Gamakatsu Luxxe Avenge

[goldrod]

Matt Allen just posted a rave review on it in his $500 combo video for this year.

https://youtu.be/cAtbntQHpv4

As much as I really enjoy Tactical Bassin'...their preferred equipment is clearly slanted. Their excuse has been the T-Wing keeping them from recommending more Daiwa higher end reels (since they prefer braid+leader), okay, so what's up with the spinning reel selection not reflecting Certates and Exists? Makes for an easy marketing advantage for Shimano when a Daiwa Tatula is about as high end that is typically recommend from their main competitor.

Same is true of some of the lures they recommend, line, etc. Although I really like the terminal tackle they endorse.

Gotta pay da bills, so I understand, no different than any endorsed person.

i noticed what you mentioned as well.
i was rather disappointed in their high end line up. only the daiwa bottom contact made the list. i just look at the listing and was not interested in the video

For the majority of their target audience their product guides are very applicable...once JDM gets into the mix, it's likely the opposite.

There are also plenty of USDM rods not listed as well, but again, it comes down to their endorsement deals, which is their right, and a wise decision on their part financially.

I'm just saying that peeps need to listen and research beyond just one channel, for info and especially gear.

for sure!!

[StymoDe]

perhaps some folk here could be kind enough to offer a JDM gear guide

rods in particular

[dragon1]

perhaps some folk here could be kind enough to offer a JDM gear guide

rods in particular

Fortunately, even with several major crashes on TT, you will find more than you will likely ever need, by using the search function.

Also, it is much easier to post your query as to what you are looking for, whether just purely technical or functional, and/or price bracket - if you want to receive more succinct and detailed JDM rod information that would be useful to you.

[zalan]

Matt Allen just posted a rave review on it in his $500 combo video for this year.

https://youtu.be/cAtbntQHpv4

As much as I really enjoy Tactical Bassin'...their preferred equipment is clearly slanted. Their excuse has been the T-Wing keeping them from recommending more Daiwa higher end reels (since they prefer braid+leader), okay, so what's up with the spinning reel selection not reflecting Certates and Exists? Makes for an easy marketing advantage for Shimano when a Daiwa Tatula is about as high end that is typically recommend from their main competitor.

Same is true of some of the lures they recommend, line, etc. Although I really like the terminal tackle they endorse.

Gotta pay da bills, so I understand, no different than any endorsed person.

i noticed what you mentioned as well.
i was rather disappointed in their high end line up. only the daiwa bottom contact made the list. i just look at the listing and was not interested in the video

For the majority of their target audience their product guides are very applicable...once JDM gets into the mix, it's likely the opposite.

There are also plenty of USDM rods not listed as well, but again, it comes down to their endorsement deals, which is their right, and a wise decision on their part financially.

I'm just saying that peeps need to listen and research beyond just one channel, for info and especially gear.

They are only going to recommend stuff which is sold by Tacklewarehouse and available. They fully use their referral program, so they are not going to recommend any JDM stuff where you need to branch out to other dealers or even countries. They also not going to recommend many things which are sold out. They want you to use their links as they make money that way.

They also admitted that they needed to branch out to other brands during this covid situation because what they wanted to recommend was not available for a long time. Not doing this would significantly tank their business.

Also personal preference comes into play. They did recommend many Daiwas along the various price points, so it is not like they simply ignoring stuff. You cannot claim that they do not recommend Daiwa because they have endorsment deal with Shimano. They might have, but you do not know for sure, there are plenty of people who prefer Shimano even at the high-end part. It is not like they are suggesting bad stuff just because they make a few extra bucks.

[dragon1]

Matt Allen just posted a rave review on it in his $500 combo video for this year.

https://youtu.be/cAtbntQHpv4

As much as I really enjoy Tactical Bassin'...their preferred equipment is clearly slanted. Their excuse has been the T-Wing keeping them from recommending more Daiwa higher end reels (since they prefer braid+leader), okay, so what's up with the spinning reel selection not reflecting Certates and Exists? Makes for an easy marketing advantage for Shimano when a Daiwa Tatula is about as high end that is typically recommend from their main competitor.

Same is true of some of the lures they recommend, line, etc. Although I really like the terminal tackle they endorse.

Gotta pay da bills, so I understand, no different than any endorsed person.

i noticed what you mentioned as well.
i was rather disappointed in their high end line up. only the daiwa bottom contact made the list. i just look at the listing and was not interested in the video

For the majority of their target audience their product guides are very applicable...once JDM gets into the mix, it's likely the opposite.

There are also plenty of USDM rods not listed as well, but again, it comes down to their endorsement deals, which is their right, and a wise decision on their part financially.

I'm just saying that peeps need to listen and research beyond just one channel, for info and especially gear.

They are only going to recommend stuff which is sold by Tacklewarehouse and available. They fully use their referral program, so they are not going to recommend any JDM stuff where you need to branch out to other dealers or even countries. They also not going to recommend many things which are sold out. They want you to use their links as they make money that way.

They also admitted that they needed to branch out to other brands during this covid situation because what they wanted to recommend was not available for a long time. Not doing this would significantly tank their business.

Also personal preference comes into play. They did recommend many Daiwas along the various price points, so it is not like they simply ignoring stuff. You cannot claim that they do not recommend Daiwa because they have endorsment deal with Shimano. They might have, but you do not know for sure, there are plenty of people who prefer Shimano even at the high-end part. It is not like they are suggesting bad stuff just because they make a few extra bucks.

Yep, you are reiterating what has already been said. And in regards to Daiwa, it's known that Tim openly admitted that he really liked his Steez reels (when T.B. first started out). That the Exist and Certates are rarely if ever noted, when Stellas and Twin Power and Exsence is recommended, has nothing to do with a TWS system.

Also, I never said they don't recommend Daiwa, I stated they recommend lower to mid tier Daiwa as to not step on the top tier offerings from Shimano, which gives their audience and others (that are newer to fishing or not as knowledgeable on gear) the appearance that Shimano is the only suitable offering in the top tier level. It is a marketing agreement that I'm sure ShimLoomis has written legally in fine print, while other offerings recommended are part of the TW contract.

Just like anything else, they just ignore some of the shortcomings of the gear they recommend and make claims of "best/most durable/etc" when those in the know have vastly different experiences. This includes some of the lures they recommend that don't always have good reviews for quality. Some of it is preference/bias, the other part is contractual agreements.

[zalan]

Yep, you are reiterating what has already been said. And in regards to Daiwa, it's known that Tim openly admitted that he really liked his Steez reels (when T.B. first started out). That the Exist and Certates are rarely if ever noted, when Stellas and Twin Power and Exsence is recommended, has nothing to do with a TWS system.

Also, I never said they don't recommend Daiwa, I stated they recommend lower to mid tier Daiwa as to not step on the top tier offerings from Shimano, which gives their audience and others (that are newer to fishing or not as knowledgeable on gear) the appearance that Shimano is the only suitable offering in the top tier level. It is a marketing agreement that I'm sure ShimLoomis has written legally in fine print, while other offerings recommended are part of the TW contract.

Just like anything else, they just ignore some of the shortcomings of the gear they recommend and make claims of "best/most durable/etc" when those in the know have vastly different experiences. This includes some of the lures they recommend that don't always have good reviews for quality. Some of it is preference/bias, the other part is contractual agreements.

Ok, let's talk high-end gear and Daiwa spinning gear. They also has a design issue which is the mag-seal. It makes maintenance difficult and more expensive. I know they try to sell this as a feature, but it is a disadvantage for many in reality. Daiwa does still ship reels with terrible lubrication and you either have to buy new oil for that if you wanna do any clean-up, or completely remove the seal. If you do the latter, why would you pay for that feature in the first place? I know some people are not bothered by it, some might even prefer it, but it is not true for everyone. If I have to buy a high-end spinning gear today, I would automatically go to Shimano. This is coming from a person who was a Daiwa person, I really wanted to like them, I have friends who are sponsored by Daiwa, I see them in action, but still would not buy them. It is a shame though as otherwise they are very nice reels and they are among the best out there. I hope someday they will go away from their "innovations" (T-wing and mag-seal) at least in some of their better gear as they have nice stuff otherwise.

Regarding their rods, they do have some high-end stuff which are extremely good. I always assumed they do not recommend them much because they simply prefer Megabass. It looks like that brand is their favourite out of all.

Regarding issues with gear and durability claims. This is something which I cannot take their word for. I know they fish a lot, lot more than me, but they are also using many different gear. They only use their favourites a ton, other than that I do not think they put enough miles into others. Especially since they are promoting new gear all the time, this is impossible to put heavy load on them in a short time-frame. Also I do not expect them to badmouth any company out there. They do not get any benefit doing that and could burn bridges. The most I expect them to do is to stop recommending something when they find out there is an issue with it. Every company has issues or dud products. Shimano has history of those, Megabass also had issues and many other companies. That is part of the game.

The main thing I wanted to iterate is that just because they are not recommending something, does not automatically mean that they have financial interest not to recommend. I do not think it is worth for them to sign secret deals with anyone which prevents them to recommend one the biggest brand in the industry. Yes, they are talking to a lot of companies, they have deals with some of them, but they are also people with preferences. It is even more important with high-end gear, as taste here is much more dominant than at the lower price points.

[dragon1]

Dang... everything I type up just time out...lol!

Back at ya later.

[dragon1]

Forgive the rushed nature of this reply...I'm sneaking this in during lunch before my Zoom meeting.

In so far as Daiwa with Magseal, agreed it's a PITA as is the monocoque body from a maintenance standpoint, and is acutally an attractant for particles commonly found in SW. My newest Daiwa threadline is a 2013 Certate 2510R-PE 4.8, so I am not personally experienced with the newer generations, but I can say that this reel has been strong, robust, bullet proof, and exceptional for performance and quality. Also, I am not familiar with higher end Daiwa threadlines being a bit underlubed from the factory (even the half dozen I have owned in the Real Four platform were all fine whether with or without Magseal), although this is not surprising, whereas most Shimano JDM tends to be over greased in my experience. FWIW, in my hands, I prefer Daiwa's drags and bail design to Shimano's, and Daiwa's gearing (especially the current aluminum alloys and even prior generations) tend to be more durable and their roller bearings seem to last longer on their mid-higher end reels. Shimano is superior for sealing against water intrusion (lately, although older "Shimbindos" were notorious for water intrusion in their spinners) and their line lay is exceptional due to the worm gear, which is why most of my Daiwa's in rotation are actually older models with the OG long cast spools and worm gear. Still, T.B. could be recommending mid tier Daiwas like the metal body Procyon as it is one of the best values in this price range. My newest threadline is a Twin Power and it is a great reel with superb line lay, but the gearing is not as smooth or powerful as some of my older Daiwas, granted it is a higher gear ratio.

On BC reels, T.B. could be recommending the Zillion and Steez reels and these would compete in every manner neck and neck with like level Shimano offerings, and from what I have noticed when Matt and Tim cast and fish on video, the connection knot is not always in the spool of their reel. Also the Tat 300 and some Abus should also be recommended for swimbaits in addition to the Tranx 300. Also on BFS, it is usually just the CU BFS or Alde BFS that I see them recommend, whereas Daiwa and Abu have excellent offerings as well.

On to rods, there are more than a handful of brand models that compete more than well vs the GLoomis EX6/GCX and MB Levante models, and even vs the Zodias/Expride, per the same price bracket.

Regardless to all the above, these nuances to preferences by the individual is endless. What I am saying is that an informed consumer should be researching more than one avenue for products, whether for fishing, financial services, or any other product/service. To be relegated to only one influencer while not considering other just as qualified "experts" in their field, will only shortchange the ultimate decision on a product, if there is no fair open market competitive comparison. Again, congrats to Matt and Tim for their success and for growing their business to what it is today. However to think that they are not more than just "inclined" to recommend a product/products solely based upon preference, is not realistic...when $$$$ exchanges hands, and endorsements are had, then the selling of goods will be biased.

My nickel's worth.

[reason162]

Yes, they are talking to a lot of companies, they have deals with some of them, but they are also people with preferences.

Tactical obviously have a deal with Shimano - they've appeared in Shimano ads before. That's fine and everyone needs to make a living, but I'd prefer if they disclose that fact in review/buyer's guide videos.

[dragon1]

Funny...Tim has a Daiwa on the Legend Tournament and lists a Shimano Curado on the "Crankbait Combo" same Legend Tournament carbon cranker.

https://youtu.be/8zqiudpk5fU

[hoohoorjoo]

^^It's all just marketing strategy to make you empty your wallet.

[dragon1]

It's all just marketing strategy to make you empty your wallet.

And/or max out your credit.