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Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel

5.0
1 Review
This Item Ships For Free!
Shop All Shimano

Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel

5.0
1 Review
Shimano Aldebaran MGL Casting Reel 50HG
In Stock: 5+
Price: $449.99
  • Shimano Casting Reel Size: 50HG
Shimano Aldebaran MGL Casting Reel 51
In Stock: Sold Out
Price: $449.99
  • Shimano Casting Reel Size: 51
Shimano Aldebaran MGL Casting Reel 51HG
In Stock: 5+
Price: $449.99
  • Shimano Casting Reel Size: 51HG
View Specifications
Note: This item is not available for order outside of the United States.

Free return shipping is available for all orders shipped within the 48 contiguous United States. These orders will include a complimentary pre-paid UPS Ground return label in the box when the order is delivered. If you use the pre-paid return label provided, please allow 7-10 business days for the return package to arrive back at Tackle Warehouse.

Orders shipped to international, APO/FPO, Alaskan or Hawaiian addresses or U.S. territories are not eligible for the free return shipping offer. Drop Ship and Oversized Items are not eligible for the free return shipping offer.

Please use our Returns & Exchange form found on the back of your printed invoice. If you don't have your original invoice you can download our Tackle Warehouse Return Form.

Contact us with any questions or concerns!

Phone: 1.800.300.4916
Email: info@tacklewarehouse.com

Tackle Warehouse wants you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. Items can be returned at any point in new condition within 365-days of the original invoice date.

Products returned in new, store-bought condition are eligible for exchange, refund, or Tackle Warehouse store credit for the full value of your purchase.

Please note that while we want you to be happy with your purchases, an excessive number of returns within a twelve-month period may limit your eligibility for refund or store credit.

Products returned beyond 365-days from the original invoice date or that are unable to be returned to stock may be eligible for store credit at the sole discretion of Tackle Warehouse.

Original shipping charges are non-refundable.

Used baits & tackle are not eligible for return.

Phone: 1.800.300.4916
Email: info@tacklewarehouse.com

Overview

The lightest reel in Shimano’s lineup, the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel emphasizes feathery, compact design, and comes loaded with advanced Shimano technologies. Housed in a rigid yet incredibly light KN Body, the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel shaves off unnecessary weight and greatly increases performance with the implementation of Shimano’s Magnumlite (MGL) spool. Possessing a low moment of inertia, the MGL spool spins with very little force, so the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel casts farther with less effort.

Ensuring smooth rotation under heavy duress, the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel leverages X-Ship technology to efficiently transmit power throughout components, creating seamless function, even while you’re fighting fish. Built to last, the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel utilizes Shielded Anti-Rust Bearings and a Cross Carbon Drag to bolster durability and overall strength. Technologically head and shoulders above other reels, the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 Casting Reel uses Shimano’s exclusive features to guarantee lightweight, performance driven design.

Features:

-Hagane body
-X-ship
-SA-RB bearings
-MGL spool
-Ci4+ materials
-Silent tune
-Cross carbon drag

Specifications

Model Retrieve Gear Ratio Weight Line Cap. Bearings
ALDMG50HG Right 7.4:1 4.8 10/75, 12/65 9BB + 1RB
ALDMG51 Left 6.5:1 4.8 10/75, 12/65 9BB + 1RB
ALDMG51HG Left 7.4:1 4.8 10/75, 12/65 9BB + 1RB

Specifications

View specs for all models

Videos

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
1 Customer Review
5 out of 5 Stars
Would Recommend
Jerkbait heavenI paired it with Megabass Oneten stick. Absolutely jerkbait heaven. The reel is ultra smooth and cast extremally well. Highly recommend.

Previous Feedback  

Comments: So I bought one Aldebaren 51 for a Megabass Jerkbait special, it casts ridiculously well! I can cast jerkbaits into the wind with that setup. I ended up liking it so much I put another Alde 51 on a Megabass 110 Stick so I could cast smaller jerkbaits like the 110 jr and X-Nanahan easier. I've seen people in the comments say how theirs wasn't smooth. When I got my second one it didn't work as smoothly as my first, so I put a drop of bearing oil on the bearings and one drop right at the crank housing and it is now smooth as glass. I don't know why but it seems Shimano doesn't oil them before shipping. So if you get yours and it doesn't seem to be "all that" oil it. These reels are absolutely incredible! I use them for jerkbaits and small squarebills and midcranks like Deep-x 100 and 200. Anyhow, I can't recommend these enough for casting 3/16 - 1/2 ounce, they've out asked every reel I've put them up against.

From: Troy: Arkansas 4/15/23

Comments: The aldebaran is an excellent reel. Extremely light and compact. Very durable. I have several of these reels that I've used for years. I don't really take good care of my reels and never have had any problems with them. In my opinion, you get what you pay for and the Aldebaran is worth the money.

From: Unknown: 1/7/23

Comments: A tad disappointed had to send it back. Didn't feel smooth. Waiting for a replacement.

From: Joe: White Plains 1/1/23

Comments: After chasing bass for thirty years I would have to consider myself an avid fan of Shamano reels. I've thrown everything they have made from the Curado to the Antares, but the Aldebaran is by far my favorite. I consider myself to be a power fisherman and I take this thing way above its intended capabilities. Never fails me! If you appreciate speed and flexibility go no further than this reel.

From: Mark: Dayton Ohio 12/23/22

Comments: Felt cheap when I first got it, was debating on whether to send it back or not. Spooled it up with 10 lb fluorocarbon and tied on a 1/4 oz jig on my finesse rod. After I got it dialed in, I can cast that 1/4 ounce jig a country mile. Very happy with my purchase, glad I decided to keep it.

From: Unknown: 12/22/22

Comments: Recently purchased the Aldebaran with the Shimano Expride B Medium pole to use for jerk bait fishing as per the recommendations from the TacticalBassin guys. It was difficult for me to spend so much for a rod and reel as I am a bargain shopper. I have been using a SLX, but this reel is another level. Weight, smoothness and casting distance are pretty amazing. Very impressed. The total weight of the combo definitely makes fishing more enjoyable. The price still stings though.......

From: Unknown: 9/9/22

Comments: So I bought this reel after watching a couple of videos from the guys at Tactical Bassin'. I'm glad I did! This reel performs beautifully, the long smooth casts without backlashes was a pleasant surprise. Pairing this reel with a rod similar to the Megabass Dark Sleeper or Destroyer One Ten Stick will give you unrivaled performance and sensitivity without the weight.

From: Hawgmaster: Kennewick 8/20/22

Comments: I love fishing squarebill crankbaits and casting a Spro little john 50 has tested most of my reels without a backlash. I dialed this Aldebaran for that bait specifically. Paired with a Poison Adrena rod, i can make pinpoint accurate cast or just bomb it for distance. It's the smoothest, silky, joy to use reel i own. Metanium & Chronarch are both great but for light finesse lures- Aldebaran is king!

From: Kyle: Tennessee 8/8/22

Comments: Smooth casting, ultra lightweight reel. It throws 1/8 oz jigs and lightweight hard lures extremely well. Once you figure out the settings you get zero backlashes. I'm used to a Curado DC and I kinda miss the noise to be honest, but the performance is outstanding. The price tag is high, but you get what you pay for and I know I'll be using this for the next 20 years. I have it on a 1/8 oz - 3/8 oz Phenix Recon Elite with 15lb braid and 6lb fluoro leader and it's by far my favorite set up.

From: Sean: Tennessee 7/4/22

Comments: Picked up two Aldebaran MGL 50'S and have been completely satisfied with them. At 4.8 ounces fishing them all day is a joy and it'll handle light baits effortlessly.

From: Unknown: Georgia 4/8/22

Comments: Love this reel. Its my second. Took some time to get paired with the right rod but once I did its awesome. Paired it with a Megabass Dark Sleeper for the absolute perfect Jerk bait rod. Couldn't be happier.

From: Joe: Nebraska 12/31/21

Comments: I love this reel! I have it paired with a Sixgill 7' M Siren and it is as light as feather. I took it out throwing 05 Rapala shallow scatter rap and was able to cast accurately and smooth as silk. With plenty distance to hit my target. I landed a few winter bass and it was flawless. I love the reel and I highly recommend it.

From: John: Cortez, CO 12/29/21

Comments: This thing paired up with a dobyns champion xp is a dream....will cast light baits literally a mile and zero backlash

From: Adam: Charlotte, NC 12/18/21

Comments: This reel is awesome! Paired up with Megabass jerk bait rod for lightness. Smooth retrieve and long distance casting with no backlash.( After dialing in). This is a nice reel and will buy again.

From: Rick: Unknown 12/12/21

Comments: Broke in a pair of new Aldebaran Reel's this week while wade fishing on the Texas Coast at Baffin Bay. Super light and will cast a mile! Did I say this reel is feather-light?!

From: Mark: Texas 12/10/21

Comments: This thing is the reel deal! I have this paired on a 6'10" Medium Expride with 10lb Tatsu and it fires oneten's like a homing missile straight to its targets. Holds a perfect amount of line for use for this setup. Reel was very easy to dial in and it just performs flawlessly for me. If you're on the fence, go for it, I doubt you will be disappointed.

From: Jon: Wrightsville, PA 11/15/21

Comments: This reel by far is the best casting reel I own, I now have seven of them, small line capacity which is great especially with the high priced fluorocarbon lines out there. I mostly used these for pitching and for my jerk baits. 20lb line for pitching it holds more than you need, 10 Lb line for jerk baits, you can make a long cast and still have plenty line on the reel, I will not hesitate to buy more!

From: Unknown: 11/3/21

Comments: SO SICK! This reel is so light but performs insanely well. For people that have used metaniums, this reel will feel very cheap and plasticy. Once you get that out of your head and just let the reel do it's job, it's insane. One thing to note, be careful what rod you pair this with, it is so light it can make your already light rod feel tip heavy and not balance well. For example, it is perfect on the megabass P5 x-bites but does not feel right on the megabass p5 dark sleeper. Most smaller and lighter bfs rods should be perfect but be aware of balance issues with larger bass rods.

From: Uknown: 10/24/21

Comments: I have a older model I must say it phenomenal reel . It's a 5.1 great ratio use for swim baits absolutely love it would highly recommend this reel.

From: David: Newnan, GA 7/13/21

Comments: Absolutely AMAZING reel, its so accurate and smooth and the best part its really light. I Purcahsed two of these bad boys and I totally recomend it! Used on my Glass Expride 7'2 and my 6'10 Medium Jerkbait rod

From: Justin: Cambria, PA 5/22/21

Comments: Awesome light reel, cast a mile, what more can you ask for. I have an antares and metanium but I catch myself using this reel more just because of how comfortable and compact it feels on hand. Its worth the price but beware full because you'll buy more once you get one.

From: Unknown: 5/3/21

Comments: This reel is amazing, I tested it out today fishing with a shimano poison adrena (heavy casting rod) and man It felt soooo light and was SO accurate with my cast. That and man was I able to bomb my cast so far. This is probably the best reel i've ever used so far. I'm curious how this holds up to the metanium's.

From: Justin: Pennsyvania 4/24/21

Comments: This is now my go to reel.  I'll be adding more and  yes the price is worth it.

From: Doug: 3/18/21

Comments: Been looking for a reel that can handle light weight baits. wow this lil guy can do it in any weather condition. Really really happy with this lil guy.

From: Jim: Michigan 3/9/21

Comments: I was very happy with the aldebaran the lightest reel I own. Not to mention the way it feels in your hand. Castability is awsome. Couldn't be more happy. Thanks tackle warehouse for the fast shipping and great customer service.

From: Jessy: Middletown, Ohio 2/19/21

Comments: Best reel I own hands down light compact great for my hands that i've had many issues with let's me fish for hours on end great product I want to buy more of them!

From: Mattlock: San Jose, CA 2/9/21

Comments: I order the Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 and the Curado 150 DC at the same time. Honestly until the line was on the Aldebaran and cast were made I was thinking I should have just gotten 2 Curado DC's. Once on the water the Aldebaran blew me away and then I was happy with my purchase. 10# InvizX and a Vision 110 cast a mile... effortlessly. Super happy with the Aldebaran and the Curado!

From: Mike: Kansas 12/29/20

Comments: This is the perfect small frame reel for inshore saltwater use targeting Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder. Lightweight, fits in the palm of your hand and is smooth as silk. What a great combination for a day of fishing with artificial lures. Wish I had a dozen of them.

From: James: Houston, TX 12/29/20

Comments: Aldebaran is my new favorite Shimano reel! I have some injuries so the fact it is so light makes it a joy to fish with, especially if you have injuries in the elbow and shoulder like I do. Buy it! Well worth the money.

From: Erik: Kauai, HI 12/27/20

Comments: This Aldebaran is just unreal. So light. So accurate. And casts a long ways. I have about 20 Shimano reels. I've got e's (which I will never part with), I's, k's, and chronarchs. This reel outcast them all. I'm not on top of it as far as maintenance goes and yet everyone of these reels has just been a workhorse for me. I have a 25 year old chronarch mg that still outcast everyone of my reels except for the Aldebaran. And it's not far off from that. If you're looking for a quality reel this is it.

From: Brad: Sutter, CA 11/4/20

Comments: I have 6 of these reels. They are super smooth and extremely light weight. Theses are also compact. A must have.

From: Jason: 10/1/20

Comments:This reel is amazing, super light, and smooth! I have zero complaints, if you can afford it, buy it. I use it for everything from jigs to cranks to top water to anything finesse, ned rig to shakey head, small swimbaits. Even a drop shot if you wanna take that far. Just match your line size to your style of baits for easy casting! I've never used braid on this reel so I can't say anything about that but mono and fluorocarbon, zero issues. I even put 18lb shooter on it, which is way over the recommended line size for the reel and had zero issues, obviously the amount of line is drastically reduced with the larger line diameters, but bottom line if you want to use it like that you can even though it's not its intended use.

From: Isaac: Florissant, CO 9/23/20

Comments: Solid inshore reel. Bought this to cast light finesse lures in shallow water. It cast a country mile. I go back and forth with 10, 15, and 20 pound braid to a 15-20 fluorocarbon leader. Shimano makes the smoothest reels. Drag handles the hard pulling redfish. I've had mine for 2 years with no issues.

From: Paco: McAllen, Texas 7/1/20

Comments: I abused this reel and put it to the test. It pass with flying colors. I do a lot wade fishing in Texas. I've dunked in saltwater while releasing or unhooking a fish. Had the drag screaming on some over size redfish. Light weight reel you can cast all day. I put 15-20lb powerpro with a 15-20lb fluorocarbon leader. Highly recommend this reel to any fisherman who wants a light weight reel or light tackle set up.

From: Juan: Texas 6/13/20

Comments:I have 2 of these. The level wind line guide fell out on both reels. Had to super glue them back in. They don't hold up to the Texas heat.

From: Unknown: 2/19/20

Comments:Pulled the trigger on the whole nrx/aldebaran combo. I literally think all my gear is junk now! This thing cast far (1/2oz. Jigs & sleepers) I want 10 more!

From: Tim: Los Angeles, CA 12/30/19

Comments:Tied for first for my favorite reel i have. I have it paired up with a 7'2 med exage and use it for medium cranks, neds, shakeyheads, jerkbaits and small spinnerbaits. My all around rod. No flaws if You maintain your reels.

From: Hunter: Hamlet, IN 12/13/19

Comments: Unbelievable reel. Agree with the posters below. Had no idea I could cast so accurately. Bought this one to pair with a shimano expride 6'10 (jerk baits) it's a match made in heaven - both reel and rod so light - a joy to fish all day. Typical shimano quality. Why ppl are so accurate with this reel I've no idea but sure is nice. love all shimano higher end reels. your truly getting what your paying for. Light, strong, well made, sensitive, quality, accurate, dependable.

From: Dean: Las Vegas, NV 10/11/19

Comments:Bought the 30 size from Japan a couple months before they released the 50 size in the US. Incredibly lightweight and smooth. I currently use it on a Poison Adrena 610m for jerkbaits and finesse plastics. Like the review below, for some reason it is an incredibly accurate caster on baits over 1/4oz. This reel can launch a vision 110 on 10lb test but anything under 1/4oz, the braking system becomes extremely sensitive and casting accuracy and distance goes downhill. Overall, fantastic reel for finesse baitcasting applications, just wouldn't recommend throwing too light on this reel.

From: Andrew:MA5/16/19

Comments:I have many Shimano reels and a dozen other high end setups. This reel is not only the lightest ever but for whatever reason I am incredibly accurate with it. I can hit my mark within a foot on every cast and I am by no means a pro. I super tuned this reel and actually went back to stock. Its just perfect the way it is and doesnt require anything aftermarket. If I could pick one reel this would be it.

From: Josh K:Milwaukee, WI 3/17/19

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