500 size reels

[gunwhatgun]

Are 500 reels going the way of the Dodo? I have been browsing reels online lately and notices that most reels start 1000 now. I know at one time some brands went by 5's.....500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and so on. The real pain in the butt is retailers that think the only people that fish are after bass and bigger, meaning most of the reels on shelves start at 2500 and go up. What is an ultralight fisherman to do?

[gillchaser999]

I think the reason is the 1000 and larger reels have gotten lighter .
But I still like a 500 size reel on my shorter rods .
I Enjoy fishing with a combo that weighs less than 8 ounces total .

[BobC]

I think the reason is the 1000 and larger reels have gotten lighter .
But I still like a 500 size reel on my shorter rods .
I Enjoy fishing with a combo that weighs less than 8 ounces total .

I think that is a big factor. I bought a 500 size Shimano for just that reason and it is a nice reel, but after using it I will only buy 1000s in the future. The Daiwa Legalis 1000 that I have my eye on comes in at 6.5 Oz, and unLess I want to spend a lot more money it is a real nice weight for all of my rods. My all up is about 8.5 oz or so, and a real pleasure to fish with.
Bob

[LVSpinfisher1]

I think that is a big factor. I bought a 500 size Shimano for just that reason and it is a nice reel, but after using it I will only buy 1000s in the future. The Daiwa Legalis 1000 that I have my eye on comes in at 6.5 Oz, and unLess I want to spend a lot more money it is a real nice weight for all of my rods. My all up is about 8.5 oz or so, and a real pleasure to fish with.
Bob

Bob, no doubt your rod/reel weight of 8.5oz is light, but the Japanese for some reason have this affinity for everything light….and lighter! I read it somewhere, I think it’s the ci4+ 500s review from one of Christ Stewart’s customers, saying the current Japanese “target” lightness for a combo is 200 grams or under. That’s crazy 7.05 oz in total weight! All this is very possible if only most anglers here own UL rods in the range of 60 grams or under.


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[MNCrappieHunter]

A number of Shimano models still have 500 size

Also, Pflueger's 20 size is about a 600...little bigger but not much.

[Alphahawk]

You can still get several Shimano 500 size reels out of Japan. The Sahara and Nasci for example with shallow spools. The price is same as the state side price and sometimes a little less. If you want to go up in price Shimano has several more 500 models also.

Regards


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[gunwhatgun]

You can still get several Shimano 500 size reels out of Japan. The Sahara and Nasci for example with shallow spools. The price is same as the state side price and sometimes a little less. If you want to go up in price Shimano has several more 500 models also.


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It's funny you mention the Sahara. I have that one in 500, and it is one of my favorite reels. Is the only difference in the one from Japan the spool depth? I have actually been trying to work up the nerve to pull the trigger on ordering a reel out of Japan. I have noticed that if you shop on Feebay, you can find all kinds of reel that are "from" Japan, but when you look at the pics, they are either marked "Made in Malaysia" or "Vietnam". When I try the JDM websites, they get a little confusing, and most of them seem to be having stock issues. If anyone has a trusted site, I would love to learn about it.

[Alphahawk]

It's funny you mention the Sahara. I have that one in 500, and it is one of my favorite reels. Is the only difference in the one from Japan the spool depth? I have actually been trying to work up the nerve to pull the trigger on ordering a reel out of Japan. I have noticed that if you shop on Feebay, you can find all kinds of reel that are "from" Japan, but when you look at the pics, they are either marked "Made in Malaysia" or "Vietnam". When I try the JDM websites, they get a little confusing, and most of them seem to be having stock issues. If anyone has a trusted site, I would love to learn about it.

JDM does not mean made in Japan. It just means that the reel is sold in the Japanese market. The Sahara is just like the one you get in the states just with a shallow spool. Made in Japan reels are becoming fewer as each year goes by. Digitaka and Plat are trusted websites...as are many others. I have used both of them...and several others for over 10 years. I only buy from sites that use PayPal. The only issue I ever had was I got the wrong reel one time. Digitaka offered to pay return shipping and send me the correct reel....or they told me I could keep what they sent me. I kept the reel as it was a better reel that I had ordered and cost more money...LOL. Years later I found out my reel went to a guy in Norway and I had gotten what he had ordered...he had tracked me down from a post on the net about my mishap. Digitaka sent him a new reel.

Regards

[LVSpinfisher1]

Are 500 reels going the way of the Dodo? I have been browsing reels online lately and notices that most reels start 1000 now. I know at one time some brands went by 5's.....500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and so on. The real pain in the butt is retailers that think the only people that fish are after bass and bigger, meaning most of the reels on shelves start at 2500 and go up. What is an ultralight fisherman to do?

Hi, gwg as always i love to share my thought on this one as well. As Alphahawk and others have said, your best bet right now is Shimano (while they still make them) and they range from cheapest Sienna (stay away) to I believe is their current flagship 500: the Soare ci4+! Here is a thorough review by an angler putting it through it's paces.
Shimano Soare CI4+ 500S - The Ultimate in UltraLights - YouTube

[skeetbum]

That’s interesting. Certainly plenty of reel for needs. Wonder what the weight is? I’m wanting something very light but I’m too cheap to pull the trigger on an expensive reel just yet. After this new custom rod came home a little while back that weighs about as much as a sneeze it might be getting closer.