So I went with the TSU KF-50 .. I think it’s level up from the ZYPHER .. I think they might have there own specialty on type of finesse baits to throw.. The TSU can throw lighter baits a lot better
@@AaronHuntFishing if I remember correctly, you said the kingdom bfs real gives the TSU a run for its money.. I’m thinking I’ll try that next … or just save up for a CALCUTTA
@@jordanalexander436 It does. It did so well i had to give the Soloking a try. I have one sitting on my desk just to complete the clone wars. ;P Calcutta obviously blows them away....
I own KK VE2, DW Ultra, Zephyr, & Soloking acura....all work great thus far over the past 5-6 months. Also Soloking has a higher bearing count which makes it oh so smooth. In addition I live in FL and routinely catch 5-8 lb Bass on these no problem, just be sure to have your drag set properly as they do make numerous runs before you can land the bigger ones and use a net because they would either snap the line or your rod!!! Good advice in the video and I agree with all points made!
Great points as well. Occasionally people ask why I net most of my fish - exactly like you said: light line, and light rods both can be broker rather easily by a flopping fish!
I’m new to BFS fishing and I really enjoy your contact or I can get a starter package of reels and rods and still make fishing fun. Looking forward for your next video on the rods.
A couple other budget rods I do recommend: The Obsession MojoBass for bass: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DlfO33v And the Sensation Trout for trout /panfish: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDBxt2F
@@GusM661 You are welcome. I tend to spend more on rods in general it seems. 3 so far I wouldn't recommend: Major craft Benkei, Kuying Teton 662, and the AceHawk venom. Latter two for durability issues. I should probably put together a rods video soon. Thanks for the questions.
Soloking Acura is one of the finest reels I’ve used so far not sure about the other mod shown here but the Acura is great and I’m awaiting on the bearking Zeus to arrive any day now to compare great video sir god bless
I’m so very excited that more options are becoming available in that budget range under $80 you really have a great selection and I believe it’s gonna get even better especially Amazon and other places that start to carry them
Hey Aaron, luv the channel, and the fishing videos !! I have the Acura HICC-50 (both ratios 7.1 & 8.1) and the Micro Monster's (7.1 & 8.1) I was thinking of getting the Elf-50L (Genius's slower brother) 6.4:1 gear ratio for my small crankbaits. I target Bass exclusively, I switched to BFS gear due to the heavily pressured lakes in my area , even though I'm finesse fishing, I'm still catching Crappie, Perch, Trout, & the occasional Bluegill due to the smaller baits, but I am catching a lot more bass (albeit smaller most of the time) then before I downsized. My rods are lite, med/lite, & med... rated 4# -10#, 6# -12# & 8# -14#, no ultra-lites in my rack, I'm typically using 6# fluorocarbon, & 8#co-polymer or 6# mono. anyways keep up the good work !!
Appreciate the kind words. Sounds like a good plan - if you use paddle tail swimbaits the Elf might be better there too. I think i tend to fish them too quickly. BFS has changed my entire level of fishing enjoyment. This year will be a heavier bass / smallmouth focuus, so probably a little more of what people would call "power BFS" and kayaking as an overall theme vs the ultralight heavy skinny water from last year on the channel.
My whole country does shut down for about 2 weeks for spring festival / new year. So yes, ordering soon would be a good idea. I think I'll go with the dark wolf ultra being new to bfs fishing.
Slightly older video, but the Kingdom Micro Monster is now shipping with two different spools for the 7.1.1 reel. Im going to buy one as I bought a soloking but it turned out to be the wrong version (Im right handed but bought a left hand model...) and now they are all sold out. Theres still a few more days of the summer sale left so Im going to keep monitoring stock levels and run the clock down on which one ends up in my basket. If the Solokings come back in stock - thats what i will buy. If not, then it will be the micro monster with its two spools. (I dont think its likely the Acura will come back in stock with 4 days left to go..)
Great video. Thanks for getting into the gear ratio. I am probably getting two budget reels. I already have the zephyr and that actually the fastest out there. The gear ratio is important but I also looked into the inches per turn. I thought about getting an Elf for slower moving stuff like swim baits, spinner, or crank baits. I thought about getting the Genius too or maybe the Haibu Air which is a faster reel.
Love videos keep up the great work! Can you do a similar video on rods? I currently have the ace hawk double cu and the Dobyns Sierra ultra finesse and enjoy them both
I do not. But first, Only the first generation DWU with the spring-loaded brakes needs them. At some point they removed the springs and made the brakes fixed. So if they don't move when you put pressure on one end, you don't have a Gen 1. IF you have a 1st gen, around the 27 second mark of Paul Gaskel's video over @Fishing_Discoveries shows how easy it is: ruclips.net/video/5xrps8e08ZE/видео.html
If you just need one reel and can afford the Aldebaran, do that. I made another video where I emntioned if I had just bought only Calcutta Conquest BFS reels from the beginning, i could have had 7 or 8 of them by now... :P
Such a nice and informative video Aaron, this reels are probably some of the best budget options and a cheap way to discover BFS. I have two of them, the Tsurinoya DWU and the KastKing VE2, greate reels for the money. If youre into spin fishing, Tsurinoya have the Spinning reel Ranger 800 reel also, around 80 bucks, awesome reel for the money. My favourite is the DWU, I love that cheap awesome reel. Happy New Year..cheers
Have u tried the histar black knight another clone that comes stock with hybrid orange seals. As good as my dark wolf. Avoid the new seasir m1 ultra mag. It does have an alloy frame which is a bonus, still does not feel as solid in your hand or smooth as a dark Wolf All Black Knight. Or find I use these two reels more than any of my other light gear. I'm in Australia so pay a little bit more for them, absolutely amazing value for money
It's been a while, but being that it was fairly over-braked I highly doubt you'll have much success even appraoching 1 gram. If I made this video today, the Valiant wouldn't be on the list. The Doviello Acura or the Dark Wolf Ultra with upgraded bearings should get you around there though.
I don't saltwater fish as a general rule. I'm not sure that any of these are truly saltwater safe. I'd probably consider the Shimano SLX BFS as a budget saltwater-safe reel.
Went into Dickson just to look around. It's been a while. Couldn't believe how inflation has gotten out of hand with fishing reels and rods. I started looking at the Chinese reels. If they turn out to be crap, I can always throw them away.
Yep - everything's going up, that's for sure. My Original DWU is almost 2 years old. It hasn't been fished as hard in year 2, but I still think it's a great value.
Technically there's a slight difference these days. the Acura has saltwater safe bearings (it should say so in the listings). I persoanlly liked my Micro monster better than the Acura I have, but most people like the Acura better these days. And the Acura is usually $6 or more cheaper. Should be $35 USD using this link: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEVMnbv
I’m not sure there’s much difference between the latest DWU and the Micro Monster. They both feel very similar to me. Make your choice on price or looks. It’s pretty much a coin toss for me.
Don't know if you purchased yet but I would say DWU as I've seen video's of quality/order problems with some stores selling the MM. Everytime I've purchased from Tsurinoya store have no issues, e.g. Reel, Rods, numerous baits.
I am thinking about buying a reel but I only cast like 4g to 20g. Im from Sweden and fish a lot of perch and would like a baitcaster with drag clicker. What would you recommend? Love your videos they are always so high quality
I think the Dark Wolf Ultra would also be good, but what's your budget? The 15-20g range might concern me on the DWU. The Shimano SLX / Curado might be a little better for a little more money.
@@AaronHuntFishing i Washington thinking something under 150$ but how about the kastking because it’ over breakt maybe it will be able to cast up to 20g
@@simonthollander1027 Should be fine. My only concern was the spool maybe being too light. BUT, for that price if you had to replace a spool at some point it wouldn't be horrible.
Thanks for the help I think I will go for the dark wolf ultra and try to limit it for fishing below 15g By the way how do you get the dark wolf ultra for 60$ I can only find it for 100$ Edited: I saw your video about it and can you make a video how to change the magnet? Thanks for being so reasonable you made a new fan this is now my favourite RUclips channel
@@AaronHuntFishing haha don't have a aldebaraan bfs. Just slx DC xt. Didn't like zephyr bfs when I got it last time, sold it away. Acura look pretty solid in most review. So end up ordering it. Cant spent too much on them reels even thou we have no stream here
Nope. It had a lot of quality issues early on, and after this video was made I had enough other issues with KK that I will no longer spend my time or money on their products.
A couple of intial thoughts - the Daiwa Tatula is about double the cost of some of these reels, and usually at least $50 above that $80 price point. And over $200 if you buy it in the US market. Second - it's not a BFS reel. Daiwa Rates it from 5g to 20 grams. So i haven't given it much consideration since it's low end is above many of the lures I throw. It could be a good budget Daiwa option for BFS if you spend another $35-$60 on top of that $130 to add an aftermarket BFS spool. So at $165, maybe it beats the Salamandura? Or the SLX BFS? Could be a price point to explore for next season on the channel. :) But for the most part, I use my reels as they were manufactured, and I spend more time fishing than upgrading reels.
Have you added any other reels to your favorite budget reels since making this video? I currently have the KK Zephyr and am not really a fan, which would you say is a definite upgrade to it?
Personally any but the KK Valiant Eagle. At this point I've become anti-KK - just too many issues. Either Dark Wolf Ultra, the Acura, or the Micro Monster. And no new favorites in the budget category. Been working on more of the mid to higher end this year. In a year or two I'll cycle back through the budget sub $100 reels, but not a lot of new ones so far this year.
@@ericnguyen4666 The most sensitive rod you can afford is the best answer. On the budget side, I like the Ace Hawk Venom if you're running really light - say under 5 gram micro rigs. However, it's weakness might be durability. I've broken two of them so far. But for bottom contact stuff, a better rod is more important than a better reel IMO. Something like the shimano Zodias or Expride, or the Daiwa Blazon. Or even the Jenko Double down - again on the light side. I've caught more ned rig fish on the Expride and Jenko than any other rods. They let you feel not only more bites, but feel the bottom a little better as well. A lot of the budget rods just don't have the sensitivity to tell if you're on rock or wood. Some can't even transmit hard vs soft bottom well. They do fine for moving baits, but bottom contact is a little different. Just my experience.
The Valiant Eagle can throw 4 grams 94 feet easy. Already did that. The DWU can do 1 gram with spool bearing upgrades. Does 1.5-2g stock. Micro monster probabaly pushes down near 1 gram as well - I know I was throwing a 1/32 jig and a 1" swimbait a good 80-100 feet on a rod rated down to 0.6 grams. I expect the genius to do about the same. The rod matters a bit too. But they can do VERY light weights. Valiant Eagle maybe not quite as well if you're looking for those superlight lures.
The Dark Wolf Ultra is clearly NOT gone from AliExpress. There are 9,998 available from the link in the video description: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A70CYL
![Baby Kia - GLOVES & DRACS (BLACK AF1s) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ajm8LeB0qQk/mqdefault.jpg)
FYI, Chinese New Year is early this year on the western calendar, it's on January 22, 2023.
Aha! Thanks!
This is the best BFS reel review around! Not too long but very informative. Makes my ideas of what to purchase easier .. thanks
Wow, thanks! Glad it was helpful.
So I went with the TSU KF-50 .. I think it’s level up from the ZYPHER .. I think they might have there own specialty on type of finesse baits to throw..
The TSU can throw lighter baits a lot better
@@jordanalexander436 The Dark Wolf Ultra is definitely one of the top budget reels - and yeah - Tsurinoya makes decent lures from what I understand.
@@AaronHuntFishing if I remember correctly, you said the kingdom bfs real gives the TSU a run for its money.. I’m thinking I’ll try that next … or just save up for a CALCUTTA
@@jordanalexander436 It does. It did so well i had to give the Soloking a try. I have one sitting on my desk just to complete the clone wars. ;P Calcutta obviously blows them away....
I own KK VE2, DW Ultra, Zephyr, & Soloking acura....all work great thus far over the past 5-6 months. Also Soloking has a higher bearing count which makes it oh so smooth. In addition I live in FL and routinely catch 5-8 lb Bass on these no problem, just be sure to have your drag set properly as they do make numerous runs before you can land the bigger ones and use a net because they would either snap the line or your rod!!! Good advice in the video and I agree with all points made!
Great points as well. Occasionally people ask why I net most of my fish - exactly like you said: light line, and light rods both can be broker rather easily by a flopping fish!
In my opinion, DWU , Accura and the M1 is the best budget bfs reels.
Just ordered the dark wolf ultra and a ac3 hawk cu double last week. Looking forward to both. Nice informed video.
Enjoy. been an amazing reel. I've heard good things about the CU double.
Ok got all of them other than the last one you mentioned. Looking forward to using them. Hopefully getting some fish
Wow! You should have some fun this year!
You had mentioned you were going to try to go fishing at least once a week. That is something I would like to do myself.
I’m new to BFS fishing and I really enjoy your contact or I can get a starter package of reels and rods and still make fishing fun. Looking forward for your next video on the rods.
Thanks. Not sure when I'll do a budget rod video, so here's a great one to check out: ruclips.net/video/ZjkVdlaAeFE/видео.html
A couple other budget rods I do recommend: The Obsession MojoBass for bass: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DlfO33v And the Sensation Trout for trout /panfish: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDBxt2F
Thank you sir
@@GusM661 You are welcome. I tend to spend more on rods in general it seems. 3 so far I wouldn't recommend: Major craft Benkei, Kuying Teton 662, and the AceHawk venom.
Latter two for durability issues. I should probably put together a rods video soon. Thanks for the questions.
Thanks for your video's just purchased the soloking acura
Enjoy it. Such a great value these days.
I like how sincere you are, great job 👏
I appreciate that. Happy New year to you, my firend.
Great vid Aaron, can't go wrong with those choices.
Thank you. I've enjoyed them all! :)
Soloking Acura is one of the finest reels I’ve used so far not sure about the other mod shown here but the Acura is great and I’m awaiting on the bearking Zeus to arrive any day now to compare great video sir god bless
It's amazing the price they sell the Acura at - amazing value.
I’m so very excited that more options are becoming available in that budget range under $80 you really have a great selection and I believe it’s gonna get even better especially Amazon and other places that start to carry them
Hey Aaron, luv the channel, and the fishing videos !! I have the Acura HICC-50 (both ratios 7.1 & 8.1) and the Micro Monster's (7.1 & 8.1) I was thinking of getting the Elf-50L (Genius's slower brother) 6.4:1 gear ratio for my small crankbaits. I target Bass exclusively, I switched to BFS gear due to the heavily pressured lakes in my area , even though I'm finesse fishing, I'm still catching Crappie, Perch, Trout, & the occasional Bluegill due to the smaller baits, but I am catching a lot more bass (albeit smaller most of the time) then before I downsized. My rods are lite, med/lite, & med... rated 4# -10#, 6# -12# & 8# -14#, no ultra-lites in my rack, I'm typically using 6# fluorocarbon, & 8#co-polymer or 6# mono. anyways keep up the good work !!
Appreciate the kind words. Sounds like a good plan - if you use paddle tail swimbaits the Elf might be better there too. I think i tend to fish them too quickly. BFS has changed my entire level of fishing enjoyment. This year will be a heavier bass / smallmouth focuus, so probably a little more of what people would call "power BFS" and kayaking as an overall theme vs the ultralight heavy skinny water from last year on the channel.
@@AaronHuntFishing looking forward to it !!
My whole country does shut down for about 2 weeks for spring festival / new year. So yes, ordering soon would be a good idea. I think I'll go with the dark wolf ultra being new to bfs fishing.
Good choice. And I knew it was coming soon; I used to plan business trips to Beijing and Cheng Du around the celebrations.
Tsurinoya is a very very underrated brand, I have the Dark wolf, its fit me very well
Thanks for the video
Agreed. I'll be trying more of their items in the next year. Everyhting has been good so far.
Slightly older video, but the Kingdom Micro Monster is now shipping with two different spools for the 7.1.1 reel. Im going to buy one as I bought a soloking but it turned out to be the wrong version (Im right handed but bought a left hand model...) and now they are all sold out. Theres still a few more days of the summer sale left so Im going to keep monitoring stock levels and run the clock down on which one ends up in my basket. If the Solokings come back in stock - thats what i will buy. If not, then it will be the micro monster with its two spools.
(I dont think its likely the Acura will come back in stock with 4 days left to go..)
I think you'll enjoy it. Might be the best low-weight casting reel out of all the clones, and very smooth.
Thanks for your advice mate..
That's why I do this! :P Appreciate the comment.
Great video. Thanks for getting into the gear ratio. I am probably getting two budget reels. I already have the zephyr and that actually the fastest out there. The gear ratio is important but I also looked into the inches per turn. I thought about getting an Elf for slower moving stuff like swim baits, spinner, or crank baits. I thought about getting the Genius too or maybe the Haibu Air which is a faster reel.
So mant good options. A slower gear ratio is helpful at times for sure.
Love videos keep up the great work! Can you do a similar video on rods? I currently have the ace hawk double cu and the Dobyns Sierra ultra finesse and enjoy them both
Had several requests, so I'm starting on one today. Probably next week when it comes out!
Hey Aaron. Do you have a video on how to install the magnets on the dark wolf?
I do not. But first, Only the first generation DWU with the spring-loaded brakes needs them. At some point they removed the springs and made the brakes fixed. So if they don't move when you put pressure on one end, you don't have a Gen 1. IF you have a 1st gen, around the 27 second mark of Paul Gaskel's video over @Fishing_Discoveries shows how easy it is: ruclips.net/video/5xrps8e08ZE/видео.html
@@AaronHuntFishing thanks man!
How has the smoothness of the micro monster held up for you? Any gearyness or roughness developing?
Awesome info as always brother!
It's still good. haven't fished it as much as soem others (mainly because the rod broke so quickly) but still impressed each time I pick it up.
Great video. I'm thinking if I buy one of there five or I should buy a Shimano Aldebaran .Why should I do? Thanks for this video.
If you just need one reel and can afford the Aldebaran, do that. I made another video where I emntioned if I had just bought only Calcutta Conquest BFS reels from the beginning, i could have had 7 or 8 of them by now... :P
Been doing research for the micro monster and dark wolf. Still choosing which one to buy 😂. So in your preferences which one is better in your opinion
Probably the micro monster. but it's a toss up. the Doviello or soloking Acura might be better than both these days.
You should do an affordable rod version as well
Agreed - based on the requests, I'm working on that now!
Such a nice and informative video Aaron, this reels are probably some of the best budget options and a cheap way to discover BFS. I have two of them, the Tsurinoya DWU and the KastKing VE2, greate reels for the money. If youre into spin fishing, Tsurinoya have the Spinning reel Ranger 800 reel also, around 80 bucks, awesome reel for the money. My favourite is the DWU, I love that cheap awesome reel. Happy New Year..cheers
Pretty much all BFS these days. Appreciate the tips though, as they might be of interest to others. Happy new year to you as well!
Never mind I see you compared the genius here!
Yep - and there will be standalone review soon.
Have u tried the histar black knight another clone that comes stock with hybrid orange seals. As good as my dark wolf. Avoid the new seasir m1 ultra mag. It does have an alloy frame which is a bonus, still does not feel as solid in your hand or smooth as a dark Wolf All Black Knight. Or find I use these two reels more than any of my other light gear. I'm in Australia so pay a little bit more for them, absolutely amazing value for money
Haven't tried that one. It's amazing to have so many decent budget offerings.
@@AaronHuntFishing yeah give the high star Black Knight to look at. I actually like it better than my dark wolf Ultra.
Hello. What is the minimum lure weight for the Valiant II? Can it throw under 1 gram using 2 pounds monofilament, may be? Cheers.
It's been a while, but being that it was fairly over-braked I highly doubt you'll have much success even appraoching 1 gram. If I made this video today, the Valiant wouldn't be on the list. The Doviello Acura or the Dark Wolf Ultra with upgraded bearings should get you around there though.
great vid! do you saltwater fish or know which one would be the "best" for saltwater?
I don't saltwater fish as a general rule. I'm not sure that any of these are truly saltwater safe. I'd probably consider the Shimano SLX BFS as a budget saltwater-safe reel.
Another good affordable BFS reel is the Piscifun Spark Pro
Good to know!
Would you say VE2 would be good to get someone with clumsy hands and poor timing off of their spincast?
yeah, probably if it's available in your market. Hard to get in the US now.
Anyone knows if the spool of the DWU fits the Kingdom MM?
I don't personally know that anwer. BUT, they have different brakes, so I'm inclined to say no.
Went into Dickson just to look around. It's been a while. Couldn't believe how inflation has gotten out of hand with fishing reels and rods. I started looking at the Chinese reels. If they turn out to be crap, I can always throw them away.
Yep - everything's going up, that's for sure. My Original DWU is almost 2 years old. It hasn't been fished as hard in year 2, but I still think it's a great value.
Do they come in right hand retrieval
Yep. Indeed they do. Usually the question about reels is "do they come in left hand?" lol.
I was wondering if there is any difference between the kingdoms micro monster and the Acura HICC50?
Technically there's a slight difference these days. the Acura has saltwater safe bearings (it should say so in the listings). I persoanlly liked my Micro monster better than the Acura I have, but most people like the Acura better these days. And the Acura is usually $6 or more cheaper. Should be $35 USD using this link: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEVMnbv
Thoughts between the micro monster ad dwu?
I’m not sure there’s much difference between the latest DWU and the Micro Monster. They both feel very similar to me. Make your choice on price or looks. It’s pretty much a coin toss for me.
Don't know if you purchased yet but I would say DWU as I've seen video's of quality/order problems with some stores selling the MM. Everytime I've purchased from Tsurinoya store have no issues, e.g. Reel, Rods, numerous baits.
@@abelabnerthanks but already done. i went for the acura.
More bearings and an extra spool. No regrets.
I am thinking about buying a reel but I only cast like 4g to 20g. Im from Sweden and fish a lot of perch and would like a baitcaster with drag clicker. What would you recommend?
Love your videos they are always so high quality
I think the Dark Wolf Ultra would also be good, but what's your budget? The 15-20g range might concern me on the DWU. The Shimano SLX / Curado might be a little better for a little more money.
@@AaronHuntFishing i Washington thinking something under 150$ but how about the kastking because it’ over breakt maybe it will be able to cast up to 20g
@@simonthollander1027 Should be fine. My only concern was the spool maybe being too light. BUT, for that price if you had to replace a spool at some point it wouldn't be horrible.
Thanks for the help
I think I will go for the dark wolf ultra and try to limit it for fishing below 15g
By the way how do you get the dark wolf ultra for 60$ I can only find it for 100$
Edited: I saw your video about it and can you make a video how to change the magnet?
Thanks for being so reasonable you made a new fan this is now my favourite RUclips channel
@@simonthollander1027 Looks like $68 right now: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DD7jL15
should have ordered the acura... could be your number 1 after that haha..
Nah, my number 1 is the Shimano Aldebaran! And the Curado BFS is what I ordered instead of the Acura. Just didn’t need another Dark Wolf Ultra clone…
@@AaronHuntFishing haha don't have a aldebaraan bfs. Just slx DC xt. Didn't like zephyr bfs when I got it last time, sold it away. Acura look pretty solid in most review. So end up ordering it. Cant spent too much on them reels even thou we have no stream here
Have you tried the kastking zephyr
Nope. It had a lot of quality issues early on, and after this video was made I had enough other issues with KK that I will no longer spend my time or money on their products.
Is the Genius better or the dark Wolf Ultra
For me it's the Dark Wolf Ultra. I think for overall consistency the Genius is a hair better.
Nice video, but my choice was the tatula 80, around the same price, but it is a Daiwa brand...What is you opinion about it?
A couple of intial thoughts - the Daiwa Tatula is about double the cost of some of these reels, and usually at least $50 above that $80 price point. And over $200 if you buy it in the US market.
Second - it's not a BFS reel. Daiwa Rates it from 5g to 20 grams. So i haven't given it much consideration since it's low end is above many of the lures I throw.
It could be a good budget Daiwa option for BFS if you spend another $35-$60 on top of that $130 to add an aftermarket BFS spool. So at $165, maybe it beats the Salamandura? Or the SLX BFS? Could be a price point to explore for next season on the channel. :) But for the most part, I use my reels as they were manufactured, and I spend more time fishing than upgrading reels.
They might be cheap but all in your still got 1200-1500$ in gear.. fishing ain’t cheap anymore 😢
Agreed. It CAN be, but for gear junkies like me, never. ;P
No it is not. Especially when you are a gear head, or just have a tendency to fall in rabbit holes...like myself
Hey man the kingdom micro monster can cast 1g lure?
Absolutely. With the right rod. Even better with bearing upgrades. But it’s probably better and 1.5g or so.
So whata better the dsrkwolf or genius?
I think the DWU - but the genius is higher speed if that's what you need.
It really, really, REALLY sucks that you can't buy the vast majority of BFS stuff in the US.
Agreed. I'm working on something with a US manufacturer, probably not truly "budget" though...
Have you added any other reels to your favorite budget reels since making this video? I currently have the KK Zephyr and am not really a fan, which would you say is a definite upgrade to it?
Personally any but the KK Valiant Eagle. At this point I've become anti-KK - just too many issues. Either Dark Wolf Ultra, the Acura, or the Micro Monster. And no new favorites in the budget category. Been working on more of the mid to higher end this year. In a year or two I'll cycle back through the budget sub $100 reels, but not a lot of new ones so far this year.
@@AaronHuntFishing what rod would you pair with it? I mainly use bottom type lures like tx rigs and jigs/neds
@@ericnguyen4666 The most sensitive rod you can afford is the best answer. On the budget side, I like the Ace Hawk Venom if you're running really light - say under 5 gram micro rigs. However, it's weakness might be durability. I've broken two of them so far. But for bottom contact stuff, a better rod is more important than a better reel IMO. Something like the shimano Zodias or Expride, or the Daiwa Blazon. Or even the Jenko Double down - again on the light side. I've caught more ned rig fish on the Expride and Jenko than any other rods. They let you feel not only more bites, but feel the bottom a little better as well. A lot of the budget rods just don't have the sensitivity to tell if you're on rock or wood. Some can't even transmit hard vs soft bottom well. They do fine for moving baits, but bottom contact is a little different. Just my experience.
Wondering how lite of a bait you can throw with these reels (Say 40-50 feet?)
The Valiant Eagle can throw 4 grams 94 feet easy. Already did that. The DWU can do 1 gram with spool bearing upgrades. Does 1.5-2g stock. Micro monster probabaly pushes down near 1 gram as well - I know I was throwing a 1/32 jig and a 1" swimbait a good 80-100 feet on a rod rated down to 0.6 grams. I expect the genius to do about the same. The rod matters a bit too. But they can do VERY light weights. Valiant Eagle maybe not quite as well if you're looking for those superlight lures.
@@AaronHuntFishing Thank you for the information. Maybe do a video on rods and line you match up with for the whole outfit!
@@garybowers9605 That sounds like a great idea.
I don't have time enough to watch all your video can you reply me that which reel is the best
Dark Wolf Ultra. Hope you have time to read this... :P
@@AaronHuntFishing hahah don't kidding me haha because tomorrow i have a important exam 🤣
The zephyr with drag clicker will out last any of these.
If you can get past the QC and Customer service issues with Kastking, maybe... DWU has been through a ton and still performs flawlessly.
Dark wolf is gone from ali lol.
The Dark Wolf Ultra is clearly NOT gone from AliExpress. There are 9,998 available from the link in the video description: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A70CYL