Do you find lightweight reels change the feel or balance of your combo?

 

I ask because I have a Shimano Stradic FL that has been bullet proof and smooth in every way for the last 3 years. However, I have now paired it with a lightweight rod that weighs 3.3oz. The Stradic comes in at 8.1oz with line. The combo balances perfectly, but I can't help but wonder if a lightweight reel would make more sense.

 

Specifically looking at the Shimano Vanford 2000 or Daiwa Tatula LT 2000. Played with both in store, but not mounted on a rod. About the same feel give or take. Always liked a solid metal reel, but in all reality I use 6lb line with about 2 - 2.5 lbs of drag, not taxing the reel too much. The weight saving would be around 2 - 2.6 ozs. 

If the rod balances in the center of the reel seat without a reel, it will balance with any weight reel. 

Changing the overall combo weight will feel lighter obviously.

Tom

I mounted a vanford 2000 on a 7’ Expride light + today. The balance is awesome. 

I don’t use reel to balance the rod and as @WRBmentioned if your rod is well balance, any reel should be fine and I agreed lower overall weight of the combo, would definitely more pleasant to fish with. All my spinning rod are about 2.5 to 3.5oz all of my 2000 size reels pair with those rods nicely. I also using 2000 size reel and I don’t feel them inadequate at all for bass fishing. 

May not sounds like much, but on an outfit that light it's going to make a big difference, almost a 20% weight reduction.  

I like a high grip on spinning rods, with all of my fingers above the stem.  If I change the reel and the balance shifts slightly, I can slide my hand up or down slightly if I need too.

Dont put too much stock worrying about "flex."  When I hear people claim they have experienced frame flex on a Ballistic, Vanford or other high quality composite frame coupled with a smooth drag, while fighting a 12" SMB, it drives me crazy.  Even if you have a primitive understanding of how to use a drag, you wont have any issues  

The setup weight (mass center) must be concentrate in your hand, for any casting/spinning configuration. I saw several times a gear were the weight was concentrated beyond the rod last half. That makes lure working tiresome, even more so when continually twitching/jerking lures.

 

People makes a mistake when equate a lightweight setup to a well-balanced one.

13 hours ago, ska4fun said:

People makes a mistake when equate a lightweight setup to a well-balanced one.

This is my struggle, my combo as is balances very well. I hold the reel with my pinky behind the reel stem, and my spinning combo balances on my middle finger. Just seems odd to me that my finesse combo is my heaviest weight combo at 11.4 oz. Maybe I am over thinking this... 

4 minutes ago, LCG said:

Maybe I am over thinking this... 

For me, long as it balances where a finger is on the grip, it's close enough.

 

Of course saying that, it took me three tries to get the right reel for the rod I use for Neds/DS...and of course it's the most expensive spinner I've purchased.

 

Shimano 21 Ultegra FC 1000 (JDM) on a Daiwa Procyon 7' L/F - total weight without line is 9.58oz

21 hours ago, LCG said:

This is my struggle, my combo as is balances very well. I hold the reel with my pinky behind the reel stem, and my spinning combo balances on my middle finger. Just seems odd to me that my finesse combo is my heaviest weight combo at 11.4 oz. Maybe I am over thinking this... 

My finesse combos, excluding the low profile reel ones are heavier, but very comfortable to fish, since with small trout rods and the round conquests (180-200g), the weight gets concentrated in the reel.

You aren't overthinking. You just has proof in your hands over comfort, well-balanced gear being not the same as lightweight ones.

 

Very lightweight reels are harder to balance than those between 160-200g.

No a lightweight reel doesn't change the feel if you've mounted in on a lightweight rod. You defeat the reason you're fishing lightweight if you use a heavy reel on a light rod. I love LW setups I have 4 high end 1000 size reels on LW rods, 6'10" - 7'2". One is a ajing rod made my Shimano, I love it but it's truly a LW I never target any fish but panfish with it.  

16 hours ago, LCG said:

This is my struggle, my combo as is balances very well. I hold the reel with my pinky behind the reel stem, and my spinning combo balances on my middle finger. Just seems odd to me that my finesse combo is my heaviest weight combo at 11.4 oz. Maybe I am over thinking this... 

nothing wrong with well balance setup but if you got a featherweight setup that also well balance it is a win win situation. For me I find the less, I fight with tip heavy or uncomfortable weight, the more sensitive I got especially when working with lighter lure.
This is my preference, I hold the rod with three fingers in front and working the lure with slight twist of wrist, the less weight make it much more comfortable. I even add a few quarters at the butt end to make it balance at 45 degree tip up on my index finger because that how I mostly use spinning setup.

I find myself using spinning more once I got the right ones, weight, balance and smoothness. It is the nature of human who always find the best suit for them, so I don’t think you overthinking if you can afford more.

As of now I’m happy with my setup ~3oz rod with 5.3oz reel.

 

On 12/19/2022 at 9:24 AM, Bigassbass said:

No a lightweight reel doesn't change the feel if you've mounted in on a lightweight rod. You defeat the reason you're fishing lightweight if you use a heavy reel on a light rod. I love LW setups I have 4 high end 1000 size reels on LW rods, 6'10" - 7'2". One is a ajing rod made my Shimano, I love it but it's truly a LW I never target any fish but panfish with it.  

Tell that to the creators of BFS, the japanese trout anglers and their Abus 1500, 2500, Calcutta conquest etc.

1 hour ago, ska4fun said:

Tell that to the creators of BFS, the japanese trout anglers and their Abus 1500, 2500, Calcutta conquets etc

That's a good point, I want an 2500c sooooo bad but they are so hard to get hands on at a good price. The Chinese made a knockoff "ming yang" with bfs 10g spool.

7 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

find myself using spinning more once I got the right ones

I thought I said u prefer bfs more, and use casting 95% of the time, what changed your mind if I might ask

@Bass_Fishing_SoCal... You sold me on the Daiwa Alphas SV TW a few months ago, and I really like that reel. And that Vanford looks pretty sweet...Any chance I can crash on your couch when the wife finds out I want another new reel? 

 

Looks like I am going to have to take my rod to the tackle store and throw a Vanford and Tatula on it and see how it feels. Thanks everyone for your input. 

31 minutes ago, LCG said:

Looks like I am going to have to take my rod to the tackle store and throw a Vanford and Tatula on it and see how it feels. Thanks everyone for your input. 

PM me if you want true experience of both reels (only 2000 size). I own both and fish a little more than a year. I can share you my thinking of pros and cons. 

Seasons Greetings!

I would say different reels attached to any given rod will alter the feel of using that combination. It is possible to check where the static balance point is on a given combination as a guide or metric. I would also consider how the combo rotates during your casting motion. That is a bit more than just the hanging static balance point.

 

I generally use what is considered as ultra lite fishing rigs so an overall lighter weight combo is helpful and preferred. The overall lighter weight of the combo does appear to improve sensitivity, my ability to detect slight disturbances better. I'm not dealing with more inertia of a heavier rig.

 

I also find lower effort is needed to make casts / pitches. So conservation of energy, mine, applies. That improves the recreational aspect of angling.

 

I have been experimenting comparing my fishing sessions using different sized reels with the same rod. I vary between 2500 sized spinning reels down to 500 series reels. The fish here in SE AZ can be managed using any of these reels so line capacity is not a factor for me. Casting ability and ease of use are important to me. The lighter weight, typically smaller reels are a better solution for me and my application. So yes, I find the lighter weight reel do affect a combo's handling qualities. I do encourage you to explore options. Hopefully you can find a tackle shop willing and able to help you. Just one of the reasons why I advocate for local retailers where I can. They are there to support you beyond many of the big box retailers. Best fishes to you for the Holiday Season. Happy shopping! Be well, and Cheers!

To finish off this thread, I recieved an email from a local retailer for a sale I couldn't pass up. Here in Canada the Daiwa Tatula LT 2000 retails for $269, the Vanford 2000 retails for $349. The sale price of the Tatula LT 2000 was $179, plus a $25 store credit.

 

I couldn't say no. Picked it up after work today and put it on my 6'8" Daiwa Rebellion ML-F spinning rod. To my surprise, the balance point did not change !!! Odd because my Stradic FL 2500 is much bigger in size and weighs 8.1oz with line. The Tatula 2000 comes in at 6oz with the exact same amount of line (took it directly off the Stradic). So what I gained was a 2.1oz weight savings or 26%, with the same balance point, but the combo feels better matched with the smaller Tatula.

 

Lost 3" per turn, metal build, loud drag clicker, and some sealing, but I am freshwater only. What I gained was a solid feeling, smooth reel (used drag tension for spooling tight line), significantly lighter and smaller reel, lighter rotation, same excellent line lay, both balanced and lightweight combo. The rest I will have to wait and put some fish on it. 

 

It's winter up here in the north, so it will be a few months before it sees any use. But initial impression is positive.

 

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the Stradic FL. It's been used hard for the last 3 years and will probably last the rest of my life with a little TLC. But, I bought the reel before really taking to baitcsters and it was meant to do it all. I have since changed my combos to be more specific (but also versatile), ie ML spinning, M and MH baitcasting.

 

The Tatula LT 2000 feels like a good match for my finesse rod. Thank you all for your input, and a big shout out to @Bass_Fishing_SoCal for his help.

 

 

 

 

On 12/19/2022 at 5:21 PM, LCG said:

@Bass_Fishing_SoCal... You sold me on the Daiwa Alphas SV TW a few months ago, and I really like that reel. And that Vanford looks pretty sweet...Any chance I can crash on your couch when the wife finds out I want another new reel? 

 

Looks like I am going to have to take my rod to the tackle store and throw a Vanford and Tatula on it and see how it feels. Thanks everyone for your input. 

I think it's still a guess until you put a lure on a cast it.  just me.

 

 

They will never stop making lighter rods, and lighter reels to go with lighter rods, so you might as well buy a couple reels to try on the rod.  Use the one you like best.  Then buy a couple rods to try with the reel you didn't choose to use on the rod you had.  Buy a couple more reels to try on the rod you didn't pick then back to buying rods for the reel you didn't use.  Repeat this process until you run out of storage space, are asked to be on the TV show hoarders, go broke, permanently ban bait monkey from your home, get divorced, or all of the above.  Don't try and convince yourself you will eventually find the right compo and stop buying new rods, and reels, I have tried and after many years, I am still trying to match the perfect rod to the perfect reel, the combos keep getting lighter, right along with my wallet.  The odd thing is I always seem to talk about all the fish I used to catch years ago when my equipment was way to heavy.  

10 hours ago, king fisher said:

They will never stop making lighter rods, and lighter reels to go with lighter rods, so you might as well buy a couple reels to try on the rod.  Use the one you like best.  Then buy a couple rods to try with the reel you didn't choose to use on the rod you had.  Buy a couple more reels to try on the rod you didn't pick then back to buying rods for the reel you didn't use.  Repeat this process until you run out of storage space, are asked to be on the TV show hoarders, go broke, permanently ban bait monkey from your home, get divorced, or all of the above.  Don't try and convince yourself you will eventually find the right compo and stop buying new rods, and reels, I have tried and after many years, I am still trying to match the perfect rod to the perfect reel, the combos keep getting lighter, right along with my wallet.  The odd thing is I always seem to talk about all the fish I used to catch years ago when my equipment was way to heavy.  

I am in the process of simplifying my set ups now. I completely agree that it's not the equipment that allows us to to catch fish.

 

In my case, I am at the point after about ten years or so of fishing, that I know what techniques I enjoy the most and the quality, lightweight, smoothness, etc of the equipment is for me, not so much the fish.

 

It's also my only true hobby so I don't mind spending some money on the sport. Not that anyone has to, I also caught plenty of fish on my old ugly stick combo. But, I do get more enjoyment using higher quality gear.

For me there is a confidence I have in higher end gear that I think leads me to catching more fish. When i am not worried about components failing and i can focus entirely on getting fish into the boat it makes for a better day. 

Resurrecting a dead thread, but couldn't find another similar one relating to spinning reels... so here we are.

 

I've been toying with lighter-weight spinning reels over the last year, and I eventually swapped a Daiwa Airity LT2000S-H onto my P5 Addermine - probably the spinning rod I use the most since I dropshot a lot.

 

I had a 2019 Certate LT2500-H on it before. I've noticed that it feels more sensitive in my hands with the lighter reel. The Airity weighs 145 grams, and the Certate weighs 205 grams. So a little over a 2oz difference. It could all be in my head... but I feel like the ticks of bluegills nibbling at the dropshot, or when a bass hits, it just feels more pronounced.

 

Has anyone else noticed something similar?