Hey vvvv! I can def look into this as I recently got a drag gauge. As far as frame flex goes though I’m not sure how I can quantify that but I don’t think it would be a big issue with a carbon frame reel. Nylon, on the other hand, might as the flex will be a bit more. The other thing is is that high end jdm reels tend to use different materials like magnesium and at that point you’re comparing apples to oranges. That said, you can indeed find magnesium framed CDM reels like the FF01 Cormorant. Anywho, thanks so much for commenting and cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL looking forward to your test video, it is true that max 4KG reels don't need a strong frame to function but a good frame makes them work smoother and last longer, there are some AL frame reels on Taobo(ali) in the price range of 40-50 US oh ya, i am from HK, i read chinese and always buy fishing tools from taobo, thats why i never trust the specs

Hey drop! Thanks so much for the follow! Really hope the channel gives you good value and education. Regarding your request, I’m probably not the best to ask but I can take a look. What kind of lure weights are you looking at, what sort of price range, and what fish species are you targeting? Apologies for the late response btw, thanksgiving was spent with a sick kid so my priorities were elsewhere. Look forward to your response and cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL thks so much for getting back to me. I live in South Louisiana. If I'm not bass fishing I'm fishing inshore brackish water catching Speckled Trout and Redfish. Generally, Texas rigged worms are fished with 1/4 oz bullet weight. Spinner baits are 1/2 oz. Swim jigs are 3/8 oz. Reds and specks I use a 1/4 to 1/2 oz jig head with paddletail plastics. I can spend up to $100. Thks in advance for the info

Hey dbl! I just checked mine and it isn’t that easy to turn. If you’re really worried about it you could put one wrap of teflon tape around the threads or check to see if the oring around the male part of the threads is there. Tbh though I typically tighten my spool friction knob so that I don’t get the overruns at the end of the cast. I can be bothered to use my thumb for that lol. 😅. Let us know how the reel is as you get some use out of it! Cheers my friend!

Hey Ian! Sorry for the late response! Thanksgiving and all… working inside a ziplock bag is a good solution to keeping things from getting lost! As far as the transmission fluid rec, it will probably work but I tend to shy away from using lubes intended for autos as they can be a bit more hazardous for us and there are good alternatives out there that aren’t so harmful. That said, if it works for you then by all means! I’d check the SDS before using it though! Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving and cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL the "transmission fluid" idea comes from my days with RC helicopters where we used sprag bearings (keep well greased) or ball bearings (drop or two of transmission fluid ONLY and before each flying session). The issue was heat as well as pressure, as I recall, and ATF is miles better than simple GP oils that way. Also tends not to decompose into greasy of waxy buildup as simple oils do.

Hey Soren! Yea you need to basically remove the entire thing to get to the side plate bearing. The reason is because the bearing is sandwiched behind a few plastic plates that you can only gain access to from behind the brake assembly. So… unfortunately you will have to disassemble the entire thing to replace it. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL really these 3 little mini screws to? Damn

@ hey Soren! Yea… the bearing is really buried within the brake assembly and you have to basically disassemble the entire thing to get to it… it’s quite an unusual design. Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL damn it, but tly thanks ✌️

@ my pleasure Soren!

@@andrewpaulstancer5704 hey Andrew! I typically am skeptical about reels when I first get them but after opening this reel up I was quite pleased. After having used the reel for quite a while now I can say that the reel is quite good. However, the carbon fiber shell/paint is not the most durable. The silver feather air is a well made reel and has very good casting characteristics/performance. Let me know if you have any other questions about the reel. Cheers my friend!

@@BCastilloPhotography hey bcastillo! You should be able to use this reel for salt as they claim that the spool bearings are double shielded but as bearings are wear items you will likely have to replace them at some point. That said, what size fish are you chasing, what lure weights are you wanting to cast and what are your casting requirements ie far distances or short distance accuracy. Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL the setup I was looking to get was for small lures in the 1/16 to maybe 3/8 oz at most. I usually fish for speckled trout, redfish or flounder with 1/8 -1/2 oz lures. The problem is you never know what you might hook on to in saltwater. I usually use a medium fast rod but I'm looking to downsize to ML or L rods.

@@Neji90 hey neji! Nice pick up! Thanks for sharing and cheers my friend!

@@rossionq110 hey rossio! The kestrel will do you well but if you want to ever cast lower than 1/8 oz then I’d consider looking at other options. For what you are casting though the kestrel will be a good choice. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!

Hey dbl! While I wouldn’t exactly want to dunk any dc reel I do believe these do have a waterproof rating of IP68. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL yes it does! Thank you.

Hey Danny! I’m not quite sure to be honest… I do believe they do make some parts? Go check out my buddy’s instagram account @baitfinessefishing. I believe he recently bfs tuned a 1600 and is way more knowledgeable than I am about tuning abus. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!

Hey gman! That’s so awesome to hear! I think you will have a good time with the reel and see how versatile it is. Cheers my friend!

Hey dnull! Unfortunately, I have no experience with the jdm flagship model rods you mentioned but I will say that purelure implementation of toray solid tips is very good imho. Typically speaking, I have noticed that most solid tipped rods are not as sensitive as tubular tipped rods which makes sense as there is more material for vibrations to travel through and be dissipated in. However, my experience with the purelure toray tips is that they are as or more sensitive than the majority of my tubular tipped rods and give other benefits like reducing a fishes ability to feel the rod when it is taking a lure. I have been quite please and impressed with their rod blanks and materials. My only complaint is that some of their rods could really use a higher guide count. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!

Hey patrick! Nope not yet. I don’t really think the reel needs it per se as it casts so well already! Cheers my friend!

@@Matte-s2l hey matte! Nice score!!! Let us know your experience with it when you do get a chance to give it some use! Agreed on the winter bit… can’t imagine what that’s like but at the very least it gives us something to look forwards to! Can’t wait for spring and spawning season myself. Cheers my friend!

@@bittabrutha31 hey bitta! It probably will but how long will depend on the amount of maintenance you can provide. Salt will always destroy metals and even the most corrosion resistant components will eventually succumb to oxidation. So… I would say I am not sure on the length of time as it highly depends on preparation and maintenance. Additionally, I do not believe the original conquest bfs was ever intended for salt use. Apologies… I wish I could give you a timeframe of sorts but I don’t think I can with this question. Cheers my friend!

@@bittabrutha31 hey bitta! Unfortunately, I am unsure as mono is never recommended for bfs reels. My apologies but if you are using mono I suggest maybe reconsidering and using PE with a leader instead. Cheers my friend!

@@aurelianobuendia5360 hey aurel! Whatever works! Cheers my friend!

@@joepicasso69 hey Joe! Sorry I don’t have that information… my reel isn’t at the point where I can tear the dc module apart and take a closer look at the electronics to figure that out yet. Will let you know if someone informs me though! Cheers my friend!

@@РусланЛеонов-ы2х hey there! It is not a brand new product but more of a product improvement. The amount of improvement is quite good though. The reel now can cast under 1g as advertised, there are bearings in the handle knobs, the drag clicker is much nicer sounding(personal preference, and the star drag tuning is very good. Imho, this is the reel that should have been the original valiant eagle 2. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL In this case, I will buy the Pro version. Thanks for the answer! And I want to wish you fishing luck! =)

@ hey there! Thank you so much for the well wishes and kind words! I wish you much luck as well and cheers my friend!

@@bosconian91 hey bosconian! Mmmm I am not sure. It would be a good call imho. I can suggest it to them but I doubt they’ll pay much attention. Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thought of picking one up but I think there's still room for improvement on this reel. Perhaps waiting for the V2 would be best.

@ hey bosconian! Yea there’s always room to improve for sure. We’ll have to wait and see what gotop does in the future. Cheers my friend!

Hey Walden! I sent you a few questions in your other comment. Once you answer those I’ll be able to help you better. Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I fish at my local lake. I am targeting bluegills, crappies, trout, and bass. Lures i will throw are 1/8 oz kastmaster and 1/16 to 1/32 softplastics jigs. I prefer rod length at 6'6. Which $100 rod do you think would be best for that?

@walden6272 hey Walden! While it’s not quite 6’6” I would highly recommend the purelure zero 632LC. It is a L power rating so it might make some of the smaller fish you’re after feel overpowered but it’ll def be able to handle those bigger fish you get into and it’s a very sensitive rod. It has a stiff solid tip and can handle what you’re looking to do with it. I’ve cast up to 15g lures with the rod and the SF MIIEC exa. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Forgot to mention, I prefer 1 piece rods. But I'll check it out. I used to own a Purelure Fiamma ML rod, it was light and very sensitive. But 6 months into it, it broke at the handle, which was so strange. I thought the handle part would be the strongest. The rod blank itself was very durable, I couldn't break it when I tried to after the handle broke. I did send a picture of the broken handle to Purelure and told them please make your handle stronger. Hopefully they have.

@ hey Walden! Hmm… I don’t think you’re going to find any 1 piece rods at the $100 price mark. You’d likely have to jump to the $250-300 range =\. It’s very odd that your handle broke but for the fish you’re targeting I don’t see that happening. I’m not too familiar with the fiamma line as I don’t own many ML power rods. Cheers my friend!

Hey Andres! Hmm out of curiosity what types of waters do you fish, what lure weights will you cast and what fish species are you fishing for? Cheers my friend!

@ Hola hermano! Como estás? Sería para una pesca de diversas especies, desde truchas hasta otras especies de modalidad ultra ligera, además seguro haya algún panfish de por medio! Estaba buscando específicamente potencia UL y acciones moderada o lenta. Un saludo!

Hey Andres! Hm… it kinda sounds like you might want to check out fiberglass rods. I did link one that I think would be a good match for you, the aioushi one. It is a small travel rod but the action fits your description. Please check it out in the description. Let me know if you have any questions about it. Cheers my friend!

@ muchas gracias hermano, saludos!

@andresmilano8962 my pleasure and cheers my friend!

@@zankyou101 hey eric! Yep it’s likely due to the grease that’s in the CRBBs for the spool and sideplate. It’ll likely work itself out with some use. My copy doesn’t free spool all that well either. I made the choice to flush my bearings and then realized that they’re “noisy” now likely due to being hybrids. Your call though. Personally… I kinda wish I hadn’t flushed them lol. I miss the quietness haha. How does the reel feel otherwise? Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Peter, thanks for the quick reply. Reel feels solid and smooth. After I sent you my comment I continued to spin the spool and it seems to be loosening up and spinning a little better so it may just need a little period to break in. Looking forward to putting on some line and actually casting/fishing with the reel. I also have the Purelure Silver Feather MIIEC EXA coming so I should have plenty of fun. Leave a few of the big bass in the local lakes for me lol. Take care.

@zankyou101 hey Eric! Hahaha there’s plenty big ones out there! A few weeks back I saw a guy who caught two 7-8lbers out of balboa… during 1 night session. Never even knew they got that big there… crazy… anyhow, keep us up to date on how you get on with your reels! Cheers my friend!

Hey Walden! Ooc what are you trying to do with the rod? What lure weights do you want to cast, what types of waters do you fish, what species do you target and what kind of lures do you use? Cheers my friend!

Hey Antin! Spools are interchangeable. KKR spool fits in the dk100 as well. Whether it makes a big change or not I have to do further testing. Still need to do the teardown as well but have been sick so not gotten to it yet. Cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL thx. It nice news for cq owners, now they have the very cheap stock spool)

@@notkeet hey not! No I did not on mine and do not believe it needs it as most bfs reels do not. I actually plan on trying to add a bit more line to my reel to about 70m of 0.6goh braid as I would like to see if I can cast farther than 50m. Cheers my friend!

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL i think i’ll put 250m of 0.13mm sufix 832 on mine

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL do you think that’s good or should i use 0.10mm sufix? this will be my first bfs setup so i’m kinda lost

@notkeet hey not! Are you in the US? I would avoid suffix or any US branded braids as they are all twice their reported thicknesses typically. Let me know and cheers my friend!

@ yeah i heard that they suck for bfs, so i went with ygk x8 and sunline small game 🙌🏻

Hey jv! Hmmm would love to help you but I don’t quite understand what you’re experiencing. Would you be able to clarify what a large belly of line is? Thank you! Cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I can't get my line taut. I'm sorry, English isn't my first language, I don't know the terms in English. When I cast a lure the line doesn't stay taut, I always have to pick up a lot of line, I don't know if it's a mistake in casting the lure.

@@IlliniDog01 hey illini! I appreciate the kind words and support! Cheers my friend

Hey worlds! Hm… I would look at the original valiant eagle 2 over the kestrel. I think the brakes on that reel are a tad stronger and it helps that it’s a bit cheaper as well. I’m sure the reel would work well for your wants. As for settings, you will inevitably getting backlashes but the ve2 will backlash less often than other reels. Regardless of the lure weight, whenever you change the lure, I would maybe put your brake dial at 3/4 to 1/2. Then adjust your spool friction knob so that the lure will fall slowly when you release the clutch and then when it stops the spool does not continue to turn. This will help prevent backlashing at the end of casts when the lure hits the water. Then from these settings you can back them down as you get more comfortable with casting. Backing off the settings will help you gain a bit more distance as you do so. I hope that helps! It’s a bit hard to explain over text. Cheers my friend!

@@zankyou101 hey Eric! Hahaha I think you’re going to really enjoy that reel. It’s become one of my favorites to use. Suuuuuuper versatile. Sub 1g casting all the way up to 15g no problem. I think it’ll handle higher weights as well. Will keep my ears peeled my friend! Cheers!!!

Woke up this morning and saw it dropped to $120 ! I think I might pick this one up too.

@@schmeaticus69 hey schmeat! Heck yea that’s a stellar price! Probably the best I’ve ever seen it. Cheers my friend!

Hey Andrew! Thanks so much for the question! Ok let’s do some conversions first 25 yards is 75 feet, and 1/16 oz is 1.77g. So, you are looking for a reel that can cast 1.77g about 75ft. While the reel plays a big part in casting I would also say the rod does as well. What rod would you be using Ooc? Also, what is your budget for the reel? Finally, while I have not test cast 1.77g with a spinning setup vs a bfs setup I will argue that bfs setups have something that spinning setups do not have and is something that is very hard to master with a spinning setup which is accuracy. Anywho, I look forward to hearing your responses! Cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL your absolutely right, the rod plays a big roll. I'm still doing my research, and love and appreciate people like you that do the experiments and testing videos to compare. I really don't plan on fishing anything less than 1/32oz or .8 grams, and I want a short 1 piece rod that's still capable of casting to the middle or opposite bank of the river I fish which varies between about 20-100 yards or 60-300feet. Either way I want a bfs reel because I prefer them to spinning rods. I wish someone would put as much time and effort into a spincasting reel as they do baitcasters and spinning reels because the efficiency of just pressing a button, no bird's-nest, not having to flip a bail and hold the line is ideal for problem and stress free fishing. I think the bfs reels using 2 micro bearings on a short shaft and light shallow spool with symmetrical magnets (not 6 on one side) and tapering line guide is what I'm leaning towards with a 5 and a half to 6 and a half rod. I like the kistler lite medium heavy rods and the Shimano alderbaron mgl 50 if money wasn't an issue, budget I'm looking at the mavlos delicacy and soloking bmc100 or micro monster pro and mavlos ultima

Hey William! Nice! For that price it’s not a bad rod! Cheers my friend!

@@keunkwon84 hey keun! Yep I have also noticed that my star drag doesn’t seem to be tuned very well. I believe it may be because they only use one spring washer which is causing the star drag to feel very “slack” and then tighten up very quickly. I am not a fan of this and much prefer having two spring washers to make the tightening feel a bit more linear. I will take a look during my teardown. I have noticed a tiny bit of play when trying to rotate the handle in the axis of the main gear shaft but interestingly when I tighten my drag all the way the slop disappears. Hard to say what might be causing this… it should not affect performance or retrieve though. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!

@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thanks for sharing your opinion!! I agree with you because Shimano CC has two more washers for stardrag parts, and spring seems shorter & stronger.😅 I found that dk100 has two types of stadrag. One has shorter arms, and each arm has 5 holes just like a CC's. Another type has much longer arms, and there is no hole at all. I guess only a few of dk100 manufactured with type One because it is difficult to find pictures or video, and I hope it does not have a similar issue.🥲

@ hey keun! Ah that’s an interesting observation! I had not noticed that but mine is the star drag that has much longer arms than the conquest has as well as a much longer handle. I’m not sure whether I like it or not but I do think they need to tune their star drag washer stack a bit better as only using one spring washer is not good imho. Appreciate you sharing this knowledge! Cheers my friend!