I just found out something cool. A lot of you guys probably know this, but i found out all of shimano`s casting reels start with a `C` for casting (Chronarch, Caenan, Curado, Citica, Calais, etc.). And all of their spinning reels start with an `S` for spinning (Stradic, Sustain, Sahara, Stella, etc.). I`m not sure why I am so excited, but I just thought that I would share this with you guys.
 

 

The Scorpions, Metaniums, Antares and Aldebarans are all baitcasters. There are also spinning reels that don't start with S.

A bantam is a baitcaster also

The Scorpions, Metaniums, Antares and Aldebarans are all baitcasters. There are also spinning reels that don't start with S.

 

 

To be fair to the OP, except for the Antares and Metanium, the non C and S Shimano reels are all JDM so he does have a valid point in regards to the N. American Market.

A bantam is a baitcaster also

Actually the name bantam is derived from the city of Bantam - currently known as "Banten Province" or previously "Banten Residency" - once a major seaport, in Indonesia. European sailors restocking on live fowl for sea journeys found the small native breeds of chicken in Southeast Asia to be useful, and any such small poultry came to be known as a bantam.

Shimano uses the name in their reel designators meaning small....

 

From Websters :

Definition of BANTAM

1:  small, diminutive

2:  pertly combative

Synonyms

    small, diminutive, dinky, dwarfish, fine, half-pint, Lilliputian, little, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), puny, pygmy, shrimpy, slight, smallish, subnormal, toylike, undersized (also undersize)

Yes RM good history on where the term came from, there are many Bantam baitcasters in the line, it is not a specific model rather a series.

Actually the name bantam is derived from the city of Bantam - currently known as "Banten Province" or previously "Banten Residency" - once a major seaport, in Indonesia. European sailors restocking on live fowl for sea journeys found the small native breeds of chicken in Southeast Asia to be useful, and any such small poultry came to be known as a bantam.

Shimano uses the name in their reel designators meaning small....

 

From Websters :

Definition of BANTAM

1:  small, diminutive

2:  pertly combative

Synonyms

    small, diminutive, dinky, dwarfish, fine, half-pint, Lilliputian, little, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), puny, pygmy, shrimpy, slight, smallish, subnormal, toylike, undersized (also undersize)

OK but my baitcaster is still a shimano bantam

Thunnus is a Shimano spinning reel starting with a T.  It's a baitrunner style reel similar to the Baitrunner.  The Tiagra, Talica, Torsa, Tyrnos, TLD, Torium, Trinidad and Tekota are all conventional reels, probably the T stands for trolling, but the Tranx is not a trolling reel, I do believe it's a casting reel and the Thunnus is not a trolling reel either.