Shimano downgrading their tackle

[Horse]

I have one of the early MaxSpins and its been my go to rod for heavier plastics and more importantly throwing smaller slugs at pelagics. The more recent Lightspin I purchased (2009) started with rusting guides within the first few trips and the reel seat is not very secure. Its a shame they downgraded this rod to the same specs you get on a $100.00 or less job. They had these bases covered with Starlo Classics and raiders. The only Shimano item that seems to have improved significantly in recent years is the Stradic. I have been very happy with both of mine compared to the previous Stradics

[aussiebasser]

This wouldn't be just a rekindling of the sh!tfight you had with Shimano a few years ago about the Stella range would it?

[NAGG]

This wouldn't be just a rekindling of the sh!tfight you had with Shimano a few years ago about the Stella range would it?

No Dale ...... I still own Miss Stella ....... poor thing has cancer of the spool now
I dont have issues with Shimano as such but have noticed that their mid range gear is being down graded.
the consumer is not the winner
I reckon you know that what I am saying is correct though !

Chris

[aussiebasser]

I haven't used Shimano for years, so I very rarely pick one up to notice any difference. Please do not let yourself believe that I would think you are correct on just about anything.

[NAGG]

I haven't used Shimano for years, so I very rarely pick one up to notice any difference. Please do not let yourself believe that I would think you are correct on just about anything.

not something that I'll loose any sleep over !

[Paul_Dolan]

I don't post on forums much but after reading this I just thought I'd add my 2 bobs worth on Shimano reels.
I've been using them in my Guiding business for the past 8 and 1/2 years and have never had them let me down!!!unlike a few Daiwa's I had when I first started.
Nagg my Stradics and Spheros,Curado reels that I supply to clients have caught more Longtail and Mac Tuna,Queenfish, Golden trevally,Barra and many other species than your Daiwa's will see in their lifetime so as far as quality goes I cant fault them and I have had 3 top brand Daiwa fail on fish that clients have bought on board and they have used my Shimano to catch fish for the day.
Ive had more Lowrance units fail than Shimano reels

I have 7 Shimano reels that are my personal reels and recently had the opportunity to buy a Daiwa at a good price but decided not to simply because I have great faith in my Shimano's.
Anyone looking for a mid range price reel will not go wrong with the Stradics they are near bullet proof,if you doubt it have a look on my web site the proof is in the pics

Paul

[Paul_Dolan]

I forgot to add I'm not sponsored by Shimano and buy all my reels through tackle retail outlets.

Paul

[ozscott]

I saw good feedback from horse and others on straddic and liked the look and feel of them. Bought a little one at a great price from the us and it's outstanding. I went out with the fishhead boys a couple of years ago and from memory their little bay spin reels were straddics. I love the way it handles. I have a nice daiwa rod. I also have a speedster shimano for chasing tuna which is built like a tank but it's prob 5 years old. I also have a fantastic 4000 series baitrunner that would be 10 years old and its a delight. Don't know about future purchases but will look hard next time to see how they are doing. Cheers

[NAGG]

I don't post on forums much but after reading this I just thought I'd add my 2 bobs worth on Shimano reels.
I've been using them in my Guiding business for the past 8 and 1/2 years and have never had them let me down!!!unlike a few Daiwa's I had when I first started.
Nagg my Stradics and Spheros,Curado reels that I supply to clients have caught more Longtail and Mac Tuna,Queenfish, Golden trevally,Barra and many other species than your Daiwa's will see in their lifetime so as far as quality goes I cant fault them and I have had 3 top brand Daiwa fail on fish that clients have bought on board and they have used my Shimano to catch fish for the day.
Ive had more Lowrance units fail than Shimano reels

I have 7 Shimano reels that are my personal reels and recently had the opportunity to buy a Daiwa at a good price but decided not to simply because I have great faith in my Shimano's.
Anyone looking for a mid range price reel will not go wrong with the Stradics they are near bullet proof,if you doubt it have a look on my web site the proof is in the pics

Paul

Hey Paul

I have no doubt in what you are saying - so all respect to your opinion (guiding is tough on gear).
Mate , I have quite a bit of shimano gear (mainly overheads) or have owned as Shimano were my prime source of fishing tackle for 15 years. They have made and still make some good gear
My point is though ..... It appears that Shimano has gone down the path of a lot of businesses in the cost saving department by stealth . It certainly becomes obvious if you are familiar with previous models.
I know I will be watching with curiosity at what the new Curados , sustains & stradics look & feel like when they come out. I know the current twin power was given the thumbs down by another guide
Anyhow - It's my opinion only based on observation....& I guess it is up to the individual to determine if he is getting value for money .

& yes I've had my issues with Lowrance and Daiwa too

Cheers

Chris

[Si]

i have to agree on the downgrading of the rods but im pretty sure the blanks are the same as they always have been. they are just as not as nicely finished off which is a factor i guess. Personally i think shimano should stick to making quality reels. i havent really noticed a downgrade in their reels although i havent had the pleasure of owning a top end shimano reel so cant really comment. i have three stradic reels, a curado, spheros and tld and they have been awesome for me with no complaints. i think the calais is pretty awesome reel and top of the range which is pretty hard to beat and definitely has not been downgraded.

[NAGG]

i have to agree on the downgrading of the rods but im pretty sure the blanks are the same as they always have been. they are just as not as nicely finished off which is a factor i guess. Personally i think shimano should stick to making quality reels. i havent really noticed a downgrade in their reels although i havent had the pleasure of owning a top end shimano reel so cant really comment. i have three stradic reels, a curado, spheros and tld and they have been awesome for me with no complaints. i think the calais is pretty awesome reel and top of the range which is pretty hard to beat and definitely has not been downgraded.

the rods are where you can really see the change (fuji guides are being replaced with Pacific bay or unknowns in the lower spec range - new plastic winch fittings - not graphite)
The reels are harder to pick ...... but the finish isn't.
I'll wait for the new models to confirm my thoughts

Chris

[JB]

The new baitrunners are very dissapointing, great out of the box but they dont hold up very well. In saying that shimano service replaced my gears and sent back asap so service was great. I shy'd away from thunnus c14 puerly because of the issues with my 8000D. On the other hand my stella 10000 sw and my talica are the 2 best reels i've ever used. My 2 cents.

[NAGG]

The new baitrunners are very dissapointing, great out of the box but they dont hold up very well. In saying that shimano service replaced my gears and sent back asap so service was great. I shy'd away from thunnus c14 puerly because of the issues with my 8000D. On the other hand my stella 10000 sw and my talica are the 2 best reels i've ever used. My 2 cents.

The baitrunners are a good example ...... It was pointed out to me by a mate & when I had a look I saw what he meant ( the original series of baitrunners were just awesome - hall of snapper fishing fame stuff )
..... Shimanos game reels , larger overheads are the first ones I would look at - personally I think it is what they do best (Tiagras ,Ttrinidads , Torsas , Calcuttas , Tilicas)
SW Stellas - the big stuff!

Chris

[oldboot]

I think the chinese buy out of a couple of tackle distributers has a lot to answer for, I understand that Jarvis Walker was baught out by chinese or the like.

there has been a big upheaval in low end retail tackle, where jarvis walker dominated the chain stores a couple of years ago, shimano now seem to have the deal with theit ET and Starlo items.

Lost of places that once had Penn, no longer seem to have it on the shelf.

I don't think the chinese can get past the "make cheap, make cheap" mentality and the majority of the fishing market in this country is price focused.

Personally i think Shimano reels have alwsys been overpriced particularly in the low end of the market.

With all the generic stuff comming in and the internet mail order thing starting to bite......I recon the simple response of "make cheap, make cheap" is hard to resist, particularly if you actually care little about the end user.

cheers

[Noelm]

Penn and a few other brands are going to the single dealer sort of setup, as in say BCF can sell them, but your small local guy can't or won't, Shimano tend to be moving in that direction too, rather than being able to buy them anywhere, you will need to go to (say) Kmart to get them, whether this is good or bad in the long term is anyone's guess, and thinking about it, to the big end manufacturer, it means a single account (sort of) rather than a thousand small guys buying maybe 2 or 3 reels at a time, the big multi nationals can just buy a palet of reels, whack them on special, clean up on sales in a week, and move on to something else. By the way, I only used Kmart and BCF as a reference, do not torch me for quoting them.