New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

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Dalleinf
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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Dalleinf » Thu Oct 14, 2021 2:07 pm

Thank you for the review hwk.
I will get mine tomorrow amd hope for some nice distance with overhand casts upstream small waterways (should be similar to lakes in some ways.

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by kevinkunkle » Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:46 pm

Great video.

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Freddie » Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:36 pm

For what I use the AATW platform for(stream/small river fishing) the Gekkabijin offers no real advantage to me over the Alphas Air…except the upgraded bearings count and quality…and the new gearing which is the cats meow I’ve been hearing. The only real negative of the Gekkabijin is a big one for me…PE only. I much prefer mono for UL BFS casting and fishing. I’m not completely sure why but I think it has a lot to do with having several nightmarish experiences with ultra thin PE lines and having great experiences with low poundage mono lines. I also feel like casting the ultra, ultra light(under a gram) baits is more effective with light mono than braid. Maybe because of smoothness…? Has anyone else seen this?

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Fri Oct 15, 2021 6:53 am

Freddie wrote:
Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:36 pm
For what I use the AATW platform for(stream/small river fishing) the Gekkabijin offers no real advantage to me over the Alphas Air…except the upgraded bearings count and quality…and the new gearing which is the cats meow I’ve been hearing. The only real negative of the Gekkabijin is a big one for me…PE only. I much prefer mono for UL BFS casting and fishing. I’m not completely sure why but I think it has a lot to do with having several nightmarish experiences with ultra thin PE lines and having great experiences with low poundage mono lines. I also feel like casting the ultra, ultra light(under a gram) baits is more effective with light mono than braid. Maybe because of smoothness…? Has anyone else seen this?
I too found the Gekkabijin to be a super nice reel, just not my ideal short range stream reel. It is an open water casting machine though. Luckily I have other Alphas AIR TW spools to play around with.

I live dangerous and use mono on "PE spools". I make sure do not apply a lot of pressure when spooling mono and also do not fill the spool up. I also do put pull hard on snags. Roro spools and many other aftermarket spools have the same warning. I do know spools can get damaged but, I am careful.
IG @hobie_wan_kenobi_fishing

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by jvelth74 » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:16 am

Yes, great video and great fish, thank Hobie!

I actually don't see big difference in baitcasting UL fishing in open water vs. stream fishing. I use mostly same lures and mostly same Magforce settings and mostly I cast always 70 - 100% of maximum distance. And if short casts needed, I don't see issues with those, then thumb braking is just fine. (Pitching casts of course are different, those are not needed in my open water fishing.) Basically only thing changes is 4,5 feet rod for stream fishing and 7,5 feet rod for open water fishing.

I already ordered Chameleon 28 mm spool for 28 mm size reel. It is sv style moving inductor which I have liked most (K.T.F. 'Kahen' is my favorite so far). I bought it mostly for mono line. I know it's not recommended for that old style Chameleon spool, but I don't care too much if I breake it with mono. Btv, it seems that a new design of Chameleon is made suitable for mono line. But obvious new design is currently available only in 34 mm and 30 mm sizes:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... 4c4dM4qmuc

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:17 pm

jvelth74 wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:16 am
Yes, great video and great fish, thank Hobie!

I actually don't see big difference in baitcasting UL fishing in open water vs. stream fishing. I use mostly same lures and mostly same Magforce settings and mostly I cast always 70 - 100% of maximum distance. And if short casts needed, I don't see issues with those, then thumb braking is just fine. (Pitching casts of course are different, those are not needed in my open water fishing.) Basically only thing changes is 4,5 feet rod for stream fishing and 7,5 feet rod for open water fishing.

I already ordered Chameleon 28 mm spool for 28 mm size reel. It is sv style moving inductor which I have liked most (K.T.F. 'Kahen' is my favorite so far). I bought it mostly for mono line. I know it's not recommended for that old style Chameleon spool, but I don't care too much if I breake it with mono. Btv, it seems that a new design of Chameleon is made suitable for mono line. But obvious new design is currently available only in 34 mm and 30 mm sizes:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... 4c4dM4qmuc
I like less brakes for stream fishing, as low trajectory is easier to achieve with less brakes. Also, it allows the spool to spin fast without much force. The short casting is mostly thumb for braking for me. Pitching is the same way for me.

Long casting I use more brakes.
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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by jvelth74 » Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:24 pm

Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:17 pm
I like less brakes for stream fishing, as low trajectory is easier to achieve with less brakes. Also, it allows the spool to spin fast without much force. The short casting is mostly thumb for braking for me. Pitching is the same way for me.

Long casting I use more brakes.
Probably you have cast more, or we cast at least in different way.

In long casting I find out that Magforce setting which I can cast with full power available, which can be power of rod and in BFS it is so (and in heavy weight lure and strong rod it's the maximum controlled power of me). But when I have found that Magforce setting, I loosen it usually by 1 click, and try to cast a little higher and then finding out how much power I can use.

That same setting works for mine stream fishing usually good in controlled casts. Or I just add 1 click. If I'm pithching, I'm adding one more click. Distance control is by thumb. Total spool control with thumb I have found too difficult in case of one hand BFS rod and light lure. Can be done, but Daiwa's sv brake does it better than me, at least currently.

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Dalleinf » Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:40 am

Very nice reel if the very windy first session is anything to go by. Caught several trout in the 20-23 inch size.
Reel was spooled with 0.10mm 0.8pe 8lb Sufix Matrix pro and on a very nice custom build Matagi TR53 (~550 $).
The session ended with a broken rod tip, large tear/wound in finger from toothy critter. Returned to my car to find a flat rear tire. No spare tire. Now waiting for roadside help… Appreciate: Beautiful view, sunset, in the middle of nowhere.
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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:50 am

Dalleinf wrote:
Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:40 am
Very nice reel if the very windy first session is anything to go by. Caught several trout in the 20-23 inch size.
Reel was spooled with 0.10mm 0.8pe 8lb Sufix Matrix pro and on a very nice custom build Matagi TR53 (~550 $).
The session ended with a broken rod tip, large tear/wound in finger from toothy critter. Returned to my car to find a flat rear tire. No spare tire. Now waiting for roadside help… Appreciate: Beautiful view, sunset, in the middle of nowhere.
Nice catch!!! I also found the reel casts well into the wind. I also am finding people tend to catch big trout as their first fish with the Gekkabijin.
IG @hobie_wan_kenobi_fishing

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Cristo » Sat Oct 16, 2021 6:58 pm

So sweet Dalleinf =D>

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Dalleinf » Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:03 pm

Cristo wrote:
Sat Oct 16, 2021 6:58 pm
So sweet Dalleinf =D>
Thanks ☺️. Roadside help turned out to be a super friendly fellow fisherman. We talked fishing while he towed my car to the auto repair shop. He mentioned his varying succes inshore fishing for searun brown trout, and also a recent decent catch of a 94 cm and 9.5 kg trout (a one in 10 lifetimes fish). It would have been a struggle on bfs for sure…

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by SSS » Sun Oct 17, 2021 2:43 am

If i was interested in this reel in particular, i would sell the original spool, get a RORO or another ultra light chinese spool, upgrade the stock knobs to a pair of og corks and be done with it.

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Cristo » Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:23 am

Well make it happen :P

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by jvelth74 » Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:57 am

So, in Gekkabijin is much greater Magforce brake?

In stream fishing ‘1’ was OK? And how does Gekkabijin brake force compare to Alphas Air? What is good Magforce setting for Alphas Air in stream fishing?

Anybody knows from where strong brake force comes in Gekkabijin?

Diameter of line stack is obviously a little smaller and therefore revolutions of spool is slightly more in similar cast, and spool speed increases a little brake force, but in my opinion this shouldn’t create big difference.

I think I saw in ‘The Reel Test’ video that inductor movement is shorter in Gekkabijin, correct? But inductors appears similar or near similar? Is Gekkebijin inductor more inside in the magnetic field when inductor is retracted? Or is there stronger magnets in Gekkabijin?

In my opinion it would be great if good Magforce setting would be in the middle of dial. That is always sad if good setting founds in the low or top end of dial, because then fine adjustment might be impossible or magnetic brake appears always a little insufficient.

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Re: New 2021 Daiwa 月下美人 “Alphas” Air TW PE Special

Post by Freddie » Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:08 pm

I'm very curious if anyone has spent some time in the open water with the stock spool compared to the SV and RORO spools. If this new spool performs better for long casting then I maybe will keep it and buy some low poundage/small diameter PE line. If not, I'm seeing no advantage of this new spool as I actually prefer small mono for <3 gram lures. All that to say that I do have one on the way from Japan:)

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