The setup: Reel - Daiwa alphas air 7.2 stock except for some added grease to the main and pinion gear. Rod - Jackson Super Trickster 6'4" light power, fast taper. Total combo weight 8.8oz with a very light tip, balance point is about the center of the reel. Line - 6lb berkley trilene xl
The lures: I tested 5 in the 2 hours I was out ranging from 5.31g down to 2.0g. The heaviest was a small lipless crankbait, it was rather heavy and easy to cast so that's where I started so I could get a feel for the combo especially in the gusty conditions. From there i incremented down. The list is as follows:
Mini lipless crank - 5.31g
1/16 rooster tail with swivel - 3.12g
Bomber fat a 3f crank - 2.5g
Strike king bitsy pond minnow - 2.3g
Bass Pro Pins minnow knockoff - 2.0g
The experience: I have had the fortune of getting to try out a number of bfs setups and like all before it this one has its own personality.
Starting with the rod, it is much much faster than my st croix XL rod I reviewed before. So much so that I wasn't sure how it would load when I started dropping the weight. As it turned out the very tip of the rod would give just enough to get my 2.0g pins to take flight. With it so windy I didn't attempt the 1/32 (1.0g) jig head so I'll reserve that for another day. Going into this action a bit more I would say this is probably one of the finest micro jerkbait or jig rods out. The tip has that perfect feel to work baits that require a little user input.
Sensitivity (while subjective) the trickster is every bit as sensitive as my legend inshore model and for bottom contact baits I would have to say it would surpass the legend which has a much more moderate taper. The legend is more tip heavy as well even though it is only .25oz heavier on the scale. I will now make my legend a dedicated bfs crankbait rod and the trickster a dedicated bfs action bait rod.
In a one sentence summary comparing the two rods: The trickster feels like they miniaturize a bass jig rod and the legend inshore feels like a beefed up an ultra light trout rod.
Now to the reel: (Disclaimer: I have owned the ss air but currently don't have one, I took detailed notes of casting distances and experience so all comparisons to the ss air will be stated based off of notes and/or memory, the ktf aldebaran was tested side by side with the alphas)
It's an alphas that can truly cast 2.0g baits just as well as the ss air and ktf aldebaran. Physically it's smaller than the ss air but larger than the aldebaran but feels more solid and is heavier than either.
Retrieve: As a precursor I'll state I love how aluminum framed reels with brass gears feel so you can probably already guess how I feel towards this reel. While the actual gear mesh may or may not be any smoother than the ss or aldebaran the solid feel of brass and aluminum insulate the user from all vibration and resonance that can be so apparent in the super light mag reels. At only 5.9oz its still light but when retrieving feels like a tank. I like it!
Power: Compared to the ss air (8.1) the Alphas (7.2) is more powerful than the ss but the aldebaran (7.4) feels still a bit more powerful than the alphas. The aldebaran has an 84mm handle compared to the 80mm on both air models. This conclusion is a non scientific method result of tossing out a baby 1 minus (1/4oz) and reeling it it back in, seeing which one does it the easiest.
Casting: From my testing the ss air and alphas are so close in casting experience one would be hard pressed to be able to scientifically measure any improvement in casting distance or accuracy. Compared to the aldebaran the aldebaran seemed to want to cast the 2.0g lure ever so slightly easier but the difference was so close (within 3-4 feet) that bearing differences could easily account for it. Honestly I would have to get under 2.0g lures to truly test the limits and differences. Anything 2.0g and up any of the 3 can toss without issue.
Brake system: Magenetic vs centrifugal you pic what you like. In the wind the aldebaran seemed to have the ever so slight edge at the very lowest weight in distance but I also had more backlashed from it too. What little bit the air setup gave up in distance was well made up for in the control of the spool. If you fish open water where wind is normal then my vote would go to the air setup. In low wind areas centrifugal does very well.
Drag: I didn't catch anything that could test the drag but it felt smooth at the house so that's as far as I will comment on that.
Overall just like the alphas sv this reel is an incredible value that looks to be the one to beat as far as performance vs value is concerned. It is solid and compact and feels wonderful to fish. At 5.9oz it isn't the lightest bfs reel out there but gives you a solid as a rock fishing experience. If you like the alphas platform and want to go bfs here you go and its saltwater safe!
