Once again, Shimano won the ICAST Best of Show award for reels. This year, its Stradic F1 spinning reel won the freshwater category, and its Trinidad DC won the saltwater category.
Of particular note is that Shimano actually upgraded its entire spinning reel line. These beefed-up reels are the result of a 3-year project. BassFan spoke with Shimano reel manager Jeremy Sweet, who said that the project identified three critical targets – gear durability, line management, and casting performance. The entire focus of the 3-year project was to improve performance in all three categories in all Shimano spinning reels.
In terms of gear durability, Shimano applied what it calls Paladin gear enhancement. That means the reels get a cold-forged, aluminum drive gear, and a hardened brass pinion gear. In regular language, the result is reportedly a gear system that retains "out of box smoothness" for years.
The new "Line Propulsion Management System" utilizes five different components, including a beveled spool lip which is said to make a huge difference in casting distance. Other features include one-piece bail wire, Power Roller III line roller, Aero Wrap II oscillation system, and an S-Arm cam that keep the line in contact with the bail during slack-line presentations like jigging and dropshotting.
For more info on the whole lineup, and the improvements, click here.
