The first SHIMANO's bait reel . The first disengaging L/W . The first low profile bait reel ....
It was the origin of present bait reels .
SHIMANO could do these innovations because the engineers were not fishing engineers when SHIMANO started fishing business .
The rivals of SHIMANO released PhantomSM2 and OlympicBX21 etc . But Bantam 100 was lighter and more compact than them .
Special spinning reel for Japanese surf casting . It was the first " skirtless " spinning reel . It was a big innovation .
This fresh idea was born from SHIMANO's fresh eyes too .
Aerocast rod had the oval section for aerodynamic shape .
SHIMANO had really the wind tunnel laboratory .
The light weight model with titanium and duralumin .
Its styling was innovative too .
It had the greater butt power and more accuracy than ordinary rods .
But its design patent stopped competitor's fighin' rods . So the trend of fighitn' rod was ended .
" Round " was ABU's small and stiff market . SHIMANO invaded it by this reel .
The French prime minister had said ," Japan intends to conquer the world " in `80's . She was right .
But I said ," OH ! " when I saw it .