Shimano Aspire Pro Luggage

In typical Shimano fashion it has taken some time for a new flagship range of luggage to appear, but it’s clear to see that there’s been a huge amount of attention...

The Aspire name is Shimano’s flagship brand, and to complement its poles, rods and reels there’s now a new luggage range. APF takes a closer look… In typical Shimano fashion it has taken some time for a new flagship range of luggage to appear, but it’s clear to see that there’s been a huge amount of attention paid to the new Aspire Pro kit. The range comprises three rod holdalls, ready-rod sleeves (in long and regular versions), a spacious carryall, accessory and reel pouches, groundbait bowls, a neat cool bag for storing bait and a net bag. All products feature the distinct silver, red and white colour scheme that’s been designed for the brand and come with moulded-plastic bases for extra protection, high-quality zips and clips, wipe-clean PVC construction for easy cleaning and, on the holdall and carryall, heavily padded straps to take the pressure off your shoulders.
The carryall is a good size for storing enough tackle for any given situation. External pockets plus a net/roller pocket on the outside make it versatile and, at £54.99, it’s competitively priced at this end of the market.

Traditionally, Shimano’s net bags have always been overly large and that’s a godsend when you want to put wet nets away without having to go through a systematic and time consuming approach to do so. The Aspire net bag measures 56cm x 12cm x 56cm so will hold just about any keepnet and landing net on the match market. This costs £24.99 and clips on to the front of the carryall.

The three holdalls come in 4/6 tube, 7/9 tube and 10/12 tube capacities and have a main compartment measuring 198cm, a large external metalware pocket (140cm long) and a small, 34cm external pocket for storing seatbox add-ons and keepnet bank sticks – nifty. All are internally stiffened so that even if they’re not full they’ll stay rigid and easy to access via the full-length side zips. The shoulder straps are also well placed so you can carry them easily. The accompanying rod sleeves (153cm and 197cm) offer brilliant protection for made-up rods and save you having to ram everything in. Prices for these start from £49.99 for the single, 197cm model.
The groundbait bowls feature stiffened sides so that, when mixing, they don’t collapse. However, one quick push on the top rim and the bowls fold down for storage in a carryall. There are two, costing £6.99 and £7.99.

If you’re a bit of a hoarder then the accessory pouches and reel cases will come in handy. Starting at £8.99 for the feeder pouch, they are stepped in size so you can store key items of kit separately.

To finish off, there’s a £34.99 cool bag that’s a miniature version of the carryall. It has three accessory pockets, a shoulder strap and carry handle and, more importantly, will hold a dozen 4.4pint bait tubs and is thermally lined to keep bait cool when you insert ice blocks.

All in all, this is a great range of gear that anyone, whether they’re into the Shimano brand or not, should take a look at if they’re looking for new flagship luggage.

Tech Spec
4/6 tube holdall £69.99
7/9 tube holdall £89.99
10/12 tube holdall £99.99
Carryall £54.99
Accessory pouch (S) £8.99
Accessory pouch (L) £10.99
Net/stink bag £24.99
Cool bag £34.99
Double 153cm rod sleeve £54.99
Single 197cm rod sleeve £49.99
Double 197cm rod sleeve £59.99
Double reel case £9.99
Quad reel case £11.99
Medium mixing bowl £7.99
Large mixing bowl £6.99

* Wipe-clean PVC
* Stiffened material
* Reinforced plastic bases