I chose by three things, brake type, weight and price, with the eye of a fishing instructor who has fished for 30 years and also does bass. No. 1 is the Shimano SLX DC. Only this one of the five has a system that changes the brake electronically on every cast. If you drop the electronics, No. 2, the Tatula TW 100, is JPY 3,500 cheaper and 5g lighter.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
For a first baitcasting reel, choose by the brake before the gear ratio. The line per turn of the high-gear models is bunched at 71–75cm across all five, a difference of only a few centimetres. So I pay for the system that cuts down tangled line, and settle on a gear ratio around 7.
Key points
- The gap between the SLX DC and SLX is JPY 6,500 and 5g. What you add is electronic control
- High-gear models take 71–75cm per turn on all five. 133–141 turns for 100m
- The PR100H is JPY 6,900 and 190g, the lightest of the 5 reels
The brake gap can be bought for JPY 6,500
The Shimano SLX DC and SLX are the same size, 70. The gear ratios line up the same: 6.3, 7.2 and 8.2. The core difference is the brake: adding the electronically controlled DC raises the list price from JPY 21,000 to JPY 27,500 (excl. tax).
What trips up first-time baitcasting buyers is backlash, where the line tangles on top of the spool. That is the first wall. So in this article I looked at the brake before the gear ratio.
How I chose
First I looked at the brake type and whether it can be adjusted from the outside. Next weight and list price. Last, I lined up the line per turn of the high-gear models from each maker's official page.
I hesitated between No. 1 and No. 2. Daiwa's Tatula TW 100 is JPY 3,500 cheaper and 5g lighter. Even so, I judged that the system that changes the brake automatically on every cast is worth paying for, so I put the SLX DC at No. 1. I ranked these from the current models you can buy on Rakuten, looking at the official numbers.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Shimano SLX DC 70HG
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 20,900 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 27,095. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe three things a beginner checks first in a baitcasting reel for bass
- Brake: electronic control, or one the official page says can be adjusted with an outside dial
- Gear ratio: a high gear around 7. 71–75cm per turn
- Size: spool diameter 32–34mm. Nylon 12–16lb in the line capacity table
Once those three are met, the remaining differences are price and the number of bearings. That is where I set the ranking.
Quick table of the five baitcasting reels for bass
Swipe the table sideways →
| Rank / model | Weight | Brake | Gear ratio of the high-gear model (line per turn) | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Shimano SLX DC 70HG | 200g | I-DC4 (electronic) | 7.2 (75cm) | JPY 27,500 |
| No. 2 Daiwa Tatula TW 100H | 195g | MAGFORCE-Z (magnetic) | 7.1 (75cm) | JPY 24,000 |
| No. 3 Shimano SLX 70HG | 195g | SVS∞ (centrifugal) | 7.2 (72cm) | JPY 21,000 |
| No. 4 Daiwa Tatula SV TW 100H | 195g | SV BOOST | 7.1 (71cm) | JPY 32,400 |
| No. 5 Daiwa PR100H | 190g | MAGFORCE | 7.3 (73cm) | JPY 6,900 |
| Out of the ranking: Daiwa Bass X 100H | 195g | MAGFORCE | 7.5 (75cm) | JPY 11,000 |
| Out of the ranking: Shimano Bass One XT 150 | 210g | SVS (centrifugal) | 7.2 (77cm) | JPY 9,500 |
The 2 reels outside the ranking are not bad either. The Bass X 100 costs JPY 4,100 more than the PR100H and is 5g heavier. What you add is 1 ball bearings. The Bass One XT was 210g, heavier than the 5 reels.
Baitcasting reel brakes work differently in three systems
In Daiwa's explanation, MAGFORCE-Z is a magnetic system where an induct rotor moves with the spool's rotation, braking hard in the first half of the cast and softly in the second half. Shimano's SVS is a centrifugal brake. Shimano describes its strengths as a quick start and good carry.
The DC is electronically controlled. The SLX DC page says the I-DC4 control was overhauled to make it easier to set up for everything from light to large lures.
The difference is where you adjust. The SLX's SVS∞ can be set across a wide range with the outside dial alone. The Bass One XT's SVS works by turning brake collars on and off by hand.
Line per turn, and turns to reel 100m
Line per turn is almost set by spool diameter × 3.14 × gear ratio. The SLX DC HG is 33mm × 3.14 × 7.2 = about 746mm, which matches the official 75cm. The SLX HG has a spool 1mm narrower, 32mm, so at the same 7.2 it is 72cm. 1mm means 3cm.
As turns to reel 100m (10,000cm): 75cm takes 133.3 turns, 72cm takes 138.9 turns and 71cm takes 140.8 turns. The PR100's normal gear 6.3 is 65cm and takes 153.8 turns. The gap is about 20 turns.
What you pay for DC: between the HG models of the SLX DC and SLX, the gap is JPY 6,500 in list price, 5g in weight and a ball bearing gap of 2 (6 vs 4). What you add is mainly the electronically controlled brake.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Reason for this rank |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | SLX DC | It is the only one of the 5 reels with an electronic brake. I valued the difference in system over the JPY 3,500 gap from No. 2. |
| No. 2 | Tatula TW 100 | 195g, 7 ball bearings, JPY 24,000. Without a system that changes the brake automatically, it does not reach No. 1. |
| No. 3 | SLX | SVS∞, which can be set with the outside dial alone, comes in at JPY 21,000. It has 4 balls, fewer than the 7 of No. 2, but the gap is narrow. |
| No. 4 | Tatula SV TW | A 2025 model with 7 balls. But JPY 32,400 is the highest of the 5 reels, and for a first reel (1), the 3 above come first. |
| No. 5 | PR100 | 190g is the lightest of the five, and the price is the lowest. It has 3 balls. That is the gap from the four above. |
No. 1 Shimano SLX DC | electronically controlled brake
The deciding point is the I-DC4, which is electronically controlled. Shimano writes that it is the first in this class to carry the Magnumlite Spool III. Its 6 ball bearings are also the most of the two Shimano reels in the ranking.
The point to watch: only the XG drops max drag to 5kg (the HG and the base model are 5.5kg). It is the one for people who want to cut backlash failures with money.
No. 2 Daiwa Tatula TW 100 | magnetic, JPY 24,000
195g, 7 ball bearings, JPY 24,000. Dense. The spool is 34mm in diameter and 24mm wide, and Daiwa explains that it is built for lures from about 5g to 110g. The density of the contents is outstanding in this price range.
The so-so part: 6.3, 7.1 and 8.1 all weigh 195g, so you cannot choose by lightness. It suits anglers who want to start cheap with a magnetic brake.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Daiwa Tatula TW 100H (2024 model)
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 17,172 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 25,630. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 3 Shimano SLX | adjust with the outside dial only
It carries the SVS∞ at JPY 21,000. Cheap. Shimano explains that you can set a wide range of braking with the outside dial alone, and the ease of adjustment is close to No. 1.
The point to watch is 4 ball bearings, 3 fewer than No. 2. It is the choice for people who want a Shimano at a price without the DC.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Shimano SLX 70HG
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 15,015 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 18,486. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 4 Daiwa Tatula SV TW | new generation of 2025
Daiwa explains that SV BOOST weakens the brake in two steps from the middle to the end of the cast so the lure carries. It also writes that the 32mm spool handles everything from 2g lures to large ones.
But the list price is JPY 4,900 more than No. 1. The line capacity is shallow too, 40–80m at 12lb. It suits anglers who want to cast even light lures with 1 reel.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Daiwa Tatula SV TW 100H (2025 model)
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 21,380 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 26,835. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 5 Daiwa PR100 | 190g at JPY 6,900
190g is the lightest of the 5 reels, and the list price is JPY 6,900. A model with line already spooled (#3.5, gear ratio 6.3) is also available at JPY 7,700. You skip the work of winding line on the day you buy.
This part is so-so. It has 3 ball bearings, the fewest of the five. It is an entry point for people who want to try a first reel cheap.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Daiwa PR100H
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 8,402 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 9,311. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanUsing the same thinking, I also read a reel on the side that casts bigger lures farther. How the line per turn changes when the spool grows to 38mm is in the Scorpion DC MD review.
For a small baitcasting reel to use at sea, also read the 26 Kohga TW 80 review.
Who is it for?
- Anglers who want to cut backlash and enjoy casting a baitcasting reel
- Anglers who want to try a baitcasting reel for the first time in bass fishing
If you have no trouble with your current baitcasting reel, there is no need to rush to replace it. If you mainly use light lures, a spinning reel is also a choice.
FAQ
What gear ratio is good for a beginner's baitcasting reel?
I recommend a high gear around 7. The high-gear models among these five take 71–75cm per turn and reel 100m in 133–141 turns.
Which suits beginners: a magnetic brake or a centrifugal brake?
If you choose by ease of adjustment, pick one that says it can be set with an outside dial alone, or an electronically controlled DC.
Is there a left-handle model?
All five have a left-handle model. For Shimano the model number has "71"; for Daiwa it ends in "L". Weight and list price are the same as the right-handle models.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- Shimano official: SLX DC
- Shimano official: SLX
- Shimano official: Bass One XT
- Shimano official: baitcasting (lure casting) product list
- Daiwa official: Tatula TW 100 (24 Tatula TW 100)
- Daiwa official: Tatula SV TW (25 Tatula SV TW)
- Daiwa official: Bass X 100 (24 Bass X 100)
- Daiwa official: PR100
- Daiwa official: baitcasting reel product list
