Shimano Reel Rumor #1

For a long time i have wondered about the future success of Van Staal.  They were purchased by Quantum, raised the price of all their reels by 8% at the beginning of 2007 and started machining parts in China, yet they still remain the dominant high end surf reel.  This is mainly due to a lack of competition.  Sure, there's Zeebaas, but they can't produce enough reels to satisfy demand and still don't have a full range of sizes. Penn does not have reel that compare in quality, neither does Daiwa or Quantum. Only Shimano, with their line of Stellas compares in quality to the Van Staal's.  But, and there's a but, the Stellas are not dunkable reels, making them a poor choice for the surf.  While being constructed of a composite makes them very light, they will not stand up to a drop on the rocks.

So here comes the gossip.  I have heard that Shimano will release a competitive product to the Van Staal Spinning Reels sometime in 2008.  I assume it would be at the iCast show.  If Shimano is able to build a durable, dunkable high end spinning reel, similar to their Stellas, Van Staal will take a huge hit.  Zeebaas will take less of a hit, with their limited numbers, and as their are still a lot of people who crave "Homemade" reels, especially in the Northeast.  

Sincerely,

Josh

J&H Closeouts

www.jandhcloseouts.com

(866) 506-6600

Zeebaas Z-Rough Spinning Reel

To continue the discussion about surf spinning reels, we now turn to the Zeebaas Z-Rough Spinning Reels.  To say that it has been hard to get these reels is an understatement.  We have been sold out of these reels for more than two weeks.  We finally got a half dozen in this morning.  The model we sell the most of is the ZX22RD.  It features a 2.23" spool diameter and double rollers.  The reel comes in a nice matte finish of either black or gray. 

From initial reports, my customers who have purchased the reels have been loving it.  No problems have been reported and everyone loves that the reel has 40 lb of drag on it!  

How does it compare to a Van Staal?  It is hard to say because the Zeebaas Z-Rough is only available in the smaller sizes.  The most popular surf reel sizes on the south shore of Long Island are the 200 and the 250, with the 275 and 150 a distant third and fourth. Once Zeebaas comes out with a larger version of the reel, we will be better able to compare the two as series. On an individual basis, if you asked me which reel to purchase between a VS150 and the Z-Rough, i would go with the Zeebaas.  

The advantages of the Zeebaas are that you can take it apart and work on it yourself, it's a smoother reel, and the double roller feature is great. The only thing you have to keep an eye on is whether Zeebaas continues to grow, or eventually goes out of business.  More than likely, if something happened to the company, it would be sold to a larger company, the same way Van Staal was. Go with the Zeebaas!

Sincerely,

Josh

J&H Closeouts

www.jandhcloseouts.com

(866) 506-6600