6 recommended bait reels for ocean fishing! Bait reels are also very useful in the sea

This article is based on a Japanese article and has been machine translated

There are two types of reels: spinning reels and bait reels, of which spinning reels are the most common for ocean fishing.

Bait reels are mostly used for bass fishing, but they can also be used for ocean fishing.

In this article, I will explain the advantages of using a bait reel for ocean fishing, and introduce some recommended products!

I want to enjoy something different from sea fishing with a spinning reel! If you want to enjoy something different from sea fishing with a spinning reel, please refer to this article.

What is a bait reel that can be used for ocean fishing?

First of all, let me introduce what kind of bait reel can be used for ocean fishing.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, bait reels are mostly used in freshwater, such as bass fishing.

Therefore, some products are not designed to be exposed to saltwater and cannot be used in saltwater.

In other words, a bait reel that can be used for ocean fishing is a bait reel that is designed to be used in a saltwater environment and has the waterproof performance to go along with it.

If you don’t know what you’re doing and choose a bait reel that’s specifically designed for freshwater fishing, it may break after just one use.

You have to remember this when choosing a bait reel to use for ocean fishing.
Advantages of using a bait reel for ocean fishing

The following are two typical advantages of using a bait reel for ocean fishing.

Easy to cast to the target area

One of the biggest advantages of using a bait reel is that it is easy to cast to your target area.
This is the reason why bait reels are widely used in bass fishing, and also in ocean fishing, where the accuracy of the cast is important.

For example, rockfish and seabass fishing are the most common types of sea fishing that use bait reels.
These fisheries require you to cast the lure close to obstacles, so a bait reel is more suitable than a spinning reel.

If you can’t get the lure to the point you want with a spinning reel, you may want to consider using a bait reel.

Fishing with power

One of the advantages of a bait reel is that it is easy to reel in the lure with a lot of power when a strong fish is caught.

Especially when fishing for rockfish, it is necessary to pull up fish that are trying to escape through the rocks on the seabed.

In this situation, a bait reel will be more advantageous than a spinning reel.
Also, if you use a bait reel called a bait finesse reel, which is specialized for using light lures, you can handle light lures with thicker lines.

In other words, when targeting big fish with light lures, a bait reel will work better than a spinning reel that can only use thin line.

6 Recommended Bait Reels for Sea Fishing

Now, let’s take a look at the 6 types of bait reels that we recommend for ocean fishing.

Recommendation 1: Shimano Exsense DC SS

The X-Sense DCSS is a bait reel sold by Shimano that was developed for sea bass fishing.

It has been developed for use in the ocean, so there is no need to worry about durability in saltwater environments.

You can use it for sea bass fishing as well as a variety of other ocean fishing activities. The most important feature of the Excess DCSS is the use of the I-DC5 electronic braking system.

Backlash, which is the biggest enemy of bait reels, has been significantly reduced.
It is also equipped with other cutting-edge technologies such as “HAGANE Body” and “Micro Module Gear”.

It is recommended for those who want to fly lures without stress and prevent backlash with only dial operation.

Recommendation #2: Shimano Brenious

Brenious is a bait reel suitable for those who want to handle mainly light lures that cannot be thrown by Exsense DCSS.

It is mainly developed for chinning fishing, which is targeting black sea bream.
Chinning is fishing with lures ranging from 3g to 20g, and it can be used for other fishing as long as the lure is in that range.

Specifically, light games targeting horse mackerel and whitebait, rockfish, etc.
Many technologies are used to reduce the overall weight of the lure, such as a spool made of super duralumin.

Of course, it is also suitable for freshwater fishing such as bass fishing, making it a versatile choice for fishing with small lures.

Recommendation 3: Shimano Calcutta Conquest


Calcutta Conquest is a round shaped bait reel sold by Shimano.
It is used by many anglers for bass fishing, but it is equally active in sea fishing.

It is designed to be durable and comfortable to reel, and can also be used for offshore jigging and other fishing from a boat.

It is equipped with many technologies to enhance the performance of gears, such as “X-SHIP” and “Micro Module Gear”.

It is suitable for lure fishing for large fish such as sea bass and yellowtail, taking advantage of its durability and winding comfort.

In addition, the gold coloration is full of high-class feeling, and it is easily recognized as Calcutta Conquest.

Recommendation 4: Daiwa Tatula TW300/400


Tatula Tw 300/400 is a bait reel from Daiwa, which is suitable for fishing with heavy lures using thick lines.

It is developed under the “Hyper Drive Design”, a design concept that aims for long-lasting initial performance.

Therefore, it is highly durable and can be used in harsh saltwater environments.
It is ideal for sea bass fishing with large lures called big baits and offshore jigging with jigs.

Two sizes of reels are lined up, 300 and 400.
The price is in the 30,000 yen range, which is reasonable for a bait reel with this performance.

Recommendation 5: Daiwa Morethan PE TW

Morethan PETW is a bait reel of the Morethan series, a brand specialized in sea bass fishing developed by Daiwa.

As the name “PE” suggests, it was developed with fishing with PE line in mind.
It excels in sending lures far and wide, so it will be useful not only for sea bass fishing but also for ocean fishing in general.

Furthermore, the body is made of aluminum to ensure durability.
It can be used safely even by those who are fishing to attract big fish.

Daiwa’s leading waterproof technology “Mag Shield” provides high waterproof performance and light reel feeling.

Recommendation 6: Daiwa Ryoga


Ryoga is Daiwa’s round shaped bait reel that competes with Shimano’s Calcutta Conquest.

It features a massive body that emphasizes comfort and durability, which are the biggest merits of round bait reels.

As its texture suggests, it is suitable for fishing for big fish with heavy lures.
Magforce Z” used for the brake system has one of the best performance among Daiwa’s brake systems.

Therefore, you can use it with confidence even when fishing where flying distance is required.

It is a versatile bait reel that can be used not only for fishing from the shore, but also for fishing from a boat.

Bait reels work great for ocean fishing too!

So far, I have introduced in detail how to choose a bait reel that can be used for ocean fishing, as well as recommended products.

Bait reels are generally thought to be used for freshwater fishing such as bass fishing, but they are also very useful for ocean fishing.

In particular, bait reels with high water resistance and durability, such as the six bait reels introduced here, are sometimes easier to use than spinning reels.

If you are interested in using a bait reel for ocean fishing, please refer to this article.