Shimano Bantam

[whitwolf]

If any of you have used this reel please give some thoughts. I'm  looking seriously  at these and gathering as much information as I can before I pull the trigger.  

 

Thanks in advance!

[FishTank]

Great reel,  no issues on my end.   Think a round reel like the Calcutta in a low profile.  I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. 

[JustJames]

I like mine enough feel very solid, smooth, and cast very well. It is a tad heavy though. I use mine for Texas rig, jig and chatterbait. On the other hand Metanium should feel the same but a lot lighter. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Before you pull the trigger, PM me. I have a few that I am going to list soon. You won't find one cheaper (I have been watching the auction site).

[SproDD79]

Great reel, well built, super smooth, excels at throwing heavier baits down to a 1/4oz with no issues, if you're going under  a 1/4oz ,it may not be the best fit. 

[CrashVector]

40 minutes ago, SproDD79 said:

Great reel, well built, super smooth, excels at throwing heaver baits down to a 1/4oz with no issues, if you're going under  a 1/4oz ,it may not be the best fit. 

I second this.

[softwateronly]

I'm a big fan of the Bantam and Metanium.  I like that the Bantam is heavier, it's my favorite reel for longer "heavier" rods to keep balance near perfect.  Both reels are rock solid and seem to help rod sensitivity to me.  I think the Met casts a little further.  JDM sites have allowed me to practically double the amount of these reels that I can afford.

 

scott

[Jmurphy87]

I have 1 bantam, it's probably one of my favorite reels. No issues with it and it works great. 

[NavyToad]

My 20 year old Bantam works as well as most $150-200 reels today. It’s a great reel.

[Captain Phil]

The Shimano Chronarch Bantam 100 was one of the best bass reels ever created.  I own a bunch of them and they all still work like new.  Until recently when I purchased a new Chronarch MGL, that's all I used.  If you can snag a decent one for less than $100, grab it. They are light, strong and smooth as silk.  Getting hard to find in good condition.  The Bantam 100 was a 7/1 reel, somewhat fast for spinerbait fishing. I prefer a 5/1 Calcutta for that.

[Chris Catignani]

Good as gold.

[Dwight Hottle]

Brad if your asking about the Bantam MGL I have six of them & think they are absolutely great. The engineering that went into them is about flawless. 

[GReb]

Built like a tank. Smooth but heavy. Casts and pitches well but nothing special. Just does everything you need it to. Depends on your palm the spool side place can cause pain after a while. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Heavy? That must be a individual thing. 7.1 oz is far from heavy in my mind. IMO they balance most rods better than a lot of reels.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The weight and rigid frame of the Bantam is what makes it so smooth. They are rock solid. 

[T2DM]

2 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Heavy? That must be a individual thing. 7.1 oz is far from heavy in my mind. IMO they balance most rods better than a lot of reels.

I agree ^^^!

[GReb]

2 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Heavy? That must be a individual thing. 7.1 oz is far from heavy in my mind. IMO they balance most rods better than a lot of reels.

Mine both weighed 7.8 oz. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Just now, GReb said:

Mine both weighed 7.8 oz. 

I didn't weigh mine. Shimano lists them as 7.1. The day .7 oz becomes an issue will be the day I just quit fishing. 

[GReb]

15 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

I didn't weigh mine. Shimano lists them as 7.1. The day .7 oz becomes an issue will be the day I just quit fishing. 

Shimano has the XG listed at 7.9oz. It’s the heaviest 150 size reel on the market to my knowledge. It has to be mentioned when reviewing whether it makes a difference or not on the water.  Especially since the JDM Met is typically only $40 more, weighs 6.3oz, smoother, and casts much better in my opinion.  But at the same time I know others who prefer the Bantam

 

[jbsoonerfan]

6 minutes ago, GReb said:

Shimano has the XG listed at 7.9oz. It’s the heaviest 150 size reel on the market to my knowledge. It has to be mentioned when reviewing whether it makes a difference or not on the water.  Especially since the JDM Met is typically only $40 more, weighs 6.3oz, smoother, and casts much better in my opinion.  But at the same time I know others who prefer the Bantam

 

My fault, I got the weight wrong. That being said, the day .4, .6 or .8 oz has an impact on my fishing, I will hang it up. I do a LOT of 12 oz curls, so those weights don't really mean much to me.  

[KP Duty]

On 11/20/2021 at 6:07 AM, softwateronly said:

 JDM sites have allowed me to practically double the amount of these reels that I can afford.

Yes sir.  I do not buy reels from Japan because of the exchange rate; it is because they price them cheaper.  I guess japan doesnt enforce product msrp's like in the U.S.  

[mrpao]

Shimano has a tendency to under weight their reels. My bantams with line will weigh around 8.1 to 8.2 oz. My Metaniums with line weight around 6.7 to 6.8 ozs. Not be big deal, but if you're trying to balance out certain rods, it can make a difference.

On another note. The both are great reels as already stated. Smooth and solid feeling.