On 12/21/2025 at 11:59 PM, Micro Module Police said:

More expensive reels won't catch you more fish, but when the bit is dead, they're much more fun to use than a $100 reel. That is the only reason to invest into high end.

Plus, it's nice to have shiny toys.  I've learned to get the higher priced rod/reel because I'll soon thereafter forget about the price but I'll own the rod/reel.  With that said, I have my limits but I'll get the Zillion over a Tatula, that I know will do the job, because I like nice, fancy things!  I've never regretted buying a high end rod/reel but I have become unsatisfied with entry level tackle that I then upgraded.  

I have run the gamut with baitcasters, and I have narrowed it down to four depending on fishing needs.  I no longer buy reels at price points.  I buy what works for me, and I don't think I will ever differ from this list much in the future until something new comes along that is night and day better.  Yes, I still own other reels.  But if buying new or replacing, this is what they will always be:

 

Aldebaran bfs

Curado mgl 71

Bantam mgl 151

Tranx B 301

Abu Garcia Black Max

 

Shimano SLX - any version 

 

Shimano Curado - K maybe don't know about the M

 

Daiwa Zillion (JDM) 

 

Shimano Metanium 

 

Shimano Calcutta Conquest - any new version 

 

Daiwa Steez SV TW Limited Shallow Edition 

 

Under $60:

 

Worm, jig, punch: Seasir Salminus

 

Moving baits: Seasir Megacuda/Leydun G6

 

Big bait: Johncoo Ares

 

Under $150:

 

Small reel: Tatula 80, SLX MGL

 

Normal sized reel: Tatula 100, Curado 150MGL, BPS JM Carbonlite 

 

Skipping: Fuego SV

 

Under $200:

 

Small reels: Curado 70 MGL, Tatula 70 SV

 

Normal sized reel: Tatula Elites, Curado 150 MGL

 

Bigger bait reels: Tatula 150/200, Tatula 300.  Curado 200M when it gets this cheap

 

$200 and above: Zillions, Bantam, Met, 

 

Enthusiast tier: Conquest, Ryoga, Steez, Z2020/Z200, Antares, Megabass reels, custom BFS tuned Pixy/Alphas, Alde mg7/50es/1000xt, custom painted Daiwa/Shimano reels, perfectly tuned and dressed up excellent condition examples of old Daiwas and Shimanos with hard to find and or crazy expensive parts.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got one tier... 

 

 

Purposefully have not purchased new casting reels...because I know if I got one...my kitchen table would look just like @A-Jay. And then would start replacing rods(!)

On 12/20/2025 at 4:20 PM, F14A-B said:

 Now for a performance question, have these been used in Mexico by chance? 

I use mostly Tranx 300's and a Calutta 300D down south.

They perform nicely.

I will admit that in the 100 plus degree mid day sun,

the metal reels can get a little hot to the touch.

I wear gloves, so it's all good. 

A-Jay

On 12/22/2025 at 12:02 AM, Micro Module Police said:

Yea, i had the magnesium version. I was referring to the newest Steez, though. The 2016 steez isn't for me, the front is way too fat, and not too comfy to palm. I also hated it for jerkbaits.

They're not bad reels at all, but with the release of the new Tatutal, they're are far inferior in everything (maybe cast a few feet further, but who is gonna notice that). So the Tatula is the reason, which isn't only superior, but also can be had for noticeably cheaper.

What was the issue for jerkbaits?

Alright guys, Tatula 100

vs. Curado 150. 
To start off, I am not super experienced or saying this is set in stone. This is just my comparison between the two. The Tatula 100 new model definitely feels good in hand. The curado is also very smooth and I think it wins in that category. Hard to say because both of my reels probably need re greased, which I’m doing this winter. For casting they were very close with the Curado spooled with 17 pound stren mono and the tatula spooled with 12 stren mono. I originally planned to use the same line but this is what I had on me without taking off other reels. I used jigs with trailer both weighing 14 grams(both 1/4 bitsy bugs).The curado averaged half a foot farther than the tatula over 8 casts, both on 6’10 medium heavy fast rods. So using that logic the curado would definitely out cast the tatula 5-10 feet with the same line. 

15 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

What was the issue for jerkbaits?

Generally speaking, the shape of the reel. Fat front, with a thin back is not comfy at all to me. But the biggest issue for jerkbaits was the palming side plate. The portion belows digs into the palm when jerking all day with it.
 

Totally aside, my mind can't grasp LHW baitcaster - I can't look at a photo and feel the reel.  

I bought '17 Steez first after 35 years of Lew's.  It was specifically for Roro-X29 spool 2-g capability and salt shore niche.  Swapped with Ray's SV spool for bass finesse.  I've never really treated magnesium Steez like a salt reel, that is, I don't take it on salt kayak.  

I was so impressed, I bought '21 Zillion the month it was introduced.  It's fished 5 hard salt years and still going strong - never once backlashed - and joined by friends, Silver Wolf, SLPW-Z(HD) and Ryoga 100.  

Except for my Ambassadeur bench projects in river kayak, and tinkering newfound Badger/ Sabre BFS,

 

I'm with @king fisher - if it ain't Daiwa 34-mm floating spool, I don't want it.  

Contrarily I don’t really get rhw reels. Reeling is a simple repetitive motion, whereas the rod requires fine motor control for casting accuracy, lure manipulation, and bite detection which are all better served by your dominant hand/arm imo (unless you’re a lefty, of course).

I've got plans to pick up a pair of used steez 1016 in the near future, at around $300-400 for near mint seems like a great value.

3 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Totally aside, my mind can't grasp LHW baitcaster - I just can't look at a photo and feel the reel.  

I bought '17 Steez first after 35 years of Lew's.  It was specifically for Roro-X29 spool 2-g capability and salt shore niche.  Swapped with Ray's SV spool for bass finesse.  I've never really treated magnesium Steez like a salt reel, that is, I don't take it on salt kayak.  

I was so impressed, I bought '21 Zillion the month it was introduced.  It's fished 5 hard salt years and still going strong - and joined by friends, Silver Wolf, SLPW-Z(HD) and Ryoga 100.  

Except for my Ambassadeur bench projects in river kayak, and tinkering newfound Badger/ Sabre BFS,

 

I'm with @king fisher - if it ain't Daiwa 34-mm floating spool, I don't want it.  

Is the 17 steez the same frame as the steez A/AII?

I bet you've called me out a half-dozen times with that same question.  

Here are all the Steez models currently supported with parts by Daiwa

https://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/optionparts/language/en/manufacturers/1/siries/6/

My reel is the last magnesium-body Steez SV TW with 34-mm dia SV spool, model 1016SV-H. 

Steez A is aluminum body and weighs one ounce more, MagZ-Boost spool 

 

@Bass Rutten - there are also L/R-brain people who don't have a dominant hand.  Most fly fishermen take their dominant hand backwards - it's the line hand that loads the rod and controls cast timing.  Keeping spin fishing in a separate arm from both baitcast and fly keeps spinning wrist habits away from the other two casts.  

But I get it - both my daughter and my buddy Lou are so RH-dominant, even on spinning tackle, they swap hands to both cast and wind RH.  

Nothing in fishing requires big muscle power or extreme fine motor skills, but muscle memory is habit you develop over time with repeat use.    

19 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

Contrarily I don’t really get rhw reels. Reeling is a simple repetitive motion, whereas the rod requires fine motor control for casting accuracy, lure manipulation, and bite detection which are all better served by your dominant hand/arm imo (unless you’re a lefty, of course).

I've got plans to pick up a pair of used steez 1016 in the near future, at around $300-400 for near mint seems like a great value.

I think you got that backwards.  Rod movement when working a bait or setting the hook mostly uses large muscle groups and some fine motor skills in the wrist but it is the reel with the grasping of the knobs with the thumb and index finger and rapid wrist rotations that is the most demanding of fine motor skills.  You can also argue that the thumbing of the spool and grasping of the rod by the handle and trigger also uses fine motor skills and that is why people cast with their dominant hand.

 

I use both left and right handed reels and everytime I use my right handed reels I notice how much more rapidly and smoothly I can turn the handle burning back in a bait.  It feels like 2nd nature because it is.  I'm right handed and learned right handed reels 1st.

 

I use my right handed reels for baits that turning the handle is the primary means of movement and use left handed reels for punching/flipping, pitching, short target casting and bottom contact baits in a semi palming grip.  When I 1st learned to use a left hand reel it was very unnatural because I had to unlearn spinning reel developed fine motor skills that wanted my hand to make an oval while my forearm moved to form a circle.  With baitcast reels your forearm is stationary while the hande rotates in a circle to turn the handle.  This lead to  me making a herky jerky handle turn but I re-taught that hand and now it's nearly as good as the right.  It's s little slower and doesn't have the reel cranking endurance of the right but that will go away over time with use, or maybe not since I don't use that hand for moving baits.  

I don’t want to cause a derail here so we’ll have to agree to disagree. My main point is that fine motor control is defined by the precision and control required, not which muscles or the size of the muscles used.

 

Merry Christmas everybody!!!!

23 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

I bet you've called me out a half-dozen times with that same question.  

Here are all the Steez models currently supported with parts by Daiwa

https://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/optionparts/language/en/manufacturers/1/siries/6/

My reel is the last magnesium-body Steez SV TW with 34-mm dia SV spool, model 1016SV-H. 

Steez A is aluminum body and weighs one ounce more, MagZ-Boost spool 

 

@Bass Rutten - there are also L/R-brain people who don't have a dominant hand.  Most fly fishermen take their dominant hand backwards - it's the line hand that loads the rod and controls cast timing.  Keeping spin fishing in a separate arm from both baitcast and fly keeps spinning wrist habits away from the other two casts.  

But I get it - both my daughter and my buddy Lou are so RH-dominant, even on spinning tackle, they swap hands to both cast and wind RH.  

Nothing in fishing requires big muscle power or extreme fine motor skills, but muscle memory is habit you develop over time with repeat use.    

My apologies. That reel in your original post (17 steez) looks identical to a steez A. It’s hard to tell which frame is which from pictures.

 

Edit

 

I think you might be confusing models. I see the 2016 steez is the magnesium sv

 

 

The 2017 steez is the aluminum A model.

 

They both appear to have the same body style, right? That’s what I meant. The shape. I should have said body instead of frame. 

On 12/20/2025 at 4:08 PM, A-Jay said:

I understand the premise, but I only have one tier.

It's called the performance & reliability tier.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

Why is your house staged like a tackle shop???

28 minutes ago, Kayak Koz said:

Why is your house staged like a tackle shop???

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own.

Happy Holidays @Kayak Koz

A-Jay

On 12/25/2025 at 3:49 PM, woolleyfooley said:

My apologies. That reel in your original post (17 steez) looks identical to a steez A. It’s hard to tell which frame is which from pictures.

 

Edit

 

I think you might be confusing models. I see the 2016 steez is the magnesium sv

 

 

The 2017 steez is the aluminum A model.

 

They both appear to have the same body style, right? That’s what I meant. The shape. I should have said body instead of frame. 

@bulldog1935 are they the same body style?