Quantum Tour/Smoke S3 PT baitcaster. Users?

[PhishLI]

Hello all,

 

I ordered a pack of reel covers for my baitcasters last week. They came today! Turns out I have one extra. What does this mean? I need a new reel! ? Any reason is a good excuse, eh? If I'v'e been a good boy I'll be festooned with fishin gift certificates come X-mas morning. Can't take it with me, so I might as well...

 

Currently, I have a good split of Daiwa and Shimano. Chronarchs, Curados, SVees and a few Fuegos. The only oddball is a Flooger Patricarch XT from about '13. Went for 2fiddy back then! Equivent to, or close to, an ABU of the day? It's actually fantastic. A great trouble free long casting reel. Picked it up NOS at firesale $, so even sweeter. It's on a Mojo crankbait rod where it shall remain. Anyway, I'd like to try something new. Something other than Shimaiwa, Lew's, or Abu.

 

I've been frogging with a Fuego 8 speed. I'm looking to add another frog setup so I can keep a popping frog on one rod and a standard frog on the other. A few lakes I fish have vast pad fields when they're ripe. Some of those fields are in deep coves. The action has typically come on really long casts to the backs of those coves, so I'm looking for a bonafide long caster.

 

The vids on the Quantum site by the marketing staff suggest that the S3s were built specifically as a long casters. Oversize spool, zero friction pinion, Lapis Lazuli tension washers, yada. The ACS 4.0 makes sense. Who doesn't like external tweaking?

 

The new reel will land on a 7'4-7'6" MHXF froggin stick, so no llght weights will be chucked. Primarily 3/4 ounce and up. I'm curious if actual users have any real world feedback to share within a similar application. Also, if the S3s have other noteworthy capabilities on different power rods with different lure weights and you've got stories, I'd be grateful to hear about those too! The good and the bad. I've read the fluff TT review. Whatever. I held it at the Suffern show in March. Felt fine. I'm hoping for specifics, and vs. "X" other reels is good if you'd like to go there. If you think I'd be miserable in comparison to what I have, please, kick it to me straight!

 

Happy Holidays to everyone!

 

 

 

 

[crimsontwister]

I own one and yes, it will cast a country mile.

 

[DomQ]

My smoke s3 casts pretty well, further then my curado k. It doesnt have the fancy tension knob washer though. The brakes are fine but not my favourite. The feel of the reel is the biggest selling point in my opinion. Just feel right to me.

[PhishLI]

11 hours ago, DomQ said:

My smoke s3 casts pretty well, further then my curado k. It doesnt have the fancy tension knob washer though. The brakes are fine but not my favourite. The feel of the reel is the biggest selling point in my opinion. Just feel right to me.

Thanks for the reply, Dom.

 

Pretty cool that you find it casts farther than your K. The K is very good in that department, especially with heavier weights.

 

Would you care to elaborate further regarding your reservations about the S3's brakes? 

 

Is it hard to find a middle ground between the internal settings and the external dial?

 

Does one click send it off a cliff on the lower end settings and restrict braking too much just a click or two higher than that? Basically, is there a narrow adjustment window between an out of control spool and an overbraked spool? Is the braking system touchy?

 

I'm interested in what makes the braking system not your favorite, if you can put a finger on it.

 

Thanks again!

[DomQ]

8 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Thanks for the reply, Dom.

 

Pretty cool that you find it casts farther than your K. The K is very good in that department, especially with heavier weights.

 

Would you care to elaborate further regarding your reservations about the S3's brakes? 

 

Is it hard to find a middle ground between the internal settings and the external dial?

 

Does one click send it off a cliff on the lower end settings and restrict braking too much just a click or two higher than that? Basically, is there a narrow adjustment window between an out of control spool and an overbraked spool? Is the braking system touchy?

 

I'm interested in what makes the braking system not your favorite, if you can put a finger on it.

 

Thanks again!

So I find that through out the smoke line that quantum has made ( 3 generations) they have all excelled at throwing lures from 1/2oz and up with hardly any issue, but as soon as you start to creep into the lower range of the lure weights setting up the brakes become required more. The distance is there but you just have to really be paying attention to what you are throwing. It isn't hard to find the spot, it's just you'll be doing it frequently for max results. I loved the brakes from the last energy and accurist line. It's a shame they moved away from that. 

[Dens228]

I have the S3 on my frogging rod too.  It is my longest casting reel and is smooth.  I also agree that with lighter lures it can be a bit of work to set it up.  I tried one on my weightless plastics rod, mainly for casting ability but it's a bit finicky for that.  Now that second one is on my jig rod.