Thread: JDM reels relating to panfish

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Where a JDM “Made in Japan” reel really shines is in smoothness and long term reliability. I have owned the bottom of the Pflueger reels all the way up to the Patriarch. The low end Shimano up through the Stradic. Fishing 3-5 days a week 365 a year they did not hold up. When I got into JDM reels I gave them all away. I could be wrong but after you fish the Exist I don’t think you will want to go back to a Pflueger.....but as I said I may be wrong. I have 2 nephews that bought Luvias and Certate and their Stradic Ci4’s are now up in the closet. I have put off purchasing an Exist because I know once I step up to that reel I will not want to fish my Certate and Luvias models. This is the problem with buying JDM gear.....when you step up to that next level of gear you don’t want to go back down.....LOL. I was warned about this by several people before I ever got into this....I did not believe them. Well they were correct. But I know I can’t but a half dozen Exist reels so I guess just 1...maybe 2 will have to do.....LOL. I’m really anxious to hear how the Exist fishes for you. Why the USA market does not sell shallow spool reels for UL angling is beyond me.

Regards

I am very conflicted in many ways concerning just how far down this JDM Rabbit hole I want to venture.
In no way will I say that the cheaper Pflueger reels are of an equal quality to a top of the line Diawa reel but I will say that for what those reels cost they are very well made, are very smooth and for that money level probably some of the best on the market.

Also I do not fish with anywhere near the frequency that you fish as I generally fish maybe 6-7 times a month from mid March until early November so perhaps that as well has a bearing on the cheaper gear lasting well for me.

I would like to try to get out a little more often this year.

I do like sampling some of this better gear for sure but my mindset has always been to buy gear that in ways fishes above its price point as compared to the overall market and gives good to great value for the dollars spent.
I have not totally convinced myself yet that I want to abandon that philosophy and although I may well pursue more JDM options that same mindset may well be in play even on the JDM gear.

There is always a point that the improvement increases reach a minimal level as compared to the amount of additional dollars spent. I always try to stay on the plus side of the value to dollars spent.

I would tend to make a guess that the lack of shallow spool options in the American market probably has more than a little to do with Americans in general having a mindset that more is better attitude.

Seems that so many seem to approach it as that even a 2-3 lb fish is going to pull 80 yards off the spool against the drag or even they are going to cast a 1/4 ounce lure 80 yards so they need to be able to spool up 200 yards of line to have some in reserve!

I am looking forward to giving that Exist a try and I am hoping I like it but at the same time I am hoping that it will have a place in my arsenal it will not make it to the point I will not want to use any of my other reels. My plans is to use the Exist in a manner that when I want to use a small ultra light reel with very light lures and want to get maximum casting distance is to take advantage of the shallow wide spool.

I will be the first to admit that the Exist is really above my pay grade and realistically the Luvias is probably going to be my "top end" level normally when buying the shallow spool JDM versions of a reel.

But again it is nice that we have so many levels of gear at such a varied price ranges that all work well so those of all budgets can enjoy getting out to fish!

I'm not far off pushing the button on a small format shallow spool JDM spinning reel - I've got only Shimano spinners at present but a recent session with smallies on 3lb reminded me about how useful back reeling can be. I was using a 2010 Stella C2000HG so I was able to switch off the AR but the newer Shimanos don't have it. Consequently I've been looking at the Daiwas and the JDM Steez spinning reel seems like a solid option. No Magseal (good news as hard to get it serviced locally), with AR and designed for light FC and minimum turning resistance, it seems to be an ideal candidate and not off the charts expensive.

The more I fish UL jigs/ grubs, the more critical it seems to have a super low inertia reel to maximise sensitivity. Even the old Stella is nothing like as smooth as the bigger '17 2500 Vanquish and '18 C5k Stella I've been using so hence the 'need' for the next reel. Since 2010 I haven't seen any reason to upgrade spinning reels but the work done by both Daiwa and Shimano to reduce inertia and increase smoothness in the '17/'18 reels is a real improvement.

Originally Posted by vfourmax

I am very conflicted in many ways concerning just how far down this JDM Rabbit hole I want to venture.
In no way will I say that the cheaper Pflueger reels are of an equal quality to a top of the line Diawa reel but I will say that for what those reels cost they are very well made, are very smooth and for that money level probably some of the best on the market.

Also I do not fish with anywhere near the frequency that you fish as I generally fish maybe 6-7 times a month from mid March until early November so perhaps that as well has a bearing on the cheaper gear lasting well for me.

I would like to try to get out a little more often this year.

I do like sampling some of this better gear for sure but my mindset has always been to buy gear that in ways fishes above its price point as compared to the overall market and gives good to great value for the dollars spent.
I have not totally convinced myself yet that I want to abandon that philosophy and although I may well pursue more JDM options that same mindset may well be in play even on the JDM gear.

There is always a point that the improvement increases reach a minimal level as compared to the amount of additional dollars spent. I always try to stay on the plus side of the value to dollars spent.

I would tend to make a guess that the lack of shallow spool options in the American market probably has more than a little to do with Americans in general having a mindset that more is better attitude.

Seems that so many seem to approach it as that even a 2-3 lb fish is going to pull 80 yards off the spool against the drag or even they are going to cast a 1/4 ounce lure 80 yards so they need to be able to spool up 200 yards of line to have some in reserve!

I am looking forward to giving that Exist a try and I am hoping I like it but at the same time I am hoping that it will have a place in my arsenal it will not make it to the point I will not want to use any of my other reels. My plans is to use the Exist in a manner that when I want to use a small ultra light reel with very light lures and want to get maximum casting distance is to take advantage of the shallow wide spool.

I will be the first to admit that the Exist is really above my pay grade and realistically the Luvias is probably going to be my "top end" level normally when buying the shallow spool JDM versions of a reel.

But again it is nice that we have so many levels of gear at such a varied price ranges that all work well so those of all budgets can enjoy getting out to fish!

I am of the same mindset. I will get an Exist just to see what it is like.....but it may be the only one I purchase. I saw a big improvement between the 2012 and 2015 Luvias. I have a 2013 Certate and I have to say I don’t really find it to be better than the 2015 Luvias....as a matter of fact the 2015 Luvias is better than the 2013 Certate IMHO. My nephew has the 2016 Certate and I have to say it is better than the 2013 Certate but not sure it will fish better than the 2015 Luvias reels I have super tuned...at least as far as they can be super tuned. I am in the same conundrum with the JDM rods. I don’t want to spend more if it does not fish better. I spent 450 bucks on a Tict Ice Cube Rockin Drift and I have to say it is in a league of its own.....it is no longer made. Through research and some conversations with Allsorts and others I decided to try a rod made by Olympic Graphiteleader.....a 2018 Corto. I have several high end Ajing rods but will it fish better than what I already own?? As a matter of fact the other Ajing rods I own are much more expensive than the Corto coming that will be here Monday. So either the 2018 Corto is a bargain of a lifetime or I have missed something in my research that would have told me it is not. I will find out Monday. I must admit...I have become a tackle enthusiast and I never intended to do that.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Alphahawk, Do you know of an inexpensive JDM or USDM ultralight, shallow-spool reel? I just haven't seen an inexpensive shallow-spool UL reel anywhere.

I'm happy with my $80 Daiwa EXCELER LT 1000 but it has a deep spool. Part of the reason I don't want to spring for a high-end reel is that, fishing in a float-tube, my reels sometimes get dunked. I just don't want to do that to a high-end reel. Thanks.

I don’t know of any in the US market......but I don’t check out the US market too much. On Digitaka you can get a Shimano Sahara 1000 or Shimano Nasci 1000 series that is between $76 and $87. Don’t know of any Daiwa that cheap that I would recommend.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Originally Posted by Moses Nebo

Alphahawk, Do you know of an inexpensive JDM or USDM ultralight, shallow-spool reel? I just haven't seen an inexpensive shallow-spool UL reel anywhere.

I'm happy with my $80 Daiwa EXCELER LT 1000 but it has a deep spool. Part of the reason I don't want to spring for a high-end reel is that, fishing in a float-tube, my reels sometimes get dunked. I just don't want to do that to a high-end reel. Thanks.

On second thought forget those recommendations. Dunking a low end Shimano is subject to cause it to bind up. Let me hunt for a Daiwa.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I have been extremely pleased with the Daiwa 15 Revros. They are a shallow spool JDM reel made in Vietnam. I have several of the 1003 model and just got in a 2004H this week. I get them from a shop in Korea that's on Ebay. The 1003 is $37.10 and the 2004H is $37.80. Shipping is $5.00 and takes about 7-10 days.
I have been tuning them with carbon fiber discs and a bail bearing set, also from vendors on Ebay. I like the carbon fiber discs, but really can't tell too much difference w/ the new bearing kit. Still have about $50 in the reels.

Originally Posted by slowhand

I have been extremely pleased with the Daiwa 15 Revros. They are a shallow spool JDM reel made in Vietnam. I have several of the 1003 model and just got in a 2004H this week. I get them from a shop in Korea that's on Ebay. The 1003 is $37.10 and the 2004H is $37.80. Shipping is $5.00 and takes about 7-10 days.
I have been tuning them with carbon fiber discs and a bail bearing set, also from vendors on Ebay. I like the carbon fiber discs, but really can't tell too much difference w/ the new bearing kit. Still have about $50 in the reels.

I checked this out and for the money they are selling for went ahead and ordered one just to check it out.

It list a lot of the features of its more expensive brothers like the air rotor, hollow structure bail, digi gear 2 ,aluminum spool with a large diameter inversely tapered winding surface. I am interested to see if this shallow spool reel can compare to a pflueger president for feel and smoothness and longevity to offer a really budget option for the shallow spool option.