Great vid. I'll give my 2 centavos on the Conquest. I bought 2 400 size JDM versions 14 years ago(401 for casting and 1001 for jigging) way before Shimano started importing them to the US market. They all have been the absolute best reels I have ever fished. I also got some bigger Avet LX reels but man, the build quality along with the fit and finish of those just pales in comparison to the Japanese made reels. Those Conquest have held up beautifully and still look brand new look brand new. The level of refinement vs your standard Calcuttas let alone any other reel you find is unreal. These Conquest feel like they have power to spare. Cranking big fish is effortless and casting is a dream. I can only imagine that these newer models are even better. Cheers
Just bought a house on Lake Puckaway WI and you've helped me gear up. i got the calcutta and the spinning reel from the other vid for pike. havent fished them since i was a kid and looking forward to it again. we used to use a frog on a junebug spinner. ha. probably cant do that anymore.
Just bought the Cal Con MD400 as a result of this review. Taking on our annual Xmas fishing trip to the gulf. I’ll reply with my results. It’s been a hard toss up between the tranx and Cal. I actually prefer to palm them but I cut my teeth on the oldskool round abu garcias so it’s like coming home for me. Haha. Thanks for the comparison review! Oh and the click sold it for me too;)
Added a Conquest this week - 300, all for saltwater fishing. Have the Tranx too and night and day difference. On the 300 size, less braking, no positive clicks for either on the spool control and more plastic than metal. I think the Conquest (have had Calcutta's for over 20 years and still going strong) will pass the test of time. It was about $200 more once purchased but just a solid reel. Save or buy used, IMO. THX!
loved the review, the Shimano tranx double paddles you put. how does it feel? no issues when reeling in fish? because I was told, not to change the power handle by one of the shimano guys.
I know you are comparing 400 size reels here, but I’ll toss this out there… You should check out the scorpion xg md, it’s a 300 size JDM version of the Tranx with MD gearing. It’s an excellent reel at that price point. I own a Tranx and conquest md, and quite a few daiwas.
I’ll check that one out! Lately, I’ve gone to 50, 200, and 400 sized reels for my fishing. There tends to be a pretty minimal penalty for the 300 to 400 size for weight, and I’ve enjoyed having additional line capacity for heavy braids (Northern Pike and Musky). I’ll read up more on the reel you suggested!
No comparison really, apples and oranges different class, really should compare the Tranx 500 to the MD, but I assume you're doing this comparison because these are both the reels you own and have been using. Drag occasionally loses up on the Tranx 400, so big deal breaker when setting hooks on musky, heard a lot of people lost musky because of the forums with poor hook sets. The md is much more comfortable, grippable and palmable in my opinion! I bought three Conquest MDs, sold my two Tranx 400s and two Daiwa ProRexs...
Thanks for the comment! Will be curious to hear your thoughts on the new Conquest MD! I compared the two because they are both the same size (400) and share just about every spec (gear ratio, drag strength, IPT, spool size, etc) as the same. I own a Tranx 500PG and HG as well. I can see what you mean from a build quality and price standpoint. My perspective was that the Tranx 500 is such a MONSTER that the two reels didn’t line up well head to head. It would make an interesting conversation on how a 500HG and 400 MD hold up to a fall of ripping pounders. The durability side of it is what will be interesting to see after a full year of hard musky work!
@@stienfamilyoutdoors I see, yeah even if the Tranx 500 came in left hand, I don't think I'd buy it due to size and weight causing fatigue and horrible grip. "The durability side of it is what will be interesting to see after a full year of hard musky work!" Well it's not like this is the first Conquest model, how has the other Conquests held up over the years? From what I've heard on the muskie outdoors forums, the previous Conquests were very close to being bullet proof like the Tranx 500 and again, it's a Shimano!!! Now that the Conquest has 40 inches per crank, probably could be the best reel on the market for musky fishing basically!
Just picked up the 301xglh. Was using a reg 301 calcutta conquest for stripers and blues throwing plugs like the doc etc... didn't have enough line pickup sp it felt weird. The md is so much better
Both great reels, but for what i need theyll work, but ONLY 18 lbs of drag. Not a whole lot of stopping power, my Daiwa Prorex 400 has 30 lbs of drag. I can crank it down and almost not be able to pull line off it. I fish for trophy river stripers and drag and line cap are the 2 main criteria for me. I might check out the conquest 400 in silver...i like that one, its a work of art
18 vs 30 lbs of drag is meaningless. 30# is nothing but marketing BS from Daiwa trying to convince you that a poorly made reel is tough. You will NEVER slip 18 pounds of drag on a giant striper, even in current. I can't even come close to slipping 13lbs of drag on 150-200 lb tarpon. The Lexas, are ok, but comparing a Prorex to a Conquest or a Tranx isn't even fair. A Tiagra 20 has 25# of drag- crank the drag down a 250lb tuna and you either explode a rod, or get pulled over the side- nothing is slipping.
MD is advertised as big lure reel but I wonder how it does with lighter 1/2-1.5oz lures? I like running #5 Aglias once in a while for pike and wonder if I should opt for this reel
I’ve thrown lures down to #5 mepps without issue. I haven’t thrown lighter spinner baits that can create a lot of resistance. I also typically position my drifts for the wind to be at my back, so that certainly affects my experiences!
Tranx 400 has 22 lbs of drag which is just enough to put pressure on trophy Striped Bass in the NE. I also own a Prorex 400 which I love! I’m not paying $600 to get spooled with 18 lbs of drag. 😅
I want to see the striped bass you’re tying into, that sounds like a blast! It’s always amazing to me how some fish of the same weight can run for days and other fish can get whooped by relatively little drag.
@@stienfamilyoutdoors 40-50 lbs bass got huge head and shoulders and take one of the most vicious runs especially in current so it requires 20+ lbs of drag. But 18 lbs of drag are good for smaller fish.
The JDM version of some reels has some slight differences, but in this case I have not been able to uncover any. One thing to look out for with JDM is warranty as you typically can’t get work done under warranty in the states on a JDM reel.
Very comparable. The Conquest feels more powerful, but I think it’s more a function of the additional bearings and the handle than it is the gears truly enabling more cranking power.
been using lexa tw 300 and tranx 300 and other 8-10kg drag reel. Tranx is by far the worst baitcaster I have ever used if cast distance is concerned. Even if you do free spool casting(no tension no brake), tranx is still under performance because of the stupid async levelwind and small guide. Same lure(maria 38g s115 fla pen) same braid(#4 varivas) same rod(fishman 10.6MH), with lexa tws 300, 80m ; with tranx 301, ~40m or less
