The Daiwa roundup

[Beetlebz]

So there's alot of support these days for the latest daiwa line up, and with good reason. They've done a fantastic job of pushing out reels with great features to try to get some of the hobbiest market back  at price points that are no doubt intended to get some of that entry level market back. Today was my first adventure with the Tatula SV, the Tatula, and the Fuego. I wanted to share my thoughts on all 3 to hopefully help someone trying to decide which one is for them. 

 

I changed things up a little bit and respooled all 3. My moving bait rod got the tatula with YZH 10#, my bottom rig got the SV with 15# big game and my flipping rod has the fuego with 15# YZH. This wound up being about the perfect arrangement. 

 

The Tatula..

The tatula replaced the SV on the moving bait rod. All around it worked well but at times I felt that it was over braked. In this role the standard tatula did exceedingly well. Quiet, smooth and throws absolute bombs. I have to say that it feels a bit more refined in the hand than the casitas it replaced. I threw a 10' or so medium diving yozuri crank and the 7.3:1 had plenty of snot, I never felt overgeared. 

 

The SV...

I put this on my bottom contact rig because if I were to throw a weightless anything, it would be here. I spent the day throwing a 1/4oz t-rig and 1/2oz c-rig. Something I hadn't considered, the floppy nature during casting of plastics was tamed pretty handily by the SV spool and brakes. Even when the c-rig went butt over tea kettle on the cast the spool never got unruly and a quick tap of the thumb sent the c-rig into the water nice and neat. I would say it has a slightly more refined feel in the hand than the regular tatula, but it's very minor. I feel like the chrome thumb bar helps with the feel and presentation, even if it's still the same plastic underneath. Also, I never once had an unruly spool using the 15# big game which is a feat in and of itself. 

 

The fuego..

Ahhh the Fuego. I used it to throw a 3/8 jig and craw literally all day. I did some pretty impressive hook sets to get a few of those tanks out of the wood.... the Fuego never skipped a beat. I ran the brakes a little hotter than I normally would just to keep the spool from getting unruly during pitching, but once I made that adjustment I had zero issues. The reel launched the jig out of sight when I ran it along grass edges. Definitely lacks some of the refinement in the hand of the other two, but to be honest not by a whole lot. I think the twing equipped reels have an edge but I definitely didn't feel limited by the traditional style line guide. While it looks like it was spray painted, the matte black finish so far has been more durable than the tatula finish. I kinda wish they all had it! Definitely the best value of the bunch, if not my favorite. This reel is in 8.1:1 and even when I was swimming the jig in, I never felt overgeared or under handled. 

 

I hope this helps someone make their choice!

 

 

[new2BC4bass]

LgMouthGambler on another site works on reels.  He doesn't like the T-wing, so he tried a Fuego CT.  You'd have to ask him what all he did to the reel, but he wound up being very impressed with its abilities.

 

I don't have any of the Daiwa CT reels, but have 2 of the original Tatula Type Rs and a Tatula SV.  Had an original Tatula, but sold it real cheap (almost gave it away) to a deserving young college guy looking to get into baitcast reels.  I like them all, but have to admit I lean towards Daiwa reels anyway so I am a bit biased.

 

Thanks for the reviews.  Should help some people looking to make a decision on their next reel.

 

[CroakHunter]

I own 6 Of these reels. I was really impressed with all of them and will continue to buy them until my aresnal is full. Let a fishing buddy cast my setups in the yard yesterday and he couldn't believe how smooth and solid they felt. Then his jaw really hit the floor when I told him the price they can be had for online. He uses a lot of $200+ Shimanos and thought the daiwas felt better to him. Good honest review. I'm sure this will help someone with a purchase whether it's for a daiwa ct or another reel

[Dtrombly]

Nice write up.. I own the SV and CT.. love them both. With all the hype surrounded the Fuego right now it looks like I'll need to try one out soon. 

[CroakHunter]

I own 6 Of these reels. I was really impressed with all of them and will continue to buy them until my aresnal is full. Let a fishing buddy cast my setups in the yard yesterday and he couldn't believe how smooth and solid they felt. Then his jaw really hit the floor when I told him the price they can be had for online. He uses a lot of $200+ Shimanos and thought the daiwas felt better to him. Good honest review. I'm sure this will help someone with a purchase whether it's for a daiwa ct or another reel

[Beetlebz]

Thanks for the positive feedback folks. I'll admit I'm curious to see how the t-wing holds up. I don't like moving parts in excess but the parts explosions make it seem really pretty simple. Time will tell, but it doesn't really seem like there's a ton to go wrong with it. Like anything cleaning and maintenance will go a long way. 

 

As for the Fuego vs Tatula... the t-wing aside, the difference between the two is really just a level of refinement. The tat feels a little nicer in the hand but I'm hard pressed to find a big difference in quality. I will take them apart eventually but they're all new. I don't want to run the risk of losing a tiny screw under the dining room table just yet!

[Nattyboh74]

I read on here that the Fuego has a plastic or the like side plate while the Tatula CT has a metal one... could you check that out since you have both in hand?

[Beetlebz]

3 minutes ago, Nattyboh74 said:

I read on here that the Fuego has a plastic or the like side plate while the Tatula CT has a metal one... could you check that out since you have both in hand?

I can, but i just punched in for a 24 hour shift. I will do that tomorrow for sure. 

[Nattyboh74]

Just now, Beetlebz said:

I can, but i just punched in for a 24 hour shift. I will do that tomorrow for sure. 

Thanks and stay safe

[d-camarena]

Do any of you diawa lovers have any old shimanos you dont want? Looking for some good deals

[burrows]

Diawa should be paying this site from all the free promotion I see for the diawa fuego. 

[Dangerfield]

1 hour ago, Burros said:

Diawa should be paying this site from all the free promotion I see for the diawa fuego. 

this.

 

I love mine, I feel like there's a bit more refinement on the Tat, but if I did it all over again, I would be just as happy with only Fuegos.

[Boomstick]

I own two SVs and they really are great reels One of them (the newer one) has a slight click in it, the other is as smooth as butter.

 

I use a 6.3:1 on my moving bait stick. It's good for those smaller, lighter spinnerbaits and lighter cranks, and still works well for heavier baits.

 

I use a 7.1:1 on my worm/jig/frog rod.

I plan on eventually getting a heavy rod for frogs and jigs, and will likely get a Tatula CT on that one unless I should find another Pflueger Supreme XT for $110 new.

[Beetlebz]

1 hour ago, Burros said:

Diawa should be paying this site from all the free promotion I see for the diawa fuego. 

I'd be happy to tell the world of the wonders of the shimanos and lews. Right now longevity is the only X factor. The tats have easier to use brakes and a fantastic price point. I was a fan of shimano and Abu baitcasters until my first daiwa. I call it how I see it! ?‍♂️ with that said, if anyone knows anyone at daiwa, I work for free steez gear lol

 

13 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I own two SVs and they really are great reels One of them (the newer one) has a slight click in it, the other is as smooth as butter.

I had an SV make noise on the cast... I replaced the bearing with one out of an abu in the brake sideplate. I cleaned the bearing and oiled it, put it in the abu that I stole the other bearing out of. A cleaning and oiling was all it needed. Maybe they need to go their QA game!

[burrows]

Shimano!!!!!!! 

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, Burros said:

Shimano!!!!!!! 

You should have seen it when the pendulum swung the other way, and 4/5 posts were about how great the E series is.  Great products just tend to do this naturally, and this is a case of that.

[Boomstick]

7 hours ago, Beetlebz said:

I had an SV make noise on the cast... I replaced the bearing with one out of an abu in the brake sideplate. I cleaned the bearing and oiled it, put it in the abu that I stole the other bearing out of. A cleaning and oiling was all it needed. Maybe they need to go their QA game!

I typically find the demo models in stores are not the smoothest reels in the orice range generally which is their general downside. My 6.3:1 reel however is among the smoothest I own, so I consider that the abnormality here. Still, it's a good reel and arguably the best in the general price range.