shimano Bullseye Xt

[TUNAMAN]

for some strange odd reason they put me through to him.. he did admit he works with spares. and that grant his boss.is not.in and will return from the east in a week or two

There we go now you will get some action mate.

[Barry Wareham]

Hi Guys,
This post was brought to my attention earlier today. Perhaps i can help to throw a little light on the subject and help to clear the air.  Some time ago i was chatting to Mark Pledger from Rapala VMC, South Africa.  He was discussing the perceived transition from multipliers to fixed spool reels, specifically relating to surf casting.  He was very much aware of the fact that I have been doing an enormous amount of work in this area and have been pioneering rods and tackle in general to suit our South African surf casting conditions which are quite different to most other parts of the world.  During the discussion he asked me what I knew about the  new reel called a Bulls Eye and that he thought somebody from the Cape had asked them about it.  I confessed that I hadn't heard anything but that I would immediately find out and try to assess its viability with regard to our application.  For some time I had been looking for a cross between an Ultegra and a Stella.  I had little hope of Shimano ever making something specifically for our conditions as I  know we are a very small part of the global market.  A little research very quickly showed that the reel was indeed available only in the Japanese domestic market but there were fairly comprehensive write-ups on Australia sites and it seemed that most of Australasia were aware of this new product.  Its specs made it instantly appealing.  I asked Mark when he thought they might be able to bring some of these reels in and his reply was that he was not sure but it would probably take some time.  I then asked whether he would mind (as the agent) if I brought one in direct to assess.  He said he would be very happy if I did that as it would give them a better indication as to the viability of the product in this market.  I managed to bring the reel in with another consignment of goods that we had coming in from Japan and immediately reported back to Rapala VMC once I had used the reel.  I was very impressed with the reel and gave him the qty that I would be looking for to add to their order.  He did say to me that I should send him the invoice for the reel that I had paid (retail from a shop in Japan) and that he would refund me.  To date I have not submitted the invoice and have not been paid for it.

There has definitely been a supply issue from Shimano as even the big retailers in Japan are talking about only getting stock around August.  There are indeed some local guys that have brought reels in directly for themselves via internet shopping.  The problem with this is:
1.  the cost of getting the reel here;
2.  the availability of spares should a component break or need replacing;
3.  any sort of warranty issue.

These reels are expensive, even in Japan, but once you have fished with it, I am sure you will appreciate the quality of the product.  I have been told that the reels should be here in August, which pretty much ties up with what the retailers in Japan are saying as well.  When it comes to markets, for Shimano reels I am led to believe that the biggest is Japan by a long shot and then America and Europe.  Rapala VMC here in South Africa fall under Europe and are therefore often subjected to rather long delays in supply when it comes to this type of product.

To whoever brought the reel to Rapala VMC's attention, I am presuming it was Angler, well spotted.  If you are into bait fishing off the beach with braid, you've got to get your hands on one of these reels.  However it is not the kind of reel to use for spinning.  I tried it on a new shore game rod and unfortunately it is a tad slow for that and definitely doesn't match the Stella in this area.  It is definitely a reel that has been specifically designed for what Europe and Japan would consider heavy surf-casting and it fits our market perfectly right across the range from lightish surf and rock type stuff right through to the very big edibles, sharks, etc.

[WalkersKiller]

Great stuff, Barry  great to have you here!

[REEFMAN]

  Barry. Thanks for taking the time out to clear that up!

[Homie]

  Barry

Off the topic,
Can you please give us some info on the new Assassin Spinmaster I believe its called ?


 

[Barry Wareham]

Homie, we made this rod specifically for heavy spinning off the shore with GT's up north and Yellowtail off the ledges at Rooikrans in mind.  It was also intended for things like Couta, Bonnies and Tuna off the points on the South Coast during the sardine run.  We have been throwing 3oz spinners on 50lb braid for the distance stuff and for the shorter range, street-fighting GT action, 80lb and 100lb hollow braid on Stellas with stick baits and needle noses. Last week on the Off The Chart shoot Richard got seriously smoked on a Salmo slider with the same rod but unfortunately he had the 50lb distance casting braid on which didn't help in the rocky structure.  The GT that ate the slider had just chased a 3 1/2 kg mullet almost onto our feet onto the beach.  There was a lot of white water and I think that is when the big wide flash of the slider works better than the surface stuff.  Anyway, the rod is 11' 2XH made using nano resin technology which makes it almost bullet proof yet light enough to cast for extended periods.  We also made sure that the rubber stopper on the butt can be slipped off to take a "knob" which means you don't have to cart a rod bucket around. 

[Hooked]

I hear that these reels are being manufactured by Ford and their rear diff"s blow after 20kg's of fish !!  also there are gaps on the body panels 

[jaenswart]

I hear that these reels are being manufactured by Ford and their rear diff"s blow after 20kg's of fish !!  also there are gaps on the body panels 

Hooked...ag no man.

[REEFMAN]

I hear that these reels are being manufactured by Ford and their rear diff"s blow after 20kg's of fish !!  also there are gaps on the body panels 

No no no Hooked... tut, tut  this is an Assassin, not a Ford.

[Hooked]

I hear that these reels are being manufactured by Ford and their rear diff"s blow after 20kg's of fish !!  also there are gaps on the body panels 

Hooked...ag no man.

Sorry 

[Hooked]

I hear that these reels are being manufactured by Ford and their rear diff"s blow after 20kg's of fish !!  also there are gaps on the body panels 

No no no Hooked... tut, tut  this is an Assassin, not a Ford.

I thought of a witty reply to this post but for once in my life I am going to zip it and walk away 

[Angler 1]

hello.gents. sorry for being so distant. but protecting our EEZ is not easy lol. and trying to keep pirates at bay is becoming a problem. Mr Wareham Sir thanks for shedding more light to this issue. It was i that had made the enquiry about the reel. i have been experimenting with every rod under the sun not.to mention reels so after discovering the.benefits of the ultegras spook.it was an aluminium body was all i needed to challenge the.nunus of western province. we have caught some large species including black stingrays ups to 120 kg on grinder but eish those poor reels.are taking strain. i am looking foward to to the bulls eye you have no idea.

I would really appreciate if you could.inform me or us as soon as it arrives . i am off to Pemba Moz for six weeks and will arrive back home on the 28 August . unfortunately guys i won have much fishing time here. so dont be jealous lol. its once again trying to keep them pirates away. Barry we have met before at your shop a few times i am an ex durban boy btw. i have since recieved no feedback since my last contact wih Rapala and i anxiosly await these reels. the dealers in cape town still have no clue about the reel nor when they will arrive. i foynd this reel about a year and a half ago now so its been a long wait . take care boyz Don!

[Angler 1]

if they arrive before i get back please oh please reserve one for me i will make a stop at king shaka on my way back to base and come pick that reel up personally.

[Barry Wareham]

Angler 1, Will add you to the list of customers waiting for these reels and reserve one for you when they arrive.  Enjoy your trip.

[Angler 1]

Thank you Sir

[Angler 1]

to those that did question my reason. The guru has spoken i cant wait to see how many guys buy this reel. see you biyz in a few weeks time to find some pirates ....ciao!

[mukiwa]

  barry,i for one can't wait to get my hands on one of these reels

[Homie]

Homie, we made this rod specifically for heavy spinning off the shore with GT's up north and Yellowtail off the ledges at Rooikrans in mind.  It was also intended for things like Couta, Bonnies and Tuna off the points on the South Coast during the sardine run.  We have been throwing 3oz spinners on 50lb braid for the distance stuff and for the shorter range, street-fighting GT action, 80lb and 100lb hollow braid on Stellas with stick baits and needle noses. Last week on the Off The Chart shoot Richard got seriously smoked on a Salmo slider with the same rod but unfortunately he had the 50lb distance casting braid on which didn't help in the rocky structure.  The GT that ate the slider had just chased a 3 1/2 kg mullet almost onto our feet onto the beach.  There was a lot of white water and I think that is when the big wide flash of the slider works better than the surface stuff.  Anyway, the rod is 11' 2XH made using nano resin technology which makes it almost bullet proof yet light enough to cast for extended periods.  We also made sure that the rubber stopper on the butt can be slipped off to take a "knob" which means you don't have to cart a rod bucket around.

Thanks Barry,
Hopefully i can get to Durbs soon to take a look ! I really want one.
Can you please pm me the pricing ?

 

[mukiwa]

on the subject of the bullseye xt i see that their sizes are as follows-9050,9080,9100,9120 would these sizes equate to a stella 10000 size reel.

[Angler 1]

Greetings from Moz ! Hello boyz any news on the reels have they arrived yet? the weather has been crappy here so unfortunately no fishing for me , just flying my asss of instead, pls let me know ciao!