Appreciating all of the Curves, Edges, Perfect Imperfections of Shimano's 2021 Conquest
Introduction: Most fishing reel manufacturers these days seem to be on a three to four year update cycle with their product. This gives anglers just enough time to find a favorite, use it to the point of requiring some maintenance, then be faced with the decision to either repair or buy the latest and greatest version. If you're a tackle junkie like me who enjoys sampling the most current iterations, it pretty much kills the practice of having an entire arsenal full of the same reel because by the time you decide you want another three or four of a certain reel, it's back on the drawing board with pending new features. It takes a really special reel to break that cycle.
One reel that seems to be on a slightly slower development cycle and has traditionally been one of my favorites, is Shimano's Calcutta Conquest. Formerly two separate versions, Calcutta for the US domestic market (USDM) and Conquest for the Japanese domestic market (JDM), Shimano has simplified the sku and instead separates the updates by size : the 100 and 200 sizes are on one update cycle while the 300 and 400 sizes are on another. The DC enabled versions of this reel have always been separate. 2014 was the last refresh for the 100 and 200 sized Calcutta Conquests of which I was aware, and while I'm a bit fuzzy if there was another in between, 2021 marks the latest. Here's a look at Shimano Japan's 2021 Conquest 201HG.
I know this is a bit late, but I got confused reading this review. Everything was great as always, but I am confused by the 13+1 bearing count... Where is the 14th bearing at? I know this much: 2 per knob (4 total), 2 main shaft, 2 pinion, 2 spool, 2 levelwind, and one roller bearing. That is 13 and what the majority of high end casting reels have. Some of the cheaper reels will list 15+ bearings but they stuff 3-4 or more in the knobs. I know it is an irrelevant question, but hunting that 14th bearing location was driving me wild...
I know this is a bit late, but I got confused reading this review. Everything was great as always, but I am confused by the 13+1 bearing count... Where is the 14th bearing at? I know this much: 2 per knob (4 total), 2 main shaft, 2 pinion, 2 spool, 2 levelwind, and one roller bearing. That is 13 and what the majority of high end casting reels have. Some of the cheaper reels will list 15+ bearings but they stuff 3-4 or more in the knobs. I know it is an irrelevant question, but hunting that 14th bearing location was driving me wild...
The 21 Conquest and 21 Antares DC includes an additional bearing under the main driveshaft to reduce in and out handle play.
I know this is a bit late, but I got confused reading this review. Everything was great as always, but I am confused by the 13+1 bearing count... Where is the 14th bearing at? I know this much: 2 per knob (4 total), 2 main shaft, 2 pinion, 2 spool, 2 levelwind, and one roller bearing. That is 13 and what the majority of high end casting reels have. Some of the cheaper reels will list 15+ bearings but they stuff 3-4 or more in the knobs. I know it is an irrelevant question, but hunting that 14th bearing location was driving me wild...
The 21 Conquest and 21 Antares DC includes an additional bearing under the main driveshaft to reduce in and out handle play.
Thanks. I will probably never own either but I like knowing random info. This is a first, I wonder if Daiwa will consider upping counts on high end reels. I also wonder if eventually we see trickle down to mid tier models. I really feel there is no advantage gained from going over a 13 bearing system from an engineering standpoint...
