I have been a big fan of Shimano reels since I first bought an Aero GT 6010 about 15 years ago. There just seems to be something about their gears, clutch and bearings that just make them so reliable and smooth to use. Unfortunately after 10 years in my loft my old 6010 hasn't faired too well. It's nothing that can't be repaired and I will be sending it off for servicing but at the moment the bearings screech a little when under pressure and the reel just feels clunky which is evident in the line lay which isn't quite right and I'm getting more than the average number of tangles.

Therefore I wanted to treat myself to a new reel and I knew that it had to be a Shimano and that it had to be a baitrunner. The question was, which one. I haven't bought a new reel in over 15 years so I had no idea what current models were, what 'new' features were available and how much I would have to pay in order to get a decent reel.

The first thing I noticed when looking for a new reel was that 'Big Pit' reels had become the reel of choice amongst many Carp anglers and that the preferred choice of drag had changed from rear to front drag. I'm not what you would call a 'Carp Angler' in the traditional sense, the last thing I want to do is to arrive at a lake, set up my bivvy, chuck out a ton of boilies, cast out two or three rods on optonic bite alarms and then wait for an entire weekend if that's what it takes. I also do not have any real desire to catch 20 or 30lb Carp, yes it would be nice but I really can't be bothered with all the hassle of precise rigs, baits etc etc that are required to capture such fish by design rather than by luck. I also use my Carp reels for Pike fishing whether that it presenting static dead baits or spinning with lures therefore 'Big Pit' reels were not really going to be suitable to me.

In the end I opted for the Shimano Aero 8000 GTE-C for around £80

With its retro look, ‘old school’ black graphite cosmetics the new Aero GTE-C hails a welcome return to the fold for this legendary Baitrunnermodel. Now upgraded with a lightweight double handle, Cold Forged double anodised spools (1 spare spool included) and a micro click, multidisc rear drag for flawless Baitrunner and fish playing capabilities. 4 shielded stainless bearings plus 1 roller bearing provide additional protection against saltwater corrosion. On top of this, there is a 10000 version for long-range work and larger diameter mainlines. All the usual attributes are retained in the GTE-C family including Super Stopper II, Dyna Balance, Aero Wrap with 2 Speed Oscillation and interchangeability with GTE-B Spools make the GTE-C one of this year’s must have carp reels.

Features

• 2 Speed Oscillation
• Aero Wrap
• Cold Forged Gear
• Hypergear
• Dynabalance
• Floating Shaft II
• Super Stopper II
• Shielded Stainless Bearings
• Hybrid Aluminium Body
• Cold Forged Double Anodised Spool
• Spare Spool
• Double Handle
• Power Roller
• Long Life Bail Spring
• Positive Bail
• Triangular Rotor
• Biogrip

I used this reel for the first time the other weekend when Pike fishing. Unfortunately I did not catch anything but I gave this reel a good run as I was wobbling dead baits, using static dead baits and spinning. Casting with this reel is very smooth and the line comes off the reel very easily with minimal drag. Line retrieval is very fast and the line lay is pretty much perfect and certainly better than on my old 6010. The clutch is also greatly improved being both very strong and precisely controllable. I just can't wait to now feel a fish on the other end!