Shimano Calcutta TE DC

[NAGG]

I've always admired this reel ....... used it a few times but baulked at the high cost of ownership - :-? I guess I'm interested in hearing opinions of those that have owned / own one ........ just how good are they and what do you use them for (species / styles) how light a lure can you cast with them ?
anyhoo ...... interested to hear your thoughts and comments - are they value for money ?

chris

[Dan5]

Mate i've had the 250 for near on 3 years now and have had the 200 for a year or so.........i don't use anything else now....

250 pretty much can do anything IMO.....casts spearheads to 150 scorpions......bloody brilliant.

The 200 i have is teamed up with a Megabass flatbacker Ti.......awesome......it's my "light' barra set up....

Once i bought the DC'c i was hooked......so solid to use.........I have a 300 TE Conquest which i bought for PNG.....It feels the same to use IMO.....the DC feature may give further casts but it's in the build quality that really makes the difference.

Honestly i think either 250=200 conquest would be equally as good as a DC model........just well built and solid feel.

Mine have been well used in the salt and absoultly no corrosion at all.......they are quality................I know you don't do Shimano.........but i think you would be hard pressed to fault them.

Dan

[NAGG]

Mate i've had the 250 for near on 3 years now and have had the 200 for a year or so.........i don't use anything else now....

250 pretty much can do anything IMO.....casts spearheads to 150 scorpions......bloody brilliant.

The 200 i have is teamed up with a Megabass flatbacker Ti.......awesome......it's my "light' barra set up....

Once i bought the DC'c i was hooked......so solid to use.........I have a 300 TE Conquest which i bought for PNG.....It feels the same to use IMO.....the DC feature may give further casts but it's in the build quality that really makes the difference.

Honestly i think either 250=200 conquest would be equally as good as a DC model........just well built and solid feel.

Mine have been well used in the salt and absoultly no corrosion at all.......they are quality................I know you don't do Shimano.........but i think you would be hard pressed to fault them.

Dan

Hi Dan

Thanks for the feedback !
Mate .... it's not that I don't do Shimano - It's that I feel I can do better elsewhere ......... but the blinkers are never on .
My exposure to the TE DCs have been based around impoundment barra ....... but my love of low profile Daiwa offerings edged our the round profile reel. I know I didn't seem to gain anything when casting swimbaits when say compared to a Zillion HLC.
I have the opportunity to get hold of a 200 DC ........ but trying to work out it's capability is difficult.
What smaller lure would you cast off a 200 ?
I really dont have issues with the robustness - it's a tank & feels like it ....... but I generally like lightish reels - having said that It just may have a place in my boat as a all rounder ........ specially if it will throw smaller lures via the DC

Chris

[Sheik]

hey naggs
I have run of the mill calcuttas, the 200 loaded with 15lb on a light rod, the 400 with 40 or 50 braid, can't remember which, and the 700b, which is a bueatiful reel. so precisely engineered. onl;y problem I find with the 700 is that it's a bit wide, so it wobbles a bit on retrieve, but the drag is sensational. Also drag is good on the others. Had a herring on a livey last weekend and I'd dropped it under the boat as out further behind was nto doing anything. A 50cm jack hit it and almost bent the rod in two but the drag just peeled off lovely and smooth. dunno if that helps but for jack i love these reels. Mind you i also have a daiwa hrf and a abu revo and they're nice reels too. I don't go for the super expensive reels but I've decided that good quality is worth buying. just my thoughts anyway, not sure if they're of any help.
regards jim

[NAGG]

hey naggs
I have run of the mill calcuttas, the 200 loaded with 15lb on a light rod, the 400 with 40 or 50 braid, can't remember which, and the 700b, which is a bueatiful reel. so precisely engineered. onl;y problem I find with the 700 is that it's a bit wide, so it wobbles a bit on retrieve, but the drag is sensational. Also drag is good on the others. Had a herring on a livey last weekend and I'd dropped it under the boat as out further behind was nto doing anything. A 50cm jack hit it and almost bent the rod in two but the drag just peeled off lovely and smooth. dunno if that helps but for jack i love these reels. Mind you i also have a daiwa hrf and a abu revo and they're nice reels too. I don't go for the super expensive reels but I've decided that good quality is worth buying. just my thoughts anyway, not sure if they're of any help.
regards jim

Thanks Jim ....... i've pretty well had all the calcutta range (except TEs) still have a 400 & 700 ...... The TEs & specially the TE DCs / Conquest DC are a step up ...... a big step up (much more refined). ..... But having fished these alongside some sweet casting low profiles ----- well I just drifted away.
I do see one of these primo DCs as a good option as a all rounder ...... salty bara - impoundment , jacks & jews ...... my low profiles dont quite cut it ............ so I'm thinking a 200 TE / DC
Chris

[Daintreeboy]

You could get one of these ;D

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwaryoga1016hl.html

[NAGG]

You could get one of these ;D

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwaryoga1016hl.html

I've fished with the Ryoga/ pluton ...... & it is one hell of a lump of metal (& feels like it) - not a reel I would want to be casting all day (25% plus ,,, heavier than the 200 TE DC)
Good reel ...... but not quite what I was hoping to get

Chris

[Dan5]

The smallest lightest lures i have used with the 200 would be the unweighted Renosky sp's........rigged with a 60 hook......pretty fiddly and as i have the reel spooled with 30lb Fins proberbly not the best approach to get maximum results.

I don't relly do much in the way of small light lures 65mm slick rigs would be the end of my small lure scale really,generally i'd have from a Bomber up to a 125 Scrorpion on the 200.

The 200 size is versitlie.......i think of mine as a 6kg reel which it pulls off really well and then my 250 is my 8kg reel which it does really well also........the 200 would suit being a 4kg setup aswell where as the 250 is too large to pull it off.

I had the low profile mindset for years aswell.........i have a 200b Calcutta which i pretty much refused to use for years afer i bought it simply because it did'nt have enough bearings to be smooth enough to cast all day.And compared it to my Chronarchs and Curados.I never thought of the round reels as anything more than trolling reels to be honest.......I was wrong.

The TE DC and Conquest models are a world apart as you know.......the standard TE is good but has nothing on its upper classed versions.

Tell you what i did use that is saltwater friendly and is bloody awesome for smaller lures is the Metainium MG DC.........I imported 2 a couple of years back for mates when purchasing my 300Conquest.......Sheez they are light and cast a mile......Put on a Kistler Helium LTX 6'3''......really nice combo........I don't own one but have used one for half a day and they are nice.

It's funny everyone that has had a go with my DC reels and that can afford it ends up with one........even a couple of Daiwa Zillion users have ended up with one or 2 for them selves.

Both of mine where purchased for under $550 EA from memory.........one thing i did do with the 200 is add the slip on grips to the handles as only the 250 has the larger paddle handle......

Dan

[hairypunt]

I've fished with the Ryoga/ pluton ...... & it is one hell of a lump of metal (& feels like it) - not a reel I would want to be casting all day (25% plus ,,, heavier than the 200 TE DC)
Good reel ...... but not quite what I was hoping to get

Chris

The ryoga 1016 is 25g lighter then the 200dc. I own them both and fish them side by side regularly and
I find the 1016 far better for casting light weights. The dc has a slower start up speed and requires more effort to cast.
That said the dc is a brilliant reel.

Cheers Kyle

[NAGG]

The smallest lightest lures i have used with the 200 would be the unweighted Renosky sp's........rigged with a 60 hook......pretty fiddly and as i have the reel spooled with 30lb Fins proberbly not the best approach to get maximum results.

I don't relly do much in the way of small light lures 65mm slick rigs would be the end of my small lure scale really,generally i'd have from a Bomber up to a 125 Scrorpion on the 200.

The 200 size is versitlie.......i think of mine as a 6kg reel which it pulls off really well and then my 250 is my 8kg reel which it does really well also........the 200 would suit being a 4kg setup aswell where as the 250 is too large to pull it off.

I had the low profile mindset for years aswell.........i have a 200b Calcutta which i pretty much refused to use for years afer i bought it simply because it did'nt have enough bearings to be smooth enough to cast all day.And compared it to my Chronarchs and Curados.I never thought of the round reels as anything more than trolling reels to be honest.......I was wrong.

The TE DC and Conquest models are a world apart as you know.......the standard TE is good but has nothing on its upper classed versions.

Tell you what i did use that is saltwater friendly and is bloody awesome for smaller lures is the Metainium MG DC.........I imported 2 a couple of years back for mates when purchasing my 300Conquest.......Sheez they are light and cast a mile......Put on a Kistler Helium LTX 6'3''......really nice combo........I don't own one but have used one for half a day and they are nice.

It's funny everyone that has had a go with my DC reels and that can afford it ends up with one........even a couple of Daiwa Zillion users have ended up with one or 2 for them selves.

Both of mine where purchased for under $550 EA from memory.........one thing i did do with the 200 is add the slip on grips to the handles as only the 250 has the larger paddle handle......

Dan

Thanks Dan

much appreciated

Yeh I've liked the 200 Dc ..... but it really didn;t offer anything at the time. Now with a change of style /effort - and the opportunity it's time for a revisit ....... specially if matched to a light rod to offset the weight.

I have had a cast with the Metanium DC - and thought so so of it - it just felt that the gears would fail to mesh at any given moment (a lot of play) ........ It certainly didn't feel solid like the Calais DC ........ i actually feel the same about the local Core - seems sloppy,

The whole DC thing is IMO a take it or leave it thing - the advantage ( if casting well ) is minimal ......... but in the case of the 200 ...... you have a tougher than tough reel which is hard beaten - hence my interest

Chris

[Dan5]

I don't think much more if any distance is gained with DC........but it definatly plays a role with some wind around IMO....really helps me punch into it any way with much more confidence........
Suprising with the Metainium......The ones i've used felt very connected.....and distance was very impressive.....acctually a standout infact.

Dan

[NAGG]

The ryoga 1016 is 25g lighter then the 200dc. I own them both and fish them side by side regularly and
I find the 1016 far better for casting light weights. The dc has a slower start up speed and requires more effort to cast.
That said the dc is a brilliant reel.

Cheers Kyle

Thanks Kyle

I didn;t know about the baby Ryoga ........ I'll need to check it out !!1

Thanks for the heads up

Chris

[Daintreeboy]

Thanks Kyle

I didn;t know about the baby Ryoga ........ I'll need to check it out !!1

Thanks for the heads up

Chris

Chris if you go back to that link I posted it is a review on the 1016

[NAGG]

Chris if you go back to that link I posted it is a review on the 1016

Sorry - same again .... did not realise it was a baby:-[
that said ... it was not an overly glowing report - and as always ... the seppos throw big swimbaits on their round reels .

That said .... I can only look

Chris