Bigbox99

Doyo wasn't a thing until 1999 but there were Pinnalce and BPS reels made by some Korean company before 1999. Pinnacle and Silstar went out of business in 1999 so it's likely that what remained of that operation became Doyo. I don't know of any Doyo small round reels but there are some Korean made Pinnacle Vision and Ryobi round reels that are very similar if not the same reel in a different brand name. The hidden gem 90s little round reel is the Abu Black Bax 1600. Those were sort of like a poor man's Morrum. Prices have risen on them but you can still find some for cheap.

You don't. They only sell in Korea and there aren't Korean fishing shops willing to ship to the US like with JDM reels. Their buisness is heavily reliant on being an OEM for various brands in the US and there must be some legally binding agreements to prevent sale on US markets and to outright keep the existence of Doyo a secret to the US market. I've only heard of someone having a buyer in Korea purchase a reel and send it to the US for a Doyo branded Doyo to get here. Even buying Daiwas from other Daiwa markets has been difficult sometimes. I've bought lots of Daiwa Japan and Daiwa China reels but Daiwa Scandinavia has some cool stuff that I have only been able to dabble in since there isn't a good online source carrying Daiwa Scandinavia products that will sell to the the US. I used Waveinn for some Prorex parts and a whole Prorex 300 (purple 1st gen Lexa 300) but that's it. Daiwa Australia had an olive drab Fuego CT and a Sol TW but there were few retailers willing to ship to the US and prices were crazy high. Theres lots if cool stuff out there if you are willing to look past what is only offered on the US market.

The rare stuff you just can't get anymore can be worth it in that its super cool and holds value or appreciates in value. Stuff like Megabass custom versions of older Daiwa reels or the old Megabass rods that rarely come up for sale and are sold immidiately, like the Otomat and X7 rods. That stuff is highly desirable and when you manage to pick it up in good condition for a good price it feels like a win. A lot of this stuff in good condition at great prices only trade in enthusiasts circles and when it shows up outside of that on eBay or similar mass market the prices are insane. I don't mess with the dragon reels but I do have two Megabass IPs, an IS73 with custom paint and a Zonda Rosso. https://jdmfishing.com/vault/is73c-dragon-limited/ https://jdmfishing.com/vault/ip68-dragon-limited/ https://jdmfishing.com/product-category/reels/megabass/baitcasting-megabass-reels/zonda/

It's the older Doyo gen 3 Lubina platform. Its probably being phased out and why the Lews LFS switched to a different Doyo platform. Once the stock runs out you'll see a new Pro Qualifyer come out, probably on the same platform as the JM Carbonlite. The popular 2010s Pro Q was also a Lubina. It's not actually the 1st gen Pro Q as that name goes back to the 90s and has been many Korean OEM reels. It once was a round reel. Were they all Doyo Lubinas or even Doyos? Don't know but that would be kinda cool in a way.

I only have found bearings to have a noticeable impact when using very light weight spools with light weight baits. For heavier spools and baits I haven't found an advantage in fast bearings. If you use a spool tension amount greater than zero then forget about it completely. You're squeezing the spool ends inside the reel and creating friction to act as a crude mechanical brake. Changing to freer spinning bearings isn't going to be noticeable beyond additional noise.

I have owned various sub $60 reels in the quest to find the best value. By far, the best have been the aluminum frame reels from Aliexpress. They're mystery reels that aren't from established brands but that actually doesn't matter. Abu doesn't make reels. Lews doesn't make reels. Bass Pro doesn't make reels. They're brand names that sell OEM reels from mysterious manufactures. If you're buying an OEM reel then the brand name on the outside is completely meanless. The only thing that matters is the substance of the reel in its design and material construction. I don't care if it says Lews or Leydun on the outside. If the Lews is $40 for plastic reel and the Leydun has an aluminum frame, conical level wind, 110mm power handle with a double supported pinion and metal clutch, then I am going with the Leydun for my $40. No amount of Lews branding, marketing or reviews will change the substance of the reel. I've got the Piscifun Alloy M, Seasir Megacuda/Leydun G6 and Histar Black Mamba for under $50 each. I also have the Black Max 3, Bass Pro Formula, Piscifun Carbon XCS, Liwang something or other plus numerious other plastic reels. Non of them hold a candle to the cheap alloy reels. Every one of those plastic abominations has the handle winding resistance increase 2000% with a weed or fish on line as the frame flexes and the cranking efficiency falls off a cliff. Out of those three alloy frame reels the only one still available at that low price is the Seasir Megacuda/Leydun. Same reel but in different colors and branding.

8 or 7 is fine. I also punch with an old 6 gear reel. people get hung up on gear rations but I don't find the difference between a 6 gear or a 8 gear reel to be that noticeable on the water. There are some instances like when burning in baits to fire off another cast or skip when rapidly casting to targets while moving a quick pace. Outside of some specific examples they pretty much fish the same to me. I would go with an 8 gear Tatula 80 because of the 32mm spool. Smaller diameter spools slow IPT compared to a larger diameter spool. This is why 6 gear 36mm spool and an 8 gear 32mm don't feel all that far apart in line recovery.

Lefty Tatula 80. Palm the reel with 2 finger in front of the trigger and use you thumb base to push the thumbar while palming the reel to disengage the clutch. Use your thumb pad on top of the spool to act as a light brake as you stip out line from between the 1st guide and reel with your left hand. Use one of the palming hand finger tips of the two fingers in front of the trigger to flick the drag star to re-enguage the clutch or use your thumb tip to lift up on the thumb bar. You can use whatever reel you like but a small reel with a long arm drag star is pretty comfy. I use a JDM Zillion HD but the Tatula 80 is much cheaper and very similar especially with a cheap handle upgrade.

For a high end option there is the Daiwa Heartland Spinning HL 802MHFS-SV13 Shinzan Biwako Spec. It's an 8' MH bass rod designed for shore casting. Daiwa Hearland is one of their top teir rod lines and beautifully detailed. Does this one look any good? It's cheap but I maybe too cheap with heavy guides especially in the spinning model. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807158872005.html?

Some sea bass rods come in 8'+ lengths and multi peice for ease of transport. You can get something great from Japan or just test the concept with a cheap Aliexpress rod. @bulldog1935 should have some recommendations.

I had or have a spinning version my dad would use. No complaints. It was a functional rod that held up well for a Walmart rod. It had stainless guides but it help up well enough.

What I have found interesting is how much the tip stiffness can play into hooksetting power and especially when fishing from a kayak or other small watercraft with limited body movement. When I use my solid tip XF rod I have to REALLY move the rod to get a hookset or I'll lose the fish. Much of my normal hookset in a kayak gets absorbed by the super light XF tip on the rod and I'll often lose my 1st fish on that rod for the year until I adjust to it. On the other end there is my super stiff tipped MH Lews HP that has a taper I would describe as a slow loading broom handle. I can just move the rod up a bit and that super slow stiff tip will drive a jig hook home as the rod manifests a gentle bend.

Line capacity rating is nonsense. I've seen Daiwa rate reels with identical spool dimensions with different capacities by 50 yards or more. They have even rated the same reel differently years apart. Before the Tatula HD 200 launched in 2018 the reel was called the Tatula HD 150 back in 2015. After the narrow frame Tatula CT came out in 2016 and repalced the old Tatulas in the US market, Daiwa re-launced the old Tatula 100 and Tatula HD 150 as the *new* Tatula HD 150 and Tatula HD 200. They were identical down to the spools as 2015 1st gen Tatulas but were bizarrely rated for more line. Another one is the old Lexa 300. It has the same spool dimensions in spool width, diameter and arbor diameter. They hold the same volume of line yet the Lexa 300 was rated to hold way more than the Tatula 200. Makes no sense. I also have a Zillion HLC spool in an old Zillion that supposedly holds 110 yards of 14# mono that I can easily spool down to the arbor with 50# braid when casting a frog. Either I am dispensing 300 feet of line of the cast or the line cap of that spool is nonsense https://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwazillionse.html

I confused. There seems to be an idea out there that a slower action rod has a softer tip and less power then a fast action rod. That you will lose some hook setting power with a moderate rod compared to a fast action rod. Its not just this topic but I have seen it before. Power is power and action is action. If you select a rod with the appropriate power for your use then there should be no reason to fear a slower action rod. My XXH 76 punching rod has a moderate fast action. It's designed to have a couple onces of tungsten dangling off it and the slower action is what gives it that stiffer tip. Generally speaking, a slower action rod is going to have a stiffer tip than a fast action rod. The soft tip is part of what gives the rod a fast action. Some XF even go as far as to have hyper flexible solid carbon tips.

The Racing Design was the JDM Steez AGS. Being JDM you don't get a Daiwa US warranty but they are significantly cheaper than the Steez AGS because of the advantageous exchange rate and competitive better pricing, a practice Daiwa US apparently does not believe in. https://jdmfishing.com/vault/daiwa-19-steez-racing-design-rd-6101mlfb/ https://jdmtackleheaven.com/collections/daiwa-steez-real-control

If you don't break rods including the AGS guides and really want an AGS rod then I would just get the Steez Racing Design or Real Control and save some money. You won't get a US warranty so be aware of that. Most people use rod warranties as replacement programs to cover their bad rod handling behavior. If you don't break rods then not having a warranty is a non issue. If the tip breaks off the rod when bringing in a fish or pulling them out of weeds then those were from high sticking and are rod handling breakages caused by operator error. If you have experienced this with yourself then it would be wise to buy a rod with a replacement program or warranty.

I like a moderate action rod with some power. "MH" is kind of all over the place. The two MH rods I use I for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, ploppers and L bill cranks also throw 6" Cullshads on and rarely go below a 1/2 oz bait. They are both closer to the H than the M on the MH spectrum. I think rod power might be an issue for you.

I prefer to verbally threaten mine before use.

This is a super cool find. It's another BPS pro angler collaboration reel and I believe an old Ryobi or Doyo. It has that signature early low profile look but doesn't have a "hood" over the front and has old pre-Doyo style Lews paddle knobs. It really strikes me as a late 90s take on rebooting the Lews Speed Spool with an OEM house brand reel. I think it's neat.

That Rick Clunn reel is the same reel as the Ryobi Caspro. Those are also all over Ebay but mostly in an updated version with a blocky front end. If you wanted more of the same there is that option too. I don't know what all they changed or if it was just a cosmetic update to extend the appeal of the reel. Old version: Updated version: Different color scheme updated version;

There are 5 of the later updated models on Ebay right now. They aren't BPS branded. The good news is that the majority are lefties. They seemed to have been popular for flipping reels at the time. Two reels to keep an eye on if you want a lefty reel designed to be pitched/flipped while palming the reel are the Daiwa TD-S 105 HL, TD-X 103 HiL and TD-X 105 HL. If you want a really cheap hidden gem option then look out for a Procaster Z 105HL. Its the same reel as the TD-S 105HL. You can use modern Daiwa drag stars, handles and newer spool tension knobs to make them look nicer. They have a Magforce V spool but will also accept modern Daiwa 34 mm spools like a Zillion Steez ect. I own the TD-S version in both left flipping frame and righty casting.

You have a Ryobi Caspro. Looks like an early model with the heavy TD-X influence. Later updates to the reel have sort of a TD-Zillion like appearance. Did this thing solder on into the late 2000s or 2010s? I only learned recently that BPS had used Ryobis for their house brand reels at one point. A user here had a memory of an Extreme and tracked one down. There is a thread linked about it a few posts above

Ryobi related topic. Bass Pro used to sell a Ryobi Extreme.

I've seen that braking system using centrifugal brakes behind a Daiwa style fixed inductor on only one other reel. The BPS Extreme from around 2010-2015 range. I used to have one. It's what came right after the 2nd reel pictured (Doyo Extreme). Ryobi also sold that same reel on Aliexpress years after. If I had to guess, your reel is some sort of Ryobi. Never heard of that model but it fits with the early 2000s or late 90s stying and Ryobi was prevalent back then. I think I may have seen a pic online before. It struck me as very early 2000s looking and unlike the angular black Ryobis I was used to seeing. I want to say it's a Korean reel but not a Doyo because i've never seen it on their site and I remember lurking it at the time. Maybe it was a Dawon or something even if branded as a Ryobi. Like I had thought about Silstar, I dont know if Ryobi actually made reels or if they were just a brand name ordering Korean reels. The reel you have definitely has a Daiwa USDM TD-X styling to it. At that time the Korean OEMs were making reels that visually borrowed heavily from the TD-X and curado B and D so that lends some credence to me that it is a late 90s or early 2000s Korean OEM reel. What is it branded as? Daiwa TD-X and Pinnacle Matrix II for reference. Those Pinnancles always seemed crazy to me with a Daiwa like body with a Shimano side plate access revealing a VBS clone centrifugal brake. Just silly.

Maybe I had a Solene combo and the Tara sat under glass at the counter. Next up is the Vision round reel and my midlife crisis/2000s Pinnacle related stroke will be over. OP, just buy a used Fuego CT. They're great and the will be parts around for the next 100 years considering that Daiwa platform was in production from 2013 to today. There is one on eBay for $49 rn.