Shimano Nasci Reel Review (Pros, Cons and Video)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Product Reviews, Saltwater Fishing Reels
I’ve been fishing with the Shimano Nasci Reel for a while now and wanted to let you know what I like and dislike about this reel.
I’ve had great results using the 3000 reel, which has proved to be strong against fish and holds up great against saltwater.
This article identifies the pros and cons I have found while using the Nasci 3000 and can help you decide if this is the right reel for you or not.
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Shimano Nasci Reel Specs
The specs for the Shimano Nasci Reel are:
- Size: 1000-5000
- Line Capacity: 200 yards of 10lb Power Pro Braid
- Max Drag: 20 lbs.
- Weight: 8.8 ounces
- Price Range: $90-200
Pros of the Shimano Nasci Reel
This reel has been very good to me when I’ve fished with it and has helped get fish to the kayak much quicker than other reels I’ve used in the past.
The pros I’ve noticed using the Shimano Nasci Reel are the following:
- Holds Up Great in the Saltwater – I usually am kayak fishing when I fish and therefore my rods and reels are often exposed to saltwater for seven to eight hours at a time. My Shimano Nasci 3000 Reel has held up fantastically in the saltwater. I have experienced no corrosion anywhere on the reel after months of using this reel on almost every fishing trip.
- Very Strong Drag – This reel has an extremely strong drag with a max drag weight of 20 pounds. This allows me to get fish to the kayak quicker and to release fish in better shape than when I use reels with weaker drag systems.
- Picks Up Line Quickly – The reel picks up more line quicker than almost all other reels of this size, which makes it a great reel for various hook setting situations.
Cons of the Shimano Nasci Reel
I really have like the Nasci 3000 as my primary fishing reel, however, it is not a perfect fishing reel.
These are the cons I’ve found to using the Shimano Nasci Reel:
- No Reel-Reverse Switch – The reel does not have a reel-reverse switch which can make it difficult to pull line in certain situations.
- Drag Click Mechanism May Need Adjusting – I had some issues with the clicking mechanism on my drag not clicking, causing the reel to free line. This was due to a small misalignment of some the parts in the inner compartment of the reel. That being said, after a quick adjustment to the mechanism the drag was working perfectly once again.
- Strong Drag Learning Curve – If you’ve never used a reel with a drag strength as strong the Shimano Nasci, it can take some time to learn how to use it effectively. It doesn’t take long to learn how to use it, but it does require some trial and error before you figure out the drag settings that work for you.
Note: We’d love to hear your thoughts on your Shimano Nasci Reel, so please leave a comment down below to share your experiences with these kayaks.
Shimano Nasci Reel Review Video
This video provides my analysis of the Shimano Nasci Reel and what I like and dislike about it.
Check out my full review here:
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Conclusion
I have really enjoyed using the Shimano Nasci 3000 since purchasing it and use it as one of my primary fishing reels these days.
The strong drag, great quality and quick line pick-up make it a great reel to whoop some big on the flats and in deep water.
If you’ve used the Shimano Nasci Reel, let us know what you think of it by commenting below.
[Click here to the Salt Strong Ultimate Guide to Buying a Fishing Reel]
Related Posts:
1. How to Clean a Spinning Reel After Saltwater Fishing
2. Shimano Stradic Ci4 Spinning Reel Review [Pros & Cons]
3. Daiwa BG 2500 Spinning Reel Independent Review (On-The-Water Performance)
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Inshore Fishing Slammer Course
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Tony,thanks for your review of this reel. I am currently in the process of purchasing one. Would you suggest the 2500 or the 3000 on a 7’ medium fast rod for inshore fishing?
You’re welcome Gary! I would go with the 3000.
Enjoyed reading this. What adjustment is necessary to resolve the drag not clicking and letting the reel free line? Thanks.
Hey Bill,
I have made a video on that as well which you can see here:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/fix-silent-drag/
Thank you very much!
Hi Tony thanks for the reply and the advise I will order the 4000 that’s great , for a reel under £100,00 I don’t think I can go wrong, the rivers around Devon have some great trout and Pike so looking forward to trying it. Once again great review really enjoyed it thanks. Regards Alan
Hi great review thanks. I think I’ve found my new Pike spinning reel . Can anyone advise on the 3000 using a 25lb brad line how many yds this reel holds. Thanks guys. Alan
Hey Alan!
If using 25lb braid I would recommend a 4000 size reel. The most I use on the 3000 is 20lb and it doesn’t hold much at that size.
Hey Tony!Can I fit a 4000 spool on my 3000 nasci ????
I use the anti-reverse when the line is snapped. Then I can put the rod down and focus on dealing with the line. Otherwise the line will become mess. Without the reel, not sure how to deal with this situation.
I like to just loosen my drag to take line out when needed instead of opening the bail. I know what you mean with the line becoming a mess when the bail is open, especially if its windy.
Any suggestions for stop the reel rolling if I leave it and get the landing net?
If I have to set my rod down for any reason while fighting a fish I make sure to have the drag set pretty loose and set the rod in a rod holder.
Thank you for your reply and suggestion. Really appreciate.
I purchased a 2500 about 7 months ago. In the last six weeks, the line has started started spooling towards the front of the spool. So much so. That there is a gap between the bottom of the spool and the line. Interestingly, the reel didn’t exhibit the issue before six weeks ago. I had a couple of shims that came with a Penn Clash 2500, which fit perfectly. I respooled the reel and it made the line lay almost perfect. I’ll keep an eye on to see if the problem continues or was just settling in the reel. Other than that, I have been very pleased, even when compared to my Stradic and other brand mid to higher end reels.
Very interesting. I haven’t had any issues so far and i’m going on about a year with mine. Be careful when taking the spool off that none of the shims fall off. Sometimes they get stuck to the spool and fall off without noticing it.
I definitely agree. However, the issue started 60 or so days after the last time that I removed the spool. I used it this morning without issue, so I am hopeful everything is remedied. Thanks for the reply and tight lines!
Hey Tony, just following up on my previous posting. After 19 months of use, everything is going well. I fished it fairly hard for a while and decided to change the drag to carbon fiber versus the felt it came with. I also used Cals drag grease. I can say it makes the drag pressure ramp up even quicker. With a half turn it goes from light to nearly locked down. The line lay issue never came back after I shimmed the spool. The reel has been fished alongside a Penn Clash 2500 and a Penn Conflict II 2500 for the past year. The Nasci has hung in there with the Penn’s and doesn’t show any signs of giving up. I’m very pleased with the Nasci!
Awesome! Thanks for the follow up Kent!
I bought the Nasci 3000 reel about a year ago after reading Luke’s reel review, ordering it from FishUSA. Unfortunately, it arrived broken – the bale would not click closed/locked. So I shipped it back to Shimano USA for repair, not really happy to have to pay the shipping charge to correct an out-of-the-box defect.
But, when the reel came back repaired, it worked beautifully, and it has been fantastic since.
On a recent trip to Alabama, I landed 2 big bull reds with it, 17 lb and 19 lb respectively. I was using Sufix 832 20-lb braid, and I really needed the Nasci’s strong drag system to wear those fish out a little before I could land them on the Gulf Shores State Park Pier.
Despite the initial repair, I would still buy another Nasci – but this time from a local dealer.
And I give credit to Salt Strong for setting me up with it, as I would never have known about it’s specs if it weren’t for Luke’s very good review.
Glad to see that you’re enjoying the Nasci. They are def one of the best under $100 reels out there that can hold up to saltwater fishing.
I really love it, and recommend it. And thanks again for your great reviews Luke! And Tony – that goes for you too! Really value your thorough reviews.
Be sure to check out this master reel review post when you get a chance because I have since found a reel that I like better than the Nasci, and it has the same price (but you can get it for 17% off and free shipping from a group discount for the Salt Strong Community): https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/inshore-fishing-reels-best-overall-best-value/
I have 2 nasci 3000 reels. No problems what so ever, plus the price is very reasonable. Bought my second one online from Walmart for $89.
Hey Tony – Have you used the Daiwa Fuego LT ? If so, how does it compare to the Nasci?
I have had the Nasci 3000 with 10 lb 832 braid for several months. I like not having the anti-reverse, the reel is sealed.much better for saltwater and no pawl to break. The drag has been very smooth. Easy to care for with a quick rinse. I use Reel Magic before I leave for a trip and a drop of reel oil on the reel handle and line roller. Absolutely no issues with this reel.