13 Fishing Concept Reels

I have had the opportunity to purchase several of these and passed. Mainly due to not trusting the information I have read online thus far. What say the forum? Anyone used the brand? How are they holding up? I did several different forum searches and came up empty.

I take care of my stuff so maintenance is not an issue. Just looking to upgrade. Most of my reels are 30+ years old and function fine however the newer tech, lighter weight frames etc are appealing.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, opines, and insight.

I have 4 or 5 A's, 2 Z's and a C. Couple of them at 4 or 5 years old now, all still working great without issue. To me they can pitch weightless sinkos just as good as my Daiwa Tatula SV TW's. Not sure where the hate comes from.

I held off from purchasing a Concept Z when they first came out due to not knowing much about the company. I recently purchased the concept z at Academy for $129.00 and am kicking myself for not buying a second one in the 7.3:1. Used the reel this last week and caught 27 bass on it. I can’t say enough about the reel. Smooth casting, smooth retrieve, lots of power in the drag and no professional overruns with it casting spinnerbaits under docks.

Thank you for your feedback! My nephew got a Z a while back. He loves it. A lot of the saltwater guys are slowly (and quietly) migrating that way too and I have seen some decent somewhat objective reviews from them as well. Guides who wade fish and the chance to dunk a reel is high have had no complaints. Keep'em coming!

The reel are great when it comes to casting etc... but I’ve serviced about 8 concept A’s with broken main gears with teeth broken off. The gears are just pot metal so please know this before going and spending a ton of money on these reels.

Thank you sir that is info I can utilize for sure.

What reels do you recommend of the newer tech low profile variety?

The Concept C uses a Duralumin gear. Much stronger and lighter than the gear in the A.
I have the Concept Z and didn't like the bearings/bushings. They were noisy and casting distance was not up to par. Swapped them out for ceramic bearings.
The Concept C is decent but all 3 of mine really need shims in the main shaft to tighten up the tolerances. Too much play in the main shaft adds noise and detracts from a solid feel.
The Concept TX is a fine reel. Do not confuse this with the TXZ! The TX has tighter tolerances and just plain feels nice in the hand and is butter smooth.
The Concept E is top notch. Tight tolerances and light weight but still has a very solid feel about it. Must be the the magnesium frame and side covers.

Overall the Concept reels have some engineering choices that are bizzare to me such as the click for the drag. An easily lost pin and spring.

After a few years of using them along side Lews I'm swapping back over to Lews. The parts department at Lews is fast and easy if I break something.
I'm also trying out a Daiwa Tatula Elite P/F. Looks promising but the jury is still out.

Most reels feel great out of the box. The cheap ones will feel good for maybe one season of hard use then start to fade. Quality reels will last for many seasons and that "out of the box" feel can be easily restored with some maintenance.

Thank you Rickmb. My 1st exposure to this brand was the Concept TX and all the salt guides using them with great feedback. I was not sure how the rest of the lineup would sustain and like many things time has a way of weeding out the weak.

I have a concept E and like it just as much if not more than my metanium mgl reels for certain techniques like burnin a swim jig high in the water column. Also like how the spool has more centrifugal adjustment for it. If u can find one for a good price don’t hesitate to buy it.

I like them....when way under retail.