Daiwa ProCaster, mini review

[RussBert]

Most of us have seen the Daiwa Procaster at TW which sells for $35 these days. I was ordering some "stuff" anyways so I picked one up.

The reel has an aluminum frame, and both side plates are polymer. The reel has 6 bearings and is built like most Daiwa reels. Gears are brass and most internal components are die cast metal. The worm gear is also brass and the worm itself is steel. The spool is aluminum.

There is a single disk drag which comes dry. There is no click to the drag adjustment or the cast control cap.

It's made in Korea and I gotta say it's a well built & strurdy unit. Did I mention that these are $35?

I stripped the reel down and did a "Mini super-tune" where I polished the pinion and the ends of the spool shaft, cleaned and re-lubed the bearings and applied a light grease to the internal parts. I added Cal's drag grease to the single drag washer. It is definitely MUCH smoother now, but time will tell how it holds up.

I didn't like the stock handle at all. It does really feel like a $35 reel's handle, so I had a Zillion take-off handle here that I installed. I bent the drag star's legs to accommodate the handle. I like the 90mm length, and to my eyes it looks better too.

I spooled it up with some 50# Power Pro and mounted it on a St Croix Premier 6'6" MH/F rod and cast a 3/8 plug around the backyard. With the cast control set to drop the lure smoothly and the mags on 3 I was able to throw the plug about 35-40 yards with little effort. No backlashing or any other crazy stuff was encountered.

My only "issue" with the reel is that it doesn't come left handed, and I just can't fish a RH reel...well that and the handle ;D

My plans are to give this reel & rod to a deserving young man, my buddy's son Zach 8-)

[Micro]

Nice review!  $35 and Korean made?  Korea turns out some good products.  For a no-frills reel for someone on a tight budget, sounds like its worth a look.

[skunked_again]

looks like a great review for ppl looking to get into their first baitcaster.

[RussBert]

That's what I was thinking. There's a lot of younger folks hanging around here that are looking for a budget baitcasting reel. The Procaster fits the bill

[Nibbles]

It was my first baitcaster. I still use it for pitching to this day.

It's no Fuego or Revo, but it's still pretty damned good - especially for $35.

I don't think there's ANY sub-50 dollar baitcaster that can outdo this baby.

Also, in terms of palming a reel, this thing is my favorite! It's got a little thumb rest built in on top of the spool, and I just absolutely love that when I'm pitching.

[SDoolittle]

I bought one a few years ago. I think I paid $69 for it. It was a decent reel for the price, but it wore out pretty quickly. I only used it for a year.

[Raul]

I 'm a Shimano & Diawa fan, in that range of price ( 70 ish ) Shimano vs Daiwa ---> Daiwa hands down and blindfolded., at 35 that reel, don 't know what y 'all budget oriented ppl are waiting for. I 've fished with that reel and it was a great reel for the money.

[Stasher1]

That reel was one of my first "decent" baitcasters. I owned the Procaster 100H (AKA Procaster 6+1), the Capricorn 100XTC (Dick's version, basically the 100H with a ported spool), Capricorn 100H, and the Procaster Rojo (like the 100XTC, with the addition of a flipping switch).

They were all decent casters, retrieved smoothly, palmed well, and were well worth their asking price...which was substantially higher then TW's current price. At $35 it's a no-brainer.

[kikstand454]

the 100h (6+1) was the first baitcaster i ever purchased. i got it at bps in san antonio for around 70 bucks.

i still use this reel everytime i go out as it is my main t-rig reel. it is left handed. im not sure why you couldnt find it left handed russ as i got mine years ago now.

in anycase... this reel is so solid and trouble free that i sometimes forget i even have it. i never think about it.... and thats a good thing.

at 35 bucks im almost considering getting rid of 5 or 6 other reels and just getting 3 or 4 of these....

they are awesome.

[RussBert]

kikstand454,

TW has dropped the price on these to $29.99!

[Nibbles]

$25 now due to labor day sale.

[Dave P]

Ordered a pair of them yesterday!

[Daddyodo]

I just ordered 1 today. This is my 1st baitcaster. Can't wait till it comes in.

[catchnm]

Two of the navy Procasters are to arrive at my house on Tuesday, 

[Stephen D.]

Just bought 1 myself!  You could barely get a Wal-Mart Shakespeare for this price!

[kikstand454]

daddyodo,

this is a GREAT first baitcaster. for starters.... its brakes actually work.  you can almost set it and forget it once you get the hang of it. just today i was throwing a 3/8oz jig with it and then went to a 3/16oz beaver and never touched the thing until i needed to cast it instead of pitching it. you will love it!

at 25 bucks i HAVE to get at least two.

[iceintheveins]

The procaster and the strikeforce are the best cheap baitcasters out there imo. The BPS bionic plus and the Abu Garcia Black Max are some other really good under $70 reels too. Shimano also has a new Caedus reel that's under $90 too that I'm sure is good.

[catchnm]

I received two of the 100HN reels Tuesday. Got another one in transit that should be here tomorrow.

These reels are awesome! Smooth as butter. I'll probably add reel grips later on, but the handles are fine as is. Free spool setting genuinely frees the spool. The magnetic system actually works, got mine set on 5 which is halfway and at that setting it really shuts the spool down. Think I'll go to a 3 for fishing. Just had the chance to do a little pitching and casting in the yard so far but I am REALLY impressed. I'm matching them with three Team-V rods that I just had setting around. Will have all three on the water Saturday. For each of these reels I will have paid about $28.35 each.....One heck of a deal.

[Stasher1]

That's probably the best deal you're going to find on a brand new, aluminum-framed baitcaster.

[Dave P]

Mine came in the mail today so I put one on my Bionic Blade and spooled it up with 12lb PLine and went out in the back yard to try it out. HOLY CRAP. Brakes were set to off. I may find the casting plug sometime next week...Cast number two cleared the top of my shed and went into the alley. After I dialed the brake up a bit and found I could easily make 50 or 60 foot pitches. I hope there's still some left this winter :-X because I think that I'll buy some more of it's brothers and sisters to keep it company. I believe I'll keep it.

[Scorpio]

Just felt the need to bring this post back to the top in case some of the younger (or older) guys on a tight budget needed a reel, and missed the first go through.  When Raul bragged on it, I thought I would give it a shot.  Don't miss out, get one now.   

In a nutshell-- This reel is fabulous.  I own TDZs, Steez, Core, Chronarch, Pixy, Conquest, Alphas, etc.  I am not saying the ProCaster is better, but the performance on these reels sure makes you stand up and take notice.  The two fixed inductor Daiwa reels I have used (the ProCaster being one) both performed super...maybe Daiwa should look into that a bit more.

As was previously stated, the reel casts with very good distance under control (reminds me of the distance and control I used to get with my old green Curado).  And for under $30...it IS a no brainer.

[Nine Miler]

I got two just 'cause of this review back when they were $25. (Free shipping over $50 from TW is why I have two.)

Initial thoughts...

[Dave P]

I'm torn, I hate like hell to honk them because I'd like to have about six more, but at the same time...I can't NOT let everyone know that they're really d**n good for the price!

[John Dunn]

Crazy that the procaster was my first baitcaster. Then the tatula took over and now I have a good lineup of them. My procaster i still use to this day. I'm pretty sure they built the tatula platform off the procaster