Bluefin TUNA by Shimano

This is an old video but still one of the best I have ever seen. Shimano TV is now on Youtube so just go and watch it :)

Shimano TV: Enjoy Shore Casting in Tsushima

Another nice video on shore casting by Shimano. I really like the idea of being dropped on a small piece of rock in the middle of the ocean to cast some heavy lure on yellowtails and red seabream.

Here is the link

Tackle Used:

Shimano Colt Sniper XTune and Stella SW



source: Shimano TV

More on the Shimano Stella

One thing I love about Japanese brands is the attention to detail and the amount of information they share with the customer about their products.
The introduction of the 2014 Stella has already caught the attention of all the anglers in the world and now Shimano has setup an amazingly detailed page that explains all the features of the new Stella.
I love the closeup photos, the charts, the 3D drawings, comparison photos, pro staff comments and so on.

There are many words that have been introduced in the new reel: Micro Module, Free Body, E.I, Core Protect, etc.

If you are armed with google translate you can understand most of the new features. The real advantages of all these innovations will be tested and reviewed but in the meantime hats off to the marketing department for creating a quite interesting technical page

Source: Shimano Japan

New Shimano Stella. New Video.

My today's post about the new Stella has received some buzz after being posted on facebook.
I have found a great video that shows some details of the rod. The reel is in the expert hands of famous Japanese angler Tetsuya Hemmi.

Have a look!

New Shimano Stella. The Official Page.

It is here!!! All the information about the new Shimano Stella has been uploaded on the official Shimano Japan Page. The reel looks awesome, and so are the technical charts. Use the google translate tool and you will learn more about the new reel.

Source: Shimano Japan

Shimano Saltwater Page

More good news for saltwater anglers!
Yesterday I wrote about the new Light Game Page by Shimano. Today  I am sharing the SALWATER WORLD page.
It has basically the same layout as the light game page but here the videos and the article looks more interesting (seabass, egi, shore casting, offshore...). Have a look here

.

Also check the facebook page for Saltwater Anglers. It is in Japanese but the posts are mostly photos and videos. Who needs translation when you have cool videos and photos to watch?

New Shimano Soare Light Game Page

Shimano has recently update the light game fishing page and they come up with an excellent result.
The new page is really good as in typical Japanese fashion. The amount of info you can find is simply astonishing. There are several sections: reels, rods, lures, beginner corner, videos and techniques.
It is in Japanese but with Google translate you can ready some of it. They have basically take all the info and page related to light fishing and put them together.
Have a look here

.

Source: Shimano Japan

Shimano Saltwater 2013 Catalog

This is great news for all Shimano fans! The 2013 SW Catalog is online in digital format.
Enjoy it here

Shimano Elf. Is a new model coming soon?

Shimano Japan usually does a model change on a 3-4 year cycle. The last Elf reel came into the market in 2011. It looked better than the predecessor which was a blue colored Elf and I think it had better features as well. If the timing is correct, the Elf might get a change in 2014.

I got my Elf in October 2011 and I am using it since then. If you ask me the Elf is a great reel for the prices. It is what I call the "real entry-level" reel in the Shimano family. It is smooth, looks good and has nice features for the money. (click here for more info).  If you are looking for a good reel the Elf is a nice choice.

My 2500 Elf spooled with 8lb Power Pro braid.

Anyway after seeing the new Nasci 13 (see here) I think that the Elf is the next one to get a model change. Actually the Nasci is just a one level up model compared to the Elf and I assume that the Elf will probably look similar to the Nasci in the specs department. The only thing missing might be the S-ARB bearings like in the current model.

What do I expect?

1. The color might not get black after all. The Elf has always stood up with a different color. I am risking it and saying that it might come in dark blue or black with a orange touch (Soare like)
2. Slim body. I have to admit I don't like the slim body idea but I am almost sure that the Elf will get the same treatment
3. X-Ship. This would be the biggest improvement. If the Nasci got it, there is an highly chance that the Elf will get it too.
4. Price: I think it will be in the 8000-9900 range. Just a little under the Nasci price range but higher than the actual Elf.

2013 Nasci

This is my forecast for the Elf. Let's wait and see what will happen.

Shimano Coltsniper BB S900M. More photos and rod curve

I got an email from a friend asking to see more photos of my new rod. I have also added a photo of the rod curve under 500gr of traction. 

Rod Curve under 500gr of traction.

New Rod: Shimano Coltsniper BB 900M

Here I am. Happy like a kid. Just got my new rod in the mail. I was looking for something to use in shore jigging this summer. My objective was to find something in the medium-heavy range that would handle some 50-60gr. jigs and big lures for some action in the Mediterrean Sea.
My previous rod was a St.Croix 8.6 14-56gr. salmon rod. It is still a decent rod but not enough suited for shore jigging. The short handle section was a pain to use for long time jerkings.
Anyway, after trying a Shimano Coltsniper BB rod in a store in Tokyo I fell in love with it. A very smooth and surprisingly flexible rod but a shore jigging application. It weights 209 gr. which means long fishing sessions without getting too much tired.
I choose the 9 feet model as I am not keen with the longer 9.6 or 10ft models. It is very light for a 60 gr. class rod. Now I need some time to test it and write about it in more details.
I still have two more rods to try. The custom LRF rod I built last month and the Yamaga Blank Early seabass rod.
For now just take a look at the photos and wait for more.

Nice logo. The BB is a lower grade  version of the Coltsniper

Shorejigging 

Split EVA handle. The length is good enough for shore jigging.

PE 1-2 Class

Fuji K guides 

Shimano vs Cars

No need to comment on this video. Just watch.

Reel Maintenance. A short video.

Found some videos while surfing on youtube. This one looks good. It shows the process on a Shimano Nasci reel. It Has also some English translation.

New Shimano Stella 2013. Another video

Here is the video (very short) of the new 2013 Stella. Straight from Shimano TV.  Looks awesome!

Screenshot of the video

Another Reel to Review Soon: Shimano Biomaster SW 4000XG

I am really packed with stuff to review on my blog. First my trip to Tokyo, then my new Daiwa Procyon 2500 reel and my latest toy the Biomaster SW 4000XG. I am trying hard to spare some time for these posts because I want to come up with something of quality.
I got my Daiwa Procyon as a medium power reel to fill with 1.2 PE and enjoy some seabass fishing here in Turkey with the Yamaga Blanks Early.
 The Biomaster SW 4000XG will be my medium-heavy reel for some fishing in the Aegean Sea. It will match my custom 8.6ft  15-58gr. St. Croix blank rod nicely.  I also got some YGK Jigman4  2.0PE to fill the spool.
Stay tuned...

Shimano Exsence Video

Since I am writing about Shimano's videos lately, here is another one about the Shimano Exsence Silent Assassin  lure dedicated to the seabass. Nice video for sure.

Shimano TV: Salt Dreamer Series

I think Shimano TV is a real treasure for all the fishing aficionados around the world. They have an impressive archive of high quality videos related to all the kind of fishing ranging from fly to offshore GT fishing.
There is especially one section that I enjoy a lot and that is the "Salt Dreamer" series.
These are half hour shows that run on the Fishing Vision channel and then made available on the Shimano TV page.
Take a look, I am sure you will enjoy all the videos in there.

Osaka 2012 Fishing Show

Something very important is going to happen this weekend in Osaka, Japan.
The Osaka Fishing Show is one of the most important shows of the industry and certainly a dream for every JDM tackle enthusiast. It is the show where all our favorite Japanese brands introduce the latest and coolest products to the public. I wish I could visit it, but for now I will be just staying in front of the PC waiting for some new video uploads that usually start showing up on the net during the show.
Check this blog frequently because I will try to write anything that I can find about the show.
Companies like Daiwa and Shimano give lots of importance to the show. Expect some great stuff like reels and rods from these two brands.
On Daiwa's official page there already teasers and tidbits of info about new reels like the Exist and Catalina.

It is going to be a long weekend!!!

Cartoon Style Banner for the Osaka Show. 

Daiwa has opened a special page just for the show.

2011 Shimano Biomaster

A nice reel like this deserves a 360 degrees video.




Source: Shimano Japan
Video Source : PLAT
Available for sale here

Shimano Elf C2000S

Finally I have opened the box that just came in from Cloud Nine Tackle Japan.

I already own the Shimano Elf 2500 and I have decided to go ahead and pick the C2000S for my ultralight setup. I am going to make a combo with the Nissin Atlas rod I have purchased some time ago.

The reel has a compact body, hence the designation C, and comes with a shallow spool (S stands for shallow). The reason I went with a shallow spool is that I am planning on using a very thin 0.6 PE braid and this spool allows me to put 150m of it with no problems. A deeper regular spool would need an extra nylon backing to fill the spool,which I find rather annoying. 

The reel is 215g. which will balance perfectly with my 7.4ft rod.

At the price range of 6000 YEN is a very satisfying reel. 

I will review the reel once I'll add the braid and go catching some horse mackerel.

Shimano Elf C2000S

You can check more about the Elf in my recent post or go directly to Shimano's page 

The Spec for the C200S reel is as follows:

Weight : 215g.

Spool Capacity: 0.6PE 150m / 0.8PE 110m / 1.0PE 80m

Cm per handle turn: 66cm

Gear Ratio: 5.0

Max Drag: 3kg.

Enjoy the pics below:

Brilliant orange trim.

S stands for Shallow Spool

C stands for Compact body.

The reel is made in Malasya.

AR-C Spool

Another detail of the Shallow Spool.

Detail of the drag. Less-More Dial.

The Elf comes with a cool looking machined handle. Nice touch.