Kistler Reels

[_diggy_]

Because pretentiousness, sanctimony, and anecdotal dogma are ubiquitous throughout the largemouth bass fishing reel community.

[Cal]

Because pretentiousness, sanctimony, and anecdotal dogma are ubiquitous throughout the largemouth bass fishing reel community.

Reels, rods, fishing line, baits... I don't get the acrimony ... choices are good. Choices inspire innovation. Innovation eventually leads to better overall product for all of us.

If someone has a different opinion or experience (see Tatsu Knot Strength thread), then that means something does or doesn't work for them. How does that affect you or why get offended by someone else's experience?

Used to be fishing rods made in a certain country had trouble with durability and craftmanship. While some of that still holds true, there are examples where the opposite is the case. It is entirely dependent on the checks and balances the manufacturer enforces on the factory making their product, not where the product is made.

This is difficult to ascertain until said product is in your hands. Fight the origin bias.

[LowRange]

Both reels look like Aliexpress reels. The 1st one looks suspiciously like the chinease OEM Bionic plus/Alcance.

[LowRange]

Based on clues I see in the two vids posted Friday by Kistler my hunch is that these might be produced by Banax. Nothing at all wrong with that, in my opinion. I have several Banax produced reels and have had zero issues. Moreover, I enjoy fishing with them. The brake dial does look more like Doyo, but the Kistler logo is screened on, not the recessed oval Doyo stick on. Once we see a schematic there may be more clues. Banax uses a second driveshaft bearing above the ARB on most reels above $100 and a gear side plate pinion bearing. I haven't seen that second driveshaft bearing on stateside Doyo relabeled reels, and only a few Doyo's have a quasi dual bearing supported pinion where it's standard for most Banax produced reels. Also the series 1 spool shown is more Banax-ish than Doyo-like. The series 2 spools look like neither and more like a Shimano Curado's. The braking system looks to be SVS infinity-ish. Interesting.

I'll give Kistler credit. At least they didn't invent a tale about inventing new reels. They're straight up about the sourcing.

Series 1 vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dls7ZP8ZIDk

As far as quality control goes with Korean reels: Is the suggestion that they're unable to produce in- tolerance parts consistently, or their engineering is subpar, or that they simply pass finished products that should've been rejected? That's possible on any assembly line. As a high-schooler in the 70's I worked in a machine shop where we could hold tolerances of 10ths of a thousandth of an inch all day long on machinery produced in the 60s. It seems unlikely that they can't do this today just because of their location. Seems silly to me to if that were to be suggested. Absurd actually.

Anyway, it's fun to have more options out there. The braking system is different than any of the stateside offerings seen from 13, Lews, ABU, Okuma, or Quantum. Maybe there's some goodness in it.

Thanks for the vids. I looks identical to the BPS Bionic Plus which is a chineasium SVS brake system. Not a bad budget reel at the $59 sale price they go for multiple times a year but not at $150 IMO. I had one for a while I bought on a fishing trip and then gave it to a buddy as his 1st baitcast reel. It was one of the better sub $70 reels for bombing a frog I have used.

[rando]

Btw, anyone else getting ridiculous amount of kistler ads on youtube?

Every other video I get Trey or the other guy talking to me about their custom rods. Very agressive ad campaign. I wonder when will other companies jump on the wagon.
If anything it makes me want to buy it less to be honest.

[LgMouthGambler]

They may be good, they may not be. More than likely a Banax design. But I wanted to chime in with a , for all the Daiwa/Shimano superior guys. Doyo makes a fine product, and they also make some not so. But hey, so does Daiwa and Shimano. Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

[mark poulson]

They may be good, they may not be. More than likely a Banax design. But I wanted to chime in with a , for all the Daiwa/Shimano superior guys. Doyo makes a fine product, and they also make some not so. But hey, so does Daiwa and Shimano. Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

Who makes the current reels for Quantum?

[LgMouthGambler]

They may be good, they may not be. More than likely a Banax design. But I wanted to chime in with a , for all the Daiwa/Shimano superior guys. Doyo makes a fine product, and they also make some not so. But hey, so does Daiwa and Shimano. Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

Who makes the current reels for Quantum?

Banax.

[reason162]

Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

[rto]

looks identical to the BPS Bionic Plus which is a chineasium SVS brake system

Could be. If Kistler produces a schematic then we'll see for sure. BPS shows one for the Bionic. The brake assembly looks way different based on a review photo. Anyway, it seems odd that BPS would allow a potential competitor import an identical relabeled reel. Who knows? Get your popcorn ready.

[rto]

They may be good, they may not be. More than likely a Banax design. But I wanted to chime in with a , for all the Daiwa/Shimano superior guys. Doyo makes a fine product, and they also make some not so. But hey, so does Daiwa and Shimano. Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

My K got pushed off of my all purpose MH rod by a Quantum Smoke S3, which has been great. Casts just as far or farther. Way, way easier to dial in and less touchy when changing baits. Plus I don't need to keep one fingernail long in order to adjust that horrible, difficult to turn external adjustment dial on the K. The K now sits on one rod with one type/weight bait, and it's great there. If I were forced to sell one or the other the K would go packing.

[LowRange]

looks identical to the BPS Bionic Plus which is a chineasium SVS brake system

Could be. If Kistler produces a schematic then we'll see for sure. BPS shows one for the Bionic. The brake assembly looks way different based on a review photo. Anyway, it seems odd that BPS would allow a potential competitor import an identical relabeled reel. Who knows? Get your popcorn ready.

The Bionic Plus I had had an identical brake to what is in the video. The frame and dimensions are also identical. Its some sort of chinease reel because they are all over aliexpress in mag brake form. The centrifugal brake one I had cast great but it was basically a budget Curado K at $79 MSRP. At $150 for one with nicer paint and a cheap CF handle I would have to hard pass on.

You might be able to see the centrifugal brake in the snip from the current gen BPS Bionic Plus reel. Its an SVS type brake.

[LowRange]

That schematic shows what appears to be a 6 pin so maybe that is an older reel but the one I had, which is the current one, was a 4 pin brake identical to the Series 1 down to the blue plastic brake holder.

Definitely the same platform as the BPS Bionic Plus/ZPI Alcance but with what appears to be a new handle side cover to hide the front screw and a slight change to the front top of the frame is disguise what it is. Unfortunately for them is uses the exact centrifugal brake as the $79 Bionic plus. The platform is made in both China and Korea. These are Korean made so like the Alcance.

[LgMouthGambler]

looks identical to the BPS Bionic Plus which is a chineasium SVS brake system

Could be. If Kistler produces a schematic then we'll see for sure. BPS shows one for the Bionic. The brake assembly looks way different based on a review photo. Anyway, it seems odd that BPS would allow a potential competitor import an identical relabeled reel. Who knows? Get your popcorn ready.

They allowed Lews reels back in the stores after the whole debacle between those companies. Money....thats all that matters.

[LgMouthGambler]

Ill take my BPS JM Platinum Signature reel over a Curado K any day.

Laugh all you want, but those that have the K, and try my Signature, pass on the K and get a Signature. So....