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Daiwa Advances
Saltwater Reels and introduces the Aggrest Baitcaster
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Date: |
7/15/09 |
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Location: |
Orlando,
Florida |
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Admission: |
Buyers &
Press only |
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Manufacturer: |
Daiwa |
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Reviewer: |
Team
TackleTour |
Introduction:
As usual Daiwa had a big
presence at the show and one of the largest booths on the show floor, and this
year they were directly adjacent to their top competitor, Shimano. Daiwa spent a
lot of time this year preparing new Saltwater reels for both inshore and big
game, and we previously previewed these new reels prior to ICAST. In addition to
the Zillion Coastal and Saltist reels Daiwa introduces the affordable ultra fast
Aggrest Baitcaster.
Daiwa's new Aggrest baitcaster
features a quick 7.3:1 retrieve ratio
Aggrest:
The Aggrest is a new baitcaster in Daiwa’s lineup and is capable of pulling in
32" of line with every crank of the handle, Daiwa's new Aggrest™ baitcasting
reels are some of the fastest baitcasters ever built. Creating the speed is a
massive, helical cut drive gear pushing a phosphor bronze pinion gear at a 7.3
to 1 ratio. The helical cut of the gear teeth (cut at an angle) are designed to
deliver smooth winding and even transmission of winding energy. To ensure
adequate winding power, six ball bearings firmly support the drive train within
a rigid aluminum frame.
The
Aggrest weighs just 7.5oz and is loaded with a six ball bearing system
The Aggrest features a
clean design and draws elements from across Daiwa’s existing lineup including
recognizable handle and knob components from reels of the past, the profile
however is all new. The speed of the Aggrest makes it the good choice for
fishing fast moving lures like ripbaits as well as target lures like plastics
where you want to get your bait back and re-cast when it is out of the strike
zone.
The
Aggrest retails for only 179.99 and is targeted at mainstream anglers looking
for an affordable high speed low profile batcaster
The Aggrest will be
available in both right ad left hand retrieves and the reel weighs in at 7.6oz.
with a line capacity of 12/150, 14/125. Each reel will cost a very reasonable
$179.95 per copy and will be available in the weeks the following the show.
The Saltist LD Conventional reels
were a big hit at the show and actually won "Best of Show" in the saltwater reel
category
Satist Spinning:
We previously looked at the Saltist conventional reels and in person these reels
look even more impressive. The blue highlights in the reel really stand out
versus the black anodized finish.
An accessory reel clamp helps lock
down conventional reels even more securely
At Daiwa’s booth we took a
closer look at the spinning version of the new Saltist pinning reels which match
the casting reels in coloration. The Satist spinning reels are built for all-out
serious saltwater fishing. Simple, straight forward mechanisms are designed to
withstand the punishment of big baits and big fish, and features include a
manual bail trip for fewer moving parts all of which adds up to greater strength
and reliability.
Designed for serious saltwater
spinning performance the Saltist spinning reels are designed to take plenty of
punishment and are Digigear digitally designed
A dual, full-time
anti-reverse means redundant reliability with no lever to accidentally turn off
or accidentally snag line. The gearing is Daiwa's digitally designed and cut
using the company’s Digigear™ system and produces an efficient mesh for maximum
power and reduced wear.
Bill Liston at Daiwa shows Zander
the new high strength braided line Steez rods
The Saltist reels will
deliver a retrieve ratio of 6.2 to 1 and this combined with the reel's large
spool diameter bring in up to 53 inches of line with every turn of the handle.
The Saltist Spinning reels will be available in sizes ranging from 4000 to 6500
and feature an all metal construction that is designed to be corrosion resistant
and a sealed waterproof drag can deliver an impressive 22lbs of drag pressure on
the smaller models and up to 33lbs of pressure on the three larger models. Line
capacity is 12/260, 14/210 with mono and 40/320 with Daiwa’s own Samurai braided
line. The 4000 size will weigh in at 20.3oz while the largest 6500 size weighs
24.4oz. and retail prices will range from $199.95 to $229.95 depending on model
and size.
Most exciting in the new rods is
the Steez XBD frog rod which is extremely powerful but as light as you would
expect being made out of SVF graphite
Daiwa Steez SVF-XBD:
When it comes to rods it was a relatively quiet year for Daiwa and the only
major addition are new high strength braided line rods which makes use of
uni-directional SVF-XBD graphite sandwiched between bias graphite throughout the
entire length of the blank. The result is reduced weight and greater strength as
well as resistance to twisting. There are two new Steez rods that make use of
this graphite, the SVF-XBD Frog Rod and the SVF-XBD heavy Spinning rod.
The Steez Frog rod has plenty of
backbone for working a frog through heavy cover, hook setting and fish control
The new frog rod is very
exciting and will be among the lightest frogging rods on the market. It is 7’4”
in length and is rated XH with a fast taper. Designed to handle 55-80lb braid
and lures from ½-2oz. this rod is designed to target big fish and pull them out
of the weeds.
For now Daiwa is keeping the new
Saltiga under wraps....literally
A little tease:
Daiwa also teased us and other attendees with a display showing a new Saltiga
frame that was machined further than the current reel for an even more refined
look and feel. No details were provided but suffice to say that Daiwa will be
coming out with a new reel in the Saltiga series that will be positioned on top
of the current already premium reels. Time frame on this unveiling is some time
towards the end of the year.
Conclusion:
Like Shimano Daiwa put heavy emphasis on saltwater reels this year, and the
audience here in Orlando responded positively to the new offerings. The entire
Saltist lineup looks like a winner from a design standpoint, and the new Zillion
Inshore is likely going to find a home on a few rods that never touch the salt
in addition to the many inshore anglers looking for an upgrade to the company’s
Coastal baitcaster which was based off the Advantage series. Then there is the
Aggrest which comes at a good time, sure it isn’t a Steez but with the economy
still in question there certainly are many anglers who would welcome a Daiwa
burner class reel at the sub 180 dollar price point.
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