Bates Reels?

[jgp12000]

I found this sight while looking at Mudhole & these reels are impressive to me. I probably will never spend that much on a reel but was curious if any of you guys had tried them?

https://batesfishingco.com/collections/reels

[JasonGotaProblem]

There's another thread on these somewhere. It's a lot of clever marketing on a reel that's over-engineered in places that don't actually feel stress fishing (the machines body is meaningless on a lopro besides marketing), and under-engineered in places that do feel stress. I'd never shell out anywhere near what they're asking.

With that said my boss bought one and seems to like it.

[jurelometer]

There's another thread on these somewhere. It's a lot of clever marketing on a reel that's over-engineered in places that don't actually feel stress fishing (the machines body is meaningless on a lopro besides marketing), and under-engineered in places that do feel stress. I'd never shell out anywhere near what they're asking.

With that said my boss bought one and seems to like it.

Yup.

Haven't played with one, but we went into the disassembly video and a bit of research on the company in the thread that Jason mentioned.

Aluminum main gear and shaft.  There is a backup ratchet, but no dog    Looks to me like  they are tweaking an existing low end Chinese your-brand-name-goes-here generic reel, and putting a pretty looking five axis CNC milled frame around it.

From a marketing standpoint, it makes sense to put all the investment in the part of the reel that the customer can see, but it doesn't make for a good reel.

Here's the original thread:

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=37255.0

-J

[jgp12000]

I just read the original thread & don't see them lasting as long as the heavy hitters from yesteryear. The machined from a block of aluminum marketing I think is what gets the attention for most.  I could never justify paying that for any one reel anyhow. It would buy several vintage reels in my opinion that I rather have anyhow.

[jurelometer]

Ooh...

Just looked at the Bates/Seaborn website.  Almost all of the models are listed as "SOLD OUT".  Not back order, just sold out.  Kind of makes you wonder how viable the company is.

-J

[foakes]

When the marketing & financial departments are obviously doing the engineering —- that is a big red flag for me.

Look at parts support & availability, engineering reliability, a system of authorized independent shops.

Lots of folks believe that if something is sharp-looking, shiny, innovative, and very expensive —- it must be good.

Seldom true...

These guys are fishermen —- their goal is to separate our common sense from our wallet in order to reel us in.

It is a good marketing technique —-

Timex or Rolex, Tesla or Toyota, New Balance or Gucci?

Quality, engineering, value (not price), reliability of the company, plus our good judgement as to what works the best for each of us —- is key.

I can buy (4) lifetime quality reels for the price of one of these.

Just my opinions.

Best, Fred

[jgp12000]

I just had to look on Aliexpress for an Aluminum baitcaster

You could buy several of these guys:
The name gets me, either from shark week or a muscle car prototype.It's only $36 when you click link?

Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out!
$70.58 | Seasir Megacuda Baitcasting Reel Drag 15KG Deep Spool 6.5:1 Aluminum Frame Carbon Side Double Handle Jigging Metal Reel Seawater
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0i9TxE

[tincanary]

I'm no stranger to spending good money on reels, but I would never own a Bates.  They are actually made by a company named Loongze in China.  Loongze has their own line of round reels similar in appearance to the Shimano Calcutta Conquest, while Bates sells the low profile models here in the states.  From what I've seen, the spools used between both are the same, with the same braking system as well.  I have not taken apart either one of them, but I remember reading elsewhere that Loongze is the OEM for Bates.  My main issue is similar to others, potential parts availability.  Bates likes to profess their reels as being engineered here and assembled in China, but if I was a gambling man, I'd put money on them being engineered in the PRC as well.  Not that there is an issue with that, I just prefer a company to be a little more truthful with their products.

[alantani]

the song remains the same..... 

[oc1]

Bates has always been mysterious shysters.  They claim to have been in the fishing tackle business since 1870; first making wooden reels.  There is no indication that they ever had a factory or actually built anything.  After Harnell folded they were the distributor for unbranded Harnell-like blanks.  When manufacturing for many products shifted to Asia they were right there on the bandwagon.  It's difficult to tell if the company has remained in the same family or if only the name has survived.

[jurelometer]

Bates has always been mysterious shysters.  They claim to have been in the fishing tackle business since 1870; first making wooden reels.  There is no indication that they ever had a factory or actually built anything.  After Harnell folded they were the distributor for unbranded Harnell-like blanks.  When manufacturing for many products shifted to Asia they were right there on the bandwagon.  It's difficult to tell if the company has remained in the same family or if only the name has survived.

Ooh, more resurrected Bates discussion.   I think that calling this guy a shyster is a bit excessive.

Maybe a different Bates company?

The Bates Fishing Company that makes this reel is just an LLC in a small town in Texas, whose address is a box at the local post office.

https://www.bizapedia.com/tx/bates-fishing-company-llc.html

I am guessing that  the LLC is just some guy that got an idea to leverage the now lower cost of multi-axis CNC machining to make a  low-profile bass reel with a CNC frame  (just like the big boy CNC aluminum saltwater reels)- and sell it as a premium product.  Even though a reel of this size does not benefit much from a machined frame, and the parts and design of the guts are not exactly premium.  It is a pretty cool chunk of machining.

Find a Chinese manufacturer that can build it mostly on top of an existing product, fill out the line with more Chinese rods, maybe fly reel and spinning reel lines, a Saltwater spinoff (Seaborn), hats, t-shirts. Blah, blah blah.  Pretty easy to become a fishing tackle "manufacturer" nowadays if you are not actually designing or making much of the stuff that you sell.

Haven't been following them since the subject originally came up, but it looks like the freshwater models still don't have a stainless steel main shaft, so I am assuming still aluminum.  The saltwater uses "brass" gears  (eek!), so assuming that the freshwater main gear  is still aluminum.  Source: the video with the the CEO of the LLC:



Haven't even laid eyes on one of these reels, so this is based on what Bates has published or public filings. It would be great to hear from someone who has taken one apart, or at least fished the product.

-J

[Gfish]

On their main webpage, the first thing I noticed was an American flag picture near the bottom, when I tapped on one of the reels for details. Here we go again, and yes, there's fine print underneath it. Small and bleary, I enlarged it. Some vague references to the truth. "Engineered..., parts sourced globally..., assembled..., PRC."