Whether you’re a master angler or you barely know your way around freshwater fishing, Shimano offers a great budget reel for you to use. With the NASC3000HGFB you can hone your skills without much effort and enjoy more hours on water than ever before.
This Shimano Nasci Fishing Reel Review will take you through the history and the features that make this product so great. And yes, the review is mostly positive because fortunately, Shimano finally did a good job on their low-end, budget-friendly reels.
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Shimano Nasci Fishing Reel
ICAST 2016 was a big deal for Shimano. The release of the Nasci NASC3000HGFB marked the first time Shimano put as much attention to detail into a lower-end reel as their high-end models. It was well received by the public and for good reason.
While it shares the same body as the 2500 reel, the 3000HGFB has a higher gear ratio and holds more line. What’s most impressive is the luxurious reeling action you get from using it. It’s just so similar to Shimano’s high-end reels that it looks and works at least 10 times better than its actual price tag would imply.
Who’s It For?
Although it looks like an entry-level fishing reel, if you’re judging by the price tag, the 3000HGFB is actually a good long-term investment. The durable composite body and the corrosion-resistant ball bearings are a great combination for any fisherman on a budget.
The lightweight design also makes this reel a versatile choice. It works wonders in the hands of a skilled fisherman, but it can also help amateurs take home a decent catch. What makes it even better for beginners is the superior grip. The oversized rubber grip gives excellent leverage against those, particularly feisty fish.
What’s Included?
The reel comes with some interesting technologies, some of which will be discussed in this Shimano Nasci fishing reel review. Before we reach that point here’s what you can expect to find on your reel as you unbox it:
- Hagane gears
- Five ball bearings
- Shimano CoreProtect technology
- GFree body
Overview of Features
As if the gear ratio of 6.2:1 wasn’t impressive enough for a budget reel, Shimano also uses Hagane gears. This 3D computerized design is incredibly accurate as it helps make gears that always make contact at an optimum level.
With a good mixture of aluminum and graphite as well as corrosive-free ball bearings, you get more than your money’s worth with the NASC3000HGFB. The reel is lightweight (8.8 ounces) and highly durable. It’s also comfortable to use for long stretches of time on the water.
The GFree body design makes the reel very easy to control due to how the center of gravity is shifted. Because it is closer to the rod than usual, it causes less hand fatigue in its user.
The reel achieves 20lbs max drag force which is a lot for a low-end Shimano reel. As long as you don’t start at the max drag setting, you will notice that you can maintain certain smoothness even during a fight with an uncooperative fish.
Even though it is not a sealed design, the NASC3000HFGB uses Shimano’s CoreProtect technology. This means that the reel is sealed in certain places such as the line roller, roller clutch and a few other important points along the body. Because of this, the reel can perform rather well in saltwater if you’re willing to put in more work and perform extra maintenance on it.
Besides the great balance and overall luxurious feel, this reel increases the casting performance by a lot. The smoothness of the reel’s gears is what makes it possible to cast the line without twists and at a steady speed. Again, a great feature to have when the reel is in the hands of a beginner.
How to Use
The first thing to consider is to never start out with the drag set high. As impressive as the reel is, if you pair high drag with a light line you might end up regretting it. The good news is that this is probably the only true drawback of the NASC3000HGFB.
Whether you’re going for an overhead cast or you want to become a master-angler, this reel can help you with both. Because of the Hagane technology, the gears are so well synchronized you should be fine with casting at any angle you want.
It’s important to remember that after you use it in salt water a thorough cleaning is recommended. It is an open-reel design. Even though some key points are protected, there are plenty of uncovered areas that may be damaged from prolonged saltwater applications.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for an alternative within the same price range you might want to take a look at the NASC3000HFGB’s big brother, the NAS4000XGFB. This reel comes with a barely noticeable price increase and a slight increase in weight too (10.4 ounces).
That being said, the NAS4000XGFB also has a GFree body and Hagane gears at a ratio of 6.2:1. What you get for the extra cash is a higher line cap of 12/160 compared to the 10/140 of the NASC3000HFGB. If the difference in line cap is make-or-break for you, then it might be a better choice. Regardless of which one you choose, you can expect the same high quality design from Shimano.
Conclusion
The Shimano Nasci Fishing Reel is a good example that paying top dollar is not always necessary to have a good fishing experience. While it’s not the cheapest one on the market, it is certainly one of the cheapest from Shimano. That being said, with this model you get so much more than what you pay for.
It has all the juicy Shimano technologies such as CoreProtect and Hagane which are commonly used in the high-end models. It also features a GFree body which allows you more control over the cast and retrieval. As if more control wasn’t enough, you also get the smoothness that is usually only possible with the pricier models.
(Not convinced the Nasci is for you? Check out our complete lineup of the best fishing reels here.)