In specimen angling terms it seems the Exage reel is still one of Shimano’s best kept secrets. I have to admit that until twelve months ago I knew relatively little about the Exage myself, but after seeing one in the flesh I was suddenly aware of the huge potential this little reel had to offer.
Predominantly aimed at the commercial, match and river angler, the Exage has built a considerable following in these areas, but having used one for some time now in the sole pursuit of carp, I have to say that not only has it changed the way I think about carp reels – it’s completely changed the way I fish!
I’ve always been extremely fond of the Shimano Baitrunner, and have owned countless versions over the years, all of which have given faultless service throughout. But as my passion for stalking has increased year on year, I’ve found my Baitrunners to be increasingly cumbersome when wishing to use modern but lightweight setups. This feeling has come to a head over recent seasons as I’ve dabbled more and more with vintage tackle, and after playing sizable carp on an old Mitchell reel, picking up a conventional Baitrunner feels akin to picking up a house brick!
With this in mind, I was immediately drawn to the potential benefits of the Exage the very first time I saw it. I can hear the Baitrunner stalwarts shouting ‘how can it be a proper carp reel if it’s not a Baitrunner?’ but the simple answer is that it is. Well, kind of. In actual fact, in terms of playing big fish, I think it’s actually better than a baitrunner. The reason for this is the Exage’s Fighting Drag system. The system acts as a secondary drag, which you can dip in and out of whenever it suits – rather than with the traditional Baitrunner system where it is either on, or off.
With a Baitrunner you will tension the clutch to pay out line at the desired amount whilst the system is engaged, but as soon as it’s flicked off, you are solely reliant on the normal rear drag. This is fine but can be cumbersome to continually adjust as a battle with a big fish goes through its many stages from the initial run to playing at the net, all of which can require infinite adjustments to the drag, and this is where I think the Exage has the edge. The Fighting Drag system enables you to significantly increase or decrease the clutch in a simple flick of the lever from left to right, making it a sort of permanently on, but effortlessly adjustable bait runner. The main benefit of which is that it can aid you throughout the battle, rather than just being a free-run system until you hit your rod.
Of course the proof of any pudding is in the eating, and all I can say is that since getting hold of a couple of these reels last year, my bait runners have become pretty much redundant – so much so that I’m actually going to sell them!
As a confirmed Rallysport junkie who’s owned almost every fast car there is to own, I remember years before the Subaru Impreza became the iconic car it is today, owners of the early models would always give each other a knowing nod or a wink whenever they passed each other on the road, as if to say that they also knew they were on to something very special that would one day make history – and to some degree it’s the same with the Exage. When out stalking or surface fishing with it I’ve had a number of people come up to me, for no other reason than to say they use one too, and how much they rate them over a standard Baitrunner!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a massive casting tool, but in all honesty, how often are you giving it the big one? Not often I’ll bet. And whilst it may look good to have a pod decked out with the latest big pit gear, all I can say is that if you’re not using it to it’s full potential, then not only are you missing out on the suited performance and functionality that the Exage reel can bring to bare, but also the fun aspect, as I can hand on heart say that using the Exage has made playing fish on modern tackle exciting again!
All that aside, the best thing about the Exage has to be the price, coming in at around £30 cheaper than a standard Baitrunner. Madness when you think about it. It’s sometimes easy to say how good a new product is in the heat of the moment when it’s all flashy and new, but the real test is twelve months on when all its strengths and weaknesses have been fully explored. The bottom line is that after getting hold of one for review last year, I’ve since gone out and bought a load more before they’re all gone, and you can’t get much better a recommendation than that!
What’s more, the new RB version has effectively signalled the end of the RA, and having used both, I’m firmly in favour of the RA – so if you fancy one, then you’d better be quick!
At the time of writing, Trev’s Tackle are currently offering the Shimano Exage 4000 RA at £39.99. Visit www.trevs-tackle.com.
Julian Grattidge – http://www.northwestcarp.co.uk/
March 2009
