WetBlanket

Price is one of the main reasons why shimano and daiwa is better. Years ago, these two didn't have anything "cheap", so if your budget is low, you had no choice but to choose another brand. Daiwa now has the Tatula 80-100 and Shimano has the SLX. For a low price, you're not gonna beat this with another brand.

Why buy a brand that doesn't even design their reels? Let alone manufacture them.

Always price point.

I still see too many people still suggesting the Curado on reddit and the youtube comments, and that has triggered me🙂So here's my list for the entry level, mid range and high tier. The absolute best bang per buck (ordered from Japan of course). Entry Tier: The new Tatula 100, 150 or the 200, depending on the capacity you need. That Tat80 is also there if capacity isn't too important, or you want a smaller reel. These are smoother than reels that cost much higher, silent, and most importantly, smoothness that lasts because of their gear set. Mid Tier: 21Zillion is still king. I know the Zillion HD was just ~$35 more expensive before the tariffs, and that would've been the absolute best per buck reel the industry has ever seen, but nowadays, i don't know for what they're going for, so i'll vote for the 21Zil. Everyone already knows how smooth and long lasting they're, so no explanations are needed on why i consider these as the best for the mid range. High Tier: 24 Shimano Metanium DC (my personal favorite shimano made to date). Even though these have my nemesis - the micro module, mine is still perfectly smooth after a season, so it has passed the test. Great caster, smooth, perfectly comfy frame to palm. Outside of the gear set, the only thing i would've preferred in this reel is for it to have a metal palming side plate like the Bantam, and i wouldn't care about the added weight. Daiwa high end has failed with their Steez in my opinion. Amazing frame, looks nice, and casts well, but a non 34mm spool and non adjustable zero adjuster is an automatic garbage bin to me🤢 What's your three reels that you consider as the best for each tier?

Standards of a lot of people are extremely low when it comes to smoothness and noise on a reel. Especially true from those who consider their reels as "tools" and nothing else. They simply don't pay attention to any of it, until the reel breaks, and only then they'll complain about the reel.

Shimano ACE-2 exclusively, and this goes to all reels, not just shimano's.

Until the gear set becomes noisy as hell, then i'll come here to complain, of course.

If its not a shimano or a daiwa, its not worth a cent. Of course there are exceptions, especially for SW, but in general, i don't know why one would bother on any other brand when you have quality low end, great mid range, and excellent high end from both companies.

Got rid of all my spinning gear at the end of 2012 season. Ever since, been using nothing but BFS. I see no disadvantages, not even a tiny one. Amazingly fun to fish walleye with.

The X Ship should be a given. Had a lot of trouble understanding why it took Shimano this long when Daiwa had it since what? The 90s? Crazy.

I am not a massive fan of OG shimano's because of their braking system, but if they were to relaunch the same E series with their newer SVS brakes, with an external braking dial, that would be crazy. Outside of the Metanium, i wouldn't even consider anything else from Shimano if they did it.

For full fluoro line, i like it for just two reasons. I feel like the action on jerkbaits is superior. There's more slashing on a jerk. Secondly, i like the feel of it when grinding rocks with squarebills. That's it, i don't use full fluoro for anything else. The main reason i use a fluoro leader at all times is for abrasion resistance, and it helps against pike/musky teeth (sometimes lol).

If i was going, the Z2020 would be my #1 choice over anything and everything in production.

I don't think that reel covers will save the reel long term. From friction while the boat is moving, it will rub through the clear, and then the paint. Saw some guy on youtube that has all his stuff tuned with ZPI parts talk about it, and he showed what it does over time. Should work on a kayak, though.

Boatless, so i don't know if reel covers would be enough when you riding waves and such, but what i do know is that id be extra triggered if i scratched my custom pixy.

Please get yourself some Googan Squad rods and reels, and tell us your opinion about them😊

Chronarch E, Chronarch D, Curado E, Core, Conqest 50 and the Conquest DC 50 are the "legendary" reels from Shimano that will only increase in price. Just like the yellow pixy, first gen ryoga1016, TD Ito, TDZ's (less so now, though. these got you a much higher premium five plus years ago), millionaire sss/i'ze light/slc, Steez EX, Z2020, etc. If you can get these reels in like new or NOS condition, they will get you a premium. Back in 2023 i believe it was, a buddy of mine sold a NOS Curado E200 on ebay auction, and it got to something like $680 canadian dollars. Lots of people are paying big buck for the OG stuff, especially is nos condition with box and papers.

i don't like the looks of it either, but for 2026, you gotta open your eyes on daiwa. ignoring amazing reels such as the zillion, the alphas, new tat100, etc is a waste.

Yea, i have a buddy that abuses his Zillion HD for striper, ranging between 3-15lb on average, in high current, and not only is the reel still very smooth, but also super silent after over two years of hard use. Just like the Steez A, the Zillion HD is the mini tank from Daiwa.

If the Zillion HD is an option, then this choice is a no brainer. Its the best of the best in this reel size.

I mean, if the new Tat100 is too small, get a Tat200. People are using it to chunk 4oz+ baits without any issues, and i haven't heard any complaints at all as of yet. Unless you go into the used market, there's nothing available that is better than the new Tat100 and the Tat200 if you want more power/capacity. Like, the new Tat feels pretty much like a zillion, and a zillion is a universe superior to the likes of a Curado or an SLX, so there really are no competition anymore. Low end Shimano offerings are far inferior to what Daiwa has, so i would never suggest you to waste your money on a Curado when much better options are available, and can be had for cheaper.

On which frame is this salamandura made on? If its the zillion or the alphas, i would get that over the curada any day. If its made on the older Tatula frame, i would get the new Tatutal 100 instead. The curado and SLX cannot compete with the new Tat100, so if you want cheap, but still geat, and lasting smoothness, the new Tat100 is the way to go.

Haven't assembled the reel yet, but the parts are in.

d**n bro Jon B is sending em to you on his boat.

That's expensive. I originally thought that this was a $150 reel, so just "trying it" was just OK. But $300 that's an investment that can get you an amazing reel that you don't need to try to see how it performs, and it's pros aren't you being able to cast without backlashes because that's a given that doesn't even need to be mentioned in a reel properly designed.