Shimano Reels

The range at a glance

• Spinning Reels: From Sienna, Nexave and Sedona to Stradic, Twin Power and Stella, plus the dedicated SW saltwater models and Baitrunner freespool reels.
• Baitcaster Reels: Caius, SLX and Curado through to Tranx, Metanium, Antares and the Calcutta Conquest family, including DC and bait-finesse models.
• Overhead Reels: Torium and Ocea Jigger for jigging, Speedmaster LD, Talica, Tyrnos and TLD lever drags, and Tiagra for game fishing.
• Electric Reels: Plays, Forcemaster and Beastmaster electrics for deep dropping and electric jigging.

Pick the technique and platform first, then the size, then the tier. There's no single ladder from cheapest to best, and a bigger reel isn't automatically a better one.

Shimano Spinning Reels

Entry: FX, Sienna, Catana, Nexave and Sedona

FX FC, Sienna FG, Catana FE, Nexave FJ and Sedona FJ are general-purpose fresh and saltwater reels, not freshwater-only models. Sedona FJ adds a cold-forged Hagane gear and Silent Drive, and it's the one we'd point a regular angler towards. None of these has X-Protect, so give them a proper freshwater rinse after every salt session.

Mid-range: Miravel, Nasci FD, Ultegra FD, Stradic FM and Vanford FA

Nasci FD and Ultegra FD are durable general-purpose reels, with Hagane gearing and CoreProtect on the Nasci and a CoreSolid body on the Ultegra. Miravel and Vanford FA trade some bulk for lighter Ci4+ construction. Vanford costs more than Nasci but is noticeably lighter in the hand (the C3000 is 180 g) and uses X-Protect. Stradic FM is the all-rounder most anglers land on, with a Hagane gear and X-Protect water resistance.

Premium: Sustain FK, Twin Power FE and XD, Vanquish and Stella FK

Sustain FK sits a step above Stradic, alongside Twin Power FE, as a lighter and more responsive Magnumlite reel for inshore and freshwater lure work. Twin Power FE is the premium general-purpose step up from Stradic FM: lighter and more refined rather than stronger. Twin Power XD FB is the tougher, rigidity-focused version, with a Hagane body. Vanquish chases the lowest weight and rotational inertia for finesse work, and the 26 Vanquish CE takes that further for tournament bream and trout by trimming waterproofing to cut rotational torque. Stella FK is the top of the tree for freshwater and light inshore spinning.

Dedicated saltwater: Spheros SW-A, Saragosa SWA, Stradic SW-B, Twin Power SW and Stella SWD

These reels use heavier SW bodies, X-Protect and, on selected models, X-Shield seals. Spheros SW-A and Saragosa SWA are the value saltwater workhorses. Stradic SW-B runs from 4000 to 10000, with up to 16 kg of drag. Twin Power SW is a different animal to the FE: a heavy saltwater platform up to 14000, with 25 kg of drag in the 8000-plus sizes. Stella SWD runs from the 4000XG for inshore lure work right up to 30000 for pelagic and offshore fishing, and the previous-generation Stella SWC is still listed. Compare like with like: Twin Power FE against Stella FK for light spinning, and Twin Power SW against Stella SWD for heavy saltwater.

Surf and freespool

Baitrunner OC and Baitrunner D (4000–12000), Baitrunner LC Long Cast XT (5500 and 14000) and Thunnus CI4 let a fish run with the bait under light tension before you engage the main drag. They're ideal for floating a mulie down a berley trail for pink snapper or live baiting. For long-distance beach casting, the Ultegra XR XTD 14000 is the dedicated surf reel.

Shimano Baitcaster Reels

Learning to cast: SLX DC and Curado DC

Shimano uses three braking families: centrifugal (SVS Infinity and VBS), magnetic FTB on the bait-finesse reels, and DC digital braking, where a microcomputer adjusts the brake through the cast. DC is the easiest way to learn, and the SLX DC and Curado DC bring it in at sensible prices. If you'd rather learn on a conventional brake, go with the Curado K. Caius (VBS, 7.2:1) and SLX A are the entry reels.

Workhorses: Curado, Chronarch and Tranx

Curado M and Curado K cover estuary and light saltwater lure casting. The Curado K has a Hagane body, MicroModule gearing, a plated pinion and a drainage port, in 200 and 300 sizes up to 8.4:1. Chronarch G (185 g) and the all-graphite Chronarch Ci4+ (195 g) are the light casting options. For big hardbodies and swimbaits aimed at barra, mulloway and jacks, the Tranx B in 300 and 400 sizes adds a CoreSolid Hagane body, X-Protect and 10 kg of drag. Tranx A is still available in smaller and some clearance sizes. The compact Grappler Baitcast 300HG (7 kg) is built for light jigging.

Premium low-profile: Bantam A, Metanium MGL, Antares B and Aldebaran

Bantam A sits just under Metanium MGL on price. Its Core Solid aluminium body gives you round-reel rigidity in a low-profile shape. Metanium MGL uses a magnesium CoreSolid body and was field-tested for 12 months in the Top End. Antares B is the most refined low-profile caster, and the 133 g Aldebaran is the pick for light jerkbaits and finesse lures.

Round reels: choose by size, not shape

A round reel doesn't automatically hold more line; capacity depends on the size. The Calcutta Conquest A 100 and the Shallow Edition 30 are light-lure reels. The 200 (6 kg) is a superb slow-rolling reel for barra and jacks. For big swimbaits, step up to the Calcutta Conquest MD 300/400, with 8 kg of Cross Carbon drag. Calcutta Conquest DC pairs the round body with Shimano's I-DC5 digital brake, and it sits alongside Antares B at the top of the range.

Bait finesse (BFS): Curado BFS, SLX BFS and Calcutta Conquest BFS

FTB magnetic braking and ultralight spools let these reels cast 2–3 g lures, and the Calcutta Conquest BFS flips lures of around 1 g. They're ideal for skipping small plastics under Swan and Canning River structure for bream.

Shimano Overhead Reels

Star drags are simple and still the most common choice for jigging and bottom fishing. Lever drags let you preset a repeatable strike drag. Shimano also builds lever-drag jigging reels, so the line isn't absolute.

Jigging: Torium Jigger, Ocea Jigger, F Custom and LD

Torium Jigger (1500HG and 2000HG, up to 11 kg, with a spool lock for breaking off snags) is the budget jigging reel. Ocea Jigger comes in 1500, 2000NR and 4000 sizes with HG and PG gearing. The F Custom adds a fall lever, and the 24 Ocea Jigger LD 2500 is a 20 kg lever-drag jigger. Ocea Conquest CT adds a digital line counter. Choose gearing by technique: HG or XG for speed jigging, PG for slow pitch and deep water where you want torque. Also compare Shimano's retrieve-per-crank figure, not just the ratio. The Ocea Jigger 2000NR-HG (6.2:1) picks up more line per turn than the 1500HG (6.4:1) because its spool is bigger. For samsonfish, amberjack and kingfish off Rottnest and the Perth Canyon, match the reel to your jigging rod (see our Shimano Rods range), PE class and jig weight.

Lever drags: Speedmaster LD, Talica, Tyrnos and TLD

Speedmaster LD packs dual-speed gearing into a compact, castable lever drag at a lower price than Talica. Talica is castable too, and steps up in frame, drag and finish: a one-piece cold-forged aluminium frame and HEG (High Efficiency Gearing). The Talica 8 and 10 are the compact ones, and the Talica A 2-Speed (12–50) earns its keep in deep water and on fish that sound. Tyrnos (16–30), Tyrnos 2-Speed, TLD (20, 25) and TLD 2-Speed (30–50) are the mid-size light-to-medium lever drags for trolling and live baiting.

Game: Tiagra and Talica 20 BFC

Tiagra is Shimano's lever-drag game reel family from 16 to 130, and every Tiagra is two-speed. The Talica 20 BFC is built for tournament billfishing. Match either to your game rod, line class and fighting setup rather than buying the reel first.

Shimano Electric Reels

For deep dropping on demersals (dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod), choose an electric reel on depth, current, sinker weight and line capacity, not on the biggest number. The 24 Plays (3000A and 4000A, up to PE6 500 m) is a compact entry into electric fishing. Forcemaster 9000 carries 900 m of 80 lb braid and 25 kg of Cross Carbon drag, with programmable and manual modes for anything from inshore to over the shelf. Beastmaster 2000 is the mid-depth reel with electric jigging modes, and the Beastmaster 3000II adds a speed and power mode with 25 kg of drag. Beastmaster 9000B (GIGA-MAX brushless motor, 1,100 m of PE6), Beastmaster MD 6000 (43 kg max drag) and Beastmaster MD 12000 (Shimano's largest and most powerful electric) are for the deepest drops. Shimano power cords are listed with our Shimano accessories.

Sizes, codes and tech

• Size: 1000–2500 for bream, whiting and squid; 3000–4000 for herring and tailor off the rocks; 4000–6000 for beach and rock work; SW 6000–10000 for pink snapper, samsonfish and kingfish; 14000 and up for stickbaits at tuna.
• Balance: a 2500 on a rod built for 4000–5000 reels and PE2–3 will feel tip-heavy. Match the reel to the rod's line class first.
• Codes: C = compact body, S = shallow spool, HG/XG = high and extra-high gear, PG = power gear. Suffixes like FK, FE and SWD mark different generations or families, so read the full name.
• Ratio vs recovery: gear ratio is turns per handle turn. Line recovered also depends on spool diameter and fill, so compare the retrieve-per-crank figure when changing size.

Servicing, spooling and visiting us

We service most reels and repair most rods, covering all the major brands and some smaller ones. We service Shimano reels in-house, send them to Shimano when needed, and can order genuine Shimano parts. Free line spooling when you buy your line in-store for the reel, and we also spool from bulk line. We've been fitting anglers out since 1993, with more than 200 years of combined fishing experience on the team.

Level 1, 154 Stirling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 (above the Taylor Road IGA) · (08) 9389 1337 · Free shipping on orders over $150* (under 3kg, exclusions apply).