Low Profile Baitcasters - Again

[jaypeegee]

So I'm looking at a new low profile bait caster.

I will mainly fish it off the shore casting stick baits (40 - 120 gm. weights) to Kingfish (Amberjack?) and will use it off the Kayak also.
I will use 30Kg braid as a minimum - The diameter is more aimed at casting ease than strength.
It will be saltwater use only.
It will have or be given a power handle.

I will pair this with a Sonik 4-6Oz uptide rod (9 foot with an extendable 2 foot butt extension)  for shore casting initially and look to a bespoke stick bait rod when I can afford it.
I have several Kayak rods that will pair with most of these reels. The rods are all 5 - 6 foot long and balance with bait casters and small conventional reels well.

My research indicates that I am limited to the Abu Revo NACL 50 or 60 HS, The Lexa 300 or 400 HS, The Okuma 350/364 or the Shimano TranX HG500.
I have no ability to test any of these prior to purchase so will rely on your opinions for assistance.

Given that the reels all claim 20 - 25Lb maximum drag, have roughly the same line retrieval and Line capacity and include a clicker there seems little difference between them 9Bar the Tranx's price difference)

All bar the Okuma use Bronze gearing - I haven't seen many issues online where fishing these reels within the scope of the reel drag spec shows inherent failure.
But assume as most of my other reels bar the Avet's have bronze material that this is sufficient for the 20Lb drag i will use at max.

I see that the TranX does look to have particularly shallow teeth on the main gear which gives me concern. I assume Shimano know more than I when it comes to reel design. Does the TranX or Trini have inherent issues due to this lack of tooth depth?

The Okuma has a stainless steel gear mating with a brass pinion which would imply that the pinion is likely to wear out or fail prematurely.  Does that seem likely or is it too early in the products life cycle to tell?

The Daiwa has the gap in the thumbbar that John Tuttle pointed out - This implies that it might require higher maintenance to prevent saltwater based issues than other reels. Deal Killer John?

The TranX is double dogged. and weighs almost twice all other reels. It costs approximately twice also. What justifies this extra cost in your opinion?


I cant afford to buy one of each.
I like the look of the Abu50/60 but wish it were adjustable mag controlled.
I like the Daiwa 400 as it is mag controlled but am leery of the thumbbar issue and don't like the handle.
I like the Okuma but would need to replace the handle.
I like the Tranx but the cost makes it hard to justify. The weight and size are also on the "too much" side for me.

I am used to a non engaging level wind and would probably prefer it for the extra distance I perceive it to give.



What products have I missed out?
What have I neglected to consider?

Any and all opinions are welcomed here.

[handi2]

I have been using both the Lexa 300 and the 400 High Power. I haven't had any issues at all and the 400 has caught some big fish. The largest being a 36lb Cobia which fight like crazy..!

[MarkT]

I have the Lexa 300 and 400, NaCl 50, TranX hg. I've had no issues with the Lexa's and have caught many bass, Yellowtail and YFT on the 400. I've had issues with both of my son's NaCl's where they won't go back into gear until I open them up and lube the mechanism. The TranX is new and hadn't really been put to the test yet. I also have a Curado 300 dsv.  My son caught a 37# and a 25# YT on his Curado 300ej which has since been sold. He got tired of the bearings rusting.

One of the guys on bloody decks recently caught a 120# BFT on his Lexa 400 6.3:1 with a popper!

[exp2000]

Whatever you get, get it serviced upfront with anticorrosive lubes for kayak use. Especially the bearings.

[jaypeegee]

Lot of good points for the Lexa so far. Be interested to your opinion of the TranX once you give it a good go.
After the NACL was lubed, did it resolve the back into gear issue? I had a similar issue with my Revo -SX-HS which was resolved easily enough with a clean and lube and hasn't reoccurred.
Whatever I get it will be stripped and serviced prior to use.

[johndtuttle]

This is a very interesting category with a lot going on right now.

Lexa 300 and 400 are being upgraded with new Lexa 300/400 models presented at ICAST today. No deal breaker on the old models maintenance for anyone familiar with the Tani Way.  Seem very simple and solid for the coin. Dunno about the new ones as the details of the changes are not totally known.

Revo Toro Beast is debuting at ICAST. No info yet on pricing or performance but is an improved Revo Toro NaCl. Still not a very large reel. Thumb Clutch is improved.

Tranx is Made in Japan in the same factory as the Trinidad A, to explain the price. A VERY large reel.

No worries about stainless main gear into brass pinion on the Komodo at all. I haven't heard any more if the new larger size is coming soon or not.

Curado 300ej have caught many good fish too...dunno about your son's maintenance regimen.

If I were to pick up one, it likely would be a Revo Beast for refinement, a Lexa for a bargain, a Komodo to go with an up and comer and a Curado if I were a Shimano fan boi. 

They are all extremely fishable with little to differentiate among them. If you open them up they are all virtually the same reel.


regards

[MarkT]

I think the not going into gear problem occured with both NaCl 50's once. Also, the first one he got had jerky drags out of the box so I greased them with Cal's and it smoothed out. They may just need a pre-fishing once over out of the box.

I don't think my son is real good at cleaning his reels after fishing... and he fishes a lot! He got another BFT yesterday... on one of my reels, not his brand new DX2 400 he got last weekend.  I think he just rinses them off and waits until they have issues then turns them over to me.

The Curado EJ's had problems with the anti-reverse bearings... they aren't shielded very well. One also had the bearing under the gear stud disintegrate.  Shimano charges $25 for service and nothing extra for parts.  His last one went in and got the ARB and all the other bearings replaced as wll as the main, pinion and drag washers all for the $25 service charge.  He sold it Sunday... the same day he got the DX2 400.

Yes, the TranX is much larger than the Lexa 400!  The Lexa may be the closest thing to the TranX but it's really not close to the same size.

[jaypeegee]

The Toro beast has too little line cap for me.
The Daiwa may be good if clearance prices show a bargain. What is the replacement model called?
Will keep my eyes open for the Komodo - There is a 400 model coming I hear...

[Rancanfish]

Don't know if all Lexa's are going on sale, but were half off here locally.

They sold pretty quick!

[johndtuttle]

The Toro beast has too little line cap for me.
The Daiwa may be good if clearance prices show a bargain. What is the replacement model called?
Will keep my eyes open for the Komodo - There is a 400 model coming I hear...

You can already find them for ~$200 on ebay daily. The model name is not changing, but this is based on a brief report by Tackle Direct staff from ICAST today.

The Revo Toro Beast is a new reel. The Revo Beast is a small baitcaster. The Revo Toro Beast is the same ~cap as a Revo NaCl 60 I believe.

[jaypeegee]

Sorry JT.my bad. Looked at the correct reel this time..
Its a shame that the NZD has nose dived spectacularly.
Figure I will poke this post a couple more times to see what other opinions I get.
Reading between the lines it seems that there is SFA between the reels bar personal opinion (and price and size in the case of the TranX)

[jaypeegee]

Has a release date been set officially for the Lexa HD and new Revo toro beast?
I see a preorder for the Lexa at JandH but not much else.

[johndtuttle]

Has a release date been set officially for the Lexa HD and new Revo toro beast?
I see a preorder for the Lexa at JandH but not much else.

Dunno but I'll keep an eye peeled.

I should have a Beast in my hands in a week or so for a sneaky peeky. 

[jaypeegee]

There isn't a mention whether it has a pwr handle on Abu's site. Do you know if it does JT?

[johndtuttle]

There isn't a mention whether it has a pwr handle on Abu's site. Do you know if it does JT?

It does have a power handle and a regular one (it comes with both).