I bought one to try because they were supposed to be better reels. I've had about ten fish on it and it's shakier than a couple I've been using for three seasons.
I got a pair of Shimano Super GTs, having found the first one so good I've just bought another when in Germany. Usual Shimano quality and not too fast a retrieve, which I feel is important for winter lure fishing. Retrieving deep-diving plugs soon sorts the good reels out from the bad! Street price here should be under ?80. Can anyone help with this?
I've been using the Diawa version of the Baitrunner for a few of seasons now. I used to get a lot of line twist with my Shimanos. The Diawa twistbuster really works and the reels are quite reasonably priced at below ?60.
I have been told the new Shimano baitrunners are made in Malaysia, and hence the quality is not so good. Makes sense really.
Also, dont bother with a baitrunner for spinning. U are paying for a facility u dont need and u add weight and cost to the reel. Have a look at the new Okuma Epix reels. 9 ball bearings for ?60...and they are cracking, solid reels.
I was going to ask if any of you had had experience with Okuma. I am in the market for another reel. I was thinking of getting another Shimano GTM Stradic for general fishing. They are however very expensive.
I wouldn't put more than 12 lb line on my Stradic. I've used it a great deal on the Trent during the last few months for barbel. An excellent reel and lovely to play a big fish with. The only thing I don't like about it is the colour, but then I am a conservative old fart/
The new Baitrunners aren't as solid as the old ones. The handles started to slip from day one and the spools wobble when the line's under tension, which is a bit unnerving.
When in the Okuma site you have to go to the USA site to check out the Epix data. The largest only has front drag. I needed a reel so bought Epix 30 with rear drag cos of all the praise I'd heard. I've yet to use it but it does look the buisness. Also the going rate is ?40.
When asking the tackle shops I've heard a number of favourable reports of the Okuma Coronado bait runner. Mike Fidler, on another thread, though advised me he'd picked one up & thought 'it was missing something'. Mind you if the Simano's are wobbly & these cost only ?40......?
Chris...I seem to recall the Daiwa Sensitron being praised to high heaven by some very well know anglers. Strange that these anglers are now on the Daiwa pay roll!..lol
Okuma are a huge manufacturing company who make many reels for other well known companies. When I lived in the far east, many of the game boats used Okuma multipliers for Tuna etc....so they must be pretty solid.