Finesse Fishing Reel Off - Part 1

by Craig T
(Iowa)

Below are my thoughts on the following three reels that are available at Finesse Fishing, I need to thank Chris for allowing me to test these out and do some comparisons. Today we will take a look at the Daiwa Air Stream Custom, Shimano Aldebaran and the Shimano Conquest BFS.

A little preface to my thoughts, they are my thoughts and experiences and as with all fishing gear there are many options as everyone settles on their own favorites. Each reel was spooled with ~30m of Varivas Sight Edition from 3-6lb depending on testing. Easiest way to figure about how much line you put on is to figure out how many CM per Turn of the handle, this should be easily found on the box or a bit of research. Take and use the following equation: 3000/X where X is the CM per Turn. This will tell you how many turns of the handle to reach approximately 30m of line.

Daiwa Air Stream Custom is probably my top pick for the person just starting out with a bait casting rod. The fixed inductor, simple brake adjustments, and 7.2 gear ratio make this a simple reel to use and makes for an easy jump into the bait casting scene. With no internal magnets to tweak and play with you can spool up your line of choice set your spool tension and fish. The brake adjustments are smooth and out of the way, drag is nice and smooth. Finish is well done with a nice deep green and silver combination. Premium cork knobs feel great in the hand and the cork handle is a nice touch. Daiwa has really made this as light as you can.