Bates Hundo Casting Reel Review

[ghost]

Checked out the Hundo on the water today. I was fishing, not fishing, or more like trying different lures with the Hundo to get a feel for the reel..

 

Firstly, it's a small reel. I'm not sure, I'll have to put it next to my Shimano Curado 51E; but I think they are similar in same size. In other words, the Hundo is a small compact casting reel that's not BFS intended.

 

I bought the 7.1 gear ratio, spooled with 30 lb, 8 lb diameter Power Pro SuperSlick 8. I do have mono backing.

 

Still not a fan of the handles grips. They are tacky, no worries if your fingers slip off the grips. I'll give Bates a thumbs up👍 on that one. I would like to try and slip on a pair of Reel Grips, give the grips more girth to hold with my fingers. The drag clicker sounds good and has a bit of feel through the reel. The tension knob, the clicker sound is not all that audible and a bit hard to feel when it clicks for tension. Not too happy bout this. I almost have to put the reel to my ear to hear the clicks. The star drag feels good and clicks are audible. The brake dial on the palm side plate has a slight click but the dial turns fairly easy but not feel like it will turn when you're making a cast. The brake dial is under back of the palm side plate. No worries of accidentally turning it when casting. I've done that with my Daiwa CT, when doing a side cast. I'd hit the dial and set the brake to something lower and make a mess out of the line. You don't have to dig a fingernail to turn the brake dial like on some Shimano reels with SVS braking. I have found setting my Hundo on 4 or 5, I get good long casts without line slop. I did get a slight birds nest when I casted a 3/8oz crankbait into the wind, my fault not the reels. Once I had certain lures dialed in, the Hundo casted like a dream. Holding the Hundo you do know it's a low profile reel, easy to palm. Tolerances on this reel are top notch. Nothing I could feel felt wonky, and reels very smoothly. I think my Shimano Metanium MGL 151B has competition in the smoothness department. 

 

Lures I tried. 3/4oz and 1oz glide baits, 3/8oz and 3/4oz crankbaits, 5/8oz jerkbait, 1/2oz MB Dark Sleeper and 3.5" Deps Cover Scat. The Hundo casted all these lures a good distance with the Cover Scat getting bombed. I'll have no problems making longs casts when I need to.

 

Would I pay $375.00 retail for the Hundo? Probably not. Glad TW has a 20% sale going on and that right there made the Hundo easier to buy. Why I say this is, Bates is a new reel company to me. The Hundo is sort of unproven especially longevity. So going in buying this reel, sight unseen or more properly not previously held and personally inspected, just did not want to go full retail. Still it's an expensive reel for anyone, especially me. But a casting reel that weighs 5oz and has a drag clicker amd tight tolerances, don't know any other reels that has those and under $400. It's crazy for me to comprehend that the Metanium MGL 151B is 6.3oz and costs $450. The Hundo is 1.3oz lighter and $75 cheaper. And the Hundo does feel smaller especially palming the reel than the Metanium. 

 

Only time will tell If the Hundo will last. But in the long run, I think it will hold its value, only time will tell...

 

 

[JediAmoeba]

Nice review. That price tag is what gets me. My limit is usually in the 200-250 range.

[FrnkNsteen]

When you say it is small, is it because it sits low and is narrow? It looks long in the pictures, but I'm guessing it is relative to it being low and narrow.

 

I get the same feeling from my Daiwa Alphas, it feels small and palms nice, but is actually as long as other reels which makes it look long.

 

[JediAmoeba]

1 hour ago, FrnkNsteen said:

When you say it is small, is it because it sits low and is narrow? It looks long in the pictures, but I'm guessing it is relative to it being low and narrow.

 

I get the same feeling from my Daiwa Alphas, it feels small and palms nice, but is actually as long as other reels which makes it look long.

 

Alphas, especially the new ones are long because of the T-Wing. That mechanism forces the reel to be a bit longer 

[ghost]

Hundo reel comparisons from top and side views with 3 of my smallest reels.

 

Shimano Metaniums MGL 151B

 

Shimano Curado 51E

 

Daiwa Tatula SV TW 70HL

[garroyo130]

Terrible comparison picture to post. I can't stop looking at the hot friend ...

 

2 minutes ago, ghost said:

 

 

[Big Hands]

I like to put my hands on new/expensive gear at my LTS just to see and feel them for myself. Sometimes, I am relatively quick to set them back down. Sometimes that's because I immediately don't care for something about it. And sometimes, it's because it feels so good that I know it could ruin me for feeling OK about the gear I have.

 

For example, I got the latter feeling when handling a Loomis NRX+ spinning rod.

 

I also got that feeling when handling a Bates casting reel.

 

I have some formulas I employ when making decisions about some things, and fishing reels are one such category. I think about criteria that are important to me such as:

• Weight
• Durability
• Performance
• Versatility
• Relevance
• Price 

 

Being that I am generally of the early majority type of consumer at best (sometimes late majority), and not usually an early adopter (for example, I have never stood in line to buy something, like an iPhone, when it is first released), I will be keeping an eye on the Bates reels before plunking down $300 to $400 for one (if I ever decide to spend that much on a fishing reel).

 

Breaking it down, I currently view the Bates Hundo like this:

 

• Weight
  • There is no doubt that the Hundo scores very highly in this category. My biggest curiosity being if the weight was saved at the expense of durability, performance, or versatility, and to what degree.
• Durability
  • This is the biggest unknown for the Hundo. There is no substitute for it getting time tested by the masses to see how it holds up to all the different users and conditions that just don't always get accounted for in a lab or small sample sizes.
• Performance
  • I have heard a lot of high praise for the Hundo so far, and maybe a smattering of issues (which is not unusual for even the most highly regarded reels).
• Versatility
  • Some reels have a relatively narrow range of performance and durability where they excel, and it drops off quickly the farther you stray from their sweet spot. The claims I have read about the Hundo are that it has a relatively wide range where it performs really well. 
    
    This may be a pro, and it may be a con, depending on an individual's needs. (For the sake of discussion, I will assume that the Hundo would be paired with a rod in the same general price category; I'll go with $350 here). For example, if I was a Kayak fisherman, the more versatile a combo is, that can cut down on the number of rods I need to carry in the limited storage capacity that kayaks offer. OTOH, if I am wanting to switch back and forth between a jig and a 7" Texas rig worm, and don't have storage constraints, having two combos that I spent a total of $375 on for both rod and reel, might be more advantageous. 
• Specialty
  • This is the other side of the versatility coin. If there is a certain type of fishing that I spend a lot of time doing, it could be worth investing more than for something I don't spend a lot of time doing. If the Hundo is as versatile (at a high level) as it is said to be, it might be a worthwhile purchase for some. Of course many if not most reels are advertised to be great for a wide variety of uses, so I would be my normal non early adopter self and take the wait and see approach when the price tag is $400. On a sub-$100 reel, I might be inclined to take a flyer. I'm not so inclined to take a flyer on a $400 reel, but that's just me and YMMV.
• Relevance
  • Do I even care that I have a reel that offers what is being sold? Until I have a better idea of what the Hundo actually is, I have no way of knowing.
• Price
  • This matters more to some than to others and is merely a personal preference for some with substantial discretionary funds, to being a very hard constraint for others with more limited resources. 

Thanks for posting your impressions, and I look forward to you checking in to report on your adventures with the Hundo as it (and other offerings from bates) is something I will be keeping an eye on.

[FrnkNsteen]

39 minutes ago, ghost said:

Hundo reel comparisons from top and side views with 3 of my smallest reels.

 

Shimano Metaniums MGL 151B

 

Shimano Curado 51E

 

Daiwa Tatula SV TW 70HL

Thanks @ghost!! Smaller in all directions.

 

Most helpful is the Tat70 comparisons. My wife loves that reel due to the smaller size! Looks like this beats that by a good bit!

[GetFishorDieTryin]

3 hours ago, FrnkNsteen said:

Thanks @ghost!! Smaller in all directions.

 

Most helpful is the Tat70 comparisons. My wife loves that reel due to the smaller size! Looks like this beats that by a good bit!

The picture doesn't do it justice.  It's smaller than it looks.  When I got to fondle one the Tatula 70 was right next to it.  So naturally I compared the 2 in hand.  Width, height and weight are clear just looking at them, but in hand the difference was substantial.  The larger Bates reels have been gaining popularity for inshore wading in the south and have held up really well so far in a tough environment.  The Hundo could be different, but what's clear is Bates knows to design a reel that will last.  

[ghost]

Hundo reel comparison to Kastking Kestrel Elite BFS reel.

 

Hundo with line 5 1/4oz. Kestrel Elite BFS with line 4 7/8oz.

 

The Kestrel Elite BFS in frame size was smallest baitcast reel, now the Hundo is now my smallest casting reel. Granted they are made for 2 different applications,  but the Hundo just amazes me how small it is and the weight differences from both reels is roughly a 1/2oz. The Kestrel is magnesium frame and the Hundo is bar stock CNC'd aluminum. 

[Big Hands]

52 minutes ago, ghost said:

Hundo reel comparison to Kastking Kestrel Elite BFS reel.

 

Hundo with line 5 1/4oz. Kestrel Elite BFS with line 4 7/8oz.

 

The Kestrel Elite BFS in frame size was smallest baitcast reel, now the Hundo is now my smallest casting reel. Granted they are made for 2 different applications,  but the Hundo just amazes me how small it is and the weight differences from both reels is roughly a 1/2oz. The Kestrel is magnesium frame and the Hundo is bar stock CNC'd aluminum. 

 

Wow, the Kestrel Elite BFS is already tiny. I was mauling one at the shop last week. And, it is pretty light weight. Can you feel a weight difference between the Kestrel and the Hundo?

[ghost]

Weight differences, very slightly in feel. I was shocked that the Hundo is actually a smaller reel. I think the weight differences might be due to the different braking systems of both reels. Or, I did switch out the handle on the Kestrel Elite with a carbon handle with EVA grips. So that might have dropped the weight of the Kestrel Elite. 

 

It's almost like comparing 1 feather to 2 feathers, that's how light and low profile both reels are.  

[BensBaits]

Thank you @ghost I have been mulling over getting this reel for awhile now. Mainly for inshore applications down in Florida. As you can imagine I can only bring so much with my carry ons so I have been trying to find a nice durable reel for both Wade fishing in the salt and dodging gators on the bank for bass. Both consists of long days so a light reel like this sounds very nice, I also love clicking drag. My main concern is durability obviously but only time will tell of course, But also if it can throw light lures (1/8th) for reds and trout as well as jigs for bass.  After this review it is definitely higher on my board just need to find a nice discount one. Thanks again for the fantastic review!