New Shimano high end baitcasting reel?

[Thenewrick]

Hi, I've got a Stella FK1000 and love it and an Aldebaran MGL and only kinda like it.

The gears feel a bit tinny and plasticky. It overall just feels a bit underwhelming. I read that it is from 2018 and was wondering 2 things. First, will there be an update to the Aldebaran MGL soon? It seems like Shimano updates their reels every 5 years or so. Second, is there a more premium option that would serve a similar purpose?

I love my Stella FK so I was hoping there was a more premium option or newer option to replace my Aldebaran MGL.

I find the Shimano Baitcasting lineup confusing. I suppose the Antares is the top dog, then the Metanium, then the Aldebaran? But the Metanium and Antares are much larger sizes with bigger spools for heavier duty fishing and the Aldebaran MGL is borderline BFS?

I mostly toss weightless plastics up to 1/2oz surface jerkbaits and ploppers type of stuff. I really like ultralight and far casting reels. I use really light line typically as well.

Is there a good resource to follow to find out the latest news on new high end bass reels?

Could someone sort of simply explain the Shimano baitcasting higher end lineup and their purpose and differentiation?

I'd like to sell my Aldebaran MGL and get something a little more refined with better gears but just as light and just as good at tossing weightless plastics as well as having newer technology maybe for line management because I do get lots of backlashes.

I know they're different beasts but I wish they had a Stella FK baitcaster or something. The FK solved so many of my line management issues and it's a pleasure to fish with.

Is there a good way to switch to 10lb braid on the Aldebaran without getting backlashes and line digging into itself on the spool? Maybe make the spool even shallower with some electrical tape or just not spool a full spool of line on it? I only realistically need 50 yards of line on for my bass fishing anyways.

I've considered a BFS reel but I'm not quite that finesse'y. I use a medium strength Mojo Bass rod that's 7'1 so I don't want to go ultra light. Just light, MGL, finesse oriented, and very high quality gearing and tech.

What is the "new tech" for Shimano baitcasters in 2023? The Stella FK had all sorts of new buzzwords, new line management tech, new gear tech. But I haven't really seen anything for 2023 baitcasters. Do they sort of alternate years with big new spinning releases 1 year, then new high end baitcasters the next year?

[Cal]

What you're feeling with the Aldebaran is likely the frame and sideplate material, not the gear. The gear is aluminum.

I suggest you familiarize yourself with the reviews we provide on this site to learn more about casting reel options available today, but in short, if you want something high end with similar capacity to the Aldebaran, the 2019 non-DC Antares would probably be the closest. It is a 100 size reel. The Aldebaran will still be smaller.

The second option would be the 2022 shallow spool Metanium

[Thenewrick]

The Antares and Metanium both seem nice. I'm pretty happy with the Aldebaran. I just wish they'd update it with some new tech. I fished with it for a while today and it was fine. It cast 1/8 oz jig very far and reeled in a 3lb bass pretty effortlessly.

I guess I'm just looking for something a little more premium feeling, or an updated Aldebaran. It seems like it's due for an update next year hopefully. I think they released the BFS version this year but I'm looking for something slightly more substantial than true BFS.

I liked the Daiwa CT SV TW 700h I tried. It felt almost identical to me as the Aldebaran. But I've sort of focused on Shimano because I really like everything I've tried from them so far.

I'm hoping some of that Stella FK magic comes to the baitcasters.

Is there a simple explanation of the purposeful difference between the Antares, Metanium, and Aldebaran? Because it seems like you can find MGL and BFS variants of each. I'm not sure what the nuanced differences are between the models and if there's another to consider.

With the Spinning lineup it's a little simpler. Stella is the top of the line, then the tech trickles down from there like with the recent Vanquish FC with lots of the Stella FK tech built in.

It sounds like I just need to wait until next year's exhibition shows in Japan around February to see what the latest and greatest is.

I'd like to see the Stella SW updated and a comparison between an updated Stella SW in a smaller size, vs a larger sized Stella FK and an Exist 2 and Saltiga. I'm curious what the best inshore/light saltwater setup might be in that 3000-4000 size range.

[bronzebacks]

I have all 3 and the bantam. The alde works fine but has a super cheap feel to me. The met is my favorite for all around fishing and throws lite stuff good on the right rod. I would use a bantam for any heavy and high resistance baits. The antares is the smoothest but heavy for a smaller reel and mine doesn't cast lighter lures as good as my metainums and Aldebaran

[Drakestar]

These posts are a bit all over the place TBH. The first post asks questions about baitcasters while the second post ends in musings about (upcoming) saltwater spinning reels.

On baitcasters, you can either have light and plastic-feeling or you can have solid but heavier. You can either have aluminum gears or brass gears. You can either have a baitcaster that rarely backlashes (get a DC) or you learn to dial in your regular BC so that it won’t backlash. No “new tech” will suddenly eliminate backlashes in a poorly dialed-in reel, and the line winding “tech” (a lot of it is just new design elements and buzzwords) in spinning reels is completely different from baitcasters. The “Stella FK magic” cavalry ain’t coming to baitcasters.

The “BC version of the Stella” already exists in the Antares A. As Cal mentions it’s a 100-size reel that is exquisitely geared and that feels super solid. But it’s also heavy at over 7oz because the substantial feel comes with trade offs.
A new Aldebaran probably won’t feel significantly different from the current generation seeing how its calling card is a super light footprint.

[Thenewrick]

I've used a Curado DC and I didn't find the DC helpful. I didn't get any more or fewer backlashes with it than any other baitcaster I've used so I've been steering away from it. Maybe It helped me and I didn't notice. But I launch stuff pretty far without issues so far on the Aldebaran MGL.

Well, I suppose I'm hoping for technological advancement that is not currently foreseen or anticipated maybe. Anything can happen with technology!

Before DC came out I bet people didn't predict there would be computers inside their fishing reels.

Shimano seems to be the leader in new tech so it I wouldn't be surprised to see them introducing new stuff all the time.

The Antares A is interesting. It's the same size as the Aldebaran MGL and is also MGL, but has heavier gearset and maybe something else is a little heavier? 3 more oz than the Aldebaran is a lot if it's the same size reel. It would be interesting to see a tear down deep dive between the two if they have the same use case at different price points.

My Aldebaran MGL is on a 7'1 Mojo Bass medium rod, so the rod is a little overpowering for the reel. But I wouldn't say it's 3 oz difference overpowering. The Alde would probably pair better with a 6'6 lighter rod though.

It'll be interesting to see with the next gen Alde will be like. It seems like BFS and lightweight fishing has become increasingly popular since it's introduction in 2019. I wonder if they will go even lighter, or just add some new tech.

The strangest feeling with the Stella FK 1000 and the Alde MGL low gear ratio is how torquey they are. With braid it almost feels like hooksets are too strong even when I don't even try, and reeling in decent bass feels almost too easy like it's overpowering the fish a bit. Lot to be said about high end reels with low gear ratio. Make you feel powerful.

[dennis_rf]

I believe the Metanium Shallow is what you’re looking for. Same line capacity and light lure capabilities as the Alde MGL but beefed up and more premium feel thanks to its sturdiness.

No other Shimano reel is as tiny as the Aldebaran. The Antares isn’t a small reel, it’s a good hand full. However contrary to what has been said here, my Japan imported Antares is definitely a size 70 according to its little printed identifier.

[Thenewrick]

I haven't quite figured out sizes either. Is 70 and 700 the same, then 100 and 1000 the same?

What size is the Aldebaran?

I considered the Metanium also. But I wanted the lightest possible to prevent fatigue.

I caught 4 bass this evening on the Alde using a small jig with trailer. It's such a strange feeling reel to me. It's so small, so light, so plasticky feeling but it has so much torque and the drag is completely silent. So I'll land a fish and not even know it, then reel it in with no drag being pulled out that I can tell. It's like it's just overpowering fish. I also fish with a Stella FK with a clicky drag and it's a totally different feeling.

I noticed my hooks will tear small holes in the lips of fish too from them being reeled in so forcefully and not pulling any drag. I'm not slamming the hookset or reeling them in super hard. It just feels kinda effortless with so much torque.

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

I haven't quite figured out sizes either. Is 70 and 700 the same, then 100 and 1000 the same?

What size is the Aldebaran?

I considered the Metanium also. But I wanted the lightest possible to prevent fatigue.

I caught 4 bass this evening on the Alde using a small jig with trailer. It's such a strange feeling reel to me. It's so small, so light, so plasticky feeling but it has so much torque and the drag is completely silent. So I'll land a fish and not even know it, then reel it in with no drag being pulled out that I can tell. It's like it's just overpowering fish. I also fish with a Stella FK with a clicky drag and it's a totally different feeling.

I noticed my hooks will tear small holes in the lips of fish too from them being reeled in so forcefully and not pulling any drag. I'm not slamming the hookset or reeling them in super hard. It just feels kinda effortless with so much torque.

Shimano uses a 2/3 digit system while Daiwa uses a 3/4 digit system for spool depths. The are moreso general and doesn't translate to direct spool depths.

[CGrinder]

Daiwa spool sizes used to make some sense. Iirc, 1016 spool was 100m of 16 lb (.33 mm diameter). 1012 was then 100m of 12 lb, and so on. For three digit codes, 100, 103, and 105 were progressively shallower and I believe pretty consistent capacity wise across reels.

[Fran87]

Anybody thinks that we will see soon a new 19 Antares in this 2023?

In my opinion if this reel was a little bit lighter would be the perfect reel ever made...