What was or is your favorite baitcating reel?

[new2BC4bass]

11 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

The TD Sol is the USM Alphas 103.  Primary differences aside from color, Sol uses brass gears and also uses a brass gear on the level wind.  Alphas 103 has a duralumin drive gear and a nylon idler for the level wind.  Every part for the '03-'19 Alphas is interchangable, even the spools when using spool spacers.  The only gotcha, if running a 28mm or 30mm spool, the longer pinion gear from the Alphas CT SV is required.

The Sol weighs 7.4 oz., the Alphas 6.4 oz.  The Sol has an aluminum spool and the Alphas a Duralumin spool.  As I'm sure you already know, there are many kinds of aluminum.  From what I could find a couple minutes ago, is that Duralumin is 2024 aluminum.  I couldn't find any mention of which aluminum was used for the Sol.

[TheWitness33]

My Daiwa Zillion TW 100HL and for BFS my Daiwa 24 PX BF 70. I upgraded my Zillion with 5 more bearings than stock and a carbontex drag stack. My PX is stock.

[LonnieP]

22 Zillion HD 1000

[new2BC4bass]

5 hours ago, TheWitness33 said:

My Daiwa Zillion TW 100HL and for BFS my Daiwa 24 PX BF 70. I upgraded my Zillion with 5 more bearings than stock and a carbontex drag stack. My PX is stock.

50th Anniversary Zillion.  Airy Red Pixilla with 7.2 gear. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Winner is Abu Garcia REVO Winch Gen 4

And I own a JDM Zillion SV TW 

[PBBrandon]

1. Daiwa Zillion SV (newest model)

2. Daiwa Alphas SV (newest model)
3. Shimano Curado 150 MGL

 

Haven't ever used a Steez or a Met but it’s hard to think of a way to make a reel better than these 3 are. All around 150-200 bucks

[Bankbeater]

Shimano 200 E7

Abu Revo - S 1st Generation

Abu 5600 C3

[ABU is overpriced]

21 zillion will be remembered as a legendary reel just like the pixy, tdz, conquest 50, curado 50e, chronarch d and the core. 

[new2BC4bass]

18 hours ago, PBBrandon said:

1. Daiwa Zillion SV (newest model)

2. Daiwa Alphas SV (newest model)
3. Shimano Curado 150 MGL

 

Haven't ever used a Steez or a Met but it’s hard to think of a way to make a reel better than these 3 are. All around 150-200 bucks

T3 1016SHL

Purple Alphas

Chronarch 100B

 

Never touched a Met.  Like the Steez the little I've used it.

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Shimano 200 E7

Abu Revo - S 1st Generation

Abu 5600 C3

201E7

STXL 1st Generation

Black Max 1600C

 

Hehe, this is fun. 

 

[T2DM]

18 Bantam MGL 6.2

[dodgeguy]

Lews Custom Lite

[MN Fisher]

Despite the Tatulas I've purchased and used - this one is still my favorite.

 

Pflueger Patriarch 7.1:1 - It saddens me that Pflueger dumped all but the President XT for their baitcasting reels.

[RAM3139]

Curado 51e or a TD-Fuego

[The Maestro]

21 hours ago, T2DM said:

18 Bantam MGL 6.2

Love the raw metal look too.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 4/11/2024 at 6:44 AM, Mike L said:

Shimano Curado 200 E7

 

 

 

Mike

My all time favorite is the core 51 Mg7. Closely followed by the Curado 51e, 201e. 

[Hulkster]

my curado 200i PG

what a great reel 

[WRB]

I can’t remember all the different bait casting reels I have owned and caught bass with?
The strongest by far was the Shimano Calcutta 250 used for swimbaits.

All my bait casters could cast my 7/16 oz jigs 50 yards easily when tuned. 
So it comes down to which bait caster did I catch the majority of giant bass on!

18.6 lb was a tuned 4500C.

2 ea 17.4’s, 17.6 and 19.3 lbs were using Daiwa TD HAiA’103 tuned reels. 
PB musky 37 lbs on 2500C reel.

Those reels are not near as good as today’s reels but they win.

Tom

[shackman]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:24 AM, Alpster said:

Shimano MG50. I have a half dozen of these. I have bought much more expensive reels, but nothing that out performs them.

I Take my (7) ch50 mg’s with me every time I hit the water. I just like the VBS set em and forget em system and the way they palm vs the newer brake Technology. I guess it’s whatever you get used to. I just like em! 

 

[RevoSEMIpro]

Have "nicer" and more expensive reels, but still can't quit my Lew's Tournament Pros.

[J Francho]

People, @WRB caught a 37 Pound Musky on a 2500c!!!  That's awesome. 

[TnRiver46]

[redmeansdistortion]

On 4/12/2024 at 12:48 PM, new2BC4bass said:

The Sol weighs 7.4 oz., the Alphas 6.4 oz.  The Sol has an aluminum spool and the Alphas a Duralumin spool.  As I'm sure you already know, there are many kinds of aluminum.  From what I could find a couple minutes ago, is that Duralumin is 2024 aluminum.  I couldn't find any mention of which aluminum was used for the Sol.

The Sol also has bronze gears, a brass level wind idler gear, and heavier star wheel and handle.  The Alphas 103 uses a plastic idler on the level wind, duralumin drive gear, and has a lighter star wheel and handle.  The spools are the same between both models.

[new2BC4bass]

4 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

The Sol also has bronze gears, a brass level wind idler gear, and heavier star wheel and handle.  The Alphas 103 uses a plastic idler on the level wind, duralumin drive gear, and has a lighter star wheel and handle.  The spools are the same between both models.

I put a Presso spool in one of my Sols.  Guy I bought it from thought he had put ABEC-9 bearings in it.  Don't remember if he did any other improvements other than rubber handle grips.

[redmeansdistortion]

14 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

I put a Presso spool in one of my Sols.  Guy I bought it from thought he had put ABEC-9 bearings in it.  Don't remember if he did any other improvements other than rubber handle grips.

If I remember right, the factory Sol spool weighs around 16g.  My Sol wound up a parts reel for a Millionaire SW 103 I'm building out soon.  Most parts will be here tomorrow and the rest next week hopefully.  Here's what I have so far.  The gears are from my old TD Sol.

[Bird]

My first baitcaster was a beautiful gold Shimano Bantam.

Built and performed so well it trigged an interest.