daiwa laguna- ultra lite

[spinnerdoc]

thinking of getting an ultralite setup.i'm pretty much settled on the rod which will be the fenwick hmx ultralite. I saw the daiwa laguna and it felt really solid and i like the fact that it's all metal construction. i'd like to hear your experience with it...it's much appreciated.the one i looked at was about 95 bucks i think is that a fair price or is that outdated for this reel?

 

thanks for any info guys.

 

tight lines

Edited May 16, 2010 by spinnerdoc

[Roe Bag]

I have two. They are mounted on 5 1/2' 2 piece Shimano Compre ultralights. The drags are exceptionally smooth for such a small reel. I have fought some extremely large smallmouth on these rigs using only 4 lb test. The Compre rods have a lot of backbone for an ultralight. When I bought mine a few years back they retailed for $199. They came with a spare spool. Probably one of the nicest reels I've ever seen in a 500 series.

[spinnerdoc]

that's nice to hear.i gotta go back and verify with the series # but i am sure glad that its living up to what i read on the net.have you heard of how much they are? now a days. the store i go to is sometimes outdated with the prices. so if anyone bought recently i'd appreciated it if i could know how they go for now a days.

[MJL]

I had one of the Laguna UL reels for a brief period till I lost it somewhere in my basement.LOL...It was a decent reel with a nice smooth drag. I use an old 5ft Shimano Stimula UL rod matched with a 2000 stradic for now...I prefer the casting performance of the larger reels VS that of most UL reels with a tiny spool. If anything I may try out a 1000 sized spinning reel in the future.

[spinnerdoc]

I had one of the Laguna UL reels for a brief period till I lost it somewhere in my basement.LOL...It was a decent reel with a nice smooth drag. I use an old 5ft Shimano Stimula UL rod matched with a 2000 stradic for now...I prefer the casting performance of the larger reels VS that of most UL reels with a tiny spool. If anything I may try out a 1000 sized spinning reel in the future.

 

 

cool dude seems like you gots all the gear i can think of mike lol

[spinnerdoc]

lookin to try out this ultra lite fishin this year. sounds like fun so i'd giv er a try

[Roe Bag]

that's nice to hear.i gotta go back and verify with the series # but i am sure glad that its living up to what i read on the net.have you heard of how much they are? now a days. the store i go to is sometimes outdated with the prices. so if anyone bought recently i'd appreciated it if i could know how they go for now a days.

I also have a Laguna 2000 on a Compre 6'6" one piece that I use as a jigging stick. Nice smooth drag. Reliable and a pleasure to fish.

[spinnerdoc]

I also have a Laguna 2000 on a Compre 6'6" one piece that I use as a jigging stick. Nice smooth drag. Reliable and a pleasure to fish.

is the 2500 the latest one?

[singingdog]

I love to fish UL rods, have no use for UL reels. The small spool limits both casting and fish fighting capability with no obvious payback: most UL reels can't take up line fast enough to get a good hookset on a fish that is headed toward you. I use a 2500 on my UL rod.

[bassjnkie]

I agree that the UL reels don't cast far at all. I using a 1500 Capricorn and TD Pro on my UL rods and love the set ups.

[spinnerdoc]

I love to fish UL rods, have no use for UL reels. The small spool limits both casting and fish fighting capability with no obvious payback: most UL reels can't take up line fast enough to get a good hookset on a fish that is headed toward you. I use a 2500 on my UL rod.

 

what is the line capacity on it?

[singingdog]

what is the line capacity on it?

 

230 yds of 6lb test. I would go as low as a 1500 series, but not lower.

 

Last week was a good example of the need for a larger reel. The brook trout were hitting right against shore, then heading for deeper water right under the boat. Even with a larger reel, it's a race to take line up fast enough to get a good hookset in those conditions.

[spinnerdoc]

230 yds of 6lb test. I would go as low as a 1500 series, but not lower.

 

Last week was a good example of the need for a larger reel. The brook trout were hitting right against shore, then heading for deeper water right under the boat. Even with a larger reel, it's a race to take line up fast enough to get a good hookset in those conditions.

 

ah good point on the line take up...i'll keep that in mind

[Roe Bag]

What is being viewed here by some as shortcomings, are part of the ultralight experience. Of course they don't retrieve line as quickly. That's like saying don't use a float reel because you can't cast as far. Don't use a mooching reel for downrigging because you don't have the line retrieval rate. It's a different style of fishing and it's also part of the challenge.

 

As far as casting distance I'm really not sure that there's much difference. As with any rod you are restricted to the recommended lure weight. The lighter the rod the lighter the lure weight. A quality monofilament or a fine diameter superline (Fireline) can make a world of difference when it comes to distance.

In my mind, a 2500 series reel on an ultralight rod is like puting a 5000 series saltwater reel on a 7 footer.

Go with the 500 series and enjoy the true ultralight experience. There have been major improvements in these reels in the last few years and you won't be disappointed.

[canadadude]

I like the 700 Diawa whiskers, small reel with a long cast spool, great drag and balances nice on most ultra lites. I have an old fenwick 5 1/2' world class ultrlight with the wiskers it's a sweet rig.

 

I know there are smaller reels on the market and I've tried them, but like already posted I've run into similiar problems as metioned.The 700 seems to work best for me

Edited May 17, 2010 by canadadude

[singingdog]

Well, I'm not a UL purist I guess. I use a UL rod because it throws small stuff well and does a good job of protecting light line. I more interested in a fish-catching experience than an ultralight experience

[MJL]

Well, I'm not a UL purist I guess. I use a UL rod because it throws small stuff well and does a good job of protecting light line. I more interested in a fish-catching experience than an ultralight experience

 

Me too...But I gotta admit that fighting larger fish on a dinky rod and using a toy sized reel can be kick-ass fun at times

 

 

[Roe Bag]

Me too...But I gotta admit that fighting larger fish on a dinky rod and using a toy sized reel can be kick-ass fun at times

The best part is you never know who's ass is going to get kicked. Yours or the fish!

[Sinker]

I love to fish UL rods, have no use for UL reels. The small spool limits both casting and fish fighting capability with no obvious payback: most UL reels can't take up line fast enough to get a good hookset on a fish that is headed toward you. I use a 2500 on my UL rod.

 

Same here.

 

My go to rod for most anything is a 7' UL shimano clarus, with a 2500 Diawa Laguna. Its a slick set up, that works for just about anything. It gets a lot of use. I also use the diawa on the ice, so it gets a lot of use. No problems in the 3 or 4 seasons I've put it thru. I'm going to get another one.

 

S.