the drag was horrendous; I can 't remember the model number right now but one of the first computerized baitcasters was Daiwa, the computer never worked properly and the levelwind mechanism ( very innovative ) 5 times out of 10 trapped the line on the levelwind. Daiwa also made and apparently it still does, extensive use of an "A" spring to make the bail return on it 's spinning reels, "A" spring that you can find also in the Viento attached to the Twitching bar mechanism on the non handle sideplate. My experience with that "A" spring has always been bad, it either brakes at the feet or suffers from metal fatigue quite fast.

T-rig reply :

Raul, tu eres el rey del "tackle"!!!! You really know your stuff, respect!

Bud reply :

Just buy SHIMANO and you want have any problem.

dink reply :

You mean like my 3 Shimanos that are sitting idle because of broken return springs? Yeah.... no problems! ;D

guest reply :

Hey Risk DEBATE WHAT DEBATE < there is no debate PFLUEGER RULES!!!!!!!

Bud reply :

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You mean like my 3 Shimanos that are sitting idle because of broken return springs? Yeah.... no problems!

I am sure ReelMach can fix you right up.

dink reply :

Bud,

Been down that road... even contacted Shimano. It boils down to me being foolish for buying 3 Calyx reels when they came out. Live and learn.... even Shimano drops the ball once in a while.

P.S. This does not mean I am anti-Shimano. They do make some fine products. I just try to remain objective when it comes to brand loyalty. It can be blinding for some people.

Bud reply :

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Hey Risk DEBATE WHAT DEBATE < there is no debate PFLUEGER RULES!!!!!!!

Do they make a reel???????????

guest reply :

Quote

Quote
Hey Risk DEBATE WHAT DEBATE < there is no debate PFLUEGER RULES!!!!!!!

Do they make a reel???????????

fishbear reply :

Ok, now to throw a monkey(no pun intended) in the works.

I love Abu baitcasters, but how do thier spinning reels compare??????? to say the Shimano spirex, sedona, symetre???

OOPS almost forgot Muddy's favorite, the Pflueger President??

HPBB reply :

wondering why Team Daiwa is just kind of sittin quietly on the side..... ?

because those guys are fishing.

not sitting at home

I am a shimano/ Team diawa guy when it comes to BC

Quantum when its spinning

I have tride Abu in the past. and the Revo looks nice, but its one of those thing when you have had bad luck every time you have used one brand you stay away from it always.

-badhabit- reply :

Quote
wondering why Team Daiwa is just kind of sittin quietly on the side..... ?
because those guys are fishing.

not sitting at home

I agree and that's one of the reasons people try to compare Shimano with Diawa. Diawa set the mark that all others are shooting at. No sense of chest beating when you know you have the best.

I have a few Shimanos that sit mostly because I keep my fleet of TD-X 103HSDF reels busy.

and the saga of Ford vs. Chevy continues........................................

castaway reply :

I would like to think I am on the Daiwa bandwagon, but in reality, I like the old TD1 and the Millionaire reels which have been discontinued. :-[ Probably I would have to buy a Luna if I were to buy a new Daiwa, but its probably the old Millionaire with a new name ? :-/ Ivan

flechero reply :

The reel debates are entertaining sometimes but lately they have been going overboard and bordering on ridiculous... All manufacturers make a junk reel now and then, some more than others but they ALL do.

I would go so far as to say most brands have made at least one good model so any brand can be good if you happen to buy a certain reel.

One person's experience is just that, no more, no less. No matter how good a fisherman you are, even if you are a pro angler- your experience doesn't make my reel good or bad.

I'm glad it's almost spring time!

Grey Wolf reply :

apples or oranges , apples or oranges , apples or oranges or oranges and apples.

There are many good reels by shimano , daiwa , pflueger , okuma , penn , garcia .

Enjoy what you have and don't try to shove any particular one down someones throat.

5bass reply :

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Enjoy what you have and don't try to shove any particular one down someones throat.

AMEN TO THAT!!!

guest reply :

Me too AGREED I love this stuff because it is so much fun! ;D ;D ;I think a lot of this is just tounge in cheek stuff on whatever these guys are saying Each suggestion is from experience and i just gotta bgelieve that there is a lot of fooling around going on here

Bluecraw reply :

Quote
apples or oranges , apples or oranges , apples or oranges or oranges and apples.
There are many good reels by shimano , daiwa , pflueger , okuma , penn , garcia .

Enjoy what you have and don't try to shove any particular one down someones throat.

...yeah, if RAMBO can catch fish using the tackle in his knife handle, then we can all catch fish with any brand of reel.

Gatorbassman reply :

I guess you could say I am a Daiwa guy. But they do make some bad reels. I do agree with Raul they do try to push the envelope quite a bit. I bought a couple of Fuegos a few months ago and the tolerances on them was so high that the slightest amount of dust made them squeak. But I haven't been able to find a problem with the Advantage Super Tunes. I now have four of them and am looking for more.

senile1 reply :

I think Flechero said it all. When you're young you buy a certain brand of reel, based on your parents or a friends opinion, or something you're read. If that reel turns out to be a quality reel, you tend to stick with it, unless the next two or three you buy turn out to be lemons. I think all of the brands mentioned make quality reels. I tend to buy mostly Shimanos and Daiwas because they've always served me well and most tests and opinions on these reels are good. Because of this I haven't really given other reel brands a chance to displace these as my favorites.

Bud reply :

I don't care what Rod,Reel,Line or Hook you use. Use what you want to. I know what work for me if it does for you that is great. All of this is tounge in cheek stuff.

If you don't wany to read it just skip over it and go to the next post. It that easy.

dink reply :

Sic 'em, Bud!! ;D ;D ;D

cart7t reply :

[old man voice on] Sonny, many, many years ago when there were only Abu round reels and Daiwa Millionaires, I owned some of both. The Millionaires just didn't hold a candle to the Abu's. They required more maintenance and just didn't operate as nicely as a good 5000, 5000C or a 5500. [/old man voice off]

That said, the Team Daiwa reels have always looked good and I'm sure the Viento's and Fuego's are outstanding reels.

Culprit reply :

I'm a Team Daiwa guy also and I own a TD2HI Tournament,2 TD S & 2 TD2Hi have had them for a long time with no problems

I'm thinking of finally getting some new reels and was thinking about the zillion.

Have any of u guys used it and what do u think,I know it's a bit pricey buy hey u only live once !

Thx for any input.

cbfishalot reply :

Quote

I am a shimano/ Team diawa guy when it comes to BC

Quantum when its spinning.

I agree

I'm mainly a Diawa guy but I do fish some Shimano and Quantum in spinning reels.

roadwarrior reply :

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I don't care what Rod,Reel,Line or Hook you use. Use what you want to. I know what works for me if it does for you that is great. All of this is tounge in cheek stuff.
If you don't want to read it just skip over it and go to the next post. It's that easy.

I've stayed out of this thread just to see what everyone had to say. It all sounds pretty tame to me.

From all the responses, it's obvious that most guys have a "favorite". That's fine. Good for you!

If you have already latched on to a particular brand, you are probably going to stick with it. If you're looking for another manufacturer, there are many to choose from. Do your research and make your decision, it's NOT life threatening!

guest reply :

Team Daiwa's in the house.

Avid here. I own

4 TDz's - two righties two lefties

1 Fuego - leftie

1 Sol - rightie

1 steez spinning

the Tdz's are fabulous reels. Strong, light, and very smooth. They are truly a pleasure to fish with. do Only real problem is the finish wears off too easily.

The fuego is a great reel. still light at only 7.4 not as smooth as the z's but this is my "Workhorse reel" for flipping and other heavy duty situations. No problems, no squeaks, nothing.

the sol, is also a great reel - don't get fooled into thinking it's japanese counter part (scorpion?) is a better deal. The scorpion has a plastic main gear, the sol is steel. I was not happy with the sol at first because there was too much play in the handle.

I learned, probably from Raul or reelmech, that the TDZ handle is a perfect fit for the sol. I swithched over and POOF - beautiful.

And the STeez spinning. Well, right now it's in a class by itself. Does everything the Stella will but a full oncue lighter. I hear there is new Stella coming out soon. Interseting to see how they will try to Daiwa on this front.

Team Daiwa when it comes to reels for me - NO Doubt about it.

PS > When I bought the steez they tried to sell me the steez rod. What a gorgeous, light and magnificiently example of the rodmakers art. I was sooooooooooooo tempted.

but I was good

The_Natural reply :

I guess I am a Team Daiwa man myself, seeing how I own more Daiwas than Shimano's at the moment. Higher end Shimanos are buttery smooth, but the high end Daiwas have the tighest tolerances I've seen on any reel period. Team Daiwa=Refinement.

lubina reply :

I guess I have been lucky....I never have a complain with my TD-Zs... ;D

bassfisher70 reply :

Quote
Hey Risk DEBATE WHAT DEBATE < there is no debate PFLUEGER RULES!!!!!!!

I'm with muddy man, I love my Pfluegers!!!!!

.ghoti. reply :

Culprit, I hear you. I have two TD2HI's that I've had for at least 12 years. They still work just fine, and get regular use. I also have some Millionaire's that get a lot of use. I also have several Energy PT's.

Put me in the Daiwa Gang and tha Quantum Cadre.

Cheers,

mike bat reply :

i am a shimano guy ,,, but i just fell for a diawa zillion .... i feal like im cheating on my wife ... lol the guilt ....lol ... really i love shimanos but i just picked up a zillion and this reel is nutts .... i love this zillion ;D

MitchIsFishin reply :

I've always been a sucker for threads like this, but after 2 less than satisfying experiences with 2 shimanos (both now returned), I was left scratching my head. After doing some research, I decided to try a diawa 100h. Thought I would hate low-profile, but this reel is nearly perfect for me. Went back & bought a Fuego. Hopefully these will hold up well.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

It's 9:55a, I'm waiting for Wildwood Outfitters to open so I can call and see if they carry the new Tierra.

This will go on the rod Flechero built. Report to follow after Fork.

I guess now I'm the mongrel.

I own Penn, Pflueger, Daiwa,Shimano, Fin-nor, Zebco and Martin.

Mongrel Mook

dizzy5868 reply :

What about the quantum PT and pti series in spin and baitcasters. I have four of each and love them. The finish on the pti's are almost indestructable, my E20PTI spinnner is 2 years old and seen alot of use, I wiped it off with a dry rag and looks like the day I bought it, works just as good too. Personally I think Daiwa reels, the good ones anyway, are too expensive compared to other brands. I'm not knocking them, just I think I could spend my money better with a different brand. Just my opinion.

0119 reply :

I wanted to like Quantums PT series but everyone I got, got sloppy after about a year. I grew up on Daiwa and bought TD-S and TD-Z baitcasters when I got back into bass fishing. They all broke within 3 months from a variety of ailments. Abu will never get me again after the Eon debacle. Besides Pure Fishing sponsors Ike and I'll never buy there stuff again. I'm anal about my reels and on other boards sold lots of reels that were so clean every buyer thought they were unused. They get tender loving care. I'll never buy anything that doesnt say Shimano.

roadwarrior reply :

Whiskey for my men, and beer for the horses!

http://www.corinnemec.com/beerformyhorses_lyrics.htm

gtbehary reply :

For spinning, I prefer the vintage Shakespeare ultra lights (maybe because I am vintage myself). I just got into baitcasting and purchased a couple Shimano Cardiffs. I like the looks of the round reels.

bassdocktor reply :

There are enough people on here that use Quantum but very few have really said anything. I've got 3 quantums and just added three more. However, this is addition to my old Curados. I really haven't found anything I like yet by Shimano since they discontinued the green Curado that I want to spend the money on. The Quantum Energies are keep looking better and better.

bassdocktor

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