FROM CROSSFIRE TO SALTIGA
Daiwa
Daiwa has been making fishing tackle in Japan since 1958, and Daiwa Australia has been here since 1973, designing rods like TD Black, Infeet, Saltist and Demon Blood for local fishing. The reels carry ideas that matter on the water: Magsealed to keep salt out, Monocoque (MQ) bodies for strength, and Airdrive rotors for finesse. That runs from a Crossfire on the jetty to a Saltiga on a samsonfish boat or a Seaborg on the deep drop.
Compleat Angler Nedlands is one of Perth's largest Daiwa stockists, with Daiwa rods, reels, electric combos, lures, Emeraldas squid jigs, J-Braid line and tackle storage in-store and online. Browse by category below, or bring your rod in and we'll match a reel to it.
The Daiwa range at a glance
- Rods: Crossfire and Aird X up to TD Battler AGS and Infeet for the estuary, Sensor Sandstorm and Saltiga Surf for the beach, and Saltist, Demon Blood, Saltiga and Seaborg rods offshore.
- Reels: Spinning, baitcaster, overhead and electric reels, from Crossfire, Aird and Legalis to Certate, Exist, Saltiga, Tatula and Seaborg.
- Combos: Electric deep-drop outfits built around Seaborg, Tanacom and Seapower reels, matched to a rod and ready for the boat.
- Lures & Squid Jigs: Double Clutch and Infeet hardbodies, Bait Junkie and Gekkabijin plastics and jigheads, Saltiga stickbaits and Emeraldas squid jigs.
- Line, Tools & Accessories: J-Braid and Saltiga braid, J-Thread fluorocarbon leader, pliers, reel covers, electric-reel cords and D-Box tackle storage.
Daiwa technology in plain English
Daiwa's model names come with a lot of acronyms. Here's what the important ones actually do.
Reels
- Magsealed: a film of magnetic oil on the main shaft (and on the line roller and bearings in higher models) that forms a liquid barrier against water, salt and dust.
- MQ (Monocoque): a one-piece body closed by a large screw-in engine plate instead of a side plate. With no side-plate screws the body is stiffer and fits a bigger drive gear.
- LT (Light & Tough): Daiwa's compact, lighter body and internals without losing strength. It also re-standardised sizing, so an old 2500 is roughly an LT 3000.
- ATD (Automatic Tournament Drag): a special grease lets the drag start smoothly the instant a fish pulls, with no sticky surge, which protects light leaders. ATD Type-L is the light-line tune.
- Airdrive and Powerdrive: Airdrive lightens the rotor, bail and spool so finesse reels respond instantly. Powerdrive stiffens them for heavy offshore loads on the 25 Saltiga and 26 Certate SW.
Rods
- HVF and SVF: carbon grades with progressively less resin and more carbon fibre. SVF is lighter and more sensitive for a given strength.
- Nanoplus: a separate nano-resin process that raises carbon density further, as in HVF Nanoplus and SVF Nanoplus.
- X45 and 3DX: X45 is a 45-degree bias wrap that stops the blank twisting. 3DX reinforces the butt for lifting power; it's the red section on Demon Blood.
- AGS: carbon-framed guides that Daiwa says are 40% lighter than titanium equivalents, found on TD Battler AGS, TD Commander and some Infeet and Saltiga LC models.
Daiwa reels by type
Spinning: Crossfire LT, 23 Aird LT and Legalis LT are the sensible starting points. Freams LT adds Magsealed for regular saltwater use, and the 26 Infeet X, TD Black MQ and 25 TD Sol MQ suit Swan River bream. Certate LT, the 23 Airity and 22 Exist LT sit at the top of the finesse ladder. For the salt, BG MQ and Saltist MQ lead up to Certate SW and Saltiga.
Baitcaster: Tatula is the workhorse family, Lexa TW adds heavy-duty drag, the 26 Coastal TW is built for inshore saltwater, and the Steez A II TW and Gekkabijin Air TW cast the lightest lures.
Overhead and electric: Saltist and Saltiga star drags, the 25 Saltiga 300H level-wind jigger and 20 Saltiga LD lever drag cover jigging and bottom fishing. Leobritz, Seaborg, Seapower and Tanacom electrics handle deep dropping. The full breakdown is on our Daiwa Reels page.
Daiwa rods by technique
Pick the family by technique, then the model by lure weight and line class. Estuary: the TD ladder (TD Hyper, TD Black, TD Commander, TD Battler AGS) and Infeet, Daiwa Australia's dedicated bream family. Beach and rocks: Crossfire Surf, Sensor Wave, Sensor Sandstorm and Saltiga Surf, with Seabass and the Dragger family for metals and stickbaits off the stones.
Boat: Saltist, TD Saltwater and Saltiga LC for demersals (dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod) on bait, plastics and tai-rubber; Outrage X, Saltiga SJ and Saltiga Longfall for slow and long-fall jigging; Demon Blood and Saltiga J for samsonfish and kingfish. Seaborg, Tanacom and Seapower rods sit under electric reels. See every family on our Daiwa Rods page.
Daiwa electric combos
Our Daiwa combos are electric deep-drop outfits: a 21 Seaborg 300J or 26 Seaborg 500J on a Leobritz DG handheld rod, a Tanacom 1200 or Seapower 1200 on a Saltist 56HT or Beefstick deep-drop rod, a 17 Seaborg 800MJ on a Saltist ST56HT, and the 24 Seaborg G1800M-RJ on a Seaborg 54XHFD for the deepest water. Some come spooled, so check each listing. Choose on depth, sinker weight and line capacity rather than the biggest reel on the wall.
Daiwa lures, soft plastics and squid jigs
- Estuary hardbodies: Double Clutch (48SP to 115 EXDR) is the benchmark suspending jerkbait, with a tungsten sliding weight for distance. Infeet Spike and Rollin Crank cover diving work, Slippery Dog 65F and 80F walk the dog like a fleeing prawn, and the Infeet Reflex 38S vibe shimmies on the drop around pylons.
- Soft plastics and jigheads: Bait Junkie Minnow, Flick, Grub and Prawn in stretchy Elastomax, rigged on Bait Junkie jigheads including the Covert. Gekkabijin micro plastics suit herring, whiting and small trevally.
- Offshore: Saltiga Over There sinking stickbaits (the 130S is 53g and wire-through), Rough Ride and Cuddler floating stickbaits, and the Frother 170F for kingfish and tuna, and GT from Exmouth north.
- Squid jigs: Emeraldas Nude V2 changes sink angle with a clip-on sinker or snap, the Amorous Joint has a jointed body with two tow points, and the Shine LC Laser Impact casts long with a mirror finish. Store them in an Emeraldas Egi Case.
Daiwa line and leader
J-Braid X4 is the budget casting braid. J-Braid Expedition X8 (silicone-coated) and Grand X8 (a rounder, tighter weave) are eight-carrier braids for lure and boat fishing, and Saltiga Dura X8 and Saltiga 12 EX Si3+ are the premium options for jigging and casting. Tanacom Braid comes in 1000m spools for electric reels. For leader, J-Thread X-Link FC and J-Thread FC Leader cover finesse to offshore. We give free line spooling when you buy your line in-store for the reel, and we also spool from bulk line.
Why buy Daiwa from Compleat Angler Nedlands
We've helped Perth anglers choose tackle since 1993, and our team has more than 200 years of combined fishing experience, from Swan River bream to deep dropping off the shelf. We service most reels and repair most rods, covering all the major brands and some smaller brands. We send Magsealed reels back to Daiwa for servicing, and we carry SLP Works spools, handles and knobs plus Daiwa reel grease and oil.
Visit us at Level 1, 154 Stirling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 (above the Taylor Road IGA), or shop online with free shipping over $150* (under 3kg, exclusions apply).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Daiwa rods and reels designed for Australian fishing?
Daiwa is a Japanese company founded in 1958, and Daiwa Australia has been here since 1973. It designs Australia-specific rod ranges such as TD Black, Infeet, Saltist, Demon Blood and Sensor Sandstorm, and brings in the Japanese reel range. Manufacturing locations vary by model, so ask us about a specific one.
What does Magsealed do, and can you service Magsealed reels?
Magsealed is a film of magnetic oil on the main shaft, and on the line roller and bearings in higher models, that forms a liquid barrier against water, salt and dust. We send Magsealed reels back to Daiwa for servicing, so don't open one up at home.
Which Daiwa outfit suits bream in the Swan River?
A 2000–2500 reel such as the 26 Infeet X, TD Black MQ, 25 TD Sol MQ or Certate LT on an Infeet or TD Black rod. For a budget setup, a Legalis LT or 23 Aird LT on a 24 Aird X or 26 Crossfire rod does the job. Pair it with a Double Clutch 48SP or a Bait Junkie 2.5in Minnow.
What Daiwa gear suits demersals off Perth?
For demersals (dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod) on bait, plastics and tai-rubber, look at Saltist, TD Saltwater or Saltiga LC rods with a Saltist MQ or 23 Saltist LW reel. For slow jigging, Outrage X or MX, Saltiga SJ or Saltiga Longfall with a Saltiga 300H or Saltist SD.
Which Daiwa electric combo should I buy?
Match it to depth and sinker weight. The 21 Seaborg 300J or 26 Seaborg 500J on a Leobritz DG rod is a handheld outfit for moderate depths. The Tanacom 1200 and Seapower 1200 combos are built for serious deep dropping, and the 24 Seaborg G1800M-RJ is for the biggest fish in the deepest water.
Which Emeraldas squid jig should I use?
The Emeraldas Nude V2 is a versatile all-rounder whose sink angle you can change with a clip-on sinker or snap. The Amorous Joint gives a different, jointed action for cautious squid, and the Shine LC Laser Impact casts long with plenty of flash. Match them with an Emeraldas X rod and reel.
Which Daiwa braid should I buy?
J-Braid X4 is the value casting braid. J-Braid Expedition X8 and Grand X8 are smoother, rounder eight-carrier braids for most lure and boat fishing. Saltiga Dura X8 and Saltiga 12 EX Si3+ are the premium picks for jigging and casting, and Tanacom Braid comes in 1000m spools for electric reels.
Do you spool line and service Daiwa reels?
Yes. Free line spooling when you buy your line in-store for the reel, and we also spool from bulk line. We service most reels and repair most rods, covering all the major brands and some smaller brands. Magsealed reels go back to Daiwa for servicing.