2021 DAIWA Caldia - short review 

Howdy, down there! : ) Or Up There - depends on perspective : )

yeah, one is 1000 size body and the other is 2500 size body

yes, FC has 1000 size

double agree

i had it ordered in February and it said its coming out in April. Now they changed it to back ordered.. But as soon as its available..

Its even nicer than the old Version

nothing good in this price range. Shimano Ultegra is cheaper and heavier but very good. Shimano Complex XR is more expensive but also very good. Or just buy daiwa Legalis LT. Very cheap but very very good.

strange thing is, on the water i never hear it. If you focus, you can hear it, but u never focus on the reel. but still... its annoying that a 200$ reel is scratching so bad

i don't think the grease or the line roller will make any difference... but if it worked for u - happy to hear.

i haven't seen anything

TP sounds like a better choice. Slow or fast is a matter of gear ratio, but i would use aluminum frame/aluminum rotor reel for such heavy lures. Even Shimano Stradic FL. When u put so much force the rotor bends a little, and even the frame twists a little and doesn't hold the gears in perfect allignment. What's the point of carbon reel, when i'm sure your rod is heavy and long as well.

i have not seen or studied this reel but i can still tell its a bad idea. Save your money and buy Legalis, or save some money and buy the Luvias

​@@ifishcatfishHey man, just update, freams started feeling like shit, so bought the luvias now 😅

I have a video called 2024 Reel Buying Guide with all my suggestions in every price range

No...

shimano ultegra

@@ifishcatfish thank you! And Between Ultegra 1000 and Stradic FL 1000? What do you think about the Stradic? 😃

Vanquish is far superior. In everything. But costs almost 3 times as much. I only recommend daiwa Legalis 1000. I dont know any other reels that are both good and have good price. Vanquish is good but too expensive, and the 200-300 range reels are not that good, and price is too high. Only legalis is really good and price is also really good.

@@ifishcatfish Did you mean legalis 20 lt with body from Zaion V or older model?

they are identical other than frame material. Whichever u like the color more. Or whichever you find on sale. New frame is stronger but for ultralight fishing it doesn't matter

Vanford for sure

yes, for all rods under 100$. It is still a little too heavy for expensive rods. But outside the weight, it is amazing reel.

Vanford

@@ifishcatfish haha! I knew you would say that😁 thanks for the confirmation. So Vanford it will be!

well, i sold my Caldia immediately, but i still keep my two daiwa Theory reels

i dont remember.. i think only exist has magsealed bearing there.. But the bearing they put has water repellant grease on it.. You can replace it easily but u need to put that grease But im not sure

they could have made it like an oil filter.. so u can open it with any wrench..

thats impossible : ). Maybe u screwed it wrong or something... The handle screws into the axle of the main gear and does not affect how the reel turns at all ..

@@ifishcatfish interesting, I'll have to have another look then. I noticed that the very middle thread that the handle screws into is offset to the right, is yours the same? Do you think that would that be affecting it?

probably not. Just another member of the Tatula family, with different bearings and seals

yes, i have one in the mail.

I would get the 21 caldia the gear ratio( cm per turn ) is excellent. If not available the legalis

i sold this reel long time ago

never heard of Daysprout. Are u joking? Give me link if you are not

2000

@@ifishcatfish Thanks for the quick answer, as always.

no, i only tested this one. And to be clear this is not a defect. Thats how the reel is. Legalis is extremely reliable and quiet. I have not seen a loud reel out of the box. If you think both of yours were loud, perhaps there is something wrong with your expectations.

very little

Also, top 3 of all your reels for ultralight use below $100?

Tough choice. I need one Daiwa Presso for sure, even though it is a cheap rod. Also the Eradicator is coming with me for sure. I dont know what the last rod would be though. I cant chose between my St Croix and the Carabus. I enjoy the Carabus more, but the St Croix is more useful and universal

thats easy. 3 Daiwa Legalis.

My Presso 6’6” should be delivered today...I’m excited to put my Daiwa Gekkabijin-x 2000 s-p reel on it. It has the same spool as the exist, so the combo should cast well. I am getting a Legalis 2021 when they are released and I find a good deal!

Templeforkoutfitters 7’0 ultralight is amazing!

yes, but they are not the same. The caldia has much more expensive handle, where u can put bearings and shims, and is also ligher. Wouldn't swap it with Exceller handle

@@ifishcatfish haven't you done the same in this video?

@@user-yu1kh8zv7d yes, thats how i know

if someone sent me one just to review it, and then i send it back... that would be the only way. Otherwise i can't spend money on reel i am not going to use, and also feeder reels are just not popular in USA, so nobody here will watch the video either

nowhere. I bought everything separately. Then I put different weight in each compartment. But this is not something that is sold in store. Although they have many similar. But I did my own

The lead weights are in grams, they look elongated/ streamlined compared to egg sinkers. Can you please tell me where I can get some of those lead weights?

well this has aluminum machine cut gears. Fuego has the cast zinc gears

what does finesse custom stand for? What does it mean?

I know the FC models are not offered in the US market. I want to say it means it’s the Ultra light to light game series of reels for light line applications. Americans don’t like using shallow spools let alone know what to do with them lol. Most FC reels come with a shallow spools for better casting of lighter braids and lighter lures.

FC stands for what I said in the video. It means that the reel comes with the body that is one size smaller. So a 2500 FC reel will have the body of 1000 size reel and only the spool of a 2500 reel. If you are not sure, don't start to correct people to show how smart you are because you end up looking stupid.

Correct. FC 1000S, FC 2000S and the FC 2500S are all the same body with different spool sizes. The S stands for shallow (spool). FC stands for finesse custom (The custom is probably referring to the body size being specifically for ajing and mebaring in Japan). To further clarify this, there is also a regular 2500 Caldia as well without the FC treatment.

i have all of them in my fishing videos. U can see them and listen to them. I dont want to make a video just for that. It will look like a showoff

i have the old one too. I still keep it, although i sold this one.

its not gona be a good review. You lose too much quality by saving $20

I doubt that.. I was going to buy it, but they kept the same drag clicker. It doesn't make nice drag sound and because of that i will not be fishing with it. So i cannot spend 500 just to review it. If you buy it, mail it to me for review, and i will mail it back to you

@@ifishcatfish thanks for the reply. I also using a shimano vanquish yup the drag sound is better for shimano reels. I am thinking of buying other brands for my light game.

I have not seen the US presso in European websites

@@ifishcatfish thank you for a quick answer

He's just joking :)

What does finesse custom stand for?

@@ifishcatfish basically just some marketing terminology.

@@aidanlau795 it designates reels with body/gears from the smaller size.

whats the difference with 2000? 2mm wider spool. But it is shallow spool anyway, so fits same line as 1000. There is no difference between 1000 and 2000S

thanks for the comment , Phil

Do you know who will service daiwa jdm magseal spinning reels in usa (maybe midwest)

no.. i service my own and dont care for the magseal. If it is on the mainshaft. If it is in a bearing... you are screwed. Just replace it with regular bearing

i haven't found a product i can recommend. They all feel pretty much the same

I have been impatiently waiting for your float fishing video you said you were going to make.

I just watched the rgtfm video of him using the rod you gave him. Wow...that was very generous of you!

i have a purpose for the wait. Please wait. My fav float is no longer sold in USA

what sinkers? what weight system

much better reel the FL

I think so. But those are always low gear ratio anyway

i realize Im kinda randomly asking but does anybody know a good place to stream newly released series online?

@Marvin Rocco Flixportal :D

@Judah Keith Thanks, I went there and it seems like a nice service =) Appreciate it!!

@Marvin Rocco Happy to help :D

Ballistic is better in my opinion. It has zaion body, and doesn't have that sh#tty side plate that requires a special tool. Also Ballistics are very high quality production and rarely have scratching noises. But for ultralight I prefer Tatula Over Ballistic, and Ballistic over Caldia. Tatula is cheaper and takes 5 minutes to open clean and grease.

thats for stopping by, Victor

Its a good reel but i dont recommend Daiwa under Legalis LT, and I dont recommend shimano under Sahara. These are the starting points. If u go lower u lose a lot. Sahara and Legalis are the best value points

@@ifishcatfish Thank you very much for your response. So Legalis it will be, i will buy 2020 LT model, have you tried it?

hedgehog studio. It's not worth it though, i can tell you. I bought a bunch a couple years back, but when i run out im not doing that or i will find something cheap.

@@ifishcatfish oh okay, thanks!

Chances are, there is nothing anyone can do to fix your reel. If dirt got inside and scratched the surface of the gears - this is irreparable. If the reel has some tiny manufacturing imperfection, there is nobody who can correct that either. Theoretically u can get a bad bearing, while the gears are still good, but this is a very long shot. I would say write off this reel and give it to some kid.

No, do u? I want to test it

No I thinking about buying one for my Daiwa presso ultra light rods wonder if it’s better than the vanquish

depends on the grease. It will feel very nice. If you buy it let me review it

old Luvias

I found the 2508PE-H is it good buy?

or Ultegra. But this reel is no good. Everyone is reporting scratching.

@@ifishcatfish thank you for saving me $180 my friend 😃

there is no Caldua made in Japan any more. Is that what you mean??

i said it in the first 10 seconds of the video : ) Abu Garcia Carabus Extreme. Not sold in USA.

i’m actually hearing impaired so thanks for the smart ass comment

@@toddkinnane6465 why is this a smart ass comment? This is as polite as humanly possible given the circumstances of rhe question.

who needs 5 kg drag on 1000 size reel : ) Thats ridiculous

​Just feels good having that extra power , and you can catch multiple species with that reel​ , agreed on the drag sound @@ifishcatfish

@@marceloamador92024 drag is not power. If you try to lift 5 kg weight with this reel you will rip the rotor straight off the shaft. 5 kg means absolutely nothing, but a gimmick number to trick the kids

Right! People keep repeating in the comments that LT stands for Light and Tough. BullSh1t, i say! 😂

are you serious? give me link!

Chronological turn of events is this: First i bought the reel, Then i found i didn't like it, then i immediately sold it, then i came here to read your stupid comment

In size 2500 and up, Vanford clear winner. In size 2000 and 1000... Vanford sucks too. They both suck.

@@ifishcatfish Once you go the the high end, everything that isn't sucks 😉 😂

@@ifishcatfishThank you for always droping great videos... are 1000s and 2000s Same size in regards of the body. Only difference is the spool, am I correct? How about weight ?

@@jso275 you are correct sir

Whiskey!

shitty drag sound. There are no exceptions.

​@ifishcatfish you do know that the drag can be made louder right?

i think i have a better chance of them watching my video, than them reading my email. I have talked to daiwa USA multiple times and they know me, but they are just a dealer. You need to talk to Daiwa Japan for that, and i can't do that..

there is no need to buy those monocoque daiwas anyway, because Shimano is better in that price range. I would never buy them if it werent for my channel

@@ifishcatfish also don't want to have to spend $30+ for magseal grease when I want to maintain reel

i dont think i need even coreprotect. Looking at my Daiwa Legalis... i have fished it in the rain, but never in dirt, and rain is not a problem. Just open it in the winter and dab a little grease and oil the line roller and u good. Magleal can make big difference if u do saltwater.. but for me... nothing

@@ifishcatfish My Certate 5000 Ark LT is one of my favourite reels in my arsenal. I fish for big fish even on small reels in the saltwater environment. For freshwater I agree Shimano is the way to go due to the cheaper price point, but I love monocoque reels due to the gearing power and ability to handle under load. Even the high gear models feel better than low gear shimano reels.

Looks that way. Daiwa says they want you to ship it in for service but in Europe that can take several weeks, months and costs alot with return shipping so you end up trying to service it yourself. And that don't fly well with Daiwa so they won't sell the mag-fluid, the tools and many spare-parts. Hence you give in and the reel will only live a coulpe of years (with "designed longevity") before you have to buy a new one and Daiwa are happy... A cunning business model or a conspiracy theory? Well I'm not sure but Daiwa aren't very helpfull....

I sent my ballistic fw 1000 reel to Diawa for a bail replacement and they wouldn't repair it. Customer service said they do not repair jdm reels (purchased the reel thru a domestic website).

who give it for free?

@@ifishcatfish Daiwa

someone needs to give these reels a spin at the assembly line and listen for this..

i dont know how many people caught the sarcasm.. : )

DOWN-graded

@@ifishcatfish but zaion V is the newest

@@Blazenenyeismith1234 yes. But its DOWN grade

@@ifishcatfish sorry I watched a different vid which said it was and upgrade

just look at which reels have zaion and which have zaion V. Zaion V is only in cheap reels. Zaion is in all reels over 200.

What does finesse custom stand for? You just replaced one meaningless term with another..

@@ifishcatfish The difference is in drag washers. not sure if it's meaningless but it's not made up.

@@yingyang-hl4tu its not in the drag washers buddy. Its in what i said it was.

@@ifishcatfish No, what you said was made up nonsense. Not sure where you got what you state the letters stand for but it's complete fiction, buddy. Here is a short clip from the Daiwa website available for anyone to look at, maybe learn something: Finesse Custom In addition to the original model, the FC: Finesse Custom 20LUVIAS lineup includes models with "Finesse Custom" applied. Counts below 2500, which are used for more delicate fishing such as bass, area trout, fishing, mebaring, etc., are designed to further reduce weight. The body adopts the lightest compact body in the 20LUVIAS series, and the handle shaft that used stainless steel in the original model was changed to a lighter aluminum shaft. While carefully assessing the usage environment, we also changed the materials of some of the internal parts in pursuit of the optimal balance between lightness and rigidity, and completed customization without compromise.

@@yingyang-hl4tu Dude, read what you pasted! It says uses compact body : ). The rest is marketing BS

I would say Luvias is Ultralight version of Certate. Nothing is Luvias is inferior to Certate; only the frame is Zaion vs heavy aluminum. Both reels made in Japan, both have very goood QC. The Caldia has many inferior components and is made in Vietnam and assembly is also inferior and you have a lot of noises..

@@ifishcatfish Luvias has inferior drag to the Certate, it still has the "midrange" drag which in my opinion is poorly supported and just all round not very stable, the Certate however has the same drag as the Exist, much better supported and much more consistent under pressure.

@@cozab5487 exist, certate, luvias and legalis have the same drag. Replacing the spool bushings with bearings doesnt do nothing. At least for ultralight reels. Maybe for big fish in saltwater.. but i fished my reels with bearings and with bushings and its all the same

@@ifishcatfish No they don't, different washers different more stable build different arbour far more consistent in the Certate above and its not even remotely close or disputable, the only "same" is the clicking mechanism which still has a different tone in Certate/Exist than the cheaper reels. Hook something bigger than a crappie with a certate vs a luvias and the drag feels completely different, I hate the Luvias drag (feels dull), the Certates drag however is far more responsive consistent stable and more vibrant, and no, im not talking about bearing difference, Certate has washers on the spool too.

everything is the same. They have the same spring in the knob. The knob is moving up and down the same thread and is pushing the same steel washer. The washer is pushing the same felt disks (talking about small models). Under the spool you have bushing or bearing, which doesn't matter in ultralight fishing. From Legalis to Exist, there is no difference in drag, except the Tone, as you mentioned. The clicker is the same, but because the spools are made of different material and different thickness, i did also notice a slight difference in tone from reel to reel, even though the clicker is the same. I never said anything about big saltwater sizes, but for ultralight sizes, its all the same

didnt understand this but i did read it..

my tool was made in South Korea, and purchased from Russia. Daiwa does not sell that tool to the public. But its not the tool. I analyzed the hole pattern. They actually changed the pattern!

@@ifishcatfish haha. I was just messing with you. Re: the reel being made on Vietnam

you right - it is 40mm. Same - i replace all of them, in both Daiwa and Shimano. Too much resistance and even feels strange. I dont mind the butt plates, but i wish they werent chrome.

no way! You are kidding!

is this what i did : )

i consult daiwa personally for all my research!

have you seen the fish I catch? They are even smaller..

In America sarcasm is very common. If you cannot detect it, refrain from comments, or you look silly.

@@ifishcatfish hahahaa