First of all, we all know what to expect when one of those blue boxes with the Shimano logo is placed into our hands, we expect a sleek design, we expect a buttery, effortless retrieve, we expect attention to detail and smooth perfection from the drag. And this is exactly what you get when you lift the lid of the Tranx 300B box. The mechanics of it are exactly what you want them to be. In fact, when I made my first casts with it, I – involuntarily – said, “Ooh, this thing casts really nice!”
There are some cosmetic upgrades from the original 300 to the 300B, the reel handle is more of a metallic pewter, rather than the midnight blue of the OG and the body of the ‘B’ features a slightly sleeker overall look. They also didn’t make the mistake of ‘fixing’ what didn’t need fixing, the bodies are both made from cold-forged hagane aluminum, which makes them stronger than if they were cast and it’s a hallmark of high-end Shimano reels. They both feature the cross-carbon drag system, which was proven in the A series and carried over into the B series. They also utilize the same S A-RB bearings which are double-shielded to protect against water intrusion from both sides and both versions feature the S3D spool, which is very light and smooth-casting.
The new features begin with micromodule gearing, which utilizes smaller teeth on the gears, which means less stress on the gears, yielding longer overall life, less wear and a smoother overall feel. They have also added X-Protect, recognizing how popular the Tranx is in the salt, they added an extra layer of protection. The cold-forged Hagane body is now made in one piece, making it more rigid and tougher as well making the reel more sensitive in the hand. Maybe the biggest thing that casters will love right away is that the brake is now adjustable without having to open reel, utilizing their SVS Infinity MD tuning dial, you can adjust the brake – on the fly – with a simple slide of the thumb. And the spool is now supported using Shimano’s X-Ship technology which puts equal support on both sides of the spool reducing strain and making it easier to battle the biggest fish.
The Tranx 300B comes in two speeds, you have the 5.8/1 standard and the 7.6/1 high speed (HG), like the A series the standard ratio comes with a more “traditional” double-knobbed paddle and the high speed comes equipped with a single-arm power handle and knob. The standard weighs in at 11.8 ounces, puts out 22 pounds of max drag, features six bearings and holds 215 yards of 40-pound braid. The high speed weighs in at 12.2 ounces, puts out 18 pounds of max drag, features six bearings and holds 215 yards of 40-pound braid.
I was left with the impression that I can’t wait to put in a full season with this reel, it’s smoothness in casting and retrieving is like slow-churned butter, thanks to that micromodule gearing and those six ARB bearings. The extra attention to water resistance is only going to make the reel better for me, since I will mostly be using is from the kayak and when you couple that with the addition of X-Protect, it’s a no-brainer. From flutter spoons, spooks and eels for stripers to bucktails for fluke or heavier jigs for tog, the Tranx 300B is going to be my go-to, check one out and I am certain, you’re going to be thoroughly impressed.
