JamoDamo Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 (edited) Hey Raiders! Now is the time to step up in my price range for some new gear!! As of recent I got given a td commander 1-2kg bayonet division FOR FREE so that combo is a work in process but here we are to the good stuff. I've been eyeing off the td hyper for quite some time as it always looked like an awesome rod to use for finesse soft plastics fishing (my all time favourite type of fishing to do as of recent). I've made my decision in getting a 1-3kg td hyper v2 and matching it with either a freams, legalis 2021 lt or a daiwa Kix 2500D. While on lunch break I had a quite little fiddle around with some gear including the freams and Kix and matched it up with the hyper. Now for my first magsealed reel I was a bit jumpy on what the hell should I get and man the freams is nice as for the $220 price point and super light too and with all the features it seemed so good for the price. Then the Kix got presented to me and man what a reel! Matched it up with the td hyper and yeah okay its a tad on the heavier side but it still matches quite nicely along with the rod. With a bit of balancing in the hand it felt "right". Had a fiddle around with the rod trying my usual retrieves such as the single lift, double hop, flicky shroom hop retrieve and the burn and kill retrieve and man it handled really nicely. I still have my heart set on the freams but I honestly have no idea what is the better reel to get. The freams was light as in the hand matched with the rod which was super nice but the Kix to be honest wasn't much different with a few adjustments however I am feeling that it may get a bit heavy in the hand to fish with all day but i've fished plastics with cheaper setups that are heavier and still haven't noticed much strain or fatigue in my hands. Sorry for making this post probably a tad too long but anyways. Cheers guys James Also forgot to put in, the kix is 235 grams and the freams in the same size is 200 grams Edited June 13, 2021 by JamoDamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthman Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 I have the freams and love it. Can be had for $160 delivered (or slightly cheaper for smaller sizes) from AliExpress, if that helps you make a decision... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 2 hours ago, anthman said: Can be had for $160 delivered (or slightly cheaper for smaller sizes) from AliExpress, if that helps you make a decision... Personally I'd rather support an aussie business over a China based business even if it cost more, plus you know you will be buying a real Daiwa product, not a knock off. Plus if you need any warranty work done you'd be lucky to even get it done & you'd have to send it back to China. Just saying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 The freams is a lighter reel so maybe better for finesse, however the kix has more grunt to get fish out of structure where I fish. However a 1-3kg rod and a 235 gram reel may not mix... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoods Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 I bought the Kix 5000 for snapper SP's and cannot fault it. I wanted a stronger reel that didn't flex under heavy load. Good luck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 3 hours ago, JamoDamo said: The freams is a lighter reel so maybe better for finesse, however the kix has more grunt to get fish out of structure where I fish. However a 1-3kg rod and a 235 gram reel may not mix... If I didnt read it on the Daiwa specs I wouldnt have believed it. https://daiwafishing.com.au/products/kix-lt The Kix 2500 has a 10kg drag pressure..................................but why for such a light reel 🤪 As is the Freams. If your looking at something a little cheaper to suit your budget but still a very good reel for the coin & only 30 grams more in weight than the Kix bit 60 grams more than the Freams then have a look at the BG's. Good luck with the choice Jamo 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 5 hours ago, kingie chaser said: If I didnt read it on the Daiwa specs I wouldnt have believed it. https://daiwafishing.com.au/products/kix-lt The Kix 2500 has a 10kg drag pressure..................................but why for such a light reel 🤪 As is the Freams. If your looking at something a little cheaper to suit your budget but still a very good reel for the coin & only 30 grams more in weight than the Kix bit 60 grams more than the Freams then have a look at the BG's. Good luck with the choice Jamo 😉 Its the LT (Light and tough Concept) which pretty much means what it says, heaps and heaps of drag for a small finesse "bream reel" . Also i've got $540 to invest in a setup with but i'd like to keep it under $400 as I still have a bunch of lures plastics and a bunch of other stuff that I need to restock with. I am looking to get my first magsealed bream reel so it seems this maybe the one i'm going with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) 12 minutes ago, JamoDamo said: Its the LT (Light and tough Concept) which pretty much means what it says, heaps and heaps of drag for a small finesse "bream reel" . Also i've got $540 to invest in a setup with but i'd like to keep it under $400 as I still have a bunch of lures plastics and a bunch of other stuff that I need to restock with. I am looking to get my first magsealed bream reel so it seems this maybe the one i'm going with So 10kg drag for 6lb line. Yep, makes sense to me Just don't turn it one notch to far! You can still catch fish with a $35 reel & the fish won't know the difference!! Edited June 14, 2021 by kingie chaser 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 2 minutes ago, kingie chaser said: So 10kg drag for 6lb line. Yep, makes sense to me Just don't turn it one notch to far! Hahahaha I have no idea what to get man the kix seems like it may be a tad too heavy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 3 minutes ago, kingie chaser said: You can still catch fish with a $35 reel & the fish won't know the difference!! For sure I used to use abu garcia blackmax reels and still did well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) 11 minutes ago, JamoDamo said: For sure I used to use abu garcia blackmax reels and still did well Sometimes you have to look beyond all the marketing BS. None of my reels are over $300 & the cheapest is $35, they all catch fish. Edited June 14, 2021 by kingie chaser 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 2 minutes ago, kingie chaser said: Sometimes you have to look beyond all the marketing BS. None of my reels are over $300 & the cheapest is $35, they as long work & catch fish. Yeah, as long as they do what they are designed to do and don't cause trouble it should be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaltyGreek Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 1 hour ago, kingie chaser said: You can still catch fish with a $35 reel & the fish won't know the difference!! I don’t really use top of the line stuff and catch myself plenty of good fish whether I’m using bait or lures. Expensive gear is nice but it’s not a necessity in my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthman Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, JamoDamo said: Its the LT (Light and tough Concept) which pretty much means what it says, heaps and heaps of drag for a small finesse "bream reel" . Also i've got $540 to invest in a setup with but i'd like to keep it under $400 as I still have a bunch of lures plastics and a bunch of other stuff that I need to restock with. I am looking to get my first magsealed bream reel so it seems this maybe the one i'm going with With that much to invest and given the general commentary around "you'll still be able to catch fish with most reels of all price ranges" (which I support btw), why not consider this: buy what you need now and save the rest for the next class of reel/rod? (An eventual outcome as you go on your fishing journey). E.g. get a decent reel for your bream fishing - something like a 1000/2000/2500 nasci would be light and very smooth (or even an exceler LT - very smooth for a cheaper reel) then save the big bucks for bigger reels / heavier rods when the time comes (e.g. heavy king setup) - I've found you can get away with cheaper reels on the lighter end but you need to spend more, relatively, on the heavier gear just due to the stresses and conditions it needs to face. Edited June 14, 2021 by anthman 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) I'm thinking I may just go with the freams or exceller or legalis Edited June 14, 2021 by JamoDamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoods Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 Buy it Once, Buy it Well Jammo - Then look after it!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 This might be a controversial opinion but I reckon the reel is way less important than the rod for finesse fishing. I'd put the bulk of my money towards a quality rod before spending big on a reel when buying really light gear. Obviously a different story for heavier stuff where the amount of drag pressure is more important. If I were in your shoes I'd grab the Daiwa Legalis LT and spend the rest on a serious rod upgrade. If you're fishing for bream on plastics this will make waaaaaay more difference than an expensive reel. Have a look at the cheaper end of the Millerods range or the mid range Daiwa Infeet series. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 Dawia Legalis as some of the guys are saying. The new 2021 reel is a good reel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 15, 2021 Author Share Posted June 15, 2021 The legalis was the reel I was going to go with at first, then I tried the freams and then the kix and now I have no idea what to get Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 He Kix is $100 more than the Legalis. Both good reels. Your money, but the Shimano Nasci is a really good reel and value for money around $129.00. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Another controversial thought...if we spent less time thinking about gear and more time actually fishing, we'd probably catch more fish! 🤣 Which is what I think we are trying to do when over-thinking our gear (see my landing net post a week ago...). In my early days on this forum you probably noticed I was fishing with a shimano twinpower and a Daiwa Pixy baitcaster. Both very high end reels. You got to get nice equipment some time, if you can afford it. Eventually the pixy got stolen and the twinpower probably needs to get sent to shimano for a lookover and since then, my budget has decreased (even though my income has increased...how does that happen?!). Today, I'm perfectly happy with my fleet of Shimano Sedonas + a chance to use them! I just wish I had read the advice from the raiders here on the 2021 Legalis before I made my latest purchase! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little fisho Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 i have the freams 5000 with 12kg of drag and have found that there is a lot of flex in the bail arm, even for a light reel, but cannot speak for smaller sizes. i use the caldia 2000 and its a fantastic reel nevermind the $300 price tag. i would go with the nasci for the cheaper price tag or a stradic if you want better quality for a higher price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 (edited) You can buy the old Shimano Stradics on sale at the moment. I believe Shimano is phasing them out. The new SW Stradic has arrived. Cheers. Edited June 18, 2021 by Rebel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoods Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Hey Jammo are you thoroughly confused yet!! Good luck with your choice. I just went through the same issue replacing a 10-20lb snapper stick. At the end of the day you have to be happy fishing with your gear. If you are happy the price is less relevant. Good luck Hoodz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamoDamo Posted June 20, 2021 Author Share Posted June 20, 2021 I've made up my mind. Stuff the freams, the kix or the legalis.. I am going the shimano stradic FL 1000! $230ish and a 1-3kg td hyper balanced beautifully so thats my setup! Can't wait! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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