Catfish fishing is a demanding sport that requires solid tackle, which you'll find in our reel collection at Daiwa. You'll need the right rod, the right diameter braid and a fishing reel that's up to the challenge of the tough battles ahead.
To make the right choice, anglers need to know what kind of fishing they want to do. For example, if you're fishing with floats or lures, you won't use the same range of rods(fibreglass/carbon ). The same goes for the reel, which can be spinning, casting or a spinning reel.
The characteristics will help you decide. Look at the quality and number of ball bearings. Note the drag system and its resistance, often expressed in kilos. You can also look at the retrieve speed, as well as the size of the reel. This will give you an idea of how much line you'll be able to insert.
In the Daiwa range, you'll find a series of models that will fit the bill perfectly. Not specially stamped catfish like the Passion pro dx from Black Cat, you're bound to find a reel of the right size to complement a solid rubber pommel or cork handle. Whether you're into spinning with the BG range or casting reels, you shouldn't have any trouble finding what you're looking for.
Different sizes for different fishing techniques
The size of the reel you choose is one of the first things you need to look at, alongside your choice of rod range. There will be a big difference between the different uses, so you need to be able to offer the right amount of braid and the necessary frame strength.
For lure fishing with a relatively light range of rods, use relatively small sizes, so to speak. Sizes from 5000 to 6000 should be chosen to ensure good handling, optimum comfort and good line body reserve.
For fireball or live-fishing catfish, a reel in size 8000 to 10 000 will be more suitable. The weights you need to propel to greater or lesser distances require robustness and even greater drag power.
Finally, in the same way that you equip carp rods, sizes 14,000, 18,000, 20,000 or even 25,000 will be real line reserves for buoy fishing. You can also opt for these models as the ultimate fishing tackle when you need to practice with very large diameters to quickly get the fish out of obstacles.
You can also opt for a spinning reel. They have the advantage of being even more robust for lure fishing as well as for fishing with livebaits and buoys.
Features to consider
A catfish fishing reel must respect certain techniques. This will give you peace of mind in the face of ultra-powerful fish capable of wreaking havoc on the equipment you have purchased.
You'll need to choose a metal frame. This means heavy, or at least heavier than what you're used to for other predators. The aim is to have thick, metal-rich parts so as not to suffer any deformation.
The braking system and its power are of course another important point. To stop fish weighing up to 100 kg, you'll need to be able to apply 10, 15 kg of drag, or even more. Don't skimp on this factor and its quality either.
Theretrieve speed is also important. This will depend on the technique used. In principle, you should opt for slower ratios to enhance the power of the reel. The fibreglass will do the rest of the work to get the best fish out of the water.
You'll need to consider the capacity of the spool. It needs to be able to hold a good quantity of large-diameter braid. Otherwise, you can hold your cork handle as tightly as possible, but you won't last long against the power of the catfish.
The range of Daiwa
As we explained in the introduction, there is no exclusive range for catfish fishing from the Japanese brand, as you might find at Black Cat with its Passion Prod Dx, for example, or at Madcat. Despite this, anglers will find opportunities in the sea range that are at least as good, if not better.
First of all, we exclude catfish surfcasting, or all the reels to equip carp rods. We don't need long reels to cast very far. What we do need is a strong casting or spinning reel for stalking catfish.
To equip your fishing rod, you'll need to choose from the strong fishing reel range or the , for Black Gold. The former are models renowned for their strength. Often with a ball bearing, the DF 100 or the Gold Silver will not fail to give everything they've got to get you through your longest fights.
At the top end of the range, the BG is now available in different versions. With a firm grip on your solid rubber pommel, you'll find it easy to make the brakes sing on a BG MQ or BG RR LT, which have just joined the range in 2021.
Finally, you can go to to buy yourself a dream model, which can then be used in many other conditions.
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