TackleTour

I am waiting impatiently. I find it mildly funny that after chasing light weight for years, now the two reels that really interest me are the Bantam and the Ryoga. Go figure.

sorry double post.

I purchased the XG model and am impressed with the reel. I tore it down prior to usage and added some grease and extra bearings. One thing I noticed was this reel features a ceramic pawl for the line guide. Someone was asking about the level wind and it is retained in the frame by the plate that holds the main shaft in place. Frame, side plate, and handle side plate are all aluminum

Reel is very compact and feels like a narrower Curado K in my hands.

Casting performance is great and right on par with my Met and Chronarch MGL spooled reels. I like having the silent tune too.

The handle is a bit short (90mm) and I plan to order a longer one soon. Just a preference.

Great, the pawl is plastic.

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

LOL

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

Or a hardened version of glass??? He he.

Is anyone else hoping for a deep spool for this reel? I saw mention of the shallow version but I am hoping to use the reel for heavy applications such as flinging medium sized swimbaits or maybe put one on my umbrella rig rod.

egore1 wrote:Is anyone else hoping for a deep spool for this reel? I saw mention of the shallow version but I am hoping to use the reel for heavy applications such as flinging medium sized swimbaits or maybe put one on my umbrella rig rod.

That is a deep spool, atleast in Shimano world.
You said you bought the 8.1:1 version. Not to be a buzzkill, but that ain't the reel for throwing a-rigs & swimbaits. Calcutta, conquest, tranx, etc are the right tools for that job. (Or maybe older 200 size models with slower gearing & bigger capacity).
That said, maybe Yumeya will make one?

egore1 wrote:

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

Or a hardened version of glass??? He he.

So it is different than the Chronarch and Metanium???

How does the palm side plate feel in your hand? The spool access thing looks like it sticks out a little. I prefer a smooth side plate with nothing to irritate my hand.

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

Thats ok in my book's, it'll hold, otherwise its a $5 part to replace.

So it is different than the Chronarch and Metanium???[/quote]

Certainly matches my Chronarch MGL and I haven't messed with my Metanium yet.

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

I'm pretty certain the ceramic pawl is an upgrade and will exhibit less wear than metal versions. They have been available for ABU reel tuners as an upgrade for quite some time. They should run smoother.

egore1 wrote:

LgMouthGambler wrote:Great, the pawl is plastic.

I'm pretty certain the ceramic pawl is an upgrade and will exhibit less wear than metal versions. They have been available for ABU reel tuners as an upgrade for quite some time. They should run smoother.

Last time Bantam tried to say the pawl was ceramic, it wasnt. So Im betting its plastic and not ceramic.

egore1 wrote:So it is different than the Chronarch and Metanium???

Certainly matches my Chronarch MGL and I haven't messed with my Metanium yet.[/quote]


My bad, should have been more clear. I meant did the levelwind from the Bantam seem similar to that of the Chronarch MGL or Metanium MGL. I would be a little hesitant to break the Bantam down though, fishing is starting to get hot down here.