bailed Van Staal

[maddog2020]

How much more is that going to add to the cost?

Does the bail go over automatic as you turn the handle or do you have to manually snap it over on your own?

[Joe]

I don't have SS darters because I don't have a line of credit. I'll add them as soon as I can afford to - certainly within two months.
I's likes the look of that VS......I've been wanting to go VS for a while now....I just hope Pete does not raise the price when he see's me come in.

[NIB]

wELL IT'S CLEAR TO ME UR SPENDIN ALL UR MONEY ON REELS.
OOPS.cAPS LOCK
No smiley faces so i do this, ;-)

[Water Treater]

I could never go back to using a spinning reel with an automatic bail. Years ago I converted all my Penn reels to manual bail but then realized these reels (Penn 6500 and 7500) were too heavy for the graphite rods I was using. Switched to Van Staal and never looked back. Also, I needed a reel that will recover when allowed to fall over in the sand. I tag and release what I catch and sometimes to do that I need three hands. My Van Staal reels (certainly not perfect) instantly recover by simply dunking them in the surf.

I took my wife surf fishing for the first time about 6 years ago. Handed her a Van Staal 100VS reel and a 7 foot graphite rod and told her how to manually set the bail after each cast. She had no problem, probably because she had never used a reel with an automatic bail.

I'm all for progress and I'd like to invest in a better made, stronger, and more durabe reel but please, no automatic bails or even manual bail wires. Keep it simple. It works.

[SeaWolf]

why bailed? - i have to agree w/ pete that some people have asked for a bailed reel and vs listened. kudos to vs. also, to stay in competion w/ the diawa's and shimano's, they really needed to make this. i personally have no use for a bailed reel, but that's my choice. people asked and vs listened.

judging by a couple of the changes/upgrades made to this model, it sounds like vs is also listening to their service dept and customers complaints and/or suggestions on issues w/ the current models. hopefully these improvements will be available to current models in the future. so far, i like what i'm seeing.

[JFigliuolo]

ok... How do you free spool with your VS? How do you put the line back on the roller once the fish takes your eel? I always come VERY close to mangling my finger.

[BernOC]

Having no need for a bail myself, others do. They should still lower the profile of the drag nob though for possible line wraps.

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

ok... How do you free spool with your VS? How do you put the line back on the roller once the fish takes your eel? I always come VERY close to mangling my finger.

I cast my eel and reel it in slowly with the rod held at almost 12o'clock.When I feel the tap,I lower the rod to 9o'clock.This gives the beast enough time to do what she wants and when the line tightens;BANG.Less gut hooks and better hookup ratio since the Iron Man showed me this technique.

[Krispy]

Unless they changed the spool design, it sounds like a $200 ripoff for the Orvis crowd to coo over.
Instead of pointless exercises in adding doo-dads to the line up, they should have the engineering crew working on fixing the few design flaws of the original.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Joe

I don't have SS darters because I don't have a line of credit. I'll add them as soon as I can afford to - certainly within two months.
I's likes the look of that VS......I've been wanting to go VS for a while now....I just hope Pete does not raise the price when he see's me come in.

Right now I'm just hoping I ordered enough.... I may have under-estimated demand.

The reel, if it costs $650, costs the same as a VS250 or approx. $50 more then a 150. Not too bad for all that additional titatnium.

[Joe]

Yeah - Guess I'm part of the Orvis crowd - hey, at least their teeth are white.
I've used a 706 off and on over the years - but I've never really had any bail problems with my 704 - even though a lot people complain that they close on the cast....
I just find having the bail makes life easier - I don't like to look down, I don't want to think about the line. I throw a lot of Super Strike stuff that sinks like a rock.