Reply With QuoteGuys,
I own Shimano Baitrunners 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500 and the 6500.
The big 6500 is the only one in regular use now as I am into distance surf fishing and mainly use Penn 525 T Mags, Abu 6500 CT and Daiwa 7HT baitcasters.
The introduction of Fuji Low Rider guides have revolutionised threadline distance fishing as have long cast spools and IAR roller bearings.
Threadline tournament distances are fast approaching those made by conventional baitcasters and Peter Thain (UK) recently cast 227.56 metres using a Shimano Big Baitrunner, 0.28mm mono and a 125 gram sinker.
I am currently looking at the larger threadlines in a series of articles in a fishing magazine (to name it could be percieved as spamming) and have looked, in depth at the Big Baitrunner in one article and the Banax Helicon in a previous one.
A couple of observations.
Bail arms are susceptible to premature closure during a power cast and need to be locked. Bail lock is easier achieved on a threadline with an external bail trip although any reel with an IAR roller bearing has provision to lock the bail automatically. Daiwa and Banax go the external trip route while Shimano use an internal trip.
After stripping down and fishing with both the Big Baitrunner and the Banax Helicon (which has the baitfeeder feature) there is little to choose between the two reels. There is also little difference between the RRP's but as in everything - you get what you pay for.
I won't comment on reels which I have had no experience with but, no doubt, I will get to strip down and cast the Okuma's and Tica's in the future.
One threadline feature which no manufacturer has attempted to answer yet is the question of spool lock. On big threadlines, unless the drag is locked tight, the line can slip resulting in a badly cut index finger. This means that the drag is constantly locked, and released to strike drag, which results in compression and excessive wear of the drag components. Spool lock is even more important with the increased usage of GsPE and although there are other methods of achieving spool lock, without locking the drag, it would be nice to see a threadline with a spool lock. Both D A M and Mitchell have had threadlines with both spool and bail locks in the past so it can't be too difficult.
BTW whilst I service all my own reels I have always been chicken to dismantle the Shaimano baitrunner components. I partially dismantle to get to the main gear, shaft and oscillating gear and use a light spray of WD40 in the baitrunner area so that nothing seizes up. Despite more than average use none of my 5 Shimano Baitrunners have ever performed less than perfectly and as I said previously - you get what you pay for.
Cheers
Tred
Originally Posted by imported_admin
