20/20 hindsight, i'd have gone with the HICC50 if i'd known about it, but i got the Zephyr on sale for $60 and already took it out and caught fish and once dialed in, never got a backlash. but i really wanna try the HICC50 as well. thanks for the reviews.
I'm guessing you're using a line that has a diameter that can't quite find its way into the sides of the Zephyr spool. The HICC50 is a great reel. I'd definitely recommend the handle upgrade, though.
Hey Barry, Nice vid !! It's been 3 years since I started BFS fishing, due to the fishing pressure in my local lakes. I have two of the Acura HICC-50's (7.1:1 gear ratio & 8.1:1 gear ratio) I'm running 6# Seaguar Basix fluorocarbon on one reel & 10# Spectra braid with Zukibo 5# fluoro leader on the other. I also installed some Roro hybrid BFS/ST bearings in both reels... a noticeable improvement , in both distance and smoothness !! rods are a Shimano Majestic 6' 8" light/fast, and a Daiwa Crossfire 6' 6" light/moderate totally happy with these setups. landed a 3-1/2# largemouth on the Daiwa last summer tossing a 1/10 oz Ned head w/4" Keitech Easy Shiner in Golden Shiner color ; man that was fun !!
I’m looking to buy the hicc50 but I would really prefer to use 6-8 pound Floro because I have more experience using it. So if it’s appropriate should I use 6 or 8 pound floro and also how would it compare to using braid. Additionally if braid is appropriate would I need a leader?
I'd probably go with a high quality 4lb fluoro over anything much larger in diameter if you're going to go that way. You can try a 6, but casting distance might suffer a little bit. It might not suffer, but I tend to err toward the lighter side. If you go with a braid like I do, I use a 6lb Berkley x9 Braid to a 6lb Berkley Professional Fluoro leader tied on with a double-uni. I know that sounds odd, but I go that heavy on the leader side (6lb) because I'm constantly casting around the sharp, rocky bottoms of the Potomac watershed. I haven't had any break offs. You can always use a 4lb fluoro main with a slightly heavier fluoro leader (tied with a double-uni) if you're concerned about rocks or teeth chipping up the last few feet of your main line. Another thing you could do is to utilize the two spools with two different configurations (like a 6lb fluoro on the deep spool and a braid on the shallow spool) to maximize its potential. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE TWO-SPOOL VERSION! I'd also get that Lixada handle. You'll enjoy the reel a lot more with that installed.
Nice video! I did budget as well but used Aliexpress and have a Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra and the KastKing Valiant Eagle II. They are not bad for the $60-75 price range. No official tests just time on the water and I think the KastKing is a better reel. Need to get them both back out on the water and keep testing them out. Thanks for doing the comparison!
You say the KK wins because it has a 7.1 vs 7.2 gear ratio. Firstly it's depends on the type of fishing whether or not a higher gear ratio is better. Also gear ratio is irrelevant unless the spool diameter is factored in.
You sure you've got 6lb I have 8lb on my hiic50 because the 4 I ordered came in came in incorrect an replacement came after spooling. Looking at the line lay if nothing else I can see the stands on yours mine looks smooth the line like at 4:28 to me those look like 20lb min and at least double thickness of 8lb on my spool
I am 100% sure that those reels were both spooled with Berkley X9 6lb braid. I'm staring at the box as I type this. This is why the Zephyr was having so much difficulty with the line binding up between the spool and the body. If I'd spooled it with 8lb, those problems likely would have at least reduced. Terrible At Fishing nailed the issue, so I wanted to give him credit.
Love my version of the HICC50. I get around 50ft with a 1g lure.
It's a great reel. Paired with the right rod, you can really zing around tiny baits.
20/20 hindsight, i'd have gone with the HICC50 if i'd known about it, but i got the Zephyr on sale for $60 and already took it out and caught fish and once dialed in, never got a backlash. but i really wanna try the HICC50 as well. thanks for the reviews.
I'm guessing you're using a line that has a diameter that can't quite find its way into the sides of the Zephyr spool. The HICC50 is a great reel. I'd definitely recommend the handle upgrade, though.
@@BarryP 20lb Berkeley X5. No I haven’t had that issue thankfully.
Found your channel yesterday, here to see a different perspective on things.
Thanks for having a look!
Hey Barry, Nice vid !! It's been 3 years since I started BFS fishing, due to the fishing pressure in my local lakes. I have two of the Acura HICC-50's (7.1:1 gear ratio & 8.1:1 gear ratio) I'm running 6# Seaguar Basix fluorocarbon on one reel & 10# Spectra braid with Zukibo 5# fluoro leader on the other. I also installed some Roro hybrid BFS/ST bearings in both reels... a noticeable improvement , in both distance and smoothness !! rods are a Shimano Majestic 6' 8" light/fast, and a Daiwa Crossfire 6' 6" light/moderate totally happy with these setups. landed a 3-1/2# largemouth on the Daiwa last summer tossing a 1/10 oz Ned head w/4" Keitech Easy Shiner in Golden Shiner color ; man that was fun !!
That's awesome, Scott! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’m looking to buy the hicc50 but I would really prefer to use 6-8 pound Floro because I have more experience using it. So if it’s appropriate should I use 6 or 8 pound floro and also how would it compare to using braid. Additionally if braid is appropriate would I need a leader?
I'd probably go with a high quality 4lb fluoro over anything much larger in diameter if you're going to go that way. You can try a 6, but casting distance might suffer a little bit. It might not suffer, but I tend to err toward the lighter side. If you go with a braid like I do, I use a 6lb Berkley x9 Braid to a 6lb Berkley Professional Fluoro leader tied on with a double-uni. I know that sounds odd, but I go that heavy on the leader side (6lb) because I'm constantly casting around the sharp, rocky bottoms of the Potomac watershed. I haven't had any break offs. You can always use a 4lb fluoro main with a slightly heavier fluoro leader (tied with a double-uni) if you're concerned about rocks or teeth chipping up the last few feet of your main line. Another thing you could do is to utilize the two spools with two different configurations (like a 6lb fluoro on the deep spool and a braid on the shallow spool) to maximize its potential. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE TWO-SPOOL VERSION! I'd also get that Lixada handle. You'll enjoy the reel a lot more with that installed.
Nice video! I did budget as well but used Aliexpress and have a Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra and the KastKing Valiant Eagle II. They are not bad for the $60-75 price range. No official tests just time on the water and I think the KastKing is a better reel. Need to get them both back out on the water and keep testing them out. Thanks for doing the comparison!
Thanks! I believe the Dark Wolf Ultra may be one of the HICC50 clones. I might be wrong on that, though.
You say the KK wins because it has a 7.1 vs 7.2 gear ratio. Firstly it's depends on the type of fishing whether or not a higher gear ratio is better. Also gear ratio is irrelevant unless the spool diameter is factored in.
Honestly, I'd take a 8.1:1 , slow down the retrieve when appropriate... and call it a day.
You sure you've got 6lb I have 8lb on my hiic50 because the 4 I ordered came in came in incorrect an replacement came after spooling. Looking at the line lay if nothing else I can see the stands on yours mine looks smooth the line like at 4:28 to me those look like 20lb min and at least double thickness of 8lb on my spool
I am 100% sure that those reels were both spooled with Berkley X9 6lb braid. I'm staring at the box as I type this. This is why the Zephyr was having so much difficulty with the line binding up between the spool and the body. If I'd spooled it with 8lb, those problems likely would have at least reduced. Terrible At Fishing nailed the issue, so I wanted to give him credit.