Trying Digitaka for a reel

[Huxstang]

So need to update my baitcasters into something low profile, I was thinking of trying a DC braked reel but there seemed to be a flood of them on the market which makes me think the DC whirr I gets annoying.  And anyway I have no need to cast 100metres and no how to control the spool.  Anyhow I got caught in the hype of the release of the new Shimano Bantam which is available here but at a massive premium, so trying Digitaka.  Got my shipping info so will be interesting to see whether it gets hit with GST….only @$350 shipped so its under the value but not sure if they should be registered for collection.  Should save @ $300 on buying local. 

It will be a big step up from my old Calcutta’s and Abu’s….I bet the new braking systems are amazing.

[Huxstang]

So closing off on this.  Digitaka is a Japanese online tackle seller.  Some of the stuff is significantly cheaper than Australia. EG this reel landed was sub $400 rather than the $650 that is the norm here.

Shipping was with DHL - very quick.  Ordered last Thursday or Friday arrived yesterday so about a week.   No additional duty.  really well packaged, sealed box item.

Just tried this on an old Loomis GL2 but I think it might have to go on something a bit more modern….maybe an Expride or a Samurai - not sure but should be a great casting reel.

Not sure what line I will go with - maybe Suffix 832 - anyone got any views on best casting reel braid?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Looks great, I’ve heard tasline x8 is pretty good braid. 

[WildeFishing]

Great report on Digitaka. I have always wondered about this site, great to know there we no taxes/duty applied by customs coming through. I wonder if this is the norm or your package just slipped through the cracks...........Some cracking deals on Digitaka and a lot of JDM stuff that is not available here.  

[Angry51]

I think duty/ tax starts at $1000.

Could be wrong, used to be.

[Ed.]

Tax was never was applied to anything under the $1k value, but a few years back Hervey Norman and a few other companies complained that they were being disadvantaged and since then GST was added to all purchases regardless of value coming into the country, generally it is applied overseas at the point of sale and is supposed to be forwarded on to the Australian tax dept., by the sellor. So it may or may not show up on the receipt but should be applied, whether the GST is actually forwarded on is another question.

[Angry51]

Harvey Norman disadvantaged, yeah pigs fly too.

Gerry wouldn't  let that happen.

[Sylvathorn]

Haven't bought a new baitcaster in years, so I've never owned/used a DC braked reel.
I was originally taught to cast baitcasters by a very good Tournament caster, so once I got OK, (never got quite as good as him), the first two things I did whenever I bought a new reel was remove the centrifugal brake discs and polish the drag washers.

[Bob9863]

One thing I've learnt is that you can never cast too far, a long cast reel will cast in close easy enough but having that extra range can be damn helpful at times and has put a lot of fish in my freezer that otherwise would still be in the water. 

[Sylvathorn]

1 hour ago, Bob9863 said:

One thing I've learnt is that you can never cast too far, a long cast reel will cast in close easy enough but having that extra range can be damn helpful at times and has put a lot of fish in my freezer that otherwise would still be in the water. 

absolutely, Jeremy (the guy who taught me) wouldn't let me cast a bait until I could consistently pass 120 metres (measured on a footy oval, dipping the spool in a bucket of water)

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 hour ago, Sylvathorn said:

absolutely, Jeremy (the guy who taught me) wouldn't let me cast a bait until I could consistently pass 120 metres (measured on a footy oval, dipping the spool in a bucket of water)

What setup are you using to cast that far? That’s awesome length.

[Sylvathorn]

53 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

What setup are you using to cast that far? That’s awesome length.

AUS-BNE-FISHO

It's actually not as hard as it sounds, good technique and LOTS of hours on the footy oval is everything. 

AND I know that first rig to the mm. Back then, in the early 80's, I was using a SnyderGlas FT120 4W (still have it) that J'Boss helped me build, with an Ambassadeur 7000C (Silver) using 17lb Shakespeare mono and a 4oz bomb sinker. 

J'Boss wouldn't let me add Pillies to the rig until I could do it consistently.

Our snapper spot had the gravel bed running from 120m off the end of the end of the Mornington pier, so you had to do that to get there .... spent many nights sleeping in our Igloo tents on the end of that pier! 
J'Boss could push 6oz bombs out 165 metres on his FT144 7W every time - (read jealous here) - I could never come close - 6oz is HARD to control, way past me. 

His rig on the Pier was his the FT144 7W with his 9000C

 

 

[Sylvathorn]

17 minutes ago, Sylvathorn said:

AUS-BNE-FISHO

It's actually not as hard as it sounds, good technique and LOTS of hours on the footy oval is everything. 

AND I know that first rig to the mm. Back then, in the early 80's, I was using a SnyderGlas FT120 4W (still have it) that J'Boss helped me build, with an Ambassadeur 7000C (Silver) using 17lb Shakespeare mono and a 4oz bomb sinker. 

J'Boss wouldn't let me add Pillies to the rig until I could do it consistently.

Our snapper spot had the gravel bed running from 120m off the end of the end of the Mornington pier, so you had to do that to get there .... spent many nights sleeping in our Igloo tents on the end of that pier! 
J'Boss could push 6oz bombs out 165 metres on his FT144 7W every time - (read jealous here) - I could never come close - 6oz is HARD to control, way past me. 

His rig on the Pier was his the FT144 7W with his 9000C

 

 

Oh, and the fish we caught were dee-licious 

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Sounds like I need to get practising! 

[Sylvathorn]

5 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Sounds like I need to get practising! 

 

5 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Sounds like I need to get practising! 

It's not how much, as much as How you practice - J'Boss made me do so much on the footy oval, so I could pace and measure - know how I was doing- don't know if that works for everyone, but it did for me
AND if you're keen, you will --- if you need to!

And where we were fishing, we needed that distance, had to reach the gravel beds, that makes a difference too I guess

[WildeFishing]

12 hours ago, Ed. said:

Tax was never was applied to anything under the $1k value, but a few years back Hervey Norman and a few other companies complained that they were being disadvantaged and since then GST was added to all purchases regardless of value coming into the country, generally it is applied overseas at the point of sale and is supposed to be forwarded on to the Australian tax dept., by the sellor. So it may or may not show up on the receipt but should be applied, whether the GST is actually forwarded on is another question.

Bloody hell, poor old Gerry missing out on a little, not happy with a 2 billion net worth hahaha  

It appears the package may have slipped through. Good savings to be had on there but not if duty and GST are applied. Guess it is a bit of a gauntlet.  

[Huxstang]

On 10/4/2023 at 1:44 AM, WildeFishing said:

Great report on Digitaka. I have always wondered about this site, great to know there we no taxes/duty applied by customs coming through. I wonder if this is the norm or your package just slipped through the cracks...........Some cracking deals on Digitaka and a lot of JDM stuff that is not available here.  

Let you know, ordered another Bantam for a mate and Grappler reel for me.  Should arrive either tomorrow or Monday based on current tracking

[Huxstang]

On 10/4/2023 at 2:48 PM, Ed. said:

Tax was never was applied to anything under the $1k value, but a few years back Hervey Norman and a few other companies complained that they were being disadvantaged and since then GST was added to all purchases regardless of value coming into the country, generally it is applied overseas at the point of sale and is supposed to be forwarded on to the Australian tax dept., by the sellor. So it may or may not show up on the receipt but should be applied, whether the GST is actually forwarded on is another question.

Hey Ed - I think it only applies to companies who export a certain value amount to Australia so the big ones like Basspro and whatever sit in a certain bracket.  Small volume exporters are exempt.  If anyone is interested they can look up the values.  I know my preferred mustang parts suppliers all fall into the high volume/value category sadly.

[mangajack]

I would go for Bionic Braid for the baitcaster....you do not want a really thin braid when you are onto a beastly critter trying to bury the thin braid into the spool.

How fast does the new bantam cross weave on the spool?

I have several bantams still in hard service from the 80's....new carbon fibre drags and they just keep on going. 

Nitlon or tasline on spin, bionic or fins on baitcasters.

[Ed.]

Could be, I don't buy much from overseas anymore due to the time it takes to get here, I bought some phone screen covers recently for my new phone and GST was applied, and as I said before, that GST amount may not even be sent back to our A.T.O, these were cheap items and the seller didn't have a lot of sales in his history. So I wouldn't call them a high volume/value store, unless he has got a heap of other stores as well which wouldn't surprise me.

[Huxstang]

Ordered on 7 April - arrived midday today.

No additional duty.  Total value was under $800.  Cost @$20 shipping for the two items.