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Daiwa Tatula 100 Baitcaster Review

The new Daiwa Tatula 100 Baitcasters offer a smaller frame, lighter weight and improved performance in the improved versions of the original Tatula line. I’ve been fishing with these reels for a bit and have found that they offer anglers a solid reel at the mid-tier price point. Here are some additional details on this new line-up of baitcasters from Daiwa.

You can find the Daiwa Tatula 100 at the following retailers:

Awesome Aesthetics

Daiwa has always made a great looking baitcaster, but the frame and finish on the Tatula 100 series for 2019 really shows off their attention to detail and gives anglers a reel to be proud to own and fish. The sleek detailing and lines really accent how light and tight this reel feels and fishes. Every edge and part exudes quality.

Lighter weight

The aluminum frame gives this reel a solid foundation and the bodyweight is greatly reduced from handle to spool. The reel only weighs an impressive 6.9 ounces considering it has a full aluminum frame. It feels very solid and tight on the cast and retrieve. 

The T-Wing system gives this reel its long distance casting and smooth line management that anglers have come to love in the Tatula series of reels. 

New tension adjustments

The new tension knob is very snug and allows for precision adjustments that won’t slip or change as you fish. I found that it can be a little tricky to get it fine tuned the first time if you have big hands like me, but that’s because it is so tight and compact on the frame. 

Once you get the weight of the lure dialed on the tension knob, you can let it rip without worry of anything changing or worrying with caps coming off if you’re someone that likes to just back the tension off and use your thumb like me. 

Better thumbar control

The thumb bar system is upgrade and seems a lot more smooth and tight. I like that because I think a tight thumb bar keeps a reel quieter over the life of the reel. It’s very smooth to operate on the cast and engages quietly on the retrieve. 

I think small details like this are a lot of what makes this an improved experience with this version of the Tatula baitcasters. 

Smaller, easier to palm

These Daiwa Tatula 100 reels are a smaller form factor and fit so nicely in the palm of your hand. That leads to longer fishing with less fatigue over the life of fishing with this reel. It also has a lot to do with casting accuracy that most anglers don’t realize. You can roll cast a lot tighter with more precision if your wrist and hand aren’t flexing as much because they are opened wider on a bigger reel. 

Great braking

The braking on this new Daiwa Tatula seems improved as well. It may not have much change in terms of engineering but it seems to handle small baits very well. I have been fishing 1/4 ounce swimbaits on it this summer on 12-pound line and catching a lot of fish on windy days around docks where I have to put a small lure in a tight spot without having an overrun stop me from immediately winding the lure. 

Great with a variety of lures

I’ve cranked and thrown swimbaits with the 6.3:1 Daiwa Tatula 100. I’ve flipped and pitched with the 8:1 Tatula and cast chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, worms and jigs on the 7:1 Tatula. I know this has become the staple reel for most of the Daiwa pros on tour this year and I see why now. It does really well with light lures and all of the conventional bass fishing techniques.

If you liked the original Daiwa Tatula line, you’ll find these smaller, tighter, lighter Tatula 100s more appealing. I really like it on the 7-foot, 3-inch MH Daiwa Tatula Rod. It’s been a great all-purpose setup for so many bass fishing applications. I take it on trips and it’s always on the deck now.

You can find the Daiwa Tatula 100 at the following retailers: