Daiwa Luna
The Daiwa Luna baitcasting reel stands out amongst the crowd with its look-at-me gold design and when you hold it feels exactly as you would picture it - slick and smooth.
The Daiwa Luna often brings comparisons to the highly regarded Shimano Calcutta TE and you have to look beyond the exterior to realise why. Many of the design features that are included in high end daiwa baitcasting reels are incorporated in the Luna so there is also plenty back it up as a serious contender for a must-have reel.
This is an incredibly strong reel and the frame and sideplates are machined from bar stock aluminium, and you can tell the build quality just by holding it. The spool is machined from aircraft grade aluminium and helps to make the retrieve very solid. When the gears are locked in you can tell there is almost no backplay and overall helps to make it a joy to use.
One of the best things about this reel is the Daiwa MagForce-Z cast control. All models below the 300 come included with this, which is a quick cast control system that is amazingly simple to use. You simply need to press the sideplate with 2 fingers or your palm which will adjust the magnetic counter force. Its quite possibly the simplest and quickest cast control system as well as one of the best. Unfortunatly, if you go above the Dawia Luna 300 you need to remove the sideplate which does make it a lot slower.
The Luna provides very refined retrieves. When the gears lock in, it feels incredibly solid thanks to the aircraft grade aluminium the spool is machined from and there is very little backplay. For maximum strength and dead-on alignment, frame and sideplates are cut from solid bar stock aluminum. Unlike some baitcasters this reel has very good weight balance while being strong and smooth.
It may not beat the Calcutta reel but considering the price difference it is easily a match and well worth considering as your reel of choice.
