INSANE Saltwater Fishing Reel HONEST Review: Was it worth it ?

[@yllib2012]

I bought a VR200 Gen 2 for yellow fin tuna fishing from a boat. Mine was $630 USD. Considering the cost of some of the finer lever drag jigging reels, the Van Staal price doesn't seem so high. I don't really need a fully sealed reel for fishing from a boat but it's nice to know salt spray won't hurt it and the stainless-steel gears will hold up to big fish. I generally use lever drag conventional reels but wanted the ability to cast lures at surface feeding fish. I expect it will last longer than I will so I'm happy with my purchase. I may buy a VR50 at some point for smaller fish but I wouldn't use something as small as a VR50 even for small tuna. It would be nice to have one onboard for smaller species. I think a VR50 would make a fine kingfish reel.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Wow that’s awesome Billy thanks for sharing that! I mainly stick to inshore fishing so the VR50 was plenty for what I do. If they ever make a smaller one I will definitely be buying it. It’s just nice to not have to worry about the elements messing up your gear

[@franciscosantiago2753]

Had mine over two years and have had no issues with it. Neither any complaints. It's a good reel, and they cost 489.00, not 1,200, like you said.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

I only put the coma in the thumbnail because some of the models cost over 1k but in the video I’m pretty sure I mentioned the vr50 was around 500 bucks. I apologize for any confusion though. I’m glad yours has been problem free man they really are a great reel. Welcome to the channel Francisco!

[@wbwills2]

Thx. I’m looking for the first time in years. Want a fresh rod too.

[@SamuelPulis]

Please, allow me to offer my experience with this reel. After fishing with it and catching dinks mostly in early spring, it was fine. No problems through 4 or 5 trips. Then the bail got very stiff to close and it lost that springiness to it. I meant to squirt some wd on it but i forgot and took it fishing. That day there was endless blues and I ended up throwing a nasty wind knot because of the bail issue. Basically there was fish on every cast, and so i'm doing things quickly and didn't put the bail completely down, and reeled in, which stacked line all at the top of the spool and then i casted without noticing. I still caught plenty of fish but it was annoying to have to untangle/retie during a blitz because my brand new $500 reel needed extra attention on every cast. Whatever there are worse things.... like what happens next. Then a couple trips later i hooked a decent bass that went on a nice run, pulling a bunch of drag, and when i started to crank, loud clicking noises came from the reel and the rotor wasnt spinning even though the handle was. I had to basically do the forward/backward walk thing to get the fish in because any sort of winching with load on the vr50 was just making noise and not spinning the rotor. I dealt with the fish and went home, couldn't fish with the reel after that. This is like the 9 or 10th time using it btw and mine looks more messed up than yours already. I fish at a jetty. it hits rocks. whatevs. When i got home that day i ordered another reel (not a vr 50) and called van staal. They said they don't do warranties over the phone and to send them an email. That was June 3, now its June 9th still no answer back from them. This is where I'm at now. The reel cranks somewhat normally without a load on it. The handle has some play in it now. When you crank it there's a noticeable difference in handle resistance here and there and if you grab the spool the handle sort of breaks free and you get the clicking noise. No bueno. I had high hopes for this reel. I really did. I always saw the guys at the jetty with van staals and i wanted one so bad. Finally got one and i'm really surprised. Its the most expensive and shortest lived reel I've owned to date. Hopefully i just got a dud or its not really broken or something. Van Staal customer service is pretty frustrating though. Who sells $500 reels and wont just issue an RMA over the phone? Anyways. Sorry for writing a book. tldr: I got one and it broke right away, awaiting repair.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Hi Samuel, first off let me say thanks for sharing and welcome to the channel! I’m sorry to hear about the terrible experience you’ve had so far with your reel. It seems like most people are pretty happy with them but than there seems to be a very small number of people who have a really terrible experience. If I had to guess I would say you have a defective reel becuase it’s extremely tough to break these reels. I fish saltwater around 30 hours a week and mine feels just the way it did the day I took it out of the box. The only issue I had was some minor squeaking from the little power handle ball. I hope the company responds to you soon and sends you a new one or at least fixes yours to be up to par. I do agree with you though that it’s unacceptable and ridiculous to spend 500$ on a reel and have issues like that. I would be pissed off too man. I’m sure the company is backed up due to the covid shortages of multiple components but I hope they get with you soon to fix it because these reels are too expensive for sub par customer service. On a side note. I’m testing my van stall offshore against some big red snapper, grouper, and amberjacks this weekend in a tournament. It’s held up against some huge fish in the past but this will be the true test. I’ll definitely talk about it when I do the part two to this video when 365 days of ownership have passed. Thanks again for sharing your experience though I’m sure it will be useful for people who are on the fence

[@SamuelPulis]

@@AndreasChristouSaltwater Hey Andreas. Just wanted to post an update. Yesterday I picked it up and cranked it and I was examining it and noticed that the side of of the body could spin pretty easily, they give you a tool for it but i could just use my fingers. I spun it a little and it came right off, like in less than a turn. Basically the side of my reel worked its way loose while i was fishing somehow. Not totally sure how that happened especially since it seems like if there was friction with the handle it would spin the side the way that makes it tighter. I was able to put it back together making sure that the parts all meshed properly and then i used the tool that VS included to really torque it down and now if i have someone hold the rotor when i crank it doesn't click or grind. So i guess the defect was definitely in the way it was assembled and not a manufacturing defect which is good. Van staal still never emailed me back. I'm gonna take it to a local guy who is an authorized repair shop and ask him to make sure the main gear isn't damaged and to fix my bail issue. FWIW I still want a vsx for my bigger rod so what does that tell you? Even with all the problems I've had I sill think this reel is an awesome reel and well worth the money and that what happened to me was just a fluke. Cheers.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

@@SamuelPulis wow I’m glad you kind of figured out the problem. Yea they really are great reels and I personally think they are worth the money for most anglers. Hopefully the guy at your local repair shop can get it working perfectly again. Thanks again for sharing Samuel !

[@brandodahunter4674]

@@SamuelPulis what did they do to fix your bail issue? My vr 75 has the same issue.

[@wbwills2]

I have purchased 3 $200 ish reels to use on the 1 st.croix I finally ponied up for in the mid 90s. 7’6”-7’8”. Can’t remember right now. Have a feeling this reel might be the one & fresh st.croix .suggestions?maybe a tad longer. Haven’t shopped in a long while. Even the tackle is blowing my mind a little bit. Want to get a few good finesse baits/spoons ect and get knee deep by next fall .going for a nice cast net for once. Dk what but not the $20 4”.they work,yes.just want some nice stuff. I travel light. More times than not,my rod & a ziplock bag in my pocket. Covering some ground & enjoying the scene. You are into this stuff. Lmk about some of the newer things I might not know about. 52 years old and want to do it right. Thx. Great channel.will be watching for more. Thanks again

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Glad to hear your getting back in the fishing scene Burke! My favorite rod specs are 7’6 medium power with fast action or extra fast action. That’s because I primarily throw lures and it sounds like you also like throwing artificials so it should be a good fit. St.croix makes some nice rods and so does this company called bull bay. The bull bay stealth sniper is around 180 bucks and is one of my favorite rods I’ve ever owned. If you pair that with a shimano Sedona reel you will have a really solid and smooth rod and reel combo for under 260$. Since you wade fish a lot your reel will have a higher chance of breaking down on you so getting the reel from this video could be a good choice for you since it’s really hard to break and it can handle any fish your going to encounter inshore. I paired my Vann staal reel with a 7’6” medium power, fast action, st.croix avid series inshore rod. They are around 260$ which is quite expensive but it’s a phenomenal rod that’s lasted me upwards of 3 years now. If your throwing a lot of finesse style baits that are light weight you might want to go with that bull bay stealth sniper rod in the 7’6 medium power fast action because it’s better rated for lighter lures

[@TonyCantShoot]

What rod do you pair with your VR50? I was looking to pair a VR75 with my 9’6 rod but the VR75 seemed quite small in person. Was thinking of going up to a VR150

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Since I do a lot of inshore stuff I had it paired on a 7’6 st croix avid inshore. I believe the medium power. I have it on a 7’6 medium heavy bull bay sniper now and it seems more balanced

[@preiudeh22a]

Can you do a video on a VR 75 and how they are different?

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Sure thing! I believe the only difference is the size of the spool and maybe some extra pounds of drag. No major differences though it’s essentially the same exact reel with more line capacity

[@thedetective8150]

I read online that first generation VR50s bail spring is easily visible and an entry point for water, sand and other debris. Do you know if the second generation VR50 has this same issue? If so, that’s a huge design flaw especially for a sealed fishing reel and a deal breaker.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Hey Brandon, welcome to the channel! If I’m being honest Ive never heard of anyone having that issue on the second gens. I know mine has been dunked a couple of times and taken to multiple beach trips and still feels like it did when I bought it. I just looked at it again to check and I couldn’t see the bail spring so I would imagine they fixed that when they added the feature that protects you from closing your bail mid-cast

[@thedetective8150]

@@AndreasChristouSaltwater That’s good news.

[@The_Striper_Hunt]

I'd just get the VS honestly i have the first gen VR 175 and it was new when 2 months in I accidentally dunked it and it caught rust on the inside I was so furious I went straight back to by the VS 250 and still going strong 3 years fished really hard and abused serviced it the first time about a month ago

[@andresrodriguez3253]

Awesome, keep it up brother👊🏼

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

I appreciate Bro !

[@teddynesius3606]

The VR series reels are not intended to be reeled under water. SXP series you can. 300 dollar price difference

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Yes very true that they are not intended for being reeled under water but you definitely can do it and not have issues. They are fully sealed according to Van Staal. I have actually tested this with my very own reel and it’s still good as new. I fought a 20-30 pound black drum on it after falling out of the boat 😂

[@teddynesius3606]

@@AndreasChristouSaltwater that’s a big fish, I’m glad to hear you haven’t had any issues with the reel yet. I live in the northeast and know someone who works for Van Staal, the VR series reel can take a splash, if you get sand in it they even recommend dunking it in the ocean to rinse the sand out. However the VR isn’t designed to be reeled under water. I believe you’ve done it and was still able to land that fish but that reel will eventually fail in those conditions. I actually own a VR200 that I use here in April and early May once the migrating Striped bass start to show up. Then I switch to a SXP250. The sxp can be reeled under water multiple times a week throughout a whole season without failure, it’s important to have it serviced every year and if you do it will last a lifetime

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

@@teddynesius3606 ah okay makes sense. I guess I might have just been lucky with mine so far. I definitely need to get it serviced this year. Thanks for sharing this info !

[@liemkandi1944]

is it better than the shimano stella in terms of drags and smoothness under preassure?

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Welcome to the channel Liem! To be completely honest I’ve never owned the shimano Stella myself but I’ve used it for a couple minutes. The Stella is a little smoother and has a couple more pounds of drag than the Van Staal but is almost twice the price. I would personally go for the Van Staal but I’ve heard plenty of great things about both

[@chrisrae4401]

Nice buddy good job enjoyed it ..😊

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Thanks for watching I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@The_Striper_Hunt]

A 5 ft dusky and maybe 2 cow nose Ray's destroy my VR 175 drag washers.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Wow man I’m sorry to hear that

[@danbolton3180]

Did you ever do another Van Staal review on this reel? I'm looking for a surf and jetty spinning reel that can handle surf perch, ling cod and salmon among the many available fish in the Strait Of Juan de Fuca.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Not yet but I’m planning on filming one soon. The reel is still in use and holding up great. Not as buttery smooth as it used to be but it also is supposed to be serviced every 6 months and I’ve never sent mine in. I think they are great reels just very expensive

[@danbolton3180]

@@AndreasChristouSaltwater Thank you for the quick response. I'm seriously leaning toward the Van Staal brand. I've just got to pick the moment when my wife isn't looking. I'm currently having a 13 feet 3 inch Rainshadow rod bland built as my surf/jetty fishing rod. My old Mitchell 306A and Ryobi D4 Demon Drag have had issues with the saltwater, or maybe it's just the 30 year old grease..

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

@@danbolton3180 hahaha I feel you brother! That sounds awesome I think a Vr50 or 75 should be a great size for that combo

[@ShorrockPaul]

Is this the Gen2 version ?

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

It sure is 👍🏼

[@wbwills2]

Like & subscribed. NC. Looking for a complete new setup and want to go for a real nice experience for all day fishing . I’m holding my rod all day & moving up & down the beach.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Welcome to the Channel Burke! These are great for the beach in my opinion. It’s what they built them for actually

[@superweeniehutjr560]

INSANE

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Thanks Taylor. Welcome to the channel!

[@johnratcliffe6438]

Wind knot after wind knot. Wish I had never bought mine.

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Welcome to the channel John! I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a bad experience with yours. Usually wind knots are caused by the type of line you use and the rods eye holes. The reel plays very little part in weather or not you get wind knots. Maybe try changing the line and rod your using to see if it gets better?

[@johnratcliffe6438]

@@AndreasChristouSaltwater Thanks for taking the time Andreas. It's definitely the reel. I use the same braid on both of my Shimano Stradics (2500 & 4000) and never, ever get knots. The way the braid comes off the reel is the issue I think. I can hear it 'slapping' against the butt ring on my MajorCraft Custom Sea Bass 8' 8" rod. I am genuinely gutted. The reel is otherwise beautiful to look at and use. I love the size, the weight, the handle. But on each of the 2 trips using it, I had to cut out knots and retie my leader 5 times. I cannot be doing with that nonsense. I have now bought 300m 20lb SpiderWire Stealth Smooth 8, as a friend who owns a VS VR50 uses this braid and has no issues. I'll give it one more go. If I get knots with the Spiderwire then the VS is going to be sold. So upset, it is a stunning reel and the drag sounds amazing when a (European) Bass smashes my lures (Sea Bass, we have no freshwater Bass in the UK/Europe).

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

@@johnratcliffe6438 dang I’m sorry to hear that John, hopefully this new braid will be non-problematic for your reel. Having to keep fixing your braid is super frustrating when you just wanna fish

[@rainsong7327]

Not the reel, you have new line? You have to always keep your lines tight when you cast.

[@hanswurscht327]

wow so insane

[@dannydnice1]

Expensive but if we'll kept it will last a life time

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

I totally agree

[@jamesortegajr5720]

Bro it's made for huge fish shitty weather and Micheal Phelps 💯😂😂😂

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

Haha that about sums it up 😂!

[@Jessica37323]

Im not paying $500+ FOR A MADE IN CHINA REEL!

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

A vast majority of all the fishing products are made in Asia but I understand where your coming from. If you take decent care of these reels they will last a lifetime though so for some people it’s worth the 500$ price tag

[@alexanderkee9227]

Misinformation the vr series is not fully sealed only the vs series is. Try reeling that vr in saltwater tell me how it does long term. Vs series is more but worth

[@AndreasChristouSaltwater]

I hate to inform you that you might be incorrect. If you literally google “are the van stall vr50 fully sealed” it will tell you all about it. Not misinformation but the Vs series are also great reels

[@captaint4587]

VR is fully sealed

[@danlugo5572]

I been dunking and reel mine vr50 under salt water, no issues after a year