As a result of the sales thread, I now have another spinning rod, and as such I need a new reel to go with it, or to swap out for another. 

I have one (last model) Stradic, and two Okuma Epixors. All are smaller spool. Braid/leader; trying out some sinking braid this go-round.

 

Honestly I can't tell much difference between the Stradic and the Epixors, which are now discontinued. For a while you could get them for $40-$55 on amazon, but now only in a 3000 spool size. It has a clicking drag, and the drag seems very smooth, otherwise I would put carbontex in there. No flex complaints. 

 

I've been reading about people moving to larger spools? When and why? If there's a good reason for it I could make this purchase a 3000 or 4000 spool.

 

Is there a current 'killer deal' like the epixor was?

 

JDM is fine if there's a solid case for it like there is on a Zillion.

 

Current lineup:

Minnow/jig rod, stradic. Most used. 

Neko rod 7'6, second most used.

Misc duty rod (was the old neko rod) - not sure what I'll use it for yet, if anything. Maybe small jerkbaits. 

Panfish rod - don't really use it much - bought it to learn about what I was seeing on the livescope. 

 

Unless you’re truly going to be fishing super deep or use this in the salt, a 4000 is overkill for bass fishing. not only that, but they generally be heavier too. 
 

2500 and 3000 reels are usually the same size and differ in line capacity. If you need more, go 3k. If not 2.5k. Even then, the capacity difference beteeen the two really isn’t that much. 
 

 

Three reels that are really nice are the Marivel, Fuego and Caldia.  Another consideration are the Scheels exclusive label reels.  They are Daiwa products but at a lesser retail price.  

What rod do you have?
Tom

5 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

What rod do you have?
Tom

The two rods I'd be likely to put a new reel on: 

6'9" lite-medium (not ML) for minnow/hover (Kistler "jig head minnow")

7'6" Abu Veritas Tournament M/F for neko

 

I’m not going to recommend as much as point out I can say with 99% certainty that BPS’s Carbonlite 2.0 and JM’s signature spinning reels are both made by Daiwa. I have a 1500 Carbonlite and a 2000 signature series and although I like my Daiwa reels I feel their spools are far too deep for me.

I’ve been impressed by the Tatula spinning reels I’ve serviced. I’d give them a look if I were in the market. I don’t see the advantage of larger arbor spinning reels unless your using mono/fluoro over 8# test. Line capacity isn’t a problem in bass fishing scenarios. 

On 9/30/2025 at 8:31 PM, txchaser said:

For a while you could get them for $40-$55 on amazon

 

You still can on an the auction site.

Thanks everyone. Not hearing any JDM must-haves on the spinning side. Surprising!

The jdm stradic is my starting and ending point when I need a reel.  2500/3000 body size so I can interchange spools as needed. 

20 hours ago, txchaser said:

Not hearing any JDM must-haves on the spinning side. Surprising!

 

When it comes to spinning reels, I almost exclusively buy JDM with the main reason being the lack of shallow spool offerings in the USDM, and price being the other main factor.

 

With the two reels you mentioned being a reel that goes for $40-$55 and the other being a Shimano Stradic that sells for well over $200 domestically, it's hard to home in on what you're really looking to spend. And with the current tariff situation, it doesn't seem to make as much sense if you're targeting JDM reels that sell for less than $100 unless shallow spools are a priority for you because the 'fees' that go along with some of the tariffs can be so steep that the potential savings can vaporize quickly and then some.

 

With every $10 to $20 you spend, you will get one or more features the lower priced model didn't have. Some of those features you'll desire more than others. Sometimes you have to pay more for one feature to get to a level that also offers something that you may desire. Some of those features may include:

• total weight
  • less than 10 ounces?
  • less than 9 ounces?
  • less than 8 ounces?
  • less than 7 ounces?
  • less than 6 ounces?
• weight of various parts, especially those that rotate
• number of, and placement of bearings
• quality of bearings
• sealing (number, placement and type of seals)
• more robust design/construction
• durability of gears
• smoothness of operation
• line lay characteristics/quality
• drag capacity
• drag smoothness
• reverse switch
• handle type
• spool design

Figure out what features are non-negotiable to you, and which ones are negotiable, and which ones are of little to no interest to you.

 

Lately, when looking to make a purchase, I have been using AI to learn, contrast, and compare products. It's certainly not the gospel, but it's a tool you may find useful when used with that in mind. Then I am likely to consume hours, vacillating and hand wringing. In the cart, out of the cart, and back in again. More research. . . . 40-50 tabs open. . . . more than one window with 40-50 tabs open, and then back into vacillating and hand wringing. And that's just to buy some t-shirts on the jungle site ;~) I kid, but just about it being t-shirts I'm buying. Fishing stuff? Yeah, that's me

3 hours ago, Big Hands said:

 

When it comes to spinning reels, I almost exclusively buy JDM with the main reason being the lack of shallow spool offerings in the USDM, and price being the other main factor.

 

Thanks. Do you have a JDM favorite, assuming I'm value sensitive but not terribly price sensitive? As an example, love my Zillions, Steez SV is nice, but I don't get much value for the price increase. 

The point about the okuma was that it just seemed to punch way above it's weight on the two core priorities I have. In fairness though, I fished a spinning rod mostly only under duress before FFS. 

I think if I were to add priorities, yeah a shallow spool would be nice (these should be a US option too) and line lay probably makes a difference I'm not tuned up enough to notice. 

 

JDM Stradic is pretty much a slam dunk for me. 2500 size because I can’t stand the T-handle design for some reason. The older blackout Tatula reels were nice, not as big a fan of the MQ but they are nice too. 

I picked up a stradic FM this year (1000) size and it's been awesome so far. 

On 10/3/2025 at 9:51 PM, txchaser said:

Do you have a JDM favorite, assuming I'm value sensitive but not terribly price sensitive? As an example, love my Zillions, Steez SV is nice, but I don't get much value for the price increase. 

 

I agree that the higher up the food chain you go, the law of diminishing returns applies. In the past few months, I have acquired two Daiwa Caldia reels (LT 2500S-XH in June, and an LT 2000S-H in September, and recently threw down for the latest Shimano Vanford A (aka FA) C2500SXG). I haven't had time to test the Vanford yet.

 

I have been more than pleased with the Caldia reels. They have shallow spools, they are lightweight, super smooth, and the drag systems are better than anything I have previously used such as my Tatulas, Kages, and even smoother than a 16 year old Stella 1000 that I have. It's the startup force required of the drag that feels different than anything else I have tried. 

 

So, with that said, I decided to give the Vanford a shot with their latest offering to see if the legendary line lay characteristics are indeed superior. I'm not slagging on the Caldia's at all and would be happy to have another, but just wanted to see if the Vanford love is justified for a relatively small price increase.

 

At the risk of oversharing, I will say that I am not someone that feels like I need to stick with one brand of rods or reels. I would even wear Adidas shoes with Nike socks (FTR, I don't own shoes or socks from Adidas or NIKE, but if I did, I would not be afraid to mix and match).

 

For me, the tipping point on price is somewhere in the $150 to $225 range. My reel needs are generally being met in between those pricepoints most of the time, although I did pay more for an Aldebaran BFS. I also have a couple of KastKing BFS reels that I paid less than $100 each for that I am also very happy to fish with.

 

Is the Aldebaran BFS three or four times better. than the Kestrel BFS? Not even remotely close. In fact the performance of the Kestrel BFS is not very as different, but the build quality is very noticeable. Time will tell if the ROI on the Aldebaran 'maths' out. I doubt it will, but I might still consider another Aldebaran just because I like it. The math on the ROI doesn't always have to be favorable, but I would like to know that before plonking down the money.

 

I don't consider myself a snob and will consider with modestly priced goods, but also occasionally appreciate some of the nicer gear too.

On 10/2/2025 at 11:18 PM, txchaser said:

Thanks everyone. Not hearing any JDM must-haves on the spinning side. Surprising!

Daiwa Caldia LT is a great buy and I've seen a few guys running them over on TT.  The 2500 weighs 5.99oz and runs $146.  *Edit- I see Big Hands recommended this 👍

 

https://japanlureshop.com/daiwa-25-caldia.html

4 hours ago, KP Duty said:

Daiwa Caldia LT is a great buy and I've seen a few guys running them over on TT.  The 2500 weighs 5.99oz and runs $146.

 

https://japanlureshop.com/daiwa-25-caldia.html

 

That's the one I have on my 7'6" Tatula Elite AGS hair jig rod, and that is where I bought it. The $146 price tag is great, but they do charge for shipping and the tariff is collected by the shipper on top of everything else. They have also (twice) thrown in a Megabass jerkbait that just happens to be my favorite Megabass jerkbait. 

8 hours ago, Big Hands said:

 

That's the one I have on my 7'6" Tatula Elite AGS hair jig rod, and that is where I bought it. The $146 price tag is great, but they do charge for shipping and the tariff is collected by the shipper on top of everything else. They have also (twice) thrown in a Megabass jerkbait that just happens to be my favorite Megabass jerkbait. 

My last order from JLS was in July, and I didn't have to pay a tariff.  I need some stuff from overseas, so I guess I'll experience it. 

I have a Daiwa Fuego LT and have no complaints. 

If you're interested, tackle tour has an in depth review of the newest Vanford A (aka FA) and how the Shimano has purposely differentiated the Vanford FA line from the current Stradic line in these latest iterations. My takeaway is that both are excellent reels, but one or the other may serve you better depending on what you want to do with them.

For those rods I would probably stick with something in the 2500 size range. It balances well on most medium and medium-light spinning rods and still gives you good line capacity.

I’ve had good luck with the Daiwa Fuego and Shimano Nasci in that category. Both are smooth, reasonably priced, and hold up well.