TackleTour

2013 Bait-the-Finesse Finale : Daiwa T3 Air



Introduction: The T3 Air came away from our late March 2013 Product Insight article with the early lead in this shootout. It is a reel based on Daiwa's first generation T-Wing platform, the T3. Made in Japan, the T3 AIR is a modified version of the flagship variant in this line and not the Ballistic which is made in Thailand instead of Japan. This platform has been met with mixed success here in the states with the greatest challenge being acceptance of its unorthodox flip open front plate combined with the reel's flagship price tag. The T3 Air does not compromise either of these characteristics.

Conclusion: http://tackletour.com/reviewbfsvt3airfinalpt2pg2.html

Which is more comfortable?
Air knobs or skinny MB knobs. Serious question guys.

Johnny A wrote:Which is more comfortable?
Air knobs or skinny MB knobs. Serious question guys.

Absolutely hate the skinny knobs
The air knobs are really comfortable in my hands,love them.

Great review. BUT- I still cant commit to going complete finesse in a BC. I need to think my dropshot and shakey head presentations are better served by my stellas and opus acquisitions. That and I can skip wacky rigged worms with a spincaster far easier than with a BC. I dont want to believe u dont need spinning set-ups ( eventhough its obvious many do.)

Gblaze wrote:Great review. BUT- I still cant commit to going complete finesse in a BC. I need to think my dropshot and shakey head presentations are better served by my stellas and opus acquisitions. That and I can skip wacky rigged worms with a spincaster far easier than with a BC. I dont want to believe u dont need spinning set-ups ( eventhough its obvious many do.)

I tried to go "all bc all the time" and it just doesn't work.

I'm surprised about the need for a lot of thumbing. Unless I was looking wrong I saw a video on YouTube that a guy appeared to be casting a 3.8 gram lure with no thumb. The details said it was going 97 feet. I was under the understanding the sv spools used the same inductor as the air. One of the selling points of an sv is little to no thumbing. I guess maybe a person would just be better off buying a t3 sv. I know the bottom capabilities of the reel aren't as low. There's a bigger range to work with and the spool isn't so fragile. Also the spools are interchangeable with a lot of reels.

Aaronb wrote:I'm surprised about the need for a lot of thumbing. Unless I was looking wrong I saw a video on YouTube that a guy appeared to be casting a 3.8 gram lure with no thumb. The details said it was going 97 feet. I was under the understanding the sv spools used the same inductor as the air. One of the selling points of an sv is little to no thumbing. I guess maybe a person would just be better off buying a t3 sv. I know the bottom capabilities of the reel aren't as low. There's a bigger range to work with and the spool isn't so fragile. Also the spools are interchangeable with a lot of reels.

I was thinking the same thing. Unless the T3 Air can go super low (which apparently it can't) the T3 SV is better than in just about every category except weight and perhaps fit/finish.

DaveJ

If its the video I'm thinking, wasn't the guy throwing a spoon? I don't think the lures Cal was throwing were very aerodynamic.

Its says a minnow.

Must be a different video

Well here's the video. I'm looking on my phone, so I might not be seeing right. Maybe someone else can get a better look.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MSmBPQQvOMY

Different video, and yeah that looked like a kastmaster style spoon. I'm not surprised though as I've achieved over 110ft on my BFS with a 3.5 gram drop shot weight, the T3 Air should be comparable, but they were throwing lighter less aerodynamic lures in the review. 1\16th oz rooster tail goes a lot farther than 1\16th oz SK bitsy minnow in my hands probably due to aerodynamics.

Johnny A wrote:
I tried to go "all bc all the time" and it just doesn't work.

x2. I ended up drop shotting a ton this season and was surprised about how much I preferred doing it on a spinning rod.

Nice review, Cal...and awesome bluegill pics! Those would be a blast on a finesse BC rod.

Johnny A wrote:I tried to go "all bc all the time" and it just doesn't work.

x3

The romanticism is getting better with the latest crop of finesse BCs however.

I'm planning on getting a T3 Air and building a 4'6" rod based on one of those MHX panfish and crappie blanks. I'm looking to fish for trout and panfish in some small streams that are only about 10 feet across in most spots. Should be a fun little setup and a good enough excuse to get one of these.