Bigbox99

Is it Amo? I always wondered why they never had a Back Max 1600 spool. Did that reel not sell outside of the US?

I think it's cool and support this kind of thing. One of my favorite fishing channels is a guy that 3d prints spools for antique reels and then goes mountain stream fishing with UL baits. I recently bought an aftermarket spool and magnetic brake assembly for a Ming Yang CL25 (same reel as the BPS crappie maxx). This was only possible because a fan of these reels was working with the manufacturer and was also 3d printing magnet holders so he had this stuff for sale on a Japanese site but has since given up making anything new. I was fortunate to come across the last of his active listings and nabbed a spool, magnetic assembly as well as a magnetic brake for my Ming Yang W300. I think whoever makes a spool for the Black Max should also offer spools for the 4600 and Morrum reels now that Amo no longer sells to US customers but I don't know how viable that would be since those never took off here. There just doesn't seem to be much interest in the reels in the US. Maybe there is but the audience could never figure out what aliexpress was to buy any of it and just stuck to what was available on ebay? From what I see there is either little to no interest in spools and parts for the 4600, Morrum and Black Max and it's 2500c or nothing for US anglers OR there is interest but it has to be ebay available only or it might as well not exist.

I guess that means you have to do an orange themed TD-Z build. Sort of like the JDM Steez SV.

You can find 33mm x 25mm spools around. Finding the Daiwa color 15 Alphas SV spools is difficult because they called the 15 Alphas SV105 the SV105 in the US so the color spools are called SV105 spools. Daiwa has never called the US version of an Alphas an Alphas and has given it names like Sol and SV105. The problem with SV105 is that there are also 34mm shallow spools for the Steez/TD-Z that are called 105 SV spools so the two are easily confused. Another thing you could do is track down a used 15 Alphas SV105 and use its spool, gears and spool tension knob parts from the reel. You can even buy a used Pixy and put the Sol side plates on the magnesium Pixy frame to make an even lighter reel and use 31mm Pixy spools. The red and yellow Pixies and orange Sol are popular reels for people to mess with an make custom reels out of parts since so many of the Pixy and Alphas parts are compatible. https://www.tackletour.com/reviewpixypx68breakdown.html

I didn't even see the TD-Z. That's a 103 so it uses the standard 34mm spool modern Daiwas use. Being a lefty you also have the option of the left hand only faster 7:1 gear ratio. Nice find.

Customize that puppy out. The longer you wait the harder it will be to find those reels in good shape at good prices. The 1st thing I would do is get 15 Alphas SV gears for it. That gear set is special and super smooth. From there you can do whatever you want from making a BFS reel, skipping reel or a crankbait reel. It's an old Alphas and the sky is the limit. Here is a pic of my favorite Sol a member on a another forum has. It's a beautiful and has almost got me to buy and build one myself.

I've used some of their soft plastics. They tick all the action, size, colors and packaging boxes for me for a locally available soft plastic I can just grab off the shelves of my local Bass Pro. I used their lunker log a lot this year in a fishing trip. It was the only dark colored soft stick bait I brought on the trip and I slayed them in the muddy canals of the lake I was fishing. In the past I used their flappy craw thing as a punching bait and got bit. The baits seem pretty alright.

True and the only way to reach them is with mass advertising. I've it 1st hand on this forum so can only imagine how it is irl. I can recommend an aliexpress reel with an aluminum frame for $50 and people will "Huh?" like I am speaking Greek or something then go ask about with genuine curiosity about some $20 plastic abomination aliexpress reel being advertised on Facebook or wherever else for $60 like this Obalus thing. When you point out to them that if they want to spend $60 for an aliexpress reel then they should at least look at something with substance with real feedback they will again "Huh?" I'm convinced the only solution is beatings. https://obalus.com/pages/about-us

A 5 gear 32mm spool reel would put you at your upper range.

Yeah, it's definitely a tin can of a reel but for the UL action it will be seeing I think it will be fine.

No, I just went to Aliexpress and searched for smallest fishing reel. My Mingyang w300 and CL25 are as small as I am going for now. The Elf reel has a 24mm spool so I'd only be interested in the BFS version to see how a spool that diameter diameter behaves but its not cheap enough for me at $70 to buy as a curiosity. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256809096037780.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

I got this tiny chinease Ambassadeur 1500c copy and 5' UL glass rod. It's pretty cheaply made but they have a following and are obviously cheap. The rod and reel was around $100 shipped with fees. I has a centrifugal brake but I have a mag kit for it ordered. I'm going use it as a fun dink bass and crappie rod using that shooting style cast the stream trout guys use

I forgot that is how the term "fishing pole" started

You used a stick?

Jeez. They could have kept the tooling and production alive even if only in limited runs for special editions but nope. Plastic asymmetrical abominations it is.

Is the Morrum still alive? Can they do what Daiwa does with the Millionaire and release special variants every so often in limited quantities as a money printer? Does the US market even like round reels or is this an enthusiast/japan thing?

I found a topic on your exact rod worth a read for some insight into the rod.

Yeah, Majorcraft rods are your typical JDM beauty and excellent build quality. The Volkey, Corzza and Freestyle were popular rods to import when BFS 1st kicked off stateside. You see them mentioned in the archive if you want to read about them. I've owned two Volkey BFS rods and they were very nice rods that looked and fished way above their price point. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/search/?&q=Majorcraft&page=10&search_and_or=and&sortby=relevancy

L Majorcraft Benkei on the affordable end and a Shimano Expride or Posion Adrena on the higher end. I wouldn't even look at non Japanese brands.

What a gem of a thread. This is around the time BFS is starting to leak from Japan into US bass fishing lexicon. You see both the terms BFS and finesse baitcasting being used. BFS is referencing Japanese L and ML bass rods with aftermarket spools Daiwa and Shimano reels with light flouro. There is also the ever present small Ambassadeur enjoyer present to point out that casting light weight baits with a baitcast reel isn't new. Worth a read just to see oldschoolbasser's reels.

One of these? I saw a video recently of someone turning something similar into an UL caster. Do you know what that style of reel is called? https://youtu.be/zZ_0xzZrImI?si=2au8ZbwTnRWN3FJd

I'm just really perplexed by the statement that a spinning reel is faster to rapid cast than a baitcast reel. Anyways, I don't feel like playing baitcast reel internet defense force and derail a thread in an unrelated tangent over casting speed and reel operation.

Do you have some sort of difficulty using a baitcast reel? The accuracy and distance of baitcast vs spinning can be debated all day but not the rapid casting of baitcast vs spinning. It's is well established that it is quicker to push a thumb bar and then turn the reel handle of a baitcast reel to enguage the reel than to wind the bait up to the tip with a spinning reel, but not too close to the tip, while rotating the rotor and bail into the casting position, fip a bail open, cast then close the bail by hand and then grab the handle knob ready to fish.

I imagine a weightless 3 inch pit boss with hook is pushing 3/16 oz. I'd go with a ML bass casting rod and a shallow-ish spool with 20 to 30 pound braid. From what I already own I would use my Zodias BFS 610 ML with a Daiwa Fuego CT with the Ray's Studio long cast or Tatula Elite spool with some mono backer. I'd also give the Tatula 80 a go but its small spool is heavy at 15 grams. The Shimano MGL reels are also a good choice. All the MGL spools are pretty light weight. Even the 32mm of the Curado "150" is like 12 grams.

I would just get the JDM SLX DC if you are curious to try another DC reel. Its a Scorpion/Curado 70 platform and I have heard nothing but praise about it for the price the past few years I have been aware of it's existence. The new Chinese offerings are just going to lower the floor price for access but aren't doing anything new or better as far as I know.