Talk about good timing haha, I just did a tear down of both my Kingfisher and Cormorant because I like the look of the King Fisher and the drag clicker of the Cormorant. While I was at it, I did some comparisons to see where the $80 difference is coming from. Here are my observations: 1. Thought the claim about the Cormorant's main gear was a marketing scheme, but it does look different to the one in Kingfisher. I don't have the means to test the claim about Cormorant's gear being 5x stronger but I can see the teeth are definitely more consistent and precisely cut. 2. The main gear in the Cormorant is slightly different in shape so I could not just take out the clicking ring and put it in the King Fisher, the whole main gear assembly had to be swapped together. 3. The Cormorant came with 2 more pieces of magnate on the brakes, which replaces the 2 holes found in Kingfisher that are filled with foam. 4. You mentioned the brake dial feels easier to turn on the Cormorant which is 100% true, but taking a closer look I think the number indicator is also shaped differently (concave on the Cormorant, vs convex on the Kingfisher. Otherwise the rest of the parts are basically identical between the 2 reels, and interchangeable. I have to say now that after putting the Cormorant's gear and clicker into the Kingfisher, it is flawless :)
Hey nefarian! Well well well! First off, thanks so much for sharing this information! I hadn’t planned on opening the reel up but now I may haha just to see for myself. It’s awesome to hear that the MG has been completely redesigned and that the claim of additional gear material hardness has some potential validity to it! Ooc do you remember what color the MG is? I think if it’s like a dull bronze/brown/tan color it’s actually an anodized coating that a lot of manufacturers add to their aluminum alloy main gears. It’s also nice to see the small things like the two extra magnets and the easier to turn brake dial. Overall, the reel is just a more mature and polished product than the first kingfisher. I am really looking forward to getting some time with this reel and comparing it to other reels on the market! Thanks so much again for the in depth observations and for doing the digging to confirm the claimed changes! While I think the $80 increase seems a bit high I am slowly beginning to think that the increase is somewhat justified. I’d still like it to be cheaper though 😒 lol. Would love to hear what your experiences are like with the reel as you also get some time with yours! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thank you! I have already tested both reels (before the MG swap) and they are both excellent. To my eyes the MGs have the same coloration, which is silver/gun metal and they weight about the same, the Cormorant seems to have a less shinny tone to it but it could be the result of less usage. The pinion gear are both bronze. Cheers!
Hey nefarian! Hmm… I wonder what the 5x hardness claim is all about then haha 😆. Gonna have to ask for some specific details if they’re willing to share that. Makes no sense to make a claim if information can’t be shared right? Will reach out and see if I can’t get a response. I’ve also asked if nako and ffftackle would consider making a drag clicker kit for the kingfisher to sell as an aftermarket upgrade. Anywho, it’s my pleasure to pin your comment! Really good solid information in your findings! Thanks very much for sharing 🙌. Cheers my friend!
Hey guys! Looks like a small chunk of the beginning of the video was cut off oddly. Second time sometime like this has happened but the important portion of the video seems intact. Cheers guys!
Thanks for acquiring and sharing your thoughts, I am more likely to purchase this version for many of the reasons you mentioned in addition to the toned down color scheme. Well done!!!
Hey Abel! I think you’re going to be very pleased. I’m getting some limited time cast testing and I have really been enjoying the reel. They got a lot right with the kingfisher but this is hands down a much more polished and mature product. Imho, I would recommend this over a jdm Aldebaran with KKR spool and actually maybe over the SS air tw as well lol 😅. Will get more testing before I make a concrete recommendation but this reel is fast becoming my new favorite analog bfs reel. See if you can get a coupon code or something if you plan on ordering the reel. I know they have some floating around iirc. I’ll try to reach out and see if they have any as well. Cheers my friend!
Can’t wait for the comparison to Aldebaran and Daiwa SS Air TW. My next bfs reel purchase is on hold for your sage findings! Currently only have the Doviello which I am liking and a fine entry point to bfs but right out of the box I knew I was holding a budget reel compared with my assortment of regular baitcasters (Curados, Zillion, etc). An unfair comparison I know but it’s what I got to measure it against. Keep up the great work, love your videos! And as long as you are 100% transparent about freebie reel review deals and 100% free to give your honest opinion-which you have indeed been clear on-I have no problem with that; it helps you keep pace with current gear offerings and then convey that info to your channel subscribers, which is what imho a RUclips fishing channel should be all about (versus endless whining about FFS 🤦♂️)
Hey David! Thanks so much for the kind words! They are very much appreciated. As for the comparison, I gotta say that the cormorant is currently my favorite reel for 2024. It has all of the refinement of the Aldebaran and SS air tw and yet is more capable than those two reels. It is a Chinese reel but really does that matter if it’s a well made product? The cormorant has my sign of approval and is well worth the money and imho is a better reel than the Aldebaran and SS air tw. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Hey earl! Yea, I think ffftackle did a much better job with the cormorant even though the kingfisher is already quite good. The cormorant just “feels” more solid and smooth. Not quite sure what it is but it does feel like a more polished product. I’m looking forward to seeing how this compares vs everything else I’ve been looking at. Cheers my friend!
@The_Multi-species_Angler hey earl! I think they did something to anodized the main gear in a different material maybe? I’m not quite sure. They claim that it’s 5x stronger than the original but who really knows haha. Not really any way to confirm that 😅. Cheers my friend!
Great video. If for no other reason than appearance I prefer that reel to the Flight Feather. I want to thank you for all of your insight and expertise both in your videos and in the BFS Fishing group.
Hey snipe! Thanks so much for the kind words! Haha yea the cormorant does look a bit sleeker and more refined than the kingfisher. Technically both of these are “FF01” or “Flight Feather 01” reels as I believe that is the model number? Anywho, thanks so much for commenting and cheers my friend!
Agree not a fan of the clicking spool tension knob for that very same reason. I've own Abu and would turn the knob until it clicks then back it up a little cause I feel the adjustment clicks were a bit far apart that didnt allow for fine tuning. But that was the old reels anyways. Now a days breaking systems have become advance that I rarely depend on my spool tension knob for adjustments.
Hey gerlor! I agree with you agreeing with me haha! Jokes aside, yea clicking mechanisms remove the ability to get those fine tune adjustments you want out of those dials sadly. I don’t have too much use for them but understand if others do. I think the reason that spool tension can be so important for me is that I cast a lot of sub 1g lures and sometimes you need a bit of tension to help control the spool during casting. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and comment! Cheers my friend!
Hey Jacob! Yea I actually quite liked the kingfisher and it’s rather loud paint scheme haha but this one is actually quite nice looking. Feels a bit more polished of a product and I think the retrieve smoothness is very nice. It has a bit of pop in the mg shaft but then so does the Aldebaran. Everything feels very nicely done on this. Looking forward to seeing how it performs! Cheers my friend!
Hey Theo! Would be more than happy to help you with recommendations. What’s your budget and what lure weights are you wanting to cast? Cheers my friend!
Hey Justin! Haha yea, this one has been in the queue for a while now. I actually received it November or December of last year but wanted to confirm with nakoshop that I could be 100% unbiased with my review before opening it. Anywho, turns out to be nice on initial impressions. It does feel like a more mature product and another viewer who has one says that the main gear has been completely updated which would explain the improved smoothness. That and some of the other improvements make this quite a nice reel. Will look to get some casting impressions in with the reel shortly. Cheers my friend!
@@justinkayce9811 hey Justin! Gonna say that I am extremely impressed. It’s almost as if ffftackle actually listened and put all of the minor grievances with the first reel on the to do list to fix. The reel casts extremely well(down to 0.56g verified and one of if not the furthest), the reel is extremely smooth(feeling is better than 22’ Aldebaran but not devoid of feeling like the daiwa millionaire. somewhere in between I’d say), the brake dial is easy to move, the spool is 0.3g lighter than kingfisher, the color is super sleek, and if you purchase from nakoshop it comes with a warranty. All in all I’d say they have a home run on their hands except for the price. That is the one thing that will stop a lot of folks from getting to enjoy this reel imho. That being said, I’ve asked nakoshop if they can generate a discount code, non affiliated, that I can share with you guys. They’ve agreed and I am just waiting on that code to be generated. The other thing is that the silver feather will go on sale tomorrow. I’ll share a link to that as well. Kind of a tough decision between the two as they’re both quite good imho… Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL There's now a third contender in my search for a new trout specific reel. Daiwa Mountain Stream, Silver Creek AIR TW, Stream Custom, 8.5L. Big Price jump, but it looks ideal for the environment & conditions I will be specializing in this year. The ironic thing is, it's cheaper to buy it in the US than it is here in Japan.
Hey Peter currently hunting my next bfs reel. I am in the market for the most versatile in lure range from 1/32-1/4 jigs/baits. I am hard stuck on the cormorant, Calcutta, daiwa custom air stream. The thing I am worry is how low the Calcutta can cast since I hear a lot of mixed reviews. Also i know that the cormorant is almost identical to the kingfisher and that lowkey holding me back on getting one. I would like to know how the cormorant is an improvement in performance?
Hey zz! Yea for all intents and purposes the performance of the conquest will be similar to the Aldebaran. I believe there are ever so slight differences that make the cq a bit easier to cast but I’m not sure that it affects the performance and low lure weight range at all. The cormorant and the kingfisher in the other hand are night and day difference. They lightened the spool and strengthened the brakes on the cormorant while adding the drag clicker. On top of that I am fairly sure they improved their manufacturing processes because the two reels feel very different with the cormorant being much improved vs the kingfisher. I will say it and say it again that the cormorant is my favorite reel of 2024 thus far. It casts down to 0.56g consistently and the farthest of all the reels I currently have in the stable. The giu99 can occasionally outcast it but it’s so inconsistent and the build quality is just not there. So, to answer your question, yes the cormorant would be an improvement in performance and imho is the best choice for what you are looking to do. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL thank you I appreciate it! But side note you say favorite for 2024, I hope it still the same for 2025 lol cause that would get my impulse to buy whatever that future reel is!
@Zz-id5qp hey zz! Haha no one knows what’ll be released in 2025 😅. For the time being I don’t really foresee anything toppling the cormorant. It’s a very well made and wonderfully performing reel. I don’t think you will be let down with purchasing one. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Well, I'm ready to do many biased reviews in exchange of free reels 🤣 Reel seems very well built classy and sober (king fisher colors have been demonstrated to major the risk of doing a seizure by 400% with major retina burning! 😆). 3.90g for the spool, that's impressive, but starts to make me worried about the resistance of the spool in case of an accidental meeting with a "big fish" ? Looking forward for your casting tests. Great video as always Cheers 0n0 !
Hey Maurice! lol I know I know I know another paid partnership. Hey, at least I disclose it up front and am doing my part to be completely transparent about these reviews! I can’t say others adhere to this practice… additionally, I waited until I got full confirmation from nakoshop that I could be 100% unbiased before even opening the reel. I have email correspondence with nakoshop talking about this way back when I first received the reel in late November/early December. Anywho, it does seem like the cormorant has gone through some fairly big revisions as confirmed by another viewer! The main gear, apparently, has been completely redesigned and now has an anodized coating and a different tooth pattern. I can confirm that this reel feels markedly smoother than the kingfisher version and just feels like a more refined and mature(looks it too lol) product. As far as the spool is concerned, as far as you use PE I think it should be safe? Uniform pressure should allow it to withstand some decent stress, of course this is all hearsay without any evidence but I don’t think I plan on destroying a spool to test this yet… 😆. Anyhow, thanks so much as always for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts my friend! Cheers Maurice!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Sorry, I was not attacking you, receiving reels for reviews is a common practice, and you are honest (may be too much :p!) about it. Yeah, always PE, I've used too much nylon younger, I would maybe use it again only for surfcasting or "classic" bait fishing. Especially with these little spools, it coils like crazy, I really don't like it. Maybe you've done it and I missed it, but a review focused on
@@mauricezaoui9195 hey Maurice! Haha I was not and am not offended. I totally understand the frustration and fatigue of seeing “paid partnerships” or “sponsored “reviews””. I think I need to make a video soon talking about the goals of the channel and its mission statement soon. I want to be 1000% crystal clear of what the channels goals are and how it does “business” and it would be nice to do, at least, a brief introduction of myself haha. As far as your request for a sub 1g ready review, I have been somewhat working on something. I already filmed something but… I think I want to refilm it as I felt it was a bit rushed…Anywho, I always appreciate your comments, insights and recommendations my friend! Cheers my friend!!! 🙌🙌🙌
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I'm not fatigued nor frustrated, I'm JEALOUS 0n0 hahaha! But having these reels allows us to have your thoughts about it and to make our owns. Plus if brands/shops start sending you reels for free, it means a lot, that they consider you as a influent reviewer, so that's great ! Now.... GIMME THAT CORMORANT😖😂
@mauricezaoui9195 hey Maurice! Haha fwiw, I think you would have a great bfs yt channel! I’ll be one of your first subs when you get that started! Also, once the channel starts becoming close to financial independence and able to sustain itself I plan on not accepting product for reviews. So hopefully that will help emphasize the unbiased nature of my reviews. Always appreciate our conversations my friend! Cheers Maurice!
Hey ich! Yea I was pretty surprised by that myself. I wasn’t expecting any other differences aside from the color and the drag clicker haha. Doesn’t seem like much but seems like a fairly nice touch to add. They’ve really done a better job with the cormorant over the kingfisher but the real question is how does the reel compare to the jdm high dollar reels. Will do my best to find out if it can and whether it’s worth their asking price. Cheers my friend!
Only 2:14 minutes in and I noticed that there is a big difference in the thickness in the carbon handles, must watch the rest to see if you picked up on this.
Hey will! Sharp eye my friend! I had to go back and double check after you left this comment haha. Both handles turn out to be the same thickness at 3.5mm. I think it may be the angle of the reel to the camera that’s making the handle on the cormorant look a bit thicker? In any case, both flight feather reels have very durable handles and most carbon handles do not get anywhere near to this thickness. I appreciate you doing your part to keep me honest as there are a lot of times I miss things in my videos as well or things that I just don’t know and that folks educate me on. That’s a huge part of the reason why I love when people comment. Anywho, thanks so much for commenting my friend and cheers!
Hey rossion! Hmm… to be honest, I don’t think I have one favorite reel for that weight range specifically for long distance casting. I have been mostly casting lures around the 1g and sub 1g weight for the vast majority of my fishing nowadays and I really have enjoyed the cormorant and the silver feather for this. I just picked up the loongze b51 dbc-1 reel and I’m wondering if it will excel at long distance casting like the b101 dbc-2 reel did. Ooc, what is your price range? Cheers my friend!
I just took mine fishing for the first time today. Caught two stripers and got some slime on it. This thing casts like a dream. I was a little concerned about accidentally moving the break dial while fishing because it is so easy to turn, but had no issues with it at all. Best CDM reel for me so far.
Hey drink! Yea the dial is a good level of resistance and ease of use. They got it right and it’s what the Aldebaran should be like haha 😆. I can quite confirm how well it casts overall but it does go down to the 0.56g weight claim which is great to see. The reel feels markedly smoother than the kingfisher and does feel like a more polished product imho. It’s unfortunate that the price jump was so large but I am slowly understanding why they increased the price. I look forward to comparing this to the Aldebaran, SS air tw, and a slew of other sub 1g casting reels! Cheers my friend!
Hey Percy! On average I would say I’ve been casting 0.56g lures about 30-32 ft. I have not quite cast many lures at the 1g weight but if you watch the Tsurinoya intruder and the most recent handing magic L video you’ll see a casting distance graph. You should be able to get an idea of how far a 1g lure might cast. Ofc keep in mind that these are two different rods and the reel will also perform differently on other rods. If I had to guess though, I’d say 1g lures would be cast probably 50-60ft. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
@@per-cas hey Percy! Imho, of all the reels you mentioned I prefer the cormorant the most. The reels you posted are all great reels no doubt but I feel like the cormorant is just the nicest overall. It’s also technically the most expensive depending on the yen to dollar exchange rate. I would maybe avoid the aurora air for the time being as a number of people I know have received reels that have had sub par build quality but then there are folks who have also received reels that they absolutely love so… it feels like a mix in terms of quality atm. The Ark and Aldebaran are both great reels with the Ark being a bit more “capable” imho. They’re not quite 1:1 though with the Aldebaran having better build quality and being a magnesium frame reel. Anywho, imho if you can swing the price I think the cormorant is the best of the bunch, followed by the Ark or Aldebaran and then the Aurora Air. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
@@per-cas hey Percy! That’s the whole point of my channel =), to help people make good informed decisions. Anywho, more than happy to help and let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers my friend!
@@bfsprophet1451 right on! Did you order a cormorant ooc? It’s an amazing reel and imho better than that Aldebaran and my SS air tw. Kinda nuts to say that but it’s just a really well executed reel. Cheers man!
@@bfsprophet1451 haha right on! To be honest, I haven’t upgraded the bearings and the reel has been performing amazingly for me but maybe the bearings will give it even better performance? Let me know if they do! Cheers man!
Hey makire! Yep I do believe you can use this reel in the salt. I would still take to giving it a decent rinse and making sure it dries after every use though as salt buildup will still destroy any reel. Also, doing a presume and coating the interior components with a thin layer of grease is always a good idea as well. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Hey Irvin! Yea I hear ya. The reel is fairly pricey and I do wish they would lower the price a bit but they have their pricing set I guess. Anywho, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts my friend! Cheers!
Hey Patrick! Yea it’s not a cheap reel by any means… it’s kind of crazy how the CDM stuff has caught up in price to some JDM stuff… ah well at least we still have some budget CDM tackle that performs well! Cheers my friend!
Hey tim! Totally fair viewpoint and thanks for taking the time to comment! I do want to share some differences though if that’s ok? Please note that this is by no means shared to sway anyone to buying one over the other but more to highlight how these reels are different. While the prices are virtually identical the jdm Aldebaran is technically a gray market item and the cormorant is a white market item which carries a warranty. Normally I don’t pay much attention to warranties, I enjoy doing all of my maintenance and repairs myself, but because the cormorant has one it is worth mentioning. The two reels differ in their lure weight ratings. The cormorant claims a low end of 1/50 oz or 0.55g. I don’t believe the Aldebaran is capable of casting these low weights as proficiently with the stock spool and I believe there is literature claiming from 2g and above. Imho, while the cormorant has a much smoother main gear I don’t feel that it is as smooth as the micro module gearset that is in the Aldebaran. The cormorant is smooth but not nearly as smooth as the Aldebaran imho. As funny as this sounds, the paint finish on the cormorant feels more durable and does not seem to scratch as easily as the aldebaran; this observation is from my time with the kingfisher and not the cormorant directly and I am going on the assumption that the cormorant has the same paint process. There are a few other differences, that I am not remembering off the top of my head, but while the two share a similar price point, they do have different strengths and weaknesses. Anywho, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and insights! I think it’s great to hear what everyone’s opinions are so thank you for that! Cheers my friend!
Oh I hate drag clickers if you can't turn off; if you are actually using reel actively vrs setting down not paying attention waiting for a bite... What's the point apart from the most annoying sound in the world (Dumb & Dumber) ruining a peaceful quiet day fishing.
Hey RH! You’re in luck! The kingfisher has no drag clicker! I think overall you’re a bit out of luck though as the market trend is moving towards adding drag clickers in all reels. The problem is if you go to a spinning setup then you’re almost certain to have a drag clicker. So… unfortunately I think you’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place? I guess one solution is to remove the part of the clicking mechanism that actually makes the sound which is totally feasible. In a sense, you’d be turning off the clicker but yea not much else you can do aside from that. Sorry I don’t have any other solutions for you. =\. Cheers my friend!
Love your channel but dude please stop using that repeating music loop. It is horrible! It really made me stop watching this video. Gave me PTSD from waiting an hour for customer service on the telephone.
Hey David! Hahaha I hear you 😆. Not quite sure what to say though as it’s license free music and it’s more of a neutral song I guess. The channel doesn’t make enough for me to go in on a paid service where I can search for “good” music haha. Getting there but not quite there yet 😅. I’ll try to look for some other tracks I can use but no promises!!! Apologies about the PTSD haha 😅😅😅. Cheers my friend!
Talk about good timing haha, I just did a tear down of both my Kingfisher and Cormorant because I like the look of the King Fisher and the drag clicker of the Cormorant.
While I was at it, I did some comparisons to see where the $80 difference is coming from. Here are my observations:
1. Thought the claim about the Cormorant's main gear was a marketing scheme, but it does look different to the one in Kingfisher. I don't have the means to test the claim about Cormorant's gear being 5x stronger but I can see the teeth are definitely more consistent and precisely cut.
2. The main gear in the Cormorant is slightly different in shape so I could not just take out the clicking ring and put it in the King Fisher, the whole main gear assembly had to be swapped together.
3. The Cormorant came with 2 more pieces of magnate on the brakes, which replaces the 2 holes found in Kingfisher that are filled with foam.
4. You mentioned the brake dial feels easier to turn on the Cormorant which is 100% true, but taking a closer look I think the number indicator is also shaped differently (concave on the Cormorant, vs convex on the Kingfisher.
Otherwise the rest of the parts are basically identical between the 2 reels, and interchangeable. I have to say now that after putting the Cormorant's gear and clicker into the Kingfisher, it is flawless :)
Hey nefarian! Well well well! First off, thanks so much for sharing this information! I hadn’t planned on opening the reel up but now I may haha just to see for myself. It’s awesome to hear that the MG has been completely redesigned and that the claim of additional gear material hardness has some potential validity to it! Ooc do you remember what color the MG is? I think if it’s like a dull bronze/brown/tan color it’s actually an anodized coating that a lot of manufacturers add to their aluminum alloy main gears. It’s also nice to see the small things like the two extra magnets and the easier to turn brake dial. Overall, the reel is just a more mature and polished product than the first kingfisher. I am really looking forward to getting some time with this reel and comparing it to other reels on the market! Thanks so much again for the in depth observations and for doing the digging to confirm the claimed changes! While I think the $80 increase seems a bit high I am slowly beginning to think that the increase is somewhat justified. I’d still like it to be cheaper though 😒 lol. Would love to hear what your experiences are like with the reel as you also get some time with yours! Cheers my friend!
PS I’ve gone ahead and pinned your comment. Good information deserves to be shared! Cheers nefarian!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thank you! I have already tested both reels (before the MG swap) and they are both excellent. To my eyes the MGs have the same coloration, which is silver/gun metal and they weight about the same, the Cormorant seems to have a less shinny tone to it but it could be the result of less usage. The pinion gear are both bronze.
Cheers!
Hey nefarian! Hmm… I wonder what the 5x hardness claim is all about then haha 😆. Gonna have to ask for some specific details if they’re willing to share that. Makes no sense to make a claim if information can’t be shared right? Will reach out and see if I can’t get a response. I’ve also asked if nako and ffftackle would consider making a drag clicker kit for the kingfisher to sell as an aftermarket upgrade. Anywho, it’s my pleasure to pin your comment! Really good solid information in your findings! Thanks very much for sharing 🙌. Cheers my friend!
Thanks for sharing.
Hey guys! Looks like a small chunk of the beginning of the video was cut off oddly. Second time sometime like this has happened but the important portion of the video seems intact. Cheers guys!
Thanks for acquiring and sharing your thoughts, I am more likely to purchase this version for many of the reasons you mentioned in addition to the toned down color scheme. Well done!!!
Hey Abel! I think you’re going to be very pleased. I’m getting some limited time cast testing and I have really been enjoying the reel. They got a lot right with the kingfisher but this is hands down a much more polished and mature product. Imho, I would recommend this over a jdm Aldebaran with KKR spool and actually maybe over the SS air tw as well lol 😅. Will get more testing before I make a concrete recommendation but this reel is fast becoming my new favorite analog bfs reel. See if you can get a coupon code or something if you plan on ordering the reel. I know they have some floating around iirc. I’ll try to reach out and see if they have any as well. Cheers my friend!
Can’t wait for the comparison to Aldebaran and Daiwa SS Air TW. My next bfs reel purchase is on hold for your sage findings! Currently only have the Doviello which I am liking and a fine entry point to bfs but right out of the box I knew I was holding a budget reel compared with my assortment of regular baitcasters (Curados, Zillion, etc). An unfair comparison I know but it’s what I got to measure it against. Keep up the great work, love your videos! And as long as you are 100% transparent about freebie reel review deals and 100% free to give your honest opinion-which you have indeed been clear on-I have no problem with that; it helps you keep pace with current gear offerings and then convey that info to your channel subscribers, which is what imho a RUclips fishing channel should be all about (versus endless whining about FFS 🤦♂️)
Hey David! Thanks so much for the kind words! They are very much appreciated. As for the comparison, I gotta say that the cormorant is currently my favorite reel for 2024. It has all of the refinement of the Aldebaran and SS air tw and yet is more capable than those two reels. It is a Chinese reel but really does that matter if it’s a well made product? The cormorant has my sign of approval and is well worth the money and imho is a better reel than the Aldebaran and SS air tw. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Nicely done by Nako.
Hey earl! Yea, I think ffftackle did a much better job with the cormorant even though the kingfisher is already quite good. The cormorant just “feels” more solid and smooth. Not quite sure what it is but it does feel like a more polished product. I’m looking forward to seeing how this compares vs everything else I’ve been looking at. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL heard they change the material of the gears.
@The_Multi-species_Angler hey earl! I think they did something to anodized the main gear in a different material maybe? I’m not quite sure. They claim that it’s 5x stronger than the original but who really knows haha. Not really any way to confirm that 😅. Cheers my friend!
Great video. If for no other reason than appearance I prefer that reel to the Flight Feather. I want to thank you for all of your insight and expertise both in your videos and in the BFS Fishing group.
Hey snipe! Thanks so much for the kind words! Haha yea the cormorant does look a bit sleeker and more refined than the kingfisher. Technically both of these are “FF01” or “Flight Feather 01” reels as I believe that is the model number? Anywho, thanks so much for commenting and cheers my friend!
Agree not a fan of the clicking spool tension knob for that very same reason. I've own Abu and would turn the knob until it clicks then back it up a little cause I feel the adjustment clicks were a bit far apart that didnt allow for fine tuning. But that was the old reels anyways. Now a days breaking systems have become advance that I rarely depend on my spool tension knob for adjustments.
Hey gerlor! I agree with you agreeing with me haha! Jokes aside, yea clicking mechanisms remove the ability to get those fine tune adjustments you want out of those dials sadly. I don’t have too much use for them but understand if others do. I think the reason that spool tension can be so important for me is that I cast a lot of sub 1g lures and sometimes you need a bit of tension to help control the spool during casting. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and comment! Cheers my friend!
Great info and thanks for sharing, Dude.
Hey wirin! Thanks so much for the kind words! Cheers my friend!
Great looking reel, one of very few reels I'd consider buying.
Hey Jacob! Yea I actually quite liked the kingfisher and it’s rather loud paint scheme haha but this one is actually quite nice looking. Feels a bit more polished of a product and I think the retrieve smoothness is very nice. It has a bit of pop in the mg shaft but then so does the Aldebaran. Everything feels very nicely done on this. Looking forward to seeing how it performs! Cheers my friend!
Would you give a purchase recommendation, if yes Which one?
Hey Theo! Would be more than happy to help you with recommendations. What’s your budget and what lure weights are you wanting to cast? Cheers my friend!
Haha, we just talked about this on your video for the pure lure silver feather. That was fast 😂
Hey Justin! Haha yea, this one has been in the queue for a while now. I actually received it November or December of last year but wanted to confirm with nakoshop that I could be 100% unbiased with my review before opening it. Anywho, turns out to be nice on initial impressions. It does feel like a more mature product and another viewer who has one says that the main gear has been completely updated which would explain the improved smoothness. That and some of the other improvements make this quite a nice reel. Will look to get some casting impressions in with the reel shortly. Cheers my friend!
Oh yeah, definitely waiting for the casting video and thoughts. @@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL
@@justinkayce9811 hey Justin! Gonna say that I am extremely impressed. It’s almost as if ffftackle actually listened and put all of the minor grievances with the first reel on the to do list to fix. The reel casts extremely well(down to 0.56g verified and one of if not the furthest), the reel is extremely smooth(feeling is better than 22’ Aldebaran but not devoid of feeling like the daiwa millionaire. somewhere in between I’d say), the brake dial is easy to move, the spool is 0.3g lighter than kingfisher, the color is super sleek, and if you purchase from nakoshop it comes with a warranty. All in all I’d say they have a home run on their hands except for the price. That is the one thing that will stop a lot of folks from getting to enjoy this reel imho. That being said, I’ve asked nakoshop if they can generate a discount code, non affiliated, that I can share with you guys. They’ve agreed and I am just waiting on that code to be generated. The other thing is that the silver feather will go on sale tomorrow. I’ll share a link to that as well. Kind of a tough decision between the two as they’re both quite good imho… Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL There's now a third contender in my search for a new trout specific reel. Daiwa Mountain Stream, Silver Creek AIR TW, Stream Custom, 8.5L. Big Price jump, but it looks ideal for the environment & conditions I will be specializing in this year. The ironic thing is, it's cheaper to buy it in the US than it is here in Japan.
@@justinkayce9811 hey justin! Right on! Have you made a final choice ooc? Cheers my friend!
Hey Peter currently hunting my next bfs reel. I am in the market for the most versatile in lure range from 1/32-1/4 jigs/baits. I am hard stuck on the cormorant, Calcutta, daiwa custom air stream. The thing I am worry is how low the Calcutta can cast since I hear a lot of mixed reviews. Also i know that the cormorant is almost identical to the kingfisher and that lowkey holding me back on getting one. I would like to know how the cormorant is an improvement in performance?
Hey zz! Yea for all intents and purposes the performance of the conquest will be similar to the Aldebaran. I believe there are ever so slight differences that make the cq a bit easier to cast but I’m not sure that it affects the performance and low lure weight range at all. The cormorant and the kingfisher in the other hand are night and day difference. They lightened the spool and strengthened the brakes on the cormorant while adding the drag clicker. On top of that I am fairly sure they improved their manufacturing processes because the two reels feel very different with the cormorant being much improved vs the kingfisher. I will say it and say it again that the cormorant is my favorite reel of 2024 thus far. It casts down to 0.56g consistently and the farthest of all the reels I currently have in the stable. The giu99 can occasionally outcast it but it’s so inconsistent and the build quality is just not there. So, to answer your question, yes the cormorant would be an improvement in performance and imho is the best choice for what you are looking to do. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL thank you I appreciate it! But side note you say favorite for 2024, I hope it still the same for 2025 lol cause that would get my impulse to buy whatever that future reel is!
@Zz-id5qp hey zz! Haha no one knows what’ll be released in 2025 😅. For the time being I don’t really foresee anything toppling the cormorant. It’s a very well made and wonderfully performing reel. I don’t think you will be let down with purchasing one. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Well, I'm ready to do many biased reviews in exchange of free reels 🤣
Reel seems very well built classy and sober (king fisher colors have been demonstrated to major the risk of doing a seizure by 400% with major retina burning! 😆).
3.90g for the spool, that's impressive, but starts to make me worried about the resistance of the spool in case of an accidental meeting with a "big fish" ?
Looking forward for your casting tests.
Great video as always
Cheers 0n0 !
Hey Maurice! lol I know I know I know another paid partnership. Hey, at least I disclose it up front and am doing my part to be completely transparent about these reviews! I can’t say others adhere to this practice… additionally, I waited until I got full confirmation from nakoshop that I could be 100% unbiased before even opening the reel. I have email correspondence with nakoshop talking about this way back when I first received the reel in late November/early December. Anywho, it does seem like the cormorant has gone through some fairly big revisions as confirmed by another viewer! The main gear, apparently, has been completely redesigned and now has an anodized coating and a different tooth pattern. I can confirm that this reel feels markedly smoother than the kingfisher version and just feels like a more refined and mature(looks it too lol) product. As far as the spool is concerned, as far as you use PE I think it should be safe? Uniform pressure should allow it to withstand some decent stress, of course this is all hearsay without any evidence but I don’t think I plan on destroying a spool to test this yet… 😆. Anyhow, thanks so much as always for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts my friend! Cheers Maurice!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Sorry, I was not attacking you, receiving reels for reviews is a common practice, and you are honest (may be too much :p!) about it.
Yeah, always PE, I've used too much nylon younger, I would maybe use it again only for surfcasting or "classic" bait fishing. Especially with these little spools, it coils like crazy, I really don't like it.
Maybe you've done it and I missed it, but a review focused on
@@mauricezaoui9195 hey Maurice! Haha I was not and am not offended. I totally understand the frustration and fatigue of seeing “paid partnerships” or “sponsored “reviews””. I think I need to make a video soon talking about the goals of the channel and its mission statement soon. I want to be 1000% crystal clear of what the channels goals are and how it does “business” and it would be nice to do, at least, a brief introduction of myself haha. As far as your request for a sub 1g ready review, I have been somewhat working on something. I already filmed something but… I think I want to refilm it as I felt it was a bit rushed…Anywho, I always appreciate your comments, insights and recommendations my friend! Cheers my friend!!! 🙌🙌🙌
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I'm not fatigued nor frustrated, I'm JEALOUS 0n0 hahaha!
But having these reels allows us to have your thoughts about it and to make our owns.
Plus if brands/shops start sending you reels for free, it means a lot, that they consider you as a influent reviewer, so that's great !
Now.... GIMME THAT CORMORANT😖😂
@mauricezaoui9195 hey Maurice! Haha fwiw, I think you would have a great bfs yt channel! I’ll be one of your first subs when you get that started! Also, once the channel starts becoming close to financial independence and able to sustain itself I plan on not accepting product for reviews. So hopefully that will help emphasize the unbiased nature of my reviews. Always appreciate our conversations my friend! Cheers Maurice!
The color is very nice....the spool surprising lighter than Kingfisher.
Hey ich! Yea I was pretty surprised by that myself. I wasn’t expecting any other differences aside from the color and the drag clicker haha. Doesn’t seem like much but seems like a fairly nice touch to add. They’ve really done a better job with the cormorant over the kingfisher but the real question is how does the reel compare to the jdm high dollar reels. Will do my best to find out if it can and whether it’s worth their asking price. Cheers my friend!
Only 2:14 minutes in and I noticed that there is a big difference in the thickness in the carbon handles, must watch the rest to see if you picked up on this.
Hey will! Sharp eye my friend! I had to go back and double check after you left this comment haha. Both handles turn out to be the same thickness at 3.5mm. I think it may be the angle of the reel to the camera that’s making the handle on the cormorant look a bit thicker? In any case, both flight feather reels have very durable handles and most carbon handles do not get anywhere near to this thickness. I appreciate you doing your part to keep me honest as there are a lot of times I miss things in my videos as well or things that I just don’t know and that folks educate me on. That’s a huge part of the reason why I love when people comment. Anywho, thanks so much for commenting my friend and cheers!
Just giving you another view.
Hey Patrick! Thanks so much for the support as always my friend! Cheers!
What is your favorite bfs reel for 1/8 and 1/4 long distance casting
Hey rossion! Hmm… to be honest, I don’t think I have one favorite reel for that weight range specifically for long distance casting. I have been mostly casting lures around the 1g and sub 1g weight for the vast majority of my fishing nowadays and I really have enjoyed the cormorant and the silver feather for this. I just picked up the loongze b51 dbc-1 reel and I’m wondering if it will excel at long distance casting like the b101 dbc-2 reel did. Ooc, what is your price range? Cheers my friend!
I just took mine fishing for the first time today. Caught two stripers and got some slime on it. This thing casts like a dream. I was a little concerned about accidentally moving the break dial while fishing because it is so easy to turn, but had no issues with it at all. Best CDM reel for me so far.
Hey drink! Yea the dial is a good level of resistance and ease of use. They got it right and it’s what the Aldebaran should be like haha 😆. I can quite confirm how well it casts overall but it does go down to the 0.56g weight claim which is great to see. The reel feels markedly smoother than the kingfisher and does feel like a more polished product imho. It’s unfortunate that the price jump was so large but I am slowly understanding why they increased the price. I look forward to comparing this to the Aldebaran, SS air tw, and a slew of other sub 1g casting reels! Cheers my friend!
great video. Doc 1/5
Hey doc! Thank you as always for taking the time to support the videos. It means a lot my friend! I hope you are well! Cheers!
Did you manage to cast a 1gm and below a good distance.
Hey Percy! On average I would say I’ve been casting 0.56g lures about 30-32 ft. I have not quite cast many lures at the 1g weight but if you watch the Tsurinoya intruder and the most recent handing magic L video you’ll see a casting distance graph. You should be able to get an idea of how far a 1g lure might cast. Ofc keep in mind that these are two different rods and the reel will also perform differently on other rods. If I had to guess though, I’d say 1g lures would be cast probably 50-60ft. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
Thanks which one would you suggest 1:25 for the sub 1 gm Comarant Alderbaren ARK or the recent Aurora air looking at adding one of them to my arsenal
@@per-cas hey Percy! Imho, of all the reels you mentioned I prefer the cormorant the most. The reels you posted are all great reels no doubt but I feel like the cormorant is just the nicest overall. It’s also technically the most expensive depending on the yen to dollar exchange rate. I would maybe avoid the aurora air for the time being as a number of people I know have received reels that have had sub par build quality but then there are folks who have also received reels that they absolutely love so… it feels like a mix in terms of quality atm. The Ark and Aldebaran are both great reels with the Ark being a bit more “capable” imho. They’re not quite 1:1 though with the Aldebaran having better build quality and being a magnesium frame reel. Anywho, imho if you can swing the price I think the cormorant is the best of the bunch, followed by the Ark or Aldebaran and then the Aurora Air. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
Thanks for the time taken to give a detailed response not many do that most often it’s a one line responce. Appreciate!
@@per-cas hey Percy! That’s the whole point of my channel =), to help people make good informed decisions. Anywho, more than happy to help and let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers my friend!
Good vid, what is the bearing size for the side plate?
Hey man! Long time no see! Just checked the size and it’s a 10x3x4. Are you going to start making videos again soon? Cheers man!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thanks bud! Keep up the good work! Gonna order some roro bearings👌🏻
@@bfsprophet1451 right on! Did you order a cormorant ooc? It’s an amazing reel and imho better than that Aldebaran and my SS air tw. Kinda nuts to say that but it’s just a really well executed reel. Cheers man!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I just ordered one, you convinced me bud! Throw in some roro bearings and boom!🔥
@@bfsprophet1451 haha right on! To be honest, I haven’t upgraded the bearings and the reel has been performing amazingly for me but maybe the bearings will give it even better performance? Let me know if they do! Cheers man!
could I use this on saltwater?
Hey makire! Yep I do believe you can use this reel in the salt. I would still take to giving it a decent rinse and making sure it dries after every use though as salt buildup will still destroy any reel. Also, doing a presume and coating the interior components with a thin layer of grease is always a good idea as well. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL thanks man you're the best! Have a wonderful day
@@makiredulla hey makire! Appreciate the kind words my friend! Let me know if you ever have any other questions. More than happy to help =). Cheers!!!
I bet you hold onto this reel lol
If i have the resources...i would have one heheheh
Hey Irvin! Yea I hear ya. The reel is fairly pricey and I do wish they would lower the price a bit but they have their pricing set I guess. Anywho, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts my friend! Cheers!
I waited Peter. Lol because I can't afford it.
Hey Patrick! Yea it’s not a cheap reel by any means… it’s kind of crazy how the CDM stuff has caught up in price to some JDM stuff… ah well at least we still have some budget CDM tackle that performs well! Cheers my friend!
Same price as Aldebaran. For that I am out. Thanks for the review anyway.
Hey tim! Totally fair viewpoint and thanks for taking the time to comment! I do want to share some differences though if that’s ok? Please note that this is by no means shared to sway anyone to buying one over the other but more to highlight how these reels are different. While the prices are virtually identical the jdm Aldebaran is technically a gray market item and the cormorant is a white market item which carries a warranty. Normally I don’t pay much attention to warranties, I enjoy doing all of my maintenance and repairs myself, but because the cormorant has one it is worth mentioning. The two reels differ in their lure weight ratings. The cormorant claims a low end of 1/50 oz or 0.55g. I don’t believe the Aldebaran is capable of casting these low weights as proficiently with the stock spool and I believe there is literature claiming from 2g and above. Imho, while the cormorant has a much smoother main gear I don’t feel that it is as smooth as the micro module gearset that is in the Aldebaran. The cormorant is smooth but not nearly as smooth as the Aldebaran imho. As funny as this sounds, the paint finish on the cormorant feels more durable and does not seem to scratch as easily as the aldebaran; this observation is from my time with the kingfisher and not the cormorant directly and I am going on the assumption that the cormorant has the same paint process. There are a few other differences, that I am not remembering off the top of my head, but while the two share a similar price point, they do have different strengths and weaknesses. Anywho, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and insights! I think it’s great to hear what everyone’s opinions are so thank you for that! Cheers my friend!
Oh I hate drag clickers if you can't turn off; if you are actually using reel actively vrs setting down not paying attention waiting for a bite... What's the point apart from the most annoying sound in the world (Dumb & Dumber) ruining a peaceful quiet day fishing.
Hey RH! You’re in luck! The kingfisher has no drag clicker! I think overall you’re a bit out of luck though as the market trend is moving towards adding drag clickers in all reels. The problem is if you go to a spinning setup then you’re almost certain to have a drag clicker. So… unfortunately I think you’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place? I guess one solution is to remove the part of the clicking mechanism that actually makes the sound which is totally feasible. In a sense, you’d be turning off the clicker but yea not much else you can do aside from that. Sorry I don’t have any other solutions for you. =\. Cheers my friend!
Love your channel but dude please stop using that repeating music loop. It is horrible! It really made me stop watching this video. Gave me PTSD from waiting an hour for customer service on the telephone.
Hey David! Hahaha I hear you 😆. Not quite sure what to say though as it’s license free music and it’s more of a neutral song I guess. The channel doesn’t make enough for me to go in on a paid service where I can search for “good” music haha. Getting there but not quite there yet 😅. I’ll try to look for some other tracks I can use but no promises!!! Apologies about the PTSD haha 😅😅😅. Cheers my friend!