Daiwa Prorex Baitcaster Reel
With their rotating spools, baitcaster reels offer improved casting control and accuracy for the angler. Greater skill is often required to use them when compared to spinning reels, because an ‘educated thumb’ is used to prevent tangles, but an experienced baitcasting angler can learn to drop lures with a very high degree of accuracy. Baitcasting reels can also avoid bad casts by bringing lures which are heading for snags to a rapid stop, before they get into trouble.
The Daiwa Prorex Baitcaster Reel is part of Daiwa’s specialist range of predator angling tackle and was developed in collaboration with Daiwa’s Scandinavian competition team. It has a range of features designed to help cast large lures with confidence, to work with substantial lines, and to ensure you are ready for long fights to net feisty fish. These include a light and strong aluminium body which protects the internal Digigear II gearing system from distortion under load. Digigear components are made to extremely close tolerances and therefore mesh very well to produce the minimum of internal resistance. The result is a long-lasting and silky-smooth action which enables a highly efficient transfer of your input power on the handle onto the spool.
Line management in this reel has several components and the Magforce magnetic brake system is one which could benefit anglers who are new to this type of reel. Instead of manual control of the line during the curve of the cast (that ‘educated thumb’), Daiwa’s Magforce brakes use innovative and adjustable arrangements of magnets to put the spool under whichever control profile you need for the environmental conditions you face. Whether you’re fishing at night or in a stiff wind, this brake system can be set to help you cast at your best. This predator reel comes in two sizes – 100 and 200 – and the 100 version is fitted with Magforce-Z, an upgrade which includes a more conventional centrifugal brake set-up in a hybrid arrangement with the magnetic system, for even more nuanced braking.
Predator angling relies heavily on drag and this reel features a competition-level system: Automatic Tournament Drag (ATD). It acts to reduces spool twist and provides greater spool support along its entire length. This support reduces ‘pulsing’ when you’re in a fight by making sure optimal pressure is applied to the all-weather carbon drag discs. The inclusion of Infinity Anti-Reverse eliminates backplay on the line when striking, to improve your confidence when attempting to convert fish interest into opportunities to land them. You are also provided with hassle-free drag control by means of a star drag placed at your fingertips, complete with a click-system for consistent setting.
All this ability is given soft and comfortable handle knobs to help cope with long sessions or extended fights and it has attractive but unobtrusive black and purple colouring. Both size variants are available in either left- or right-handed versions. You could consider matching this reel with a baitcasting rod from the Daiwa Prorex range.
The Daiwa Prorex Baitcaster Reel is a reasonably-priced option for anglers who are new to baitcasting techniques. Its attractive price point nonetheless includes a suite of useful features that are intended to make this skilful angling method as easy as possible to approach and ultimately to master. Daiwa was founded in Japan in the 1950s and has been committed to the global development of angling ever since. Angling Direct is proud to be the UK’s leading stockist for the Daiwa brand, which means we’re able to offer exclusive deals, which is why it pays to check our Daiwa stock regularly.