2016 Shimano Baitcasting Reels

[Bootytrain]

Are the 15 Aldebaran and 16 Aldebaran BFS XG different colors? Booty, don't you have both? If they are, can you post a pic please?

Yeah I'll take some after work along with another toy from japan I got today lol.

[John G]

Are the 15 Aldebaran and 16 Aldebaran BFS XG different colors? Booty, don't you have both? If they are, can you post a pic please?

Yeah I'll take some after work along with another toy from japan I got today lol.

Thank you. Can't wait to see the new toy you got. LOL

[Bootytrain]

Are the 15 Aldebaran and 16 Aldebaran BFS XG different colors? Booty, don't you have both? If they are, can you post a pic please?

Yeah I'll take some after work along with another toy from japan I got today lol.

Thank you. Can't wait to see the new toy you got. LOL

Pics of the new toy are going to have to wait till tommorrow lol This is the best I could get of the 2. The BFS XG has a shinier coating and its a gunmetal color vs the dark grey of the regular

[John G]

Thanks! This is the first side by side pics that I have seen and they are definitely different.

[Mothercanucker]

Tailhooked a 20-lb+ carp in heavy current and today landed a 36" musky with the 15 aldebaran and ML Adrena zero problems handling either. Great reels man.

[tioke]

to me the bfs looks "sharper" and what you don't see is the rattling drag when a good size fish takes a run!!

[Jrob]

Got my new 2016 BFS XG in today! Love it! Will be paired with a 2016 Megabass Destroyer Cliffhanger.

[Jrob]

Loving the new BFS XG. I spooled it with 8lbs invisix and mounted it to the 66M Shimano Poison Glorious "Wolfgang". The combo is so light it's humorous. Was throwing 1/8 oz shakeyhead with a grande bass french fry. Caught 10 in an hour and a half. Drag sound is cool an useful. It's amazing how well this combo worked for BFS fishing. In general the rod is probably the favorite rod I have ever owned. In a pinch it has thrown everything in its weight range.

[iliketofishman]

For the Antares, it doesnt seem to have a tension knob. Is that normal or is it controlled from the inside?

[Gone Phishin]

For the Antares, it doesnt seem to have a tension knob. Is that normal or is it controlled from the inside?

From JapanTackle:

Jun's comment: The reel doesn't have cast control caps. The DC brake does the all job and you don't have to adjust the cap. WOW.

[IAY]

That statement is wrong, they have the tension control inside, but they don't advise you to touch it for the best result(no side to side movement of the spool)

[rp346]

Actually the screw with the slot and knurled edge(under DC) adjusts the tension on the spool. The spool does have some side play to it right out of the factory. To get distance out of this reel it is all about the "empty run period" which there are no brakes applied as the spool will reach speeds of over 35,000 rpm's in 0.15 seconds in the initial start up. So the emphasis is on the spool spinning freely , if the spool is restricted in its ability to spin freely you will not get the maximum performance out of it...I would suggest you pay attention to the initial setting and go from there and of course that is for those who choose to play with it otherwise leave it alone....

[rp346]

P.S. there is also a spool bearing mounted on it this time around......

[spookybaits]

@rp346 what does the NM & X stand for?
I'm assuming FL= fluorocarbon & P= braid?

[iliketofishman]

NM is nylon mono and X is no brakes for max casting.

X setting takes me back to when i was first learning a baitcaster.

I figured that was what the screw to the spool was and after i saw how difficult to turn by hand (nail) i realise it's not meant to play with. Casting got easier as i went along.