I had been complaining about how my old Shimano Spheros, which served me well for many years, didn't hold up to repeated daily dunkings, getting smacked on the rocks and sand at Montauk. By day 3 it started to bind up even though I had serviced it myself, and lubricated it before the trip. The bluefish were consistently running 10-18 lbs. A kindly fishing comrad was so tired he asked me to take his rig so he could change and rest. He dunked the reel to demonstrate it was waterproof and said he's had it for years. He said was a Van Staal (I was unfamiliar with the brand), not to worry and have fun. I hooked and landed a 16 pound blue with it. I was planning on treating myself to a Shimano upgrade, a Stradic or Sustain maybe for my 66th birthday. After sharing my Montauk story with my kids (ages 25 and 28), they surprised me with a Van Staal VR200. Your video told me I can expect it to stand up to abuse and be dependable in the surf, where I do almost all of my fishing. My Montauk buddy told me the toughest thing about the Van Staal for him was paying for it, and I didn't even have to do that! It is stiffer than the Shimano's but I think my kids might actually inherit the Van Staal some day. Your video validated that they made the right choice for me. Thanks.
Agee all my shimano or disease seized up after 3 trips on the beach. I’m willing my VS to my son or daughter when I sleep with the fish lol . I’m by island beach state park Montauk is on my bucket list. Tight lines bro.🇺🇸🎣🇺🇸
Took my brand new Battle II 5000 for a spin yesterday for the very first time and I hooked a 20lb yellowtail using a Ugly Stik X2 (medium hard) rod ru-vid.comUgkxM68VkfsQhHaabDce1IwOCXuvumcpbZ_k . This combo was recommended on some website and it did not disappoint me. The reel is smooth, the drag click is pretty cool cause i think it adds to the excitement of fighting the fish, personally the drag is my favorite part. I use braid and 300 yards will fill the entire spool. This combo is my main setup from now on although I have to disclose I am new to fishing.
Penn 706Z. Simplicity and bought mine in 1981 for $75 brand new. The reel still works to this day, and like you, I bought it to be a pier jock, cause thats what the cool kids had.
Ryan, there is one positive for Van Staal reels you forgot to mention -- huge line capacity. Its "old school" design has the spool INSIDE the rotor as opposed to virtually every modern reel which have spools OUTSIDE the rotor. Hence, modern reel spools don't have the depth needed for increased line capacity. As you pointed out, Van Staal reels are not for everyone, so high line capacity doesn't matter. If you are fishing from a boat you can simply chase a fish down. But if you are fishing from shore or piers and targeting certain fish like tarpon and big cobia you quickly learn to love having LOTS of line still on the spool after a 100+ lb 'poon heads for the horizon. Other than that ... LOVED your review, great information!
I find it funny most of the locals here in Florida worship Van Staals as if they are a god reel and can only be used to catch snook. Then they fish from a location where the reel never gets wet or dirty.
Vaera Tartheon it’s definitely interesting. But, who are we to judge someone that bought something they wanted. If someone wants a VS as a dedicated snook reel, more power to them 🍻
Yep and I laugh at them and say how the pepper grinder treating ya? I catches all my snook on stradics, and gosa. My personal best 43in snook on a 4000 stradic second personal best on a 2500 Sedona
My old Penn 700 and 704 Spinfishers have been submerged, ate sand, and reeled in many Stripers up to 42 lbs. From Sandy Hook to P Town. When the sand seized the spool, I mere swished them in the surf a few times. They are easy to service and repair. They still perform after about 50 years or so. Thanks, I was actually thinking about a Van Stall, not anymore,
I just bought 706Z, only negative thing with it is loud roller, and the spool cub is so tight the sand get in there so easy, but other than that, if u ignore the noise, it’s a strong reel.
Bought a Penn international 16 visx silver paired with a 30-150lb 7' Carnage II casting rod an the setup for using on a boat for amberjack or tuna or grouper it is great enough drag from the reel to handle most situations since it has 45lb of drag an a two speed that is like 40" on the high gear an 12" on the low side the light tip is light enough to feel the live bait get finnicky an also feel the bite but also enough backbone to not get worked over by big amberjacks in the 30 to 40 lb range. Which is the biggest caught so far so overall great setup from Penn
Great Video. Just like you said, I've had mine for 20 years, serviced it myself once (they sell kits now), and have put it through the ringer surf and bay fishing from shore in Galveston, and it still keeps on "plugging" along. I think Van Staal adverts the reel primarily for surf fishing, and to that end, the reel is worth its money. Will be watching more of your videos!!!
Take that Japanese reel for a couple of swims in the sandy surf and see how long it stays smooth.deff a good reel for a boat guy or sunny day fishermen but not for a hardcore surf guy.
I saw all of this. Great video! Keep being honest as you seem about this reel, and I’ll look out for reviews from you on heavy duty fishing 🎣 gear ⚙️. Cheers from Norway
I have a penn spinfisher 6500 I have had it for 3 years and it's been dunked snatched and kicked off of the pier it actually has a pretty good seal and of course it is bailless
Just stumbled upon your video. Great review on the Van Staal. I totally agree with your assessment. I own three of them. I live in NY and a lot of surf fishermen here use Van Staals. The most popular is the VS150. I'm starting to see more fishermen use the VR50. I just traded my VS200 to VR50 with my friend. Fishermen here use these reels for what they are meant to be used. We have heavy surf and they are constantly dunked especially in Monteuk. They are not the smoothest reels compared to my Shimano's, but I love them. Subscribed!!!
Juno you are right on the mark with your analysis...I use Daiwa, Penn and Shimano for all my fishing needs by preference but if you`re a surf fisherman out there every day with the reel constantly in the water then you should have a Van Staal reel..I don`t think there`s a better sealed reel out there and it`s definitely the right tool for the job despite it`s other qualities.
I got VR 150 so far I have no problem with it. For more than 2 years never get it serviced. The management service just opposite what you have said. I got a bit Hourglass and told the customer service of Van Staal and miraculously, within less than a week they send me a new spool.
Great review, Ry and great criteria you use for making one.Always on the lookout for your posts . I'm still watching the tarpon from the beach videos, as the outside temp is 4 below and becoming a human popsicle is just a bit much at my age.Stay well and keep them coming, enjoy your reviews of gear greatly.☺
Have you had the chance to fish Van Staal VR 50? I've been seriously thinking about one. I do 90% of my fishing in the surf and here in Northern California the surf can get pretty rough. It's murder on reels. The VR50 is what I'm looking at because of it's compact size and 8.1oz weight. everyone around here is converting over to ultralite surf rods now and reels over 12 oz are just unbalanced. Anyway, if you get a chance to review one that would be awesome. I've heard some complain of a wobble and some complain about sticky drag.
Living out here in Texas I've become interested in freshwater stripers. I watched your video to see what I could learn. Gow as like watching you East Coast boys with your "big fish" that's not facetious... you guys get some Bigguns out there. My hat's off to yaz! I fished walk on out to Catalina my weapon of choice in mid 90's mind you... I bought Daiwa Sealine SL20SH and a SL50. I use that 20 most of the time 15 pound test line caught up to 25 lbs yellowfin tuna with it. Had a ball with the California yellow tails too. if I ever get back out to the coast that real is going in my bag and I will use it again without hesitation. My other favorite is a 1999 model Shimano Sahara. Seems funny they would name a reel after one of the biggest deserts on the planet. Used that reel relentlessly for everything Minnesota had to offer for 15 years, with the exception of musky... I just opened it up and serviced it last month, nothing previous other than cleaning sand off of it and and the drag washers. The inside of that thing looks like it was brand new Incredible reel. I highly recommend the Shimano Sahara wouldn't mind trying out a new one just for giggles and they are smooth... for the price point you just can't touch em. Thanks for the video...the Van Stahl looks like a beast and I can understand why you have one or two.a lifetime reel...unless it goes over the side of a boat you'll have it for the rest of your life.
I rarely leave comments like this but I have to chime in here. I live in the north east and fish these reels for their intended use heavily throughout the striper season. I own both Zeebaas and VS reels and both have been great. They're designed by the same person and are very similar mechanically, so I would expect excellence from both brands. You mention online reviews of ZB having manufacturing defects but later explain how your own VS had a manufacturing defect. I was a little confused by this. It all comes down to personal preference and no company is perfect, there's plenty of horror stories out there for VS reels too. I'm glad you like your VS reels but maybe try a ZB one day, you might find you like it. I just subscribed to your channel as I'll be moving to Florida in Feb for work. Appreciate the content.
If you want a cheaper heavier option that is sealed really good and is also a tank, look at the Penn slammer 3. I have 2 of them and they are great. Just heavy by comparison. Got a 3500 and 7500. One for fluke in the surf and one for sharks and big rays. They can hold big fish no problem
I love the Shimano Vanford. Very light, very smooth. I mainly use it on a boad or jetty. I just started using it for stripers on the beach. I do stress about getting sand or water all over it. I am thinking about getting a Van Staal. The new Tsunami´s look really good for half of the price. I need to get a reel that can be submerged while kayaking off the beach.
ive been using two penn slammer III 3500's for a few years and they are amazing. caught a 50lb flathead on one the other night that was making runs with the 30lb drag clamped down almost all the way. one of their customer service reps sounds like rocky . . .
A few months ago I started fishing the Strait of Juan de Fuca for saltwater species. I pulled out my old Mitchell 306A, and Ryobi D4 Demon Drag, which I use on my heavyish Kunnan 8foot 6inch steelhead/salmon rod. I'm not sure if it was the saltwater, or if it was 30 year-old grease, but the reels got very sluggish in their retrievals. I'm disassembling these reels and cleaning/greasing them, but I don't want to make this an every trip thing. What put me onto these videos was that I bought a 13 feet 3 inch Rainshadow rod blank that is being built by Fisherman's Outlet that is going to be my spinning reel surf/ jetty rod. I thought I should look into an environment compatible spinning reel that will handle the salty conditions. The majority of fish will be surf perch, ling cod, greenlings, an occasional salmon/steelhead, sea-run cutthroat trout, and ??? I'm seriously leaning toward the Van Staal because of it's impervious salt/sand seals. I'm not sure if I'm looking at this purchase in the correct perspective, but every time you recommend this reel for a specific purchaser, I drop into that hole.
The amount of people that tell me they’ve bought these reels from these videos always blows my mind haha. I was probably too hard on them in this vid (in retrospect) If you think they’re for you, they’re still a great option!
honestly, I love the Mitchell 302 reels most. Caught me tons of fish, even though they're twice as old as me. Absolute tanks, easily servicable, I just can't swim out to the rocks with 'em (at least if I want them to stay useable)
Out of interest Old Sport, how are the 302 reels in saltwater generally? I have a couple, but have yet to try them. I don't need to, as I've recently bought a Penn Slammer IV, and an Authority, but d'you know what - I just love the look, the feel, and sound of early Mitchells, and I intend to use them as my main reels. Particularly as, over here in the UK, You can pick them up in good condition for next to nothing. Many thanks. Raymondo.
@@raymondthompson1476 they're still darn good reels, just gotta pack them with grease every so often and rinse them off after each trip, general maintenance. I've gotten some really nice redfish and stripers on them, over 20 pounds on the stripers and 15 for the reds. Not huge by any means, but the reels have held up fantastic. Only thing is you can't use braid on them, but I only use braid on rods that need to cast as far as humanly possible anyways. I'd like to get some old glass rod blanks to set up just for the 302s lol, it's tough to find them in good condition within a budget though xD
@@BeetleBuns Many thanks Old Sport. I'll treat mine likewise from now on, as they do deserve the best. Great to know they are like-minded fishers out there. Regards. Raymondo.
I really like my DAM Quick 5001. Its old school twin drag and was designed to boat a 200 kilo bluefin. I fish rocks on the west coast. I don’t wade much. With 12 and 14’ surf rods, wading is irrelevant, plus I don’t play that whole great white food chain thing. If I was rich, I’d get Okuma Makaira 20000 and 30000, and a drone to carry bait 700’ from the water’s edge. Makairas conventional and spinning are not light, but the best in quality design and components- like forged stainless gearing and carbon sheet drag washers with Cal’s reel grease. They thought of everything and have the machine tooling as in CNC machinery to do it at the highest level. At the time of the Quick 5001, nobody else had made gears of that quality. It’s a very fine reel and even has the skirted spool. I have a 4001 for throwing lures at fish in the surf, its lighter and the smaller spool can cast with ease. I am a rebel in that I try to avoid any all carbon blanks. Daiwa has made some great composite rods, however. A little E Glass and you’re not on youtube filing yourself as the rod breaks while casting, so I will use a Fenwick S Glass surf rof for lure casting. I’ve never broken and S Glass or E Glass rods like I see with the carbon types. Just my own preference. I have no problem with people that love carbon rods; they’re just not for me.
I have three Van Stalls and don’t really abuse them,I guess it’s all about having them. Probably used them 40 times combined. Never ever serviced them and still working like the day I bought them. But I love my shimanos and will stick with them in the future. I’ve had Zee Bass and as smooth as it was it constantly jammed up on me. Not dependable so I sold it. The Stella I can also do without. The shimano twin power series is my go to. Thanks for reading.
RIGHT NOW MY FAVORITE REEL IS MY QUANTUM HELLCAT. HAS FOUGHT EVERYTHING FROM BIG SNOOK AND TARPON TO JUST SOME GOOD OL BASS FISHING AND HAS YET TO FAIL ME. IN 2 YEARS ONLY THING IVE HAD TO REPLACE WAS THE DRAG KNOB CAUSE THE CLICKER FAILED AND IT ONLY CAST ME ABOUT 5 WITH SHIPPING.
I would just like to put my own opinion out there. With no intention of sounding like a van Staal fan boy I’m a Shimano/daiwa/lamiglas guy if anything.. but !! I got a van Staal because I’m tired of getting sand in let’s say my $240.00 plus reels like my stradic c14 or my Saragossa 6k $270.00 or my daiwa saltist $220.00 all got their butts kicked by Mother Nature and the ocean. Plus the lures I’ve lost I’m almost at a $1,000.00+ in loss easy ! if I was rich I wouldn’t care but I’m not it took me months to save up for those reels just for them to fail/malfunction to sand and or some salt water intrusion. I personally can’t service my reels and doing so at the b&t is not cheap $100.00 just to fix my stradic it took me 4 weeks to save up just for my vsx 150 definitely not the smoothest but honestly speaking it’s probably the best reel I’ve ever had when it come to performance on the water just like anything else they can break or malfunction but in most cases it would have to be a factory defect or just lack of care. Anyways enjoy the sport of fishing whether you are fishing with a $50.00 combo or $2000.00 combo just enjoy your time on the water and pick up some trash let’s keep are oceans clean have a great day ! Great video by the way Juno I’ll like this updated version if I could only have company of reels to choose from it would be Newell but .. I don’t wanna cry and talk about it 😪☹️
My Favourite Reels are Diawa - GS9, Saltiga Exp/Dogfight, I have one of the first Van Stall reels and have never used it, ever the line is still in mint condition and does not even have line on it.
I got one at yard sale for 20$ I did not know about it then I thought I payed over priced got home looked it up and man let me tell you I'm so happy I'm going back to yard sale tomorrow it's a estate sale I'm going to get the other 4 their
I fish piers all the time and van staals are as good as they get I have caught tarpon on them and all the other guys on the pier fish them and I have never seen one fail if you want a great reel that is bulletproof get one.
i fished my penn fierce 2 underwater to catch many snook and after one pinion gear replacement the thing is perfectly fine (yes, that was a 5 dollar fee)-- it basically cost me 5 bucks to go fishing for two weeks (I'll take that)
Great video! looking for a reel for a new Mojo 10'6" Medium/Medium plug rod. Want to use in the surf, and the bail less feature makes sense now. But I am in SE Florida, and not really needing to climb rocks or dunk myself like the NE striper guys. Targets will be jacks, snook, tarpon and reds with surface plugs. But... might also want to use on the boat, so I will probably look at the Saragosa.
Great video but when you filmed this, you should have mentioned the Van Staal VSB comes with a fantastic clutch (anti reverse). It's the best one I've ever seen and is made in Germany by INA. It has more needle bearings for zero back play and has a metal cage instead of nylon/plastic like most clutch or anti-reverse bearings.
@@claudiocardosodossantos749 good question. I can't confirm. I sure hope so because they both cost 800 bucks and the German INA clutch bearing only costs 23 bucks.
About this video . . . . I am from LI, New York, and a woman and basically a rookie, newbie or whatever you went to call it. Gender shouldn't matter but I just thought I would throw it out there. LOL Some people may think why would I even be looking at this video or even be interested in such a high priced reel. They would probably say I am not experienced enough to use the reel. Here's where I say . . . . wrong. I have heard a lot about this reel from anglers and I have always felt for whatever you do get the best equipment possible and learn how to use it correctly. I became hooked on fishing immediately when I began. I have no big fish stories and my PB is less than the rest. All that I have heard and the reviews I have watched, makes me want this reel because of the beating it can take and the quality of the make. I take care of everything I purchase but shit can happen. To me its better to purchase the best piece of equipment that will last you years rather than purchasing a good piece of equipment that the life of it is very limited even with the best care. I have 7 poles and the first 4 are cheap but one of the cheap ones is a favorite. 2 are Penn and they are with me where ever I go. and the last is (I forgot the name but its an extremely heavy 10 footer. (I only cast that out with bait and suptnik. (sit and fish) So in conclusion I believe investing in this reel is a good idea if you're in it for the long haul. It's a very good piece of equipment to have. Servicing may take long but they stand by their product and as long as I am not breaking the bank and my pockets can recover, I will be making the purchase! Thank you, best review!
I don't know man. I have the VR 150 convert to bailess, I feel kind of strange trying to use that baitless. May be, I haven't got use it. I have to keep looking at line when I try to connect the test line into the bailess.
Thanks for the honesty. I wasn't gonna but one anyway but it's nice to see someone actually telling the truth about something that's out there for aesthetics or in the hands of wealthy kids lol.
I bought a used Daiwa 5500T EmblemX on a 12' Shimano Socorro surf rod for $100 bucks at a tackle shop down at the beach one year as an anchor rod for pin fishing at the end of the pier. I had just bought it and had never thrown it. Got to the pier and a friend was setting the anchor lines for the bait line as we were all setting up. I here my wife say, "Holly *Snap*." and I look up to see a 5 oz anchor shoot out like it was shot out of a cannon. My buddy turns around with wide eyes and says, "damn that casts good!" Been a good reel, I reckon I'll keep it.
I am currently using my favorite reels a Shimano Saragosa 6000, Penn slammer 3 4500 and Shimano Stradic 4000 fk all have been very good so far...I am also looking forward to hearing about a Saltx 4000 size whenever it’s available
Great honest review Ryan! My favorite reel has probably been my 2013 Saragosa SW. I've fished better reels and definitely worse reels. But the Gosa SW best reel for the money in my opinion.
Allen Gallion I probably recommend the Saragosa more than anything out there. Just wish they’d make it a little smaller, the 8k sizes and up always seemed a little too bulky to me
Dsrkarcher 159 Ooooh Rah 🇺🇸 Marine thank you for your service to Freedom and these USA...btw my second reel was a 300 i got from a friend in '83 to use on the pier in Benton Harbor Mi for Browns and Steelies...awesome old reel I will eventually pull out and start using again just for the fun of it...maybe open it and service the innards just because...
I bought one and sold it after a few months and got all but 20 bucks back on it. I agree with most of your points. Their customer service without a doubt needs an overhaul. Thus the reason I sold mine and probably won't buy another one.
when i buy these reels i always buy 2 at a time. So when one goes to the shop, i still have one. love the reel, hate the drag like he said. great video bro
800 $ with Tax 856 $ for 850 you can buy 42 1 bearing reels from Walmart For saltwater less bearings is better lets say each lasts 1 season that means you can fish for 42 years Van Staal is for fishing reel junkies like me
Anyone can get a vintage NIB Pezon & Michel or Penn reel that has all the same features for a fraction of the price. Only down side is drag but don't we all like to finger the spool anyways? You catch a monster on a 75 year old reel and it's extra special.
love your reviews. Have you got your hands on the newest VSX2 yet. hearing they are not as good as the original VS but would love to hear a proper review on them at some point
Absolutely right on every aspect, I have a Van stall and two Zee Bass wich is pretty much the same thing, and understand 100 percent what you’re talking about, I also own a good handfull of Daiwa and shimano reels.
Very informative. Could you do a comparison with these models of Van Staal 150, 200 & the Tsunami Salt X 6000. Half the price, double the drag. Thats good enough. anything else?
Brad Mundie's made a review about 2 years ago, had some inaccuracies, and my opinion has slightly changed on them so it was worth updating! BGs are definitely a hell of a reel for the money.
I'm a surfcaster and a reel junkie and is why I never bought one. I was already using and catching with no problems with the proven Penn 706z in the drink (submerged saltwater) and all I needed was a bucket of fresh water and a can of 10WD-40 instead of the additional $500 they wanted for a Van Staal. Instead I kept using my 706z when I got wet fishing on the beaches and jetties. Instead I found a my Diawa Dogfight on eBay that many will attest is preferred over a Stella which I've seen lock up on the Ditch. Tight Lines! #CapeCodCanal #DiawaDogfight #NewEnglandSurf #Penn706z
My fav spinning (in no particular order) are my Shimano Stradic’s (regular and CI4+), Saragosa and my two new Twin Powers (yes, all Shimano). Thank for vid Tuefel Hunden!
I gotta say my diawa lexa 2500, only 130 bucks but I've put it through the ringer. Dunked it falling off a paddle board used it on the beach and pier for all kinds of fish. And I own a saltiga 4500, stratic 5000, and sphereos 6000... And many more But my go to for a lot of fishing is that little 2500 lexa
Best in the market...I wetsuit and put the VS through the ringer and no problems. Can’t do that w Stella or saltiga I know cuz I tried 😂 ....good stuff Ryan good review all the way from New England surf casters
@@maxchronister7713 It may seem that these reels have no good use however the applications that us surfcasters have on these reels is not comparable to yall Florida boys
@@maxchronister7713 " Florida Boys" is not regarding you, The above information is regarding your comment, everyone does have their preference for reels, you like your daiwa's and shimano's but I have damaged many reels high end reels from fishing the salt and have found the Van Staal's pretty reliable
Obviously its the vs250s gold.they still sell the complete service and rebuild kit for the vs250s i have the 3 service kit.comes with tools lube oil seals bearings😳
I dont surf fish very much. But my surf rig I have a bass pro's offshore angler breakwater combo in 8000 size. Its got a long cast spool and really gets the bait out there. Also feels like it has a good amound of drag and prety smooth. So far I have no complaints. But i only surf fish maybe 10 times a year.
I grew up in New England and striper fishing is what it's all about up there when it comes to surfcasting. The guys that had them sang their praises, but I was able to get along quite well without one. There were always other places to spend that extra money. Now that I'm down in Florida, I really don't see the need. That's not a knock on the Van Staal, they're a fine reel - just an observation on my economic situation.
