Shimano Catana Review

This is a review of the Shimano Catana. To review this reel, we applied a series of tests while fishing on the Cornish coast. We are also contacting lure anglers from the community to hear how they have found the reel for a wider perspective.

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Shimano Catana Size Guide

We tested the Catana in the 3000 size and it t’was absolutely lovely with the IMAX 9ft which casts up to 40g. The 4000 size would also have worked well on this length rod. If you’re using a modern lure rod under 9ft I’d reach for the 3000. If your rod is heavier, low cost or a bit more traditional, go for the 4000.

Shimano Catana 3000	Light modern lure rods under 9ft
Shimano Catana 4000	Light modern lure rods between 8-9.5ft
Shimano Catana 5000	Sorry can’t help you there, haven’t tried it yet. Probs good for a rod casting 2oz over 9ft in length.

The build quality is everything we’d expect from Shimano at this price

The reel has a graphite mainbody and aluminium spool and handle. That’s what you’d expect at this price but there are quite a few reels out there for the same price with plastic handles. More important to me than the material a reel is made from is how ‘solid’ it feels. Does it feel tightly put together? Does it feel responsive? Yeah, this reel does, and I wouldn’t expect any less from Shimano. Even the FX which comes in cheaper than this one feels well put together. This reel just has a slicker feel, like it belongs on a modern lure rod with some decent light braid. That’s what we did with it, and it handled the braid just fine…

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The line lay was beautiful out of the box, but I would under spool slightly as it got worse towards the last section of line

We did not encounter any problems with line lay. The line lay achieved below is what we got straight out of the box with no adjustments made. This is the reason I recommend Shimano and Daiwa over Penn to those using light braids (7-12lb) at this lower cost price point. You can’t expect to get away with low diameter braids with every reel at this end of the market, but this reel appears to be able to handle them fine. I should note that we tested this latest version of the Catana over just a couple of sessions, but the previous model was used by us for years with a range of light lines, with no problems.

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The drag is reassuringly smooth and can be fine tuned

The drag is not as super smooth as you’ll get in a higher end reel. To achieve that they need to be more fine tuned and that costs more money. However, I feel confident relying on this drag to release tension at a consistent enough rate to allow for the use of very light lines. We used 4lb fluorocarbon on the older Catana model with no issues. Perfectly nice, making a satisfying and consistent click. No sudden bursts of crackling sounds some nasty reels produce before your line snaps off on a charging bass or pike…

1000FE	230g	Ratio 5.0:1	Max Drag 3Kg	Line Capacity (mm/m) 0.18/170
2500FE	260g	Ratio 5.0:1	Max Drag 4Kg	Line Capacity (mm/m) 0.25/160
3000FE	260g	Ratio 5.0:1	Max Drag 8.5Kg	Line Capacity (mm/m) 0.25/210
4000FE	320g	Ratio 5.2:1	Max Drag 8.5Kg	Line Capacity (mm/m) 0.30/180

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The design is sleek and satisfying

If you’re into rugged looking reels then go to Penn instead. This is a sleek little thing that balances nicely on a modern whippy rod. The handle and overall feel of the reel is reassuring in your hand.

I think it’s a good entry-level option for those looking to get into the sport without a significant investment

As I mentioned, this was my first light weight lure fishing reel. The reel had had two owners before me and when I eventually upgraded as the obsession set in I sold it to a friend (another contributor at fishmag, Will). He then fished with it for a while too. So, in terms of durability I’d be willing to put some faith into this reel again now that the new model is out.

It’s not designed to be a high end reel, but every now and then you forget that. That’s pretty good for this price point. Recommended.

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