Who Really Makes The Best Baitcaster?

[@PunchFishing]

Best baitcaster video with no Daiwa or Shimano on the table.... 😂 Cmon now.

[@diskounts]

He literally says in the beginning of the video that he's rating reels he's been using lol.

[@jonathanhiggins8277]

lmao right thats insanity

[@mattwfishing]

Lmaoooo tbh BATES sounds they’re gaining major traction.

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

Tell me you didn’t listen to the first 1min without telling me you didn’t listen to the first minute 🤣

[@PunchFishing]

@@BrianLatimerFishing oh I heard it. You also gave the video a misleading title and that's what I'm responding too.

[@robprideaux3279]

As an owner of 4 Shimano XT SLX dc's and a few Curado's I have now bought 2 of the Kastking Megajaws Elites and just love them. They cast a country mile and the braking system is very good

[@WorldsOkayestFisherman]

Love ALL of my KastKing rods and reels, been a huge fan for years and never had a reel failure, even from their cheapest models. Since you like throwing light plugs and jerkbaits and small crankbaits, you would love their MG12 Elite if you dont already have one!

[@deriksmith5397]

I have many, many Kastking rods and reels. They sponsor our local Tuesday night tournament trail, and I love 90% of what they make. Yes, some of their lower end stuff is cheaply made, but the middle of the road and high end stuff is phenomenal!!

[@mikestout9349]

Brian, I agree with you on the choice of Lews. I’ve got a couple of their premier reels. I really like them. Even when I compare them to my Shimano DC reels. I can cast heavier lures with my Lews reels with no thought of a backlash. I can’t do that with my Daiwa Steez. The Steez is probably the smoothest reel I own but I can cast the Lews farther and with more confidence than the Steez. Like you say, they are all good reels but we all have our favorites.

[@StelmachsWorld]

Nothing beats Shimano reels.

[@DaleHirschmann]

Kast king are getting better. Had a cheaper version and use it for top water. Surprised how long it has lasted. My dawia is nice my Shimano are great. Costly any more. Buy I own more lews then any other brand

[@StelmachsWorld]

@@DaleHirschmann Never tried them haha, not sure if they are sold here in Canada. We have limited selection compared to the US with a lot of things, bass fishing equipment being one of them.

[@jack03111969]

Fact

[@Daiwa_Is_King]

😂😂😂 Daiwa is king 👑 not even close

[@jack03111969]

@@Daiwa_Is_King diawa make solid reels for sure I love Shimano because if you take care of them it seems they don’t lose there value I bought some curado e7s like 16 or 17 years ago for 160 bucks and the condition mine are in I could get 200 plus for them on eBay today plus they are still smooth as day one

[@Jason-416]

No zillion? For spinning reels shimano and for casting daiwa hands down

[@ds-zd9qz]

THIS!

[@Tony-450]

It was named after the original founder of Lews, Lew Childre. It was my first baitcaster back in the early 80's. I got the Lews Childre BB1 for Christmas in '82. Had it paired on a original 5'6 pistol grip Ugly Stick. I'm getting old 😂😅.

[@mikestout9349]

Tony, I bought the Lews BB1N when it first came out. If I remember correctly it was about 75 or 76. I still use it today. Originally I had it on a 5’6” pistol grip rod as well. I have since retired the rod but like I said, I still use the reel. One of the best things about the reel is the fact that you can back reel it. Years later I bought a Shimano Beast Master Mark 5. It is a two speed reel that can also be backreeled. I use that reel yet today. I have all the new DC reels and the Daiwa Steez but there’s just something about those old reels that I enjoy fishing with.

[@father1st894]

Good video B. Call me old but i still have six Shimano bantam curado 200s ( old greenies) . 24 years plus Ive had these reels. Changed the bearings and drag washers when needed. Absolute tanks.

[@giovannim5101]

Brian you should ask Dave reels service in Illinois you talking experience ask Mark after 40 years on repairing reels ,and what I seen on repairs nothing beats Shimano or Daiwa.

[@alexlenz2361]

Amen - Mark is amazing - he services all my Daiwa and Shimano reels and they performed better than they did out of the box!

[@HowieDewitt7575]

Those diawa tatula sv tw's are smoooth

[@diver165]

I was a Lews guy that stumbled upon a Diawa Tatula one day. Yeah, I doubt I'll buy another Lews. Never say never though LOL

[@Garminrules]

I'm same guy...still have a few lews but the tatulas are great for me.

[@declan5184]

Tatula is so good

[@thedriftmarshal6124]

Absolutely can never go wrong with the lews lfs. Best bang for the buck & durable as all

[@dangarrett3419]

I love the concept reel. I use it for my inshore saltwater fishing. Holds enough line. Less backlash when I’m casting under mangroves. Good price point for that reel

[@us_patriot_31b]

Pick up an SLX 70 dude that thing is beautiful and great with braid to fluoro. Haven’t tried straight fluoro yet.

[@lonnie3337]

Love the use of spare cardboard and paper for ranking/description purposes 😂

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

Editing with graphics waste too much of my time

[@michealsmith101]

I freaking LOVE the Lew's brand, great reels that are very affordable, durable, and most of them can compete with the higher end reels like the Anteres, that's around $600.

[@DividedWeAllFall]

I personally exclusively use Daiwa for my baitcasters, but I have two Shimano spinning reels, well one Vanford, and the new 2024 Vanford is on the way. But I enjoy seeing reviews of all kinds of brands with objective reasoning behind it.

[@edwardmccoy274]

I had a Ryobi V mag in 1985 or 1986. I was a kid, but it could cast a worm without touching the line.

[@kennethcorbin7317]

I like my Daiwas. I used to be about Abu Garcia but I like the video. Thanks.

[@joshuarogers4428]

One of my favorite reels is actually the 13 fishing Concept A3. say what you want about the company, they knew how to make a very durable main gear.

[@adammitchell3462]

I like kastking, they're motto is "affordable innovation" and I own a lot of they're rods and I couldn't be more pleased with them. The Megatron 200 is a cheap but solid reel

[@bryanfranks6327]

I have all three of these reels. Love them all. I use the concept C2 for flipping and Texas rig. I have Lew’s TP in both 6.8 & 7.5 really great reels. I have 2 megajaws. One 7.2 & a 6.5 speed & just got their Royal Legend in 8.1. Lew’s is probably the best. But for the price point Kast King will be hard to beat. Just need to give time using to see if they last.

[@stacypervis]

Bates is hard to beat in the price range.

[@roycochran5548]

Lew’s Pro Ti are my favorite, but I have Concept E, Concept Z, and Concept C’s with the cork handle that I like too. The Diawa Tatula SV TW reels cast great too but are a little heavier reel and don’t feel as good in my hand. For the price the Tatula seems to be the most well made of the ones I have.

[@tinydiscgolf]

Recently got a curado mgl 150, I've only been this happy once before lol. I haven't used any of the others since.

[@parisite99]

I just recently tried a Shimano from my Lew’s reels. The Curado MGL 150 is really smooth.

[@kickinitoutdoors5782]

Lew's Tournament pro is my go too I haven't fished a lot of other reels because I don't need too I got mine. Do like 13 fishing stuff too!

[@kevinskovenski]

Yeah I’ve had a fair amount of longevity issues with 13 but the last two seasons I’ve really liked the Shimano SLX series.

[@ellisbenning7551]

Love lews, second is Abu Garcia

[@generalprobiotic7487]

Abu for me man. Rods and reels. Good video though

[@ohiobassmaster.]

I have a lot of abu's myself. But by far and away they have some of the worse customer service.

[@kobusengelbrecht4358]

Agree bud we do tigerfishing in Africa and tigers are way stronger faster it hits the lure with insane force had Shimano had daiwa and nothing lasts like the faithfull Abu Garcia Revo SX and winch

[@matthewspell416]

I’ve got several tournament pro reels awesome. To me that where Lews gets really good. I’ve got 9 mega jaws elite reels, honestly they’re an incredible value. Keep in mind the C2 retails for $250 the Lews at $200 the mega jaws is only $130. For it to hang with these reels is saying something.

[@funkymojo111]

Well that's really a loaded question. Because "best" can vary by cost. For example, Shimano makes very good upper end freshwater reels. Their mid-grade salt water reels are good for the cost BUT their low end budget reels, fresh or salt, don't last. Diawa and other manufacturers make better low cost reels. I burned thru 2 low end Shimanos within 6 months; my DS rigs. 13FISHING has an awesome drag rating for those of us chasing big fish on a low budget. I have the 13FISHING TX 1st gen., and it is on my heavy rod. My Daiwa CT100 is what I consider the low end of Daiwa, 2nd from end of cheapest in the line. The CT doesn't like casting into the wind so it is relegated to crankbait/vibrating jig rod. The highest rating for my personal list of all my reels, the Lews KVD is at the top. I think I've had it the longest and for $149 I have been able spool all kinds of line, it is really smooth and casts VERY FAR! Only weakness was that the markings on the brake adjuster wore away so I had to touch up the markings with a permanent marker. Oh, you can clean the 13FISHING reel quickly with WD-40.

[@marciel3054]

I'm just a weekend warrior so I can't speak on the durability, but I love my C2. That thing is so smooth, has a good drag, and casts a mile. The looks isn't a big deal to me, but I call it my Storm Trooper reel.

[@kevingrandke6075]

I like these vids BLat! My buddy from High School and I meet up once year and fish for a week we have these same conversations on reels, line and everything aspect of fishing. not everyone can afford the DCs. we put these things through the paces, and they hold up. All the points you mentioned they are 'reel'y important 😀

[@gregstreettv]

Shimano Metanium DC, Bantam, Aldebaran BFS & the Calcutta if you really bout it, bout it. But the Lews BBI & Lews Tournament are good too for the price point

[@PhotoBob]

My experience with KK was not great in th beginning. Now their higher end reels have been great. I think I have 4 KK reels that are all awesome.

[@ryanburrows8703]

I have Lews and 13’s. Lews is by far the winner in my opinion never a problem with any of them but the lews is much smoother out of the box and when you throw a set of Boca Bearings in them flipping from any distance is an absolute breeze

[@fatbackcrowe2448]

Shimano

[@ezlimit]

reel shape =lew's hypermag.....looks and smoothness = daiwa steez sv tw 100 limited......... durability= Bates the goat....a close 2nd for me is Shimano bantam........casting distance Shimano Metanium

[@gngreatness]

Best baitcaster is the one that gives you confidence and catches fish.

[@HillBros06]

New Balance out here catching strays LOL

[@ohiobassmaster.]

I personally fell in love with the feel of my 13 reels they palm in my hand is unmatched.. But durability is the real question. Only time will tell.

[@Fishingwithfaithoutdoors23]

Shimano and Diawa , they make their own parts. Have the best braking systems. I picked up a 300$ lews and was comparing it to a 99$ SLX I quickly put the lews down. It’s like ford and Chevy, they maybe good vehicles but when it comes to quality and reliability Toyota. I compare shimano to Toyota. I haven’t bought a diawa yet tho. Need too. I can’t get behind 13 reels. I have an origin 1 and the braking system is horrible. But I have a few 13 rods not bad. But 13 is now history. Rapala did that lol.

[@ThomasShue]

Daiwa Steez #1. bates #2. Diawa zillion (best value). #3 Tatula SV.

[@GodGunsGills]

Just because you rank the Lew's high in other areas doesn't mean you have to go low in other areas just because of the high scores. If it's high across the board then that's what it is!

[@RyanRauschenberger-p6h]

I repair reels and shimano is the best.

[@kickinitoutdoors5782]

difference in repairing them and using them Shimano durability is through the roof you would see that but feel and other categories suck bad.

[@HotWheelsATL]

The best is the one that has great customer service support and warranty.

[@shawnwhalen8314]

I used a Concept 13 baitcaster it was overcomplicated and backlashed often,hated that flip door b.s....got rid of it. I use a Diawa Frego now... cheaper easy to use reel, set the brakes cast away, a lot less problems. The Diawa will flex a little, I use it for frogging alot and occasionally spinnerbaits.30lb braid works great would love to get a more expensive Diawa baitcaster when i need a new one.

[@farrzmd3038]

Feel / shape I agree is the most important. Daiwa, Abu Gen 5, 13 Fishing don’t feel great in my hand at all. Daiwa’s braking system is probably the best out there but doesn’t fit my hand. ….. I fish the Ark Gravity and Shimano SLX line. These are the reels that fit me the best.

[@LuckyLucky-bm1pg]

you should do a review on DC reels. I am personally bias on the jmd DC models 😁

[@lightningmusky5286]

Out of those it’s a toss up. I’d probably go with Lews. Daiwa 1 and Shimano 2 would be my preference out of all brands. Ark / Haibo would be one I like to try that I haven’t.

[@slyfox720]

Always love your videos....the categories you picked were spot on. I have tried many different reels, Shimano, Daiwa, lews, Sixgill and for me I really love Daiwa....I have been using the tatula since it first came out long time ago...now I am onto the steez.....but to honestly say which company makes the best is impossible in my opinion....the best reel is the one that suits your fishing and casting style.. I liked the Lews but for some reason I could not dial it in to suit my casting style.

[@pastorbillyedgar4986]

Thanks for reviewing some affordable reels not everyone wants to spend 300 plus for a fishing reel

[@El_Oso77373]

Actually i have 13 concept c TX and TX z. I prefer the concept c Tx. I use that most of my shimanos and diawa

[@escrtn84]

1) Daiwa 2) Shimano 3) the rest of the universe. Japan knows how to make a reel

[@kwc228]

How did they fit an alternator in the baitcaster? ;-)

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

Goes right under the brake fluid adjustment valve

[@robin_lundahl]

There is no other answer than Shimano. Daiwa in the runner up.

[@leeseifert2711]

Brian Latimer great video. Have you tried SixGill reels? A small US company.

[@CaseyAndrews-z1o]

How can you leave out abu. You fished them for a while. I feel some hate goin on.

[@thebear74]

out of those three i would rank 13 kastking and lews i dont like lews at all but i love 13

[@leepao6302]

This topic is very subjective to each of our own; but if you were to ask for my opinion those real is very low, because i'm so spoiled that those reel you have there is consider very low grade for me, anyway my favorite reel i have used so far is the Shimano Antares and the Shimano Antares DC

[@gewglesux]

I do like Lews! purchased last summer!! crackin!

[@rloera601]

Kistler reels is one that’s cool . Chromium.

[@markdavis1363]

Sorry but im an avid abu garcia man through and through. Quality never goes out of style,and im talking about the black max,series,and of course the round style reels.

[@Local.Hammer82]

Awesome video I'm a Lews guy my fav is BB1 Pro

[@Schemin_Scotty]

13 fishing reels win for me

[@sedlacekj10]

wasn't "Childre" Lew's last name?

[@chantzbirch1151]

Shout out to lower Alabama!!!

[@timothyverdine6431]

I love the lews tournament. Ive had troubles with 20# but like you said could be the line aswell. I havent tried kastking yet but been tempted. I have used a couple other cheaper brands that perform well but can tell the internals arent going to hold up for more than 2 seasons

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

The KastKing is completely underrated

[@UMFDeLaW]

You messed up the segments for Kastking as it list 13 fishing concept after the Lews instead of being labeled Kastking. TY for taking the time for all of us weekend warriors and giving us an advantage

[@aneedmorehead9006]

Every single reel you named doesn’t make their own reels. They outsource them to South Korea and mark them up for western markets. The ONLY major company not simply drop shipping to dumb custy types is Shimano. Daiwa used to be in the club with Shimano but they are also starting to use Doyo.

[@HBeretta]

Somebody send Brian a Zillion21 and Bantam22 to compare. He might throw up a follow up vid to this titled 'Three Baitcasters I Just Threw Away".

[@slyfox720]

I love the Zillion....I just sold it to get a new Steez!!!

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

I have those already. If I did all the reels it would be about 4 hours long

[@leepao6302]

@@BrianLatimerFishing Why not feature those reel too

[@781coolmind]

Hot dam I went to garage to check my lews and it had the keeper……well I’ll say…lol

[@grapeape3305]

I love KastKing . Do you ever swap the reel handles on any reel?

[@fredrickbarnes8893]

KastKing all day baby!

[@chootum8295]

21 zillion sv tw is hard to beat for $220

[@jbest1980]

The lews KVD or the Diawa tatula are my go to

[@beezyfishingoutdoors_2168]

All i run is Diawa, KastKing, and the 13Fishing A2.... my KastKing's are right there will all my Diawa's i do have a few Lew's as well i really like them too. But KastKing has it all now a reel to complete with them all. Just ask Legend Bill Dance, who is with KastKing Now and Skeet Reese or Brett Chatmen....

[@RealCamSmith]

21:27 that’s what she said 😅

[@lonniehendren9261]

I have never seen a Megajaws in that color. Is that the MG12?

[@us_patriot_31b]

Does the frame flex on a biggen with the kastking

[@us_patriot_31b]

13 feels boxy in the hand like you’re saying it’s takes getting used to. I use the A1

[@rhodesianhunter9360]

Yeah, I’m not a fan of mine. It’s ok, but quality wise it feels like a 80 dollar reel. I have the c2 in the video.

[@us_patriot_31b]

That’s the reel foot my guy.

[@Psy6o]

Quantum Is best on a budget

[@GeorgeThree]

Do not sleep on Kastking reels. They are excellent reels as a budget option.

[@BrianLatimerFishing]

This one is a premium price point!

[@ladangling2257]

Lew Childre is the inventor of LEW’s. He is from Foley, AL my hometown here in the true LA (Lower AL). I actually went to school with his grandson, whom is named after him. His grandson runs an oyster business here the 251. This is the reason for the reel being named Lew Childre. This area is ripe with History!!! Ohh & for you sports addicts. Yes the same Foley, AL Ken Stabler and Julio Jones is from. Throw them 4’s aka (FO’s) in the air!!! Much Love B Latt 🤙

[@tylerfish6206]

Bass pro

[@us_patriot_31b]

Don’t waste your money on 13 reels, they’re nice when you get them but at the price point you can get WAY better daiwas or shimanos for the same price. Ant speak on the lews but I’ve got 3 of the $100 lews in each gear ratio. That speaks volumes when they fish beside $200+ reels

[@Terry-Kleetus-Kleeblatt]

Brian, thanks for a great informative video. I am retired and starting to go Bass fishing. I’m currently using inexpensive fishing gear but would like to try some higher quality gear. Would you consider sell some of your rods & reels to a retiree? I live at Jackson Lake in Georgia. I used to live in Fountain Inn, SC. Probably near you. Any way, thanks again for your great videos. Hit me up if you’re really interested in selling some stuff. God Bless…Kleetus

[@Ohioan29]

I will never buy a 13 fishing again due to bad quality.

[@24elkbass]

The top 3 are...... and you know ...... Shimano, Shimano, and lastly Shimano.

[@rickhouser9310]

Is this a sponsor video?

[@Shaftya_McNasty]

Abu

[@funkymojo111]

You sound mad. Is everything ok?

[@blackwolffishing4183]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 let's goo

[@us_patriot_31b]

C2 needs to go back to cork handles

[@jayblemsin4226]

Who makes the best bait caster ?! Actual video. Of the the four junkers in my drawer I’m gonna give you my uninformed opinion

[@kanyetwitty6471]

Second!!!

[@B_ROB_82]

i honestly never used a baitcaster regularly, tried it back in the 90's when they started to become popular....now that im getting back into it more i want to find one for the specific baits and precision casting. the lew's pro was on my radar but i just might check out a kast king. whats the tour looking like for 2025? invitationals agian?