zee baas

[dredey]

i would be surprised, but does anyone in this forum own one? if so please share. van staals get alot of bashing, but in my opinion they are well worth the money. no company, as of yet, has been able to match what van staal has to offer. especially with surfcasting. with that said, and if you do own a zee baas and you stand behind it let us know what you think of it.

[RickBomba]

Some say the bossman's got one...don't know how he got it.
Guess he got it engraved, too.
Saw him right after it happened at a Iron Chef Bomba party.
Hope it works good (I think that's what Brazillian Ballooner Santos Du Monde said before that guy who rode his airplane into the sun said).
OK gotta go,
Rick

[RickBomba]

And me and my disfunctional family got plenty of Van Stallz.
OK gotta go,
Mikey has none.
Rick

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by dredey

no company, as of yet, has been able to match what van staal has to offer. especially with surfcasting.

I bet its better than a Van Staal in some ways. From what I have seen & read, The finish looks superior, you can service it yourself, you can customize it to your liking, you can add stuff on as you need it & not buy an entirely new reel.

Knowing that the inventor of VS has thought it out it must have some improvements over VS.
If it were about the same price, I think it might be The Spinning Reel. I could never justify the current price tag of the ZB though.


Unless I hear its better than 2 VS's. Then I will need one.

[Casting Z's]

I'm almost afraid to admit that I have one here!
It's everything VS is and that much more, mechanically! But I haven't used it casting/fishing yet, so I can't report on it's fishability, comfort or discomfort.

[Pete_G]

To me the big question right now is that so few have fished it for an extended period of time.

I don't think we'll know it's "good" until 2 seasons from now after it's been in the hands of people who really fish 5+ days a week and fish hard. We'll know the real value then. Will the reel be shot and need lots of $$ of repairs or will it just need a cleaning? If it's just a cleaning then the reel is going to easily be successful despite the high price.

Future service and attention from Zeebaas itself will matter too, it's foolish to think a reel will never have issues. If parts have to be replaced, their availability and ease of repair by the owner of the reel will be another big test.

So, it could be great, it could be nightmare. Lots of questions will need to be answered. I don't know how it could possibly be considered better then anything at this point. There just needs to be some quality guinea pigs out there to give the reel a run more it's money. How much does the proprietary "Z-lube" cost...

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by Casting Z's

I'm almost afraid to admit that I have one here!
It's everything VS is and that much more, mechanically! But I haven't used it casting/fishing yet, so I can't report on it's fishability, comfort or discomfort.

Saw that coming with the ZeeBaas avatar. Is the name Casting Z's also a ZeeBaas reference?

Its everything VS is and that much more mechanically? But you have never fished it? I think thats a pretty bold statement. Reels hold up great in the living room. Its that bowl of spaghetti-O's you gotta watch out for.

[Casting Z's]

Originally Posted by ChiefLinesider

Saw that coming with the ZeeBaas avatar. Is the name Casting Z's also a ZeeBaas reference?

Its everything VS is and that much more mechanically? But you have never fished it? I think thats a pretty bold statement. Reels hold up great in the living room. Its that bowl of spaghetti-O's you gotta watch out for.

Did I not say, "Mechanically"? What's so bold about that?

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by Casting Z's

Did I not say, "Mechanically"? What's so bold about that?

Just curious how you know it is mechanically superior to a VS having never fished it.

[bassmaster]

1200 for a reel
not ! rofl!
i know i lived on this side of the bridge for a reason

[Casting Z's]

Originally Posted by ChiefLinesider

Just curious how you know it is mechanically superior to a VS having never fished it.

Let me ask you, how well do you know your VS inside and out?
What do you know about the seals?
What do you know about the drag?
What do you know about the clutch bearings?
What do you know about the line lay of the spool?
What do you know about the crank?
I am not up to sitting here all night and type the differences. I offer you this. PM me and we'll talk on the phone within the next couple of days.
Then you will either learn the differences or teach me something.

[JohnR]

I've fished one twice but have had nothing more than a few bumps. Intitially this reel feels really solid - vault like similar to a Mercedes. My one time using mono on it was not as good as the second time using braid... So far though - impressive

I'll write up a good review once I've gotten some nice fish and put it through its paces

[TC23]

I guess I don't get it. That's a lot of money for a fishing reel. Then again, I would never buy a Krieghoff shotgun either and they start at $5,000.00

[Canalman]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I'll write up a good review once I've gotten some nice fish and put it through its paces

SO... 2011?

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Casting Z's

I'm almost afraid to admit that I have one here!
It's everything VS is and that much more, mechanically! But I haven't used it casting/fishing yet, so I can't report on it's fishability, comfort or discomfort.

If it enhances the enjoyment of your lesiure time, and doesn't bankrupt your family's future, it is money well spent. Most of us spend equivalent amounts on lesiure activities (vacations, trailers, kayaks, audio, TV's, auto extras, etc) ......so why be ashamed about splurging on a reel ? Very good chance it will outperform the VS, considering the same guy designed both. I also suspect it will be worth more than two used Van Staals in a few years if you decide to unload it (provided you care for it well). Thinking about it makes me jealous, and I don't even use spinning tackle.

[riverrat2]

I cant help but thinking tha spending 1200 bucks on a reel is ridiculous. But what do I know I am just a kid.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by riverrat2

I cant help but thinking tha spending 1200 bucks on a reel is ridiculous. But what do I know I am just a kid.

No more ridiculous than 50+ G's on a car... IF I had the coin, I'd buy one.

[zimmy]

I haven't justified the cost for myself to own either zbaas or vs. However, in the grand scale of hobbies, even the zbaas is relatively affordable. It is cheaper than a harley, a sail boat, a fishing boat, a vacation, and about the same as alot of tv's or golf clubs these days. You'd have a hard time buying new diving equipment for those prices. Heck my brother spends that much on a pair of pipes for his bike and doesn't blink. If you want it, can afford it, and will use it... why not? Also-it is much much cheaper than an engagement ring and alot of us bought them

[wader-dad]

I don't have one but I understand (only a rumor) that he is comming out with a larger size which I would like better. A complaint I heard is that it is physically small in size and your knuckels can hit the roller when reeling. Also it may come without the fancy box as some point - That may bring down the price to under a grand. Still alot of money but less than a boat.

[Terence]

Raise your hand if you own 1299.00 worth of Plugs.

[Terence]

Originally Posted by Casting Z's

I'm almost afraid to admit that I have one here!
It's everything VS is and that much more, mechanically! But I haven't used it casting/fishing yet, so I can't report on it's fishability, comfort or discomfort.

You're right Chief! Casting Z's (if thats even his real name) Comes around here with his fancy schmancy reel and makes staements like the one above! HE probably is a salesman and doesnt even fish!!! I say String Him Up! We can use pink Ande Mono and a white bucket. Whos With Me?

[JohnR]

I think he might be a little, uhh, exuberant in his praise for the reel that he has yet to use. My initial impression having casted one for two or three evenings is good but it has not spent a season in the suds or caught any large fish yet. Time will tell. The reel needs to prove itself first before it can be annointed king. Does it have the tools to do it? Probably. But like anything else in this sport, submersion based surfcasting in particular, time will tell.

[Mr. Sandman]

I don't own one but a friend of mine has one and mainly fishes from a boat with it. He has not landed any huge fish yet with it but has caught a number of fish with it and says it is very sweet. The drag in particular is very nice.

As much as I would like to own one I tend to be a little extra careful with my expensive reels now. This would take it to the next level and i might become anal about getting sand on it. After all it is a custom precsion piece of gear. This is not your everyday spinning reel.

[Vogt]

My main reel is a Penn 704z, it cost me $109 new, and has never failed me. I've even submerged it on many occasions with still no problems, so to me spending 10X what I paid for my 704 on another reel, doesn't make sense.

[TC23]

My only other thought about all the high-end reels is I sure wouldn't bring them out on my boat. Drop one over the side and I might shoot myself!

[fishsmith]

If you got the dough, spend it, does no good in the grave.

That being said, I'm S.I.C.K. (single income couple kids). So for me spinners will be the Shimano Baitrunner 3500 - 6500 or the clicking workhorse 704z.

[Casting Z's]

I'll be giving anyone here, who's interested, my full opinion on how well these reels function, as well as hold up to constant use. Rob @ ZB, is looking forward to any and all pros and cons.
This thing will see action every single morning for five hours of constantly casting artificials from mid May to mid Nov. It'll be swimming, dropped on the rocks, making 30-50 cast per hour, cranking in big fish, washed across the rocks in the surf and dropped in the sand.
I have a lot of faith in this reel, as for all the semi-professional sport fishermen I herd of, (not claiming to be one here) who have spent enough time with this reel, report all positive feed back and no failures.
I feel really lucky to own one just as I feel lucky to toss $25 plugs.
It's all part of my only hobby.
If anyone here would like to know a little more about the feel and size or other stuff that makes this reel different from VS, your more than welcome to send a PM so you can call me. I hate this typing crap!!!

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by Casting Z's

I'll be giving anyone here, who's interested, my full opinion on how well these reels function, as well as hold up to constant use. Rob @ ZB, is looking forward to any and all pros and cons.
This thing will see action every single morning for five hours of constantly casting artificials from mid May to mid Nov. It'll be swimming, dropped on the rocks, making 30-50 cast per hour, cranking in big fish, washed across the rocks in the surf and dropped in the sand.
I have a lot of faith in this reel, as for all the semi-professional sport fishermen I herd of, (not claiming to be one here) who have spent enough time with this reel, report all positive feed back and no failures.
I feel really lucky to own one just as I feel lucky to toss $25 plugs.
It's all part of my only hobby.
If anyone here would like to know a little more about the feel and size or other stuff that makes this reel different from VS, your more than welcome to send a PM so you can call me. I hate this typing crap!!!

show yourself

[JohnR]

Guys - price aside for the moment - the ZB still needs to prove itself as compared to the VS, which for the most part has proven itself. The reel is impressive but it does need a few years testing....

RK - Send one to Lapinski, if it passes that test you're golden

[keeperreaper]

Price is not relevant. Some can afford one some can't. So goes life. If one feels like it is worth his or her hard earned money then so be it and enjoy your purchase. Is it as good or better than a VS? Time will tell and cream always rises to the top. If you enjoy your purchase whatever it may be than you won and made a great decision/financial investment.