Zander wrote:No offense taken at all and always appreciate the feedback. Sealed systems are definitely more common on spinning reels, especially those employed in surf environments. For this particular article the focus really was on big bait applications and freshwater, something that I stated throughout the tests.
"While the Tranx can certainly be utilized for inshore fishing the focus of our tests were on freshwater, primarily bass fishing applications."
If the focus on on brackish or salt then this is an area that I would have called out more. While the seals were not called out specifically as mentioned I spoke to the benefits of Coreprotect.
The Tranx Series does a lot of things well, and does some things, like deliver torque, very well. The series is a good choice for anglers that are often fishing big baits and inshore applications, and brackish water or even salt will do little to alter the reel’s performance, even over time.
When it comes to the salt the Tranx has all the necessary provisions to stand up to the elements with the company's CoreProtect design which employs a coating on the exterior and fittings on the inside to shield key components. The Tranx has already been deployed by many charter boats and is proving itself to be a worthy option for targeting everything from mid-sized Tuna to Wahoo. The reel should hold up well even for short to mid-range applications, and it may even have enough capacity for long range applications when paired with 50lb braided line.
As always the reviews are designed to provide anglers with additional information in which to make their decisions and if you are a saltwater angler then certainly with the application comes it's own key factors that would influence whether or not the product would be a good fit for how you intend to use it. I do appreciate the take and will consider expanding on the seals in the article.
Best, Z
Yup, From saltigas, to Zeebass reels I've owned em, beat on em, and torn every one apart down to the bare frame. Even influenced some mid model run changes.
It wasnt long ago that VS was the only real option. Seems like just last week we all were clamoring for companies to come out with a 400$ sealed reel. Then it was a 200$ sealed reel.
Thousands of threads on the subjects...
Did you notice the "grease" between the frame and sideplates that shimano states is part of the core protect? On the two I opened I didn't see any. THe core protect is just a coating (very tempramental at that), applied to the inside of the reel, ANd sprayed on the seals (if you dropped water on the seals or inside frame the water would bead off. Kinda cool
I get it,
Each fisherman looks at big low pros kike they made it for their quarry of choice
Swimbaiters think they made it for them,
Musky nuts think shimano had them in mind
Kayak fishermen say shimano finally listened but damn that sideplate (which there is a 60 second fix for
And NE striper and boofish guys are never happy and are just grumpy
For swimbaiters seals aren't really an important feature.