Daiwa Aird casting reel?

[Snyder Rods]

Save your money - I'll buy you a sunset yellow can of spray paint - Christmas is coming.

[140jas]

Has anyone fished the new Aird baitcast yet ? I have a few Laguna reels and would like to try the low speed Aird to crank with.

[imagi]

Haven't tried the Aird but bought a Laguna earlier this year. It's mainly for cranking paired with a Shimano Sellus Crankbait Rod but on occasion I'll use it for other things like soft plastic jerk baits, top waters etc. I like my Laguna: light weight, smooth, easy to cast and manage. Has a little bit a whine but after a few minutes I don't even notice it any more. Was nervous about the composite frame but so far so well. Wouldn't mind trying the Aird but I'm already looking at a Lews for my next buy ( aluminum frame eases the mind ).

[Buck2thPerch]

Has anyone fished the new Aird baitcast yet ? I have a few Laguna reels and would like to try the low speed Aird to crank with.

the AIRD Low Profile Baitcasting reel is comparable to Shimano's Caenan and Abu Garcia's Pro Max.

[140jas]

Well , I'm now the owner of a low speed Aird reel. Can't wait to throw some crankbaits with it. Looks nice with the matching rod ( 7' Med Light ), got the rod and reel for less than 120 bucks !!!

[Hogsticker2]

Well , I'm now the owner of a low speed Aird reel. Can't wait to throw some crankbaits with it. Looks nice with the matching rod ( 7' Med Light ), got the rod and reel for less than 120 bucks !!!

Awesome! Have you used it yet? Can you give us some insight after you have used it a bit? Does the drag star click? Are the handle knobs removable, or did they rivet them on?

[140jas]

I took it to our pond and caught two on a square bill. It cast like a dream, and is smooth....The drag does click , and the handle grips/knobs are bearing supported. I will look and see if they can be removed. So far so good, it feels nice. I'm looking forward to getting out on the water and throwing some bigger baits.

[cjtoad]

I took it to our pond and caught two on a square bill. It cast like a dream, and is smooth....The drag does click , and the handle grips/knobs are bearing supported. I will look and see if they can be removed. So far so good, it feels nice. I'm looking forward to getting out on the water and throwing some bigger baits.

Good to know thanks 140jas.

[damian_megabass]

Finally took this reel out this weekend....Great price but I hate it.

Poor position of the brake adjustment. Everytime I caught a fish or just casting my pointer adjusts or turns the brake adjustment. Very annoying, it's not placed where most Daiwa reels are top front, the adjusment is right at the front tip of the sideplate.

It's a $90 reel, but can the drag be any weaker? Maybe I need to clean it, but I have a 3.5 lbr pull on my buttoned down drag.. I don't have these issues on any of my other reels.

Only good note if adjust properly without changing the poorly placed brake adjustment, it casts like a dream. Smooth but noisy casts, and kind of noisy when reeling. Again it's a $90 reel, won't break the bank, but if you thought about buying this reel....I'd say pass on the reel. I bought a 6:3.1 for my cheap crank setup.

[Hogsticker2]

Finally took this reel out this weekend....Great price but I hate it.

Poor position of the brake adjustment. Everytime I caught a fish or just casting my pointer adjusts or turns the brake adjustment. Very annoying, it's not placed where most Daiwa reels are top front, the adjusment is right at the front tip of the sideplate.

It's a $90 reel, but can the drag be any weaker? Maybe I need to clean it, but I have a 3.5 lbr pull on my buttoned down drag.. I don't have these issues on any of my other reels.

Only good note if adjust properly without changing the poorly placed brake adjustment, it casts like a dream. Smooth but noisy casts, and kind of noisy when reeling. Again it's a $90 reel, won't break the bank, but if you thought about buying this reel....I'd say pass on the reel. I bought a 6:3.1 for my cheap crank setup.

Makes me wonder if the Lexa will be a bust. Think I will hold off till we get some hands on reviews once they become available.

[M Perry]

Has anyone fished the new Aird baitcast yet ? I have a few Laguna reels and would like to try the low speed Aird to crank with.

Yes I have and quite a bit too. Have jerked decent bass out of grass mats with them without so much as the first issue. I like the reel a LOT more than i expected and personally its a fairly large step over the Laguna. Only real complaint U have is that it took a couple of tries to get the casting controls dialed in but all in all its more than worth its price point. Really just been fishing 3/8-3/4oz baits on it and its not missed a beat. I own 4 and all stick look new and the finish seems chip/scratch resistant despite not so mild treatment.

[M Perry]

Finally took this reel out this weekend....Great price but I hate it.

Poor position of the brake adjustment. Everytime I caught a fish or just casting my pointer adjusts or turns the brake adjustment. Very annoying, it's not placed where most Daiwa reels are top front, the adjusment is right at the front tip of the sideplate.

It's a $90 reel, but can the drag be any weaker? Maybe I need to clean it, but I have a 3.5 lbr pull on my buttoned down drag.. I don't have these issues on any of my other reels.

Only good note if adjust properly without changing the poorly placed brake adjustment, it casts like a dream. Smooth but noisy casts, and kind of noisy when reeling. Again it's a $90 reel, won't break the bank, but if you thought about buying this reel....I'd say pass on the reel. I bought a 6:3.1 for my cheap crank setup.

Makes me wonder if the Lexa will be a bust. Think I will hold off till we get some hands on reviews once they become available.

I had a chance to handle both the Lexa 100 and 300 models today for a good bit. My first impression is that it looks and feels like a $300 reel. Not sure how Daiwa is gonna make a profit on these reels but I am gonna go out on a limb and say they will sell a lot of them. Its just a reel that gets your attention visually and feels even better when you pick it up. Is it a Steez? Of course not but I am betting it more than holds its own and it will grab a share of that $100-150 price point that Daiwa has been needing. According to the sales rep that had the reels he has already had added new dealers simply as a result of them seeing the reels. He said they had held back because Daiwa had such a void from low end to high end price points but not now. i know I am about to stock up on some as I was blwon away.

[Hogsticker2]

Finally took this reel out this weekend....Great price but I hate it.

Poor position of the brake adjustment. Everytime I caught a fish or just casting my pointer adjusts or turns the brake adjustment. Very annoying, it's not placed where most Daiwa reels are top front, the adjusment is right at the front tip of the sideplate.

It's a $90 reel, but can the drag be any weaker? Maybe I need to clean it, but I have a 3.5 lbr pull on my buttoned down drag.. I don't have these issues on any of my other reels.

Only good note if adjust properly without changing the poorly placed brake adjustment, it casts like a dream. Smooth but noisy casts, and kind of noisy when reeling. Again it's a $90 reel, won't break the bank, but if you thought about buying this reel....I'd say pass on the reel. I bought a 6:3.1 for my cheap crank setup.

Makes me wonder if the Lexa will be a bust. Think I will hold off till we get some hands on reviews once they become available.

I had a chance to handle both the Lexa 100 and 300 models today for a good bit. My first impression is that it looks and feels like a $300 reel. Not sure how Daiwa is gonna make a profit on these reels but I am gonna go out on a limb and say they will sell a lot of them. Its just a reel that gets your attention visually and feels even better when you pick it up. Is it a Steez? Of course not but I am betting it more than holds its own and it will grab a share of that $100-150 price point that Daiwa has been needing. According to the sales rep that had the reels he has already had added new dealers simply as a result of them seeing the reels. He said they had held back because Daiwa had such a void from low end to high end price points but not now. i know I am about to stock up on some as I was blwon away.

Well thats good news. But the Lexa kinda looks like a fancy Laguna wrapped up in a aluminum package. I will wait till I can put one in my hand. Still don't understand why they can't make a new Sol or 3rd generation TDA for around 200 bucks. That would get my goat.

[MSPbass]

I just picked up 2 Aird's on eB@y and I'm pleasantly surprised. They will be replacing some original Pflueger Trion "workhorse" reels I’ve used for a while. They sure do look sharp when you open the box. Unfortunately, when I picked it up I was instantly turned off by the composite reel foot. Luckily, when I clamped it down the reel sat securely on my rod. I’ll have to keep an eye on these feet though. These things cast really well too. The components all move with very little effort as well; thumb bar especially. And the swept handle is fantastic. It’s a much better handling reel than I expected.