Best Daiwa Spinning Reels

Daiwa Legalis LT

This is a lovely lightweight freshwater spinning reel with amazing value. The body is made up of a carbon composite making it strong, durable, corrosion-resistant and light. Its weight will allow you to cast all day long without getting tired.

The drag system is smooth and strong and can be fine-tuned easily. Tiny adjustments are very easy to make with this reel and the drag doesn’t slip or stick at all.

The spool is braid-ready and has ABS (anti-backlash system) meaning it lets the line off in tighter coils for smoother and longer casts while reducing twists and wind knots. This is a great addition in terms of line management and will save you time on the water.

The reel includes Air Bail and Air Rotor technologies from Daiwa. These features reduce weight while improving strength and rigidity.

It comes with a solid aluminum handle but it does have a little play in it on occasion. The spinning reel is not sealed, water and dirt will get in and you’ll need to keep on top of maintenance.

Daiwa Tatula

This is a great but expensive Daiwa spinning reel from Daiwa’s LT (lightn& tough) series. The body is made up of a Zaion housing which is a high-density carbon strain made by Daiwa. This material is designed to be light and handle serious impacts. The reel, therefore, is light but very strong and durable. You can bang this reel around and it’s still going to keep it together for you.

The spinning reel comes with machined A7075 aircraft-grade aluminum DigiGearing giving you a long-lasting smooth and durable retrieve. The drag is excellent and is made up of a multi-disc carbon fiber system. It’s very smooth and responsive and easy to fine-tune and adjusts to get the perfect setting. It’s great for strong powerful runs.

The reel includes Air Bail and Air Rotor systems too, helping with it be light but tough. The drag is not sealed which means it will need some looking after. The line capacity and max drag is geat for freshwater or light inshore saltwater fishing.

Daiwa Ballistic LT

This spinning reel is smaller, lighter and tougher than it’s ever been before. Again it has a high price tag but it’s well worth the money. The body is made from Zaion, Daiwa’s own super tough but light carbon composite. This material makes the reel strong, with zero flex and lovely use, who doesn’t love casting a light reel all day that you can drop without any concern.

The gears are made from machined aluminum to give a smooth, corrosion-resistant and durable system for a smooth long-lasting retrieve. The drag is a carbon multi-disc system and is extremely smooth and powerful. The system engages flawlessly and is easy to adjust. The max drag and line capacity on the largest models are big enough to handle to big inshore fish but it’s not quite serious enough for offshore.

The spinning reel is sealed. Finally, one that is. Daiwa uses a Magsealed system which works well. It uses magnets and oil to seal points of entry whereas other manufacturers simply use a rubber seal or gasket. As well as being great at stopping things from getting in, the system helps the reel be incredibly smooth by removing friction almost entirely.

This is a beautiful reel, worthy of its price tag. I wish they made one with a 44lb max drag and a hige line capacity for offshore fishing.

Daiwa Bg Spinning Reel

This is my favorite Daiwa spinning reel. The BG is well priced and can just do it all, it’s a humble rockstar in the reel world that shows up to work every day and has no time for compliments. It’s made it survive and to catch any fish out there. The only issue is that it’s heavy, so casting all day will get tiring.

The body is made from aluminum for durability, has an aluminum ABS spool to reduce backlashes and the Digigear System makes it strong and smooth on the retrieve.

The drag is made up of a carbon fiber system, is smooth and very strong. The max drag and line capacity on the largest model are out of this world, no fish is going to worry you with this in your hands. The drag is sealed and waterproof, ensuring a long-life around saltwater.

With a large diameter braid-ready ABS spool, you can be confident of your line lay and expect no bunching, while also being able to stack a lot of line on there. The large roller and pick up on the bail helps to alleviate line twists and any looping, making it smooth casting all day long. 

The bail roller can corrode when the reel is used in saltwater, they are easy to replace but it could become a headache.

Daiwa Regal Airbail Spinning Reel

This is a beautiful freshwater Daiwa spinning reel at amazing value and it looks sexy too. The reel is light, durable and very well made. It will be an absolute pleasure to fish with all day long. It comes with a double anodized ABS aluminum spool that will help reduce backlashes while being durable and corrosion-resistant.

It comes with Air Rotor and Air Bail, again making the reel lighter and more rigid. This helps with long days of fishing and also makes sure there’s no give while you use the reel, making every wind as efficient as possible.

The retrieve is super smooth and efficient thanks to the 10 bearing system and the internal Digigear design supporting it. Its drag is made up of a carbon system, is super smooth but not sealed. It will need some maintenance and looking after.

The max drag and line capacity will handle most freshwater situations and maybe some smaller inshore ones too. This is an awesome reel for a great price.

Daiwa Crossfire Spinning Reel

When Daiwa added the Crossfire to the LT (light & tough) concept the reduced the weight of this spinning reel by 20% while making it stronger. This is something every fisherman wants from a reel.

The reel is made up of a Digigear system making it strong and smooth. The spool is ABS and aluminum for durability and great casting. It’s also braid-ready and the largest model has enough line capacity for use in saltwater.

This reel uses Daiwa’s Advanced Tournament Drag System and is one of the smoothest out there. The drag system is not sealed and will need some maintenance. This reel is excellent and comes at an amazing price.

Daiwa Saltist

This reel is a Saltist, it’s made for and should live in the salt. Daiwa has put a lot of thought into this while still keeping a reasonable price tag. The reel has been designed to be reliable and deal with anything the elements can throw at it.

The body is made from Diawa’s ‘hard bodyz’ making it light but strong. The drag is made up of a multi-disc carbon system that is fully waterproof. This makes it ideal for saltwater and the max drag on the largest model is 33lbs which is big enough for large offshore species.

The main shaft and line roller are Magsealed making them impervious to water and dirt, giving this reel a long life in the salt. The reel also comes with Digigear for a strong, reliable and smooth retrieve. The spool is aluminum, ABS and braid-ready. The line capacity on the largest model is large and great for offshore and surf fishing.

Daiwa Exceler LT

This reel is worth twice the price tag Daiwa has put on it and is a great reel for freshwater fishing.

The body is made up of a carbon composite making it strong but light. Light reels equal easy fun casting. The machined aluminum handle is comfortable and gives a powerful and efficient connection to the main gear. The reel also includes the Air Bail and Air Rotor system, helping it be lighter while dispersing the pressure evenly over the reel.

The retrieve is strong and smooth thanks to the Digigear system and the 5 ball bearings. The reel comes with instant anti-reverse but is not sealed and will need some maintenance.