Old Morethan branzino 3000 vs new?

[Seriola97]

Hey guys, as the title suggests, i am currently looking at picking up either a new or old model branzino, in the 3000 size. It will be my heavy/landbased jew on plastics reel (on a loomis mossyback 3-6, running 15 lb), but it will get hammered no doubt by various other inshore species, namely smaller kings, dollies etc.

So pretty much, what do you guys think about the old branzino? I have heard it is a very tough reel, and it seems like it would suit my purpose and style of fishing a bit better than the new model, which appears to be a more refined reel, but not as tough. Help from anyone having owned/ used any of these would be greatly appreciated, especially in the durability department.

[chopperdog]

I reckon the old 3000 would be better suited to hard running species. The new one is just as tough but the bigger line capacity of the 3000 etc would be handy.

I have the new 2510 and for jews/ snapper its plenty. The new 3012 would handle big stuff but only got a shallow spool

[nagz]

Does the new model have saltiga gears like the old model?

I have used the older ones a fair bit and can say that they are tough as nails and will stay smooth for a long time.

My first one developed a slight knock in it after an unstoppable something, but came good with some tlc

Had no dramas with others though

Havent used the newer model, and i cant confirm if they have been down graded or not.

I have started thinking they have been after they are now only known by morethan and not morethan branzino

The line capacity of the 3000 was also very handy, though they may release an rcs 3000 spool for the newer model in the future, who knows

Theres a morethan branzino 3000 for sale in the classies now for a good price

[Seriola97]

According to daiwa it still has the same "Saltiga" gears like the old model, but speaking to a guy who works in the service department he recons the gears are not as tough... Not sure who to trust there. I was thinking the same thing as you nagz, with the branzino taken out of the name and a cheaper asking price, you'd think it'd be safe to assume it has been downgraded in some way, shape or form. Seems to be a bit of a trend with many of the new daiwa reels, which is why i am leaning towards the old 3000. Would be good to hear from a few new morethan owners on that matter.

Also, like you both said, i think the deeper 3 k spool would definitely come in handy, especially on larger jews while shorebased.

How long have you had yours for nagz? And would you feel confident constantly thrashing it on fish like kings? My caldia shat itself after a few good kingy sessions, and im not too keen on repeating that scenario with the branzino, having very limited funds atm (id be all over that branzino if it popped up a few weeks later!)

Thanks

[nagz]

Wow, the daiwa guy said that??? I guess they dont get told what to say by the marketing guys lol

I did a bit of fishing for kings when i lived in sydney, soft plastics mostly and didnt really catch anything huge. More than enough reel for decent rat kings

Like any other reel people use for hard fighting fish, you need to take the time to look after it, inside and out. Grease it, oil it, change the drag washers every now and then etc

I sold some when i left and kept one for darwin, but ended up selling that one also to fund some bow hunting gear

I'd be keen to hear about the new versions also after they have been fished a bit

I think we'll have to wait a little while to get some good reviews though. Once people start getting into some big fish with them

[Seriola97]

Yeah it was definitely a daiwa guy, i was very surprised to hear it myself, but i didn't ask him about it in any detail. Ill be sure to bring it up properly next time i see him. On a bit of a tangent, is there any other similar sized reels that you'd recommend over the branzino? Stella FE 4k is always an option, but not sure how well it will stand up to that kind of abuse...

[The Doctor]

Originally Posted by Seriola97

Stella FE 4k is always an option, but not sure how well it will stand up to that kind of abuse...

I cannot speak for the current Stella since I don't own one(FI), but I think the past three Stella (FB, FD & FE) will cope just fine. I'd worry more about my back than the reel.

[nagz]

My stella 4000sw has seen some punishment and would be a perfect reel for you