Anyone use these?

No, but they will become more common as the Shimano patent has expired and there is a flood of reels coming out with DC braking.  There is even a kit to convert a Black Max. 

Have had a bunch of DC reels, and currently have two, the 24 Met DC and the 2009 Calcutta DC 100.

I predicted in 2024 that Daiwa will release a DC reel in 2026 that doesn't need any charging like the IMZ. Will see if it happens this year or next, but it's coming 300%.

didnt Daiwa come out with a computerized reel?   unless I dreamt it...

 

bluetooth to our phones and everything.  

7 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

didnt Daiwa come out with a computerized reel?   unless I dreamt it...

 

bluetooth to our phones and everything.  

That was the IMZ. More a prototype than a viable fishing product. 
 

I personally despise the DC whine, but even if it was silent I’d still prefer an SV spool for dealing with backlash prone techniques. 

I have one DC and I dont even hear the whine.    white noise.    for me, casting into a stiff wind.   wind = waves = herded baitfish = the stripers are HERE!!

 

its my longest casting reel.  wins me a beer every year in Oklahoma fishing with friends.   those knuckleheads think a spinning reel cast further every year...they will eventually learn.

I have one DC reel, and....it's ok.  I don't get the distance I can get on my other reels, mainly because I have most of the braking turned off on those.  However it's great casting into a strong wind.

 

As for digital reels, it ain't cool unless it comes with bluetooth....and pairs with FFS....and then casts exactly to the fish shown on FFS.

 

...wait

 

...on second thought....that's not so cool.

 

hmm, closest I've got

 

 

Apparently a lot of people like them but I’ve always thought they were just a gimmick. 
Still do 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

I have 2 Curado 150 DCs.  I love them.

Have an older Exsence DC.  It's as easy to cast as any SV spooled reel.

I have a Curado DC. It works well when really windy. 

 

I have Curado and SLX DC's.  I don't get any more distance than any of my non-DC reels, but the DC technology is very helpful in windy conditions.

 

I also purchased a couple Lew's Custom Pro reels last year that have a magnetic cast control mechanism that's supposed to compete with DC technology.  

 

After using both for almost a full season, I might give the Custom Pro's the nod by a hair, but for the money, Shimano's XT DC is a better value in my book.

 

8 hours ago, Glenn said:

As for digital reels, it ain't cool unless it comes with bluetooth....and pairs with FFS....and then casts exactly to the fish shown on FFS.

 

Yeah, WINTER sure has set in.  BassResource is going to be interesting over the next couple of months!

I think the engineering is cool. My son uses 1 Curado DC and he swears by it. 
 

I don’t own one and likely won’t ever. 
 

Still cool..

10 hours ago, TNBankFishing said:

I personally despise the DC whine, but even if it was silent I’d still prefer an SV spool for dealing with backlash prone techniques. 

Some don't like it.  Some do.  Personally don't mind it.  Same for ceramic bearings.  Picked up a set from a seller at a steal who couldn't stand the sound from them.  Personally find the sound useful.  Helps me determine when the cast is nearing the end.

 

Never had my DC backlash except for when I went to the Max/Min setting and lowered the braking.  This is with enough spool tension to just barely remove side-to-side play.  I don't have the thumb skill of those that learned to use baitcast reels back when spool tension was the only brake control you had.  I depend on them but try to keep spool tension at a minimum and increase brake setting when needed.

11 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

hmm, closest I've got

 

 

 

THAT is a sleeper.

I have an SLX 70 DC and it’s okay.  Handy for Jerkbaits in the wind. After that, it’s just a good reel.

2 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

Some don't like it.  Some do.  Personally don't mind it.  Same for ceramic bearings.  Picked up a set from a seller at a steal who couldn't stand the sound from them.  Personally find the sound useful.  Helps me determine when the cast is nearing the end.

 

Never had my DC backlash except for when I went to the Max/Min setting and lowered the braking.  This is with enough spool tension to just barely remove side-to-side play.  I don't have the thumb skill of those that learned to use baitcast reels back when spool tension was the only brake control you had.  I depend on them but try to keep spool tension at a minimum and increase brake setting when needed.

I didn’t start using baitcasters until 2019. The time it takes to learn is minuscule compared to how much time we put on the water. 
 

If you’re happy fishing, nothing else matters. The gear we use and the games we play trying to find the perfect combination of lure and line are all secondary. Go fish. Have fun. When it’s all said and done the memories are all that matters. 

I've got 4 or 5 DC reels that I use regularly: from old to new- a Calais DC. a Calcutta DC, a Curado DC and an SLX DC.  I use them for distance and windy conditions.  I use tem for jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.  The farthest casting is the Calcutta.  I don't use them for bottom touching baits.  

10 hours ago, TNBankFishing said:

I didn’t start using baitcasters until 2019. The time it takes to learn is minuscule compared to how much time we put on the water. 
 

If you’re happy fishing, nothing else matters. The gear we use and the games we play trying to find the perfect combination of lure and line are all secondary. Go fish. Have fun. When it’s all said and done the memories are all that matters. 

My post was just my personal opinion.  Not trying to talk anyone into DC reels...or any other kind of reel.  I grew up with spinning.  Once I bought my first low profile baitcast reel I never looked back.  My brother-in-law gives me a hard time when I have to pick out a backlash while he's still making casts with his spinning rod.

 

That's okay.  I'm willing to put up with the occasional backlash because that's the kind of reel I prefer using.  I don't pick on him because all he uses is cheap spinning gear.  He often catches more fish than I do.  That's okay too.  I enjoy using a baitcast reel and just being out on the water.

 

As you said, it's all about enjoying yourself.  I often went to a local boat ramp to practice and try out new gear never expecting to catch a fish.  I usually didn't.  Still had a good time.

On 1/2/2026 at 5:01 PM, new2BC4bass said:

Have an older Exsence DC.  It's as easy to cast as any SV spooled reel.

Those 2012 Exsence DCs are awesome reels!  

I have a few and as a guy who grew up on spinning gear they're nice to have.  I still have to think and pay attention with a BC.  Yes, I give up some casting distance, but I can focus more on the actual fishing than casting.  

 

Another reason I like them is for handing to more casual anglers.  My brother owns one basic spinning setup.  He finds bait casters intimidating.  I can hand him a DC reel and give 30s of instructions and he's good to go.  

This is how my tiny brain thinks:

 

DC = Digital Control which is run by an internal microcomputer.

 

Seems like something like that could break.

 

It's a no from me dawg.

 

     I have a pair of Curado DC's and a Exsense DC.  I had a 18 Scorpion DC that was stolen that I liked.  I do like the Curado DC's quite a bit.  I bought them on the flea market forum and they perform very well windy or not.  I use them for casting lighter crank baits and lighter weight baits.  I do have a well educated thumb and my cast control knob is almost off.

  I got them to try them to see what they were like and to try and improve my dock skipping game.

     If your good with a bait caster and have a intelligent thumb it's not really needed.  I think they are still pretty cool and I like the whine when I belt out a bomb cast.

FM

I tried them when the Curado DC and SLX DC came out. Bought the Curado for me to try and bought an SLX DC for my wife because it was a little smaller.

 

The thought was that it may help her get the hang of casting reels as she was just starting to use them. I can't say it really helped her and we have sold off both of them. She much preferred a Tatula SV 70 that I had picked up. She is also running a Daiwa T3 that I had picked up. The 3D braking on that T3 reel gives her some options she likes. She has been throwing her bladed jigs on that reel.

 

My experience with the DC reels I had was that they worked fine if you had a firm consistent cast. We found that if she hesitated at all on the cast and didn't get a full cast, the likelihood of backlash increased and she would get different levels of over-run. Traditional braking on the Daiwa reels worked better for her, and she also liked the smaller size.

 

As for the noise,... It was kind of a novelty when we first got them that wore off quickly and became a little irritating after a while.