New ABU BEAST 200/300

[SPTOGFLUKEJIGR]

Capt Pete,
Hope all is well. I must have walked past you at the NJ Saltwater show last Saturday!
I went by the Pure Fishing Booth and picked up the new ABU BEAST 200 and 300..
Have you spent any time investigating these new reels?
I certainly don't need any more gear but thinking about picking up either the 200 for fluke or 300 for blackfish.
Curious of your opinion of this new release.

 

[Leprechaun]

Yep, we probably bumped shoulders at a booth or two. Saturday was pretty packed, I'll say that. Spring Fever is a thing, especially after such a miserably cold Winter. Uggh.

I do like both reels very much. My own Revo Gen4 Winch has been flawless in 3 seasons of deep fluking use. Just as smooth now as the day I bought it. Maintenance - making sure the gear set is well lubricated is the key. I do like the new Beast 300 more than the 200, because the 300 is available in a lower gear ratio - which I prefer for my type of deeper fluke fishing. If that's not what you do, then the 200 is probably the best reel in that size class.

Other legit choices in this type of reel are the also-new 2025 Daiwa Tatula 200P (available in a 5.3:1 ratio), Tatula 300P (5.3:1) the Shimano Curado K 150P (5.5:1) and 300K (4.7:1 ratio!), Tranx 300 (5.8:1), and finally, the older Tatula 150P (5.5:1) (my current personal choice X2 in my "inventory" right now). These are all reels in that deep-water fluke jigging class that would also be solid choices.

But the new Beast reels? Excellent pieces of kit.

Edit - for blackfish I would go with the new Beastie 300 in the lower gear ratio. I think no 200-sized reel will hold up to those little monsters over the long haul.

 

[Leprechaun]

Though its not about SW fishing, this YT might prove helpful.