Reels under 6.0 oz

[Kevinator1]

Hey guys.....I just want everyone else's feedback on what they think of reels around 6 oz or under.  I've worked on and cast many times reels like the Daiwa Steez, Revo MGX and Lew's Tournament Lite Baitcasters and just don't like the feel of these reels....to me, just my opinion, they feel cheap....we all know there are not, but they just don't feel refined....i know the magnesium frames are expensive but the light weight just doesn't have that strong mechanical feel. Sure, they cast a mile but i need that feel when i'm retrieving a lure. I know during a long fishing day that lighter will make it easier to cast all day but i have to use reels no lighter that 6.5oz and up to 8.0 oz. What is your opinion? 

[Goose52]

I just got home from fishing a 2015 Aldebaran - it doesn't feel cheap to me - it feels light (4.7 ounces). The reel is tight, smooth, a great caster, all the qualities you would want in a reel, and it's light as well - what's not to like.  OTOH, I also fish reels that weigh nearly 10 ounces -  that I enjoy just as well. They're all different tools in the tool box.

I think the concept of light weight = longer fishing endurance is overblown - especially when you're only talking an ounce or two. For me, the advantage of a light weight reel manifests itself when used with a light rod for bottom contact. Could just be me, but I sense that I'm getting more feedback to my hand with a lighter combo than a heavier one (all else being equal). My Aldebaran is on an NRX 852C - total combo weight is under 9 ounces with line - sorta feels like you're holding a toothpick, thus making any taps on the line just that much more noticeable.

At the end of the day, fish what you like - gear that gives you not only the needed performance for the intended use, but also the aesthetic and sensory pleasure as well...

 

[crypt]

my revo MGX is used mainly for light worm fishing ,love it for the feel. but on the other hand I prefer reels with a little more heft. like my 4600 c3-c4s. 

[kickerfish1]

I am with Goose on this. I like the light stuff for two things. Bottom contact to amplify the feel of what is going on with the business end of the line and also for working cumbersome baits like a jerkbait or topwater bait aggressively for extended periods of time.

I will say that a 5.5 ounce Core feels more solid in hand to a Steez 100h. The heaviest LP reel I own is a Citica 200DSV for big resistance baits. Most of my reels are around 6 ounces to just under 7 ounces.

[new2BC4bass]

My PXL Type R, Primmus Xi HS and Helios Air are all under 6 oz. and are favorites of mine.  My Alphas ito Ai and Airy Red Pixy are also under 6 oz.  I think I understand how you feel.  The ito is as smooth as snot on glass.  I only had the Pixy out once, and used a 1/8 oz. crankbait.  Felt like I was winding line on.  Hard to feel any "geariness" with such little resistance.  (Yeah, I know,  No such word.   ) I feel the opposite of you, tho, as I think this is because they are so refined and smooth.  The Primmus falls in that category as well.  The Helios Air has more of a "gear" feel.

That kind of smoothness can leave you feeling disconnected from the lure....but that is what the rod is for.  I keep a Procaster 100HN on a 6' Lightening rod dedicated for spinnerbaits.....usually with a 1/2 oz. lure on.  Not only does the rod tip vibrate, but the reel jumps in my hand as well.  A little too much "feel".  

Love my Zillion 50th.  My old Trion is a casting machine.  Neither are light, but I feel like Goose.....the difference in reel weight does not bother me in a day of fishing.  The weight difference between the Zillion and Helios Air is almost 3 oz.  What can tire me out is reeling lures such as a spinnerbait with Colorado blades for awhile (or large blades of any type).  Especially if ticking through the top of weed beds.  This is why a person needs both LH and RH reels.  

I enjoy the feel of my Zillions more than the T3s because of the extensive use of Zaion carbon material in the T3s,  I also think the traditional style of the older Zillion looks better than the T3, but I also happen to like how the cover on the T3 works and think the MagForce 3D braking system is fantastic.  Mechanical feel is far down on the totem pole in what I look for in a reel.

[FrankN209]

I know what you're saying. My Steez doesn't feel as refined like my Metanium. But like Goose said already, you can really feel the bottom when paired with a lite rod. 

[WdyCrankbait]

I have a Lew's Tournament Lite and Quantum EXO and can kind of understand what you're saying.  The with the different materials on the Lew's side plate compared to an Aluminum sideplated reel, yeah I agree.  But, my Lew's and EXO have done well for me.  So, IMO I think it is a feel thing and confidence thing vs. actually how the reel will last, or perform.

[trick worms]

I have a jm carbonlite(5.9 ounces) which is a solid reel with 14 pounds of drag 

[DenhamBruce]

Reel weight is very overrated imo. What matters is how balanced the rod is with said reel that determines how tired your arm is after a day of fishing. I'll take an aluminum 7+oz reel over something under 6oz made out of plastic and graphite any day.

[new2BC4bass]

40 minutes ago, DenhamBruce said:

Reel weight is very overrated imo. What matters is how balanced the rod is with said reel that determines how tired your arm is after a day of fishing. I'll take an aluminum 7+oz reel over something under 6oz made out of plastic and graphite any day.

So would I, but being 6 oz. and under doesn't necessarily mean it is made out of plastic and graphite.

[Raul]

8 hours ago, Kevinator1 said:

Hey guys.....I just want everyone else's feedback on what they think of reels around 6 oz or under.  I've worked on and cast many times reels like the Daiwa Steez, Revo MGX and Lew's Tournament Lite Baitcasters and just don't like the feel of these reels....to me, just my opinion, they feel cheap....we all know there are not, but they just don't feel refined....i know the magnesium frames are expensive but the light weight just doesn't have that strong mechanical feel. Sure, they cast a mile but i need that feel when i'm retrieving a lure. I know during a long fishing day that lighter will make it easier to cast all day but i have to use reels no lighter that 6.5oz and up to 8.0 oz. What is your opinion? 

WHUT ? 

1 hour ago, DenhamBruce said:

Reel weight is very overrated imo. What matters is how balanced the rod is with said reel that determines how tired your arm is after a day of fishing. I'll take an aluminum 7+oz reel over something under 6oz made out of plastic and graphite any day.

WHUT ?!? 

[DenhamBruce]

7 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

So would I, but being 6 oz. and under doesn't necessarily mean it is made out of plastic and graphite.

Don't get me wrong I've got some magnesium reels that weigh under 6 oz but in a lot of cases these reels are made out of "carbon" which is basically souped up plastic. The reels that are light AND work like tanks often require a decent price tag to purchase.

[roadwarrior]

19 hours ago, Goose52 said:

I just got home from fishing a 2015 Aldebaran - it doesn't feel cheap to me - it feels light (4.7 ounces). The reel is tight, smooth, a great caster, all the qualities you would want in a reel, and it's light as well - what's not to like.  OTOH, I also fish reels that weigh nearly 10 ounces -  that I enjoy just as well. They're all different tools in the tool box.

I think the concept of light weight = longer fishing endurance is overblown - especially when you're only talking an ounce or two. For me, the advantage of a light weight reel manifests itself when used with a light rod for bottom contact. Could just be me, but I sense that I'm getting more feedback to my hand with a lighter combo than a heavier one (all else being equal). My Aldebaran is on an NRX 852C - total combo weight is under 9 ounces with line - sorta feels like you're holding a toothpick, thus making any taps on the line just that much more noticeable.

At the end of the day, fish what you like - gear that gives you not only the needed performance for the intended use, but also the aesthetic and sensory pleasure as well...

 

Aldebaran on a Rainshadow Immortal, Core 50Mg saddled to a G.Loomis GLX MBR842C, Okuma Helios on a Helios rod and my latest acquisition, Diawa Alpha waiting for a custom Rainshadow Eternity being built by ghoti.

 

 

[DaveT63]

I don't have an issue with the Daiwa Steez or the Shimano Core, and my PX68L is probably my favorite reel.  All are lightweight but feel like very solid reels to me.  OTOH, I have a Daiwa Alphas SV 105L I bought because I love my little purple Alphas so much.  The newer SV 105L is lighter, but doesn't feel nearly as substantial as any other reel I have ever fished.  It just doesn't feel right.  It's a good reel, but I would trade it for a nice Airy Red left-handed Pixy in a heartbeat.