It definitely it a very solid performing reel and a really great value. I am very curious how they’ll ever improve upon it haha. Anyhow, congrats on the purchase and cheers!
I haven't officially tested my Acura HICC-50's with a tape. I cast Ned heads @ 1/16oz (1.7g) 1/10oz (2.8g) &1/8oz (3.5g) & add a small plastic. I'm using a Phenix FTX-C71L (7' 1") rod with one reel & a Fenwick 6' 10" Elite Bass M/L rod with the other. I think I am consistently getting between 50'-80' depending on weight. Both reels are loaded with P-Line 8# co-polymer and cast beautifully , I realize a lot of people are fishing ultralight, but not in my case. I also ordered a set of "Roro ST hybrid" bearings (based on your other video - so thanks for that !) to try out... if I like them I'll get another set for the 2nd reel. keep up the Great vids & thanks !!
Hey Scott! That’s awesome to hear! I think the big difference between our setups is definitely the rod length. I’ve been using a 4’8” rod which will inevitably cast shorter distances than your 6’10” and 7’1” rods but I’m glad to hear you’re getting good performance out of your reels! I do aim to test out the Acura with my roro bfs st bearings installed and see if there’s any actual net performance gains but in any case they do sound cool but not too loud. I appreciate the comment and feedback and cheers!
I enjoy doing actual cast testing so I have set up a measured range in my back yard. In my experience, human factors can play a very significant part in the results and need to be factored in. When I am cast testing, I first do as many as necessary casts to optimally dial in the cast control and spool tension. I then do at least 5 measured casts, paying attention to how the cast felt and looked. If I cast too hard and get a backlash I don't count the cast. If I release the spool a bit early or late and get a poor casting arc I don't count the cast. By doing this, I get a good reading of what the reel can do. If I get a variance of more than 2 feet over the 5 casts I feel that I have not gotten an accurate estimation of the reel's capabilities. I also do not do cast testing if there is any noticable wind. It is just a thought...
Hey Jay! Thanks for your suggestion! I had planned on doing a lot of casts that day but I was getting demolished by mosquitoes lol… I did cast more than what’s on video but I just kept the last two casts for each reel and weight. Doing these comparisons is new to me and improving my setup is something that I will always try to do. I appreciate your feedback and will def try to incorporate your suggestions. Hopefully the mosquitoes will give me a break the next time I’m out testing haha 😅
Since you are considering getting another rod, there are twomore affordable, high quality rods that I use and recommend. They are the John Coo Vivid and the Mavlos Delicacy. The Vivid is 6'3" and the Delicacy 6' and both come with UL and L tips. The CU Double is a very good rod, but the handle is not to my liking. Bass N Bonsai has a good video of converting the handle to cork, but the Vivid and Delicacy both have nice handles from the factory. Just as some people don't like the handle on the CU Double some don't like the bright blue band on the Vivid, but all 3 are quality rods at affordable prices.
Hey Jay! Thank you for the recommendations! I’ll look into these rods and see what I can come up with. I may just end up using the ag venom but I’ve always wanted a cu double because it seems like the “gold” standard in the budget bfs world. In any case, much appreciated as always! Cheers!
Hey Noob! I think that the Acura is a great reel for the money. Very smooth and casts extremely well. It’s also very responsive to the spool bearing upgrade if/when you want to do it. Cheers on the choice and lmk how it turns out!
Hey romeobot! Thank you for the recommendation. I have been eyeing that very rod but it seems a bit strep in price to me for a CDM rod. I will consider for a future purchase though. That being said, I do have a few rod choices that can cast a 1g or 0.8g lure so I can give those a try if people are interested in that weight class. Thanks again and cheers!
Hey falling! Wow this is such an old video that it’s hard for me to recall. However, I do know for certain that the Aldebaran and the Kestrel Elite were not modified. The Acura may have had roro bearings which I think is apparent from the sound you hear when casting. That being said, this is the older version of the Acura. The newer version should be better than this by all accounts. Hope that helps! If you have any other questions let me know! Cheers my friend!
Hey brother, first off I appreciate your making this video. I am a fellow angler and just got into BFS a little over a year ago. I own the Kastking zephyr and have caught some pretty good sized LMB on it. It had been a great reel. I am now considering either of these 2 reels you made the video on. For durability and for catching big bass I wonder if the Acura will hold up as good as the KastKing valiant eagle ii? I know that my zephyr is still in perfect working order. Which of these 2 reels do you feel would be tougher and which would last longer? Thank you, and I hope to see more videos in the future. 🤙💪🎣🇺🇸
Hey big bass! I appreciate your kind words and your question! Will try to answer to the best of my ability. It’s awesome to hear that your zephyr has been treating you so well. I actually think kastking did a great job with the reel and I think it suits exactly what you’re doing with it now. Moving onto the Acura vs the Valiant Eagle 2 question, theres a couple of factors to consider outside of just the longevity of the reels. The ve2 isn’t offered in the states and so would technically be a “gray market” item coming with no warranty from kastking USA. That’s not to say you can’t service it yourself if anything were to happen to it. However, at the end of the day imho I think the Acura will be the longer lasting reel. That being said, again, both reels should work fine and if they do start to need repair it isn’t hard to reach out to their respective companies and order/request parts to repair your reels. Also, both reels are fairly inexpensive and so likely if/when your reel breaks there will be a “better” model available. I think the better question to ask between the two reels is how low of a lure weight do you want to cast and do you consider yourself adept at casting bfs reels? The reason I say this is because the ve2 is a bit on the overbraked side and as a result is very hard to backlash on and very forgiving with casts. The Acura is not overbraked and so you will be able to cast lighter lures but you will likely run into a backlash here and there. Both are great reels imho but I do think the Acura will last a bit longer. Anywho, hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL wow, I really appreciate your in depth answer! I am one of those guys that casts pretty hard, as I am used to my slx dc and regular sized casting reels, with that being said I am leaning towards the valiant eagle ii. I bought the Takumi-S Zeus and am not to thrilled about it, but hey it was only 30$ on temu! I will most likely buy the valiant eagle ii first and then buy the soloing Acura as well. I am thinking about getting shimano sensilite 7ft rod bc for whatever reason I am not the greatest with anything under 7ft. I think I just like catching big bass on light tackle, I guess I am an american-ized bfs guy lol. Once again I really do appreciate your response and look forward to your videos. I just started my channel a little over a month ago and realized it isn't that easy, but enjoy doing it with my wife and son. Tight lines 🤙💪🎣🇺🇸
@@Pond_King_Fishing hey big bass! Right on my friend! Yea, I reviewed wk1000 Zeus way back on the channel and found it works for the price but it’s nothing to write home about haha. That being said I have a buddy who actually built his out and filled it up with bearings and he loves it now. Anywho, I think the ve2 is probably a solid choice for your bass finesse style fishing and not having to worry about backlashes is a pretty good side effect of the overbraked effect. I think you’ll enjoy that reel as they did an amazing job with the ergonomics imho. Anywho, it’s my pleasure and I’m happy to help folks get into the bfs world! Hope you have an amazing time with your channel and I’ll stop by and check it out! Cheers my friend!
I wish you tried a 1gram weight. I am looking for a new BFS reel to go very light. I currently use a Curado BFS and am thinking of an Aldeberan. This Acura is bewildering to me.
Hey terribleat! I actually have been using the newer Acura pro with a 0.5g soft plastic worm. The Acura pro is a very capable reel when combined with an equally capable and correctly rated rod. However, if you are considering an Aldebaran that is also another great choice for a bfs reel. Make sure to look at Japanese retailers like digitaka, plat.co.jp, jdm tackle Heaven, and Amazon.co.jp for good prices on aldebarans. Imho, you can’t really go wrong with either reel but I think the Acura pro will let you cast under 1g whereas it will be a bit more challenging with the Aldebaran. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Side bar: the weights of those plugs is very inconsistent and in some cases not even close to advertised. For example, the orange 3.5g weights 2.97g, the green one 3.05g. Orange 5g weighs 4.74g, green 4.87g. YMMV....
Hey Bernie! I was actually planning on showing the weights of the plugs in another video. I’m sure you’re right in that there is a wide variance in weight between the sets they sell on Amazon. I’ll weigh mine out and reflect the actual weights as a side note. Thanks for your feedback and cheers!
Hands down the Soloking Acura. Cost to performance it is the best. The reel costs around $70 US and you can find it on aliexpress or on Amazon, under doviello Acura. A good alternative right now is the Tsurinoya dark wolf ultra, on aliexpress, as it’s on sale for around $56 US if you live in the states. There are some minor downsides to this reel like no double spool option and 1 less bearing than the Acura reel. I hope that helps!
@@MOVEOVERROVER69I got the current Acura Pro for Christmas. It's my first bfs reel. I've heard nothing but good things about it. I'm definitely excited for spring.
Hey Daniel! I can’t quite recall but it was one of two lines. Either the “ygk” g-soul line you can find in aliexpress(most likely not genuine), or varivas max PE. All of the lines were 0.6goh or 0.128mm in diameter. Hope that helps and cheers!
I can’t say for certain but if they do I’d imagine it’s a very small effect. For the kestrel and Aldebaran I believe I used Varivas Super Trout Advance S-Spec PE and for the Acura I had some aliexpress YGK braided line. All of the reels had 50m and 0.6goh to keep things standard. In the future I’ll try to eliminate any variance with line brand but I really do believe it doesn’t play a major factor. Definitely something that can be tested though!
Try the ace hawk cu double, very affordable and can cast as low as 0.5g lures. I have a kestrel and with that rod the reel can cast a trout magnet a good 40 to 50 ft depending on wind.
I’ve got something similar to the cu double that I was considering changing over to. The 5’6” ag venom but I can look into getting a cu double as well. Ty for the recommendation!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Another vote here for the CU Double. Two tips (UL + L) and UL tip can cast down to 0.5g. UL tip is solid which makes it a little softer and allows it to load up to help casting lighter lures. Venon has a hollow faster tip. One possible issue with the CU Double is the brown foam handle. Not a favorite for some people.
@@zankyou101 hey Eric! I’m definitely a fan of the cu double. Unfortunately I currently only have the spinning version. I’ll have to look into picking one up since it seems to be a bfs staple nowadays.
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Casting a CU Double spinning rod on youtube won't get you many views. Casting a 1.0g trout magnet with a BFS CU Double casting rod will get you tons of views. Since you didn't take me up on my suggestion of having bikini girls pictures in you youtube screenshots, you can at least do this for more viewership :)
@@cleavedspot yep! The kit was on Amazon.co.jp made by 2929works. Unfortunately they only had the fake carbon look in a couple different shades. There are some other companies out there that do skins for the alde but I don’t think they necessarily look better.
Why is the Kestrel making that noise when casting? You must have messed something up on that reel, mine casts way further than what you are getting. My Kestrel casts as good or better than my Dark Wolf Ultra. That sound when casting is your issue something very wrong with your Kestrel... just saying your test is not accurate.
Hey! I can’t actually say why the reel was making that noise but my guess is that it was coming from the cleaned out bearings. I can’t say that you’re wrong in that I messed up the reel but I gave it the same attention to detail that I do with all of my reels. As I mentioned in my description section, I’ll be getting a replacement shortly and revisiting these weights with the reel. As for your casting distances being further than my attempts it might be due to the rod you are using. Keep in mind I’m using a 4’8” rod which is going to inevitably cast shorter distances than say a 6’ or 7’ rod. I appreciate your thoughts but I don’t think it’s quite fair to say my testing is inaccurate and I will be revisiting this reel. Cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I just mean in the context of the reel having an issue , the rest of the review is fine. Including the defective reel in the test skews it
@@BassManStrikes to be completely honest I’m not sure that the reel was defective which is why I included it and why I am seeking a replacement to retest. I did my best to add the disclaimer and also that I had cleaned the reel out. To be completely fair I teardown and clean and relubricate all of my reels because factories tend to not know what they’re doing. The kestrel was no exception to this and had tons of excess grease inside. In any case, I’ll be revisiting this reel and hopefully seeing improvements that other people have mentioned. I will say that kastking does have good customer service so that’s a plus. If they could just consider testing their products before releasing them to the market I think they’d be into something… Who am I to judge them though haha I’m just a consumer like everyone else. The only difference is I sharing my experiences testing and tinkering because I enjoy doing so. Anywho, I really appreciate your comment and feedback. I always encourage opinions from all points of view and appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. It helps me understand you guys better! Thanks again and cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I appreciate you responding :) we need to figure out a way to reduce the minimum breaking just a little bit. I bought the roro bearings for the kestrel, it should help a slight bit, but I haven't casted it yet. If we could figure out a way to take a magnet out or put the thinest magnetic tape over a bearing or two (need someone who really understands magnetic fields)...that reel would be so close to amazing imo. I've watched videos of people throwing 1gram stuff with the Kestrel and they need to turn the brakes up, which I guess is good, but 0 breaks should be 0.
@Wade in the Water hey! I saw that video by reeltest as well. It just confuses me more but I think what’s going on is that he used a SUL rod and I’m guessing very little line in the spool. So… if you really cater to the 1g lure I think you can cast them. On the other hand, I saw a video made by a Chinese guy who said he had to remove 3 magnets per shoe in order to cast anything below 5g decently. He goes on to say that if you want to cast anything heavier you need to remove more magnets… I noticed that his reel sounded very similar to my reel with the odd clicking sound during cast. So I’m not really sure what’s up with this reel… I’m slated to receive my replacement kestrel today so I’ll look into this more for sure. I was already considering removing magnets but I want to try recreating the 1g casting that reeltest did. My only issue is that my lightest rod isn’t the kuying teton(a phenomenal rod by what I gather from all the yt reviews). I have an Acehawk AG venom which is rated down to 0.8g and much more affordable than the $100+ kuying Teton. So… can the kestrel cast 1g lures? I think yes but you might need to be really setup to do it and I’m not sure that it’ll outcast any other reel. Reeltest also observed that his kestrel was really inaccurate… I wonder if that’s because the braking system isn’t tuned correctly or maybe because his bearings aren’t the best… it’s so hard to say with so many variables… in any case I’ll try my best to look into this and hopefully we can figure something out!
I'm glad I never pulled the trigger on a Kestrel. Toyed with the idea but we'll pleased now I didn't. I bought 2 cheaper reels for the same price and both outperform it and neither are full on BFS more 3 gram and up , which is more of a realistic weight range for normal fishing situations. Cheers.
Hey James! Yea I was very disappointed with the performance of the kestrel… I am going to be receiving a replacement shortly to see if that first reel I got was defective. Hopefully it was but at the same time hopefully not… Kastkings QC should be way better with a reel they’re touting to be a premium reel. In any case, I’ll be doing a follow up video to this one and including that replacement reel, the Acura with new bearings and maybe some other very budget friendly reels. Cheers!
Ya the Kestrel is way better than this test indicates, that noise when casting is not right and is likely introducing extra resistance resulting in poor casts. I cast mine way more than 40 feet with a 1/¹⁰ oz jig and zman trd Ned worm. I literally hit the bank from the middle of the Milwaukee River and mine casts smooth and I didn't take mine apart and mess with it, just saying.
@@BassManStrikes hey there again! I’ll be receiving my replacement kestrel soon so hopefully I can put to rest the performance of the reel out of the box. Cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL still nothing better than aldebaran and gekka )))+ shimano cardiff or finetail rod and nothing more is neccesary . imo for right hands reels dark wolf ultra is good shimano copy expecially for price range . kestrel same as gravity reels are commercial video in reel test channel, not worth the money .
@@oslo7457 hi Oslo! I’m pretty sure you’re spot on but not everyone has the $$$ to get an Aldebaran or Gekkabijin so I hope this test helps people see the performance they can get with these three different reels. Hopefully in the future I can add to this test to help people make better decisions based on their budget. I’d love to get my hands on a Gekkabijin but I can’t justify the cost especially when I already own an Aldebaran… maybe in the future! Thanks for your comment and support!
I enjoy doing actual cast testing so I have set up a measured range in my back yard. In my experience, human factors can play a very significant part in the results and need to be factored in. When I am cast testing, I first do as many as necessary casts to optimally dial in the cast control and spool tension. I then do at least 5 measured casts, paying attention to how the cast felt and looked. If I cast too hard and get a backlash I don't count the cast. If I release the spool a bit early or late and get a poor casting arc I don't count the cast. By doing this, I get a good reading of what the reel can do. If I get a variance of more than 2 feet over the 5 casts I feel that I have not gotten an accurate estimation of the reel's capabilities. I also do not do cast testing if there is any noticable wind. It is just a thought...
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Sorry, my comment bounced back to me with a red dot and the word "error" so I sent it again. I had been having internet issues and assumed it hadn't been posted.
Wow I’m so glad I bought the Acura. $70 Reel for the win!
It definitely it a very solid performing reel and a really great value. I am very curious how they’ll ever improve upon it haha. Anyhow, congrats on the purchase and cheers!
I haven't officially tested my Acura HICC-50's with a tape. I cast Ned heads @ 1/16oz (1.7g) 1/10oz (2.8g) &1/8oz (3.5g) & add a small plastic.
I'm using a Phenix FTX-C71L (7' 1") rod with one reel & a Fenwick 6' 10" Elite Bass M/L rod with the other. I think I am consistently getting between 50'-80' depending on weight.
Both reels are loaded with P-Line 8# co-polymer and cast beautifully , I realize a lot of people are fishing ultralight, but not in my case. I also ordered a set of "Roro ST hybrid" bearings (based on your other video - so thanks for that !) to try out... if I like them I'll get another set for the 2nd reel. keep up the Great vids & thanks !!
Hey Scott! That’s awesome to hear! I think the big difference between our setups is definitely the rod length. I’ve been using a 4’8” rod which will inevitably cast shorter distances than your 6’10” and 7’1” rods but I’m glad to hear you’re getting good performance out of your reels! I do aim to test out the Acura with my roro bfs st bearings installed and see if there’s any actual net performance gains but in any case they do sound cool but not too loud. I appreciate the comment and feedback and cheers!
Thanks for review.! Soloking ordered.
Thanks so much for letting me know and the kind words! Cheers and I hope the reel treats you well! 🙌🙌🙌
I enjoy doing actual cast testing so I have set up a measured range in my back yard. In my experience, human factors can play a very significant part in the results and need to be factored in. When I am cast testing, I first do as many as necessary casts to optimally dial in the cast control and spool tension. I then do at least 5 measured casts, paying attention to how the cast felt and looked. If I cast too hard and get a backlash I don't count the cast. If I release the spool a bit early or late and get a poor casting arc I don't count the cast. By doing this, I get a good reading of what the reel can do. If I get a variance of more than 2 feet over the 5 casts I feel that I have not gotten an accurate estimation of the reel's capabilities. I also do not do cast testing if there is any noticable wind. It is just a thought...
Hey Jay! Thanks for your suggestion! I had planned on doing a lot of casts that day but I was getting demolished by mosquitoes lol… I did cast more than what’s on video but I just kept the last two casts for each reel and weight. Doing these comparisons is new to me and improving my setup is something that I will always try to do. I appreciate your feedback and will def try to incorporate your suggestions. Hopefully the mosquitoes will give me a break the next time I’m out testing haha 😅
Since you are considering getting another rod, there are twomore affordable, high quality rods that I use and recommend. They are the John Coo Vivid and the Mavlos Delicacy. The Vivid is 6'3" and the Delicacy 6' and both come with UL and L tips. The CU Double is a very good rod, but the handle is not to my liking. Bass N Bonsai has a good video of converting the handle to cork, but the Vivid and Delicacy both have nice handles from the factory. Just as some people don't like the handle on the CU Double some don't like the bright blue band on the Vivid, but all 3 are quality rods at affordable prices.
Hey Jay! Thank you for the recommendations! I’ll look into these rods and see what I can come up with. I may just end up using the ag venom but I’ve always wanted a cu double because it seems like the “gold” standard in the budget bfs world. In any case, much appreciated as always! Cheers!
Great comparison. I might pull the trigger on the soloking.
Hey Noob! I think that the Acura is a great reel for the money. Very smooth and casts extremely well. It’s also very responsive to the spool bearing upgrade if/when you want to do it. Cheers on the choice and lmk how it turns out!
if you want to test the reel with lure under 2 gram, I suggest you to use kuying teton tts510s, this is a good rod, support lure 0.3 gram to 3 gram
Hey romeobot! Thank you for the recommendation. I have been eyeing that very rod but it seems a bit strep in price to me for a CDM rod. I will consider for a future purchase though. That being said, I do have a few rod choices that can cast a 1g or 0.8g lure so I can give those a try if people are interested in that weight class. Thanks again and cheers!
Are all the reels used in the video stock, or have they been modified?
Hey falling! Wow this is such an old video that it’s hard for me to recall. However, I do know for certain that the Aldebaran and the Kestrel Elite were not modified. The Acura may have had roro bearings which I think is apparent from the sound you hear when casting. That being said, this is the older version of the Acura. The newer version should be better than this by all accounts. Hope that helps! If you have any other questions let me know! Cheers my friend!
I've watched up to here since yesterday
Hey brother, first off I appreciate your making this video. I am a fellow angler and just got into BFS a little over a year ago. I own the Kastking zephyr and have caught some pretty good sized LMB on it. It had been a great reel. I am now considering either of these 2 reels you made the video on. For durability and for catching big bass I wonder if the Acura will hold up as good as the KastKing valiant eagle ii? I know that my zephyr is still in perfect working order. Which of these 2 reels do you feel would be tougher and which would last longer? Thank you, and I hope to see more videos in the future. 🤙💪🎣🇺🇸
Hey big bass! I appreciate your kind words and your question! Will try to answer to the best of my ability. It’s awesome to hear that your zephyr has been treating you so well. I actually think kastking did a great job with the reel and I think it suits exactly what you’re doing with it now. Moving onto the Acura vs the Valiant Eagle 2 question, theres a couple of factors to consider outside of just the longevity of the reels. The ve2 isn’t offered in the states and so would technically be a “gray market” item coming with no warranty from kastking USA. That’s not to say you can’t service it yourself if anything were to happen to it. However, at the end of the day imho I think the Acura will be the longer lasting reel. That being said, again, both reels should work fine and if they do start to need repair it isn’t hard to reach out to their respective companies and order/request parts to repair your reels. Also, both reels are fairly inexpensive and so likely if/when your reel breaks there will be a “better” model available. I think the better question to ask between the two reels is how low of a lure weight do you want to cast and do you consider yourself adept at casting bfs reels? The reason I say this is because the ve2 is a bit on the overbraked side and as a result is very hard to backlash on and very forgiving with casts. The Acura is not overbraked and so you will be able to cast lighter lures but you will likely run into a backlash here and there. Both are great reels imho but I do think the Acura will last a bit longer. Anywho, hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL wow, I really appreciate your in depth answer! I am one of those guys that casts pretty hard, as I am used to my slx dc and regular sized casting reels, with that being said I am leaning towards the valiant eagle ii. I bought the Takumi-S Zeus and am not to thrilled about it, but hey it was only 30$ on temu! I will most likely buy the valiant eagle ii first and then buy the soloing Acura as well. I am thinking about getting shimano sensilite 7ft rod bc for whatever reason I am not the greatest with anything under 7ft. I think I just like catching big bass on light tackle, I guess I am an american-ized bfs guy lol. Once again I really do appreciate your response and look forward to your videos. I just started my channel a little over a month ago and realized it isn't that easy, but enjoy doing it with my wife and son. Tight lines
🤙💪🎣🇺🇸
@@Pond_King_Fishing hey big bass! Right on my friend! Yea, I reviewed wk1000 Zeus way back on the channel and found it works for the price but it’s nothing to write home about haha. That being said I have a buddy who actually built his out and filled it up with bearings and he loves it now. Anywho, I think the ve2 is probably a solid choice for your bass finesse style fishing and not having to worry about backlashes is a pretty good side effect of the overbraked effect. I think you’ll enjoy that reel as they did an amazing job with the ergonomics imho. Anywho, it’s my pleasure and I’m happy to help folks get into the bfs world! Hope you have an amazing time with your channel and I’ll stop by and check it out! Cheers my friend!
@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL cheers brother. Thank you again for getting back to me. I will let you know what I think about the reel
@@Pond_King_Fishing look forward to it!
I wish you tried a 1gram weight. I am looking for a new BFS reel to go very light. I currently use a Curado BFS and am thinking of an Aldeberan. This Acura is bewildering to me.
Hey terribleat! I actually have been using the newer Acura pro with a 0.5g soft plastic worm. The Acura pro is a very capable reel when combined with an equally capable and correctly rated rod. However, if you are considering an Aldebaran that is also another great choice for a bfs reel. Make sure to look at Japanese retailers like digitaka, plat.co.jp, jdm tackle Heaven, and Amazon.co.jp for good prices on aldebarans. Imho, you can’t really go wrong with either reel but I think the Acura pro will let you cast under 1g whereas it will be a bit more challenging with the Aldebaran. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
thank you for your reply, I will be getting the new Loomis Edge UL EFXPro to match this. I have an Edge rode and love it. @@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL
@@terribleatfishing hey terribleat! Nice! Would love to hear what you think of the rods! Cheers my friend!
Side bar: the weights of those plugs is very inconsistent and in some cases not even close to advertised. For example, the orange 3.5g weights 2.97g, the green one 3.05g. Orange 5g weighs 4.74g, green 4.87g. YMMV....
Hey Bernie! I was actually planning on showing the weights of the plugs in another video. I’m sure you’re right in that there is a wide variance in weight between the sets they sell on Amazon. I’ll weigh mine out and reflect the actual weights as a side note. Thanks for your feedback and cheers!
Hello. In your opinion, taking into account the cost and performance, what is the best option among these 3 reels?
Hands down the Soloking Acura. Cost to performance it is the best. The reel costs around $70 US and you can find it on aliexpress or on Amazon, under doviello Acura. A good alternative right now is the Tsurinoya dark wolf ultra, on aliexpress, as it’s on sale for around $56 US if you live in the states. There are some minor downsides to this reel like no double spool option and 1 less bearing than the Acura reel. I hope that helps!
I ordered the soloking 2023 model before i watched this, i’m so glad i did.Those Alderbarans are overrated imo 👍
@@MOVEOVERROVER69I got the current Acura Pro for Christmas. It's my first bfs reel. I've heard nothing but good things about it. I'm definitely excited for spring.
Hey Andy! That’s awesome to hear! Hope the reel treats you well! Cheers my friend!
Hey Doug! That’s a pretty awesome Christmas gift =). Hope the reel treats you well! Cheers my friend!
What line did you used for the acura?
Hey Daniel! I can’t quite recall but it was one of two lines. Either the “ygk” g-soul line you can find in aliexpress(most likely not genuine), or varivas max PE. All of the lines were 0.6goh or 0.128mm in diameter. Hope that helps and cheers!
I just wondering do the line type and brand make any difference on how far it casting the lure?
I can’t say for certain but if they do I’d imagine it’s a very small effect. For the kestrel and Aldebaran I believe I used Varivas Super Trout Advance S-Spec PE and for the Acura I had some aliexpress YGK braided line. All of the reels had 50m and 0.6goh to keep things standard. In the future I’ll try to eliminate any variance with line brand but I really do believe it doesn’t play a major factor. Definitely something that can be tested though!
Try the ace hawk cu double, very affordable and can cast as low as 0.5g lures. I have a kestrel and with that rod the reel can cast a trout magnet a good 40 to 50 ft depending on wind.
I’ve got something similar to the cu double that I was considering changing over to. The 5’6” ag venom but I can look into getting a cu double as well. Ty for the recommendation!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Another vote here for the CU Double. Two tips (UL + L) and UL tip can cast down to 0.5g. UL tip is solid which makes it a little softer and allows it to load up to help casting lighter lures. Venon has a hollow faster tip. One possible issue with the CU Double is the brown foam handle. Not a favorite for some people.
@@zankyou101 hey Eric! I’m definitely a fan of the cu double. Unfortunately I currently only have the spinning version. I’ll have to look into picking one up since it seems to be a bfs staple nowadays.
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Casting a CU Double spinning rod on youtube won't get you many views. Casting a 1.0g trout magnet with a BFS CU Double casting rod will get you tons of views. Since you didn't take me up on my suggestion of having bikini girls pictures in you youtube screenshots, you can at least do this for more viewership :)
@@zankyou101 hahaha touché. What if… I use my bfs reels on a cu double spinning rod??? 🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂
What did you do to you Aldebaran?
Hi there! Not sure what you mean but I added a vinyl wrap to the outside!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Yeah, that’s what I meant. Flat black would look cool. Was it a purchased kit?
@@cleavedspot yep! The kit was on Amazon.co.jp made by 2929works. Unfortunately they only had the fake carbon look in a couple different shades. There are some other companies out there that do skins for the alde but I don’t think they necessarily look better.
Why is the Kestrel making that noise when casting? You must have messed something up on that reel, mine casts way further than what you are getting. My Kestrel casts as good or better than my Dark Wolf Ultra.
That sound when casting is your issue something very wrong with your Kestrel... just saying your test is not accurate.
Hey! I can’t actually say why the reel was making that noise but my guess is that it was coming from the cleaned out bearings. I can’t say that you’re wrong in that I messed up the reel but I gave it the same attention to detail that I do with all of my reels. As I mentioned in my description section, I’ll be getting a replacement shortly and revisiting these weights with the reel. As for your casting distances being further than my attempts it might be due to the rod you are using. Keep in mind I’m using a 4’8” rod which is going to inevitably cast shorter distances than say a 6’ or 7’ rod. I appreciate your thoughts but I don’t think it’s quite fair to say my testing is inaccurate and I will be revisiting this reel. Cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I just mean in the context of the reel having an issue , the rest of the review is fine. Including the defective reel in the test skews it
@@BassManStrikes to be completely honest I’m not sure that the reel was defective which is why I included it and why I am seeking a replacement to retest. I did my best to add the disclaimer and also that I had cleaned the reel out. To be completely fair I teardown and clean and relubricate all of my reels because factories tend to not know what they’re doing. The kestrel was no exception to this and had tons of excess grease inside. In any case, I’ll be revisiting this reel and hopefully seeing improvements that other people have mentioned. I will say that kastking does have good customer service so that’s a plus. If they could just consider testing their products before releasing them to the market I think they’d be into something… Who am I to judge them though haha I’m just a consumer like everyone else. The only difference is I sharing my experiences testing and tinkering because I enjoy doing so. Anywho, I really appreciate your comment and feedback. I always encourage opinions from all points of view and appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. It helps me understand you guys better! Thanks again and cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I appreciate you responding :) we need to figure out a way to reduce the minimum breaking just a little bit. I bought the roro bearings for the kestrel, it should help a slight bit, but I haven't casted it yet. If we could figure out a way to take a magnet out or put the thinest magnetic tape over a bearing or two (need someone who really understands magnetic fields)...that reel would be so close to amazing imo. I've watched videos of people throwing 1gram stuff with the Kestrel and they need to turn the brakes up, which I guess is good, but 0 breaks should be 0.
@Wade in the Water hey! I saw that video by reeltest as well. It just confuses me more but I think what’s going on is that he used a SUL rod and I’m guessing very little line in the spool. So… if you really cater to the 1g lure I think you can cast them. On the other hand, I saw a video made by a Chinese guy who said he had to remove 3 magnets per shoe in order to cast anything below 5g decently. He goes on to say that if you want to cast anything heavier you need to remove more magnets… I noticed that his reel sounded very similar to my reel with the odd clicking sound during cast. So I’m not really sure what’s up with this reel… I’m slated to receive my replacement kestrel today so I’ll look into this more for sure. I was already considering removing magnets but I want to try recreating the 1g casting that reeltest did. My only issue is that my lightest rod isn’t the kuying teton(a phenomenal rod by what I gather from all the yt reviews). I have an Acehawk AG venom which is rated down to 0.8g and much more affordable than the $100+ kuying Teton. So… can the kestrel cast 1g lures? I think yes but you might need to be really setup to do it and I’m not sure that it’ll outcast any other reel. Reeltest also observed that his kestrel was really inaccurate… I wonder if that’s because the braking system isn’t tuned correctly or maybe because his bearings aren’t the best… it’s so hard to say with so many variables… in any case I’ll try my best to look into this and hopefully we can figure something out!
I found a defect with my aldebaran bfs 22, and I ve posting it on my channel
Any chance you can post a link to show your finding? Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad I never pulled the trigger on a Kestrel.
Toyed with the idea but we'll pleased now I didn't.
I bought 2 cheaper reels for the same price and both outperform it and neither are full on BFS more 3 gram and up , which is more of a realistic weight range for normal fishing situations.
Cheers.
Hey James! Yea I was very disappointed with the performance of the kestrel… I am going to be receiving a replacement shortly to see if that first reel I got was defective. Hopefully it was but at the same time hopefully not… Kastkings QC should be way better with a reel they’re touting to be a premium reel. In any case, I’ll be doing a follow up video to this one and including that replacement reel, the Acura with new bearings and maybe some other very budget friendly reels. Cheers!
Ya the Kestrel is way better than this test indicates, that noise when casting is not right and is likely introducing extra resistance resulting in poor casts.
I cast mine way more than 40 feet with a 1/¹⁰ oz jig and zman trd Ned worm. I literally hit the bank from the middle of the Milwaukee River and mine casts smooth and I didn't take mine apart and mess with it, just saying.
@@BassManStrikes hey there again! I’ll be receiving my replacement kestrel soon so hopefully I can put to rest the performance of the reel out of the box. Cheers!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL still nothing better than aldebaran and gekka )))+ shimano cardiff or finetail rod and nothing more is neccesary . imo for right hands reels dark wolf ultra is good shimano copy expecially for price range . kestrel same as gravity reels are commercial video in reel test channel, not worth the money .
@@oslo7457 hi Oslo! I’m pretty sure you’re spot on but not everyone has the $$$ to get an Aldebaran or Gekkabijin so I hope this test helps people see the performance they can get with these three different reels. Hopefully in the future I can add to this test to help people make better decisions based on their budget. I’d love to get my hands on a Gekkabijin but I can’t justify the cost especially when I already own an Aldebaran… maybe in the future! Thanks for your comment and support!
Hey man found your GoPro, sent you a message on your IG, we’re gonna be in bishop till sunday
!!! 🙌🙌🙌
I enjoy doing actual cast testing so I have set up a measured range in my back yard. In my experience, human factors can play a very significant part in the results and need to be factored in. When I am cast testing, I first do as many as necessary casts to optimally dial in the cast control and spool tension. I then do at least 5 measured casts, paying attention to how the cast felt and looked. If I cast too hard and get a backlash I don't count the cast. If I release the spool a bit early or late and get a poor casting arc I don't count the cast. By doing this, I get a good reading of what the reel can do. If I get a variance of more than 2 feet over the 5 casts I feel that I have not gotten an accurate estimation of the reel's capabilities. I also do not do cast testing if there is any noticable wind. It is just a thought...
Hm duplicate comment?
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Sorry, my comment bounced back to me with a red dot and the word "error" so I sent it again. I had been having internet issues and assumed it hadn't been posted.