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which baitrunner???

L

Leon Dodd

Senior Member
hi all,
have just been looking at a couple of reels but before splashing out on any was hoping for some advice or opinions. i've decided on the shimano baitrunner as that is what i have at the moment in the 6000 size but i use them for nearly everything, so i'm looking to get 2 just for my barbeling, but with so many different models wanted some input.
most of my fishing is done on the yorkshire rivers so no long casting required and very rarely more than 3oz feeders/leads.
so, which one would you go for?
cheers all, leon
 
Shimano xt4000fa I love mine front drag with baitrunner only had it for this season and had a couple of big fish So they have passed all tests for me
 
4000Ds are lovely reels if you can stretch that far. However, I firmly believe that the XTFAs come within a whisker of being just as good and are much better value, especially with a spare spool supplied. They also have a better line clip than the 4000Ds. I suspect that the double handle of the XTFA will be a deciding factor for many as I'm well aware that more than one or two anglers out there hate double handles.:D
 
Okuma Epix pro size 40 3 spools single and double handle awesome reel. Barring that one a shimano 4000 or 5000 of some description.
 
I have a pair of DL4000FA's and they are absolutely fantastic reels, great baitrunner and very smooth front drag, can't recommend them enough.

I also have a 2500 baitrunner and would recommend you stay away from them, they are too small and light for barbeling and I am not at all happy with the line lay on the spools.
 
Hi all,
thanks for the replies guys looks like I'll be going for a couple of DL4000FA's they look good and seem to have plenty of fans, always a good thing,
cheers, Leon
 
Good choice. The main benefit of the 4000's is the weight. Much easier to hold your rod all day with one of these rather than a big old baitrunner. I've the more pricey 4000d which is proving to be fantasic, not that i've tested with any bigguns lately...
 
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The 4000D is great for bigguns, i found it an absolute joy when fishing close in for barbel on the Trent, the drag being an absolute dream and very smooth.
 
Leon Dodd said:
Hi all,
thanks for the replies guys looks like I'll be going for a couple of DL4000FA's they look good and seem to have plenty of fans, always a good thing,
cheers, Leon
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You won't go wrong with those, Leon. I bought a pair from Erics Angling for £42.99 each. The drag is superb.

They don't have any atm, but shop around and you should get them for under £50 each easily enough.
 
Bill Ling said:
You won't go wrong with those, Leon. I bought a pair from Erics Angling for £42.99 each. The drag is superb.

They don't have any atm, but shop around and you should get them for under £50 each easily enough.
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Cheapest I've seen these around with a lot of searching has been £62. The ST is normally the one that seels for that sort of money.

Having said that I gave Eric's Angling a call to check and they quoted me £55. Wish you'd posted this a week earlier!
 
Oh dear! Turns out I was getting mixed up with another purchase and talking out of my arse.:eek:. I actually paid £59.99 per reel, so the price has actually dropped to £55 now. Sorry about that, but it's still a great reel at £55.
 
Erics did me a pair for £100 delivered which i htought was cracking, they threw in a 3kg bucket of 2.4mm stickbait pellets too. This was literally only a month ago
 
hi all,
still undecided as to which model to go for, thought i had decided on the dl4000fa but the 4000d seems to be a better reel in most peoples opinion,but, is it worth the extra?
i will let you know when i evetually decide!
cheers, leon
 
Leon Dodd said:
hi all,
still undecided as to which model to go for, thought i had decided on the dl4000fa but the 4000d seems to be a better reel in most peoples opinion,but, is it worth the extra?
i will let you know when i evetually decide!
cheers, leon
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a better reel IMO, whether it's worth the extra is down to personal opinion and finances. I'd definitely suggest you look at the XTFA. It's very similar to the D but cheaper and comes with two spools as standard. I love my Ds but feel that the XTFA offers far better value for money and very similar performance.
 
Leon Dodd said:
Hi all,
thanks for the replies guys looks like I'll be going for a couple of DL4000FA's they look good and seem to have plenty of fans, always a good thing,
cheers, Leon
Click to expand...
i too have a pair of these and a pair of the 2500 on my specialist rods, got them when they first hit the shops to replace my aging 5010 baitrunners, also have a pair of 5000gte-b's for my heavier rods, 6000 gte-b's on my floodwater rods and a 10000xte on a ultra heavy floodwater hexagraph (the monster) that would launch a 8oz lead if needed, not yet found a situation that 'needs' it yet so it's been a pike rod instead;). point is, shimano do a baitrunner for all situations and most pockets these days so you can't go wrong;)
 
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