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Daiwa expands their brightly colored lineup with the new
Tierra spinning reel (continued)
 Price
& Applications: The 1500 size makes a great light bass reel, but it can also
easily pull double duty as a primary trout reel. The reel draws in line fast
enough for fishing Kastmasters and Panther Martin Spinners, and is light enough
to match up with a portable multi-piece trout rod.
The Tierra drag "sandwich." The
tabbed washed locks into the spool to provide a fixed counter pressure point
During our tests I found the
Tierra 1500 to be a fantastic reel for fishing light plastics, darter heads,
shaking worms, and drop shotting. Any lure well suited for light lines cast and
retrieved perfectly with the Tierra.
A close up of the dry felt drag washer
The excellent drag on this
reel makes it possible to use a smaller reel, like our 1500, for these
applications since casting distance nor line capacity are major concerns... but
fish fighting power is.
The inside of the spool clicks
against second part of this drag system
While you wont be casting
these lightweight baits like a trap or jerkbait, you never know when a lunker
will take that tiny plastic. When that time comes its good to know the Tierra
has both the gearing and drag to match up with these bigger fish.
On top of the rotor the spool
locks into place against yet another drag inducing surface and spring
During the test
when drop shotting I hooked into a few Spotted bass, while I thought these fish
were big largemouth due to their increased fight strength I played them the same
way. As I lifted the rod to keep tension on the line the Tierra let loose line
in well controlled and consistent amounts.
The ergonomic
arm of the Tierra puts the spool within easy index finger reach
Fighting these fish with 6lb line was easy
because I had less fear of the line snapping due to a sloppy drag. The gearing
kicked in nicely and as I pulled the fish in the drag continued to do all the
work up until we boated the spots. Because the drag and gearing is so refined
this reel is well suited for finesse plastics, and will do well fishing minute
spinners and tubes for panfish and trout.
The Tierra is made in China
When it comes to price the Tierra is priced just like the Capricorn, and ranges
in price between 114-129 dollars depending on size. This mainstream price will
make the Tierra very attractive for anglers looking for a quality reel just
above the 100 dollar mark. This effectively positions the Tierra against the
well established Shimano Stradic.
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 |
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The Tierra is
a fantastic trout and panfish ultralight reel but it is also a perfect reel for
light line drop shotting for largemouth and spotted bass
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Ratings:
|
Daiwa TD
Tierra Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
The Tierra could easily
cost 40 dollars more and we wouldn't flinch. This is reel is built with all
metal components and the matte blue finish is both attractive and durable |
9 |
| Performance |
The performance of the
Tierra is good overall but excellent when you consider the reel's mainstream
price point. The one area where the reel really shined was the drag
performance. The performance of the Tierra really did remind us of a
"mini-SOL" spinning reel |
9 |
| Price |
The good news is that qt
$114-129.00 (depending on size) the Tierra is really priced reasonably. The
bad news is this is probably the most highly contested segment in spinning
reels today. Anglers looking for an all-round high performance reel in the
sub 150 dollar range demand an equal balance of features, performance, and
reliability. At this price point the Tierra will have to go head to head
with the well respected Shimano Stradic |
8 |
| Features |
The premium features once
found only on the company's 200 dollar plus reels have made their way down
to the mainstream price segment. The top features of this reel include the
sealed drag system, digigear design, CRBB bearings, GyroSpin balancing and
spare duplicate spool |
9 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
The Tierra 1500 is
categorized as an ultralight reel but it could be a tad lighter. Besides
that the reel is a perfect multi-species reel. |
8 |
| Application |
It is good to see a full
range of sizes for just about every small to mid sized application...both
fresh and salt |
9 |
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Total Score |
8.66 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus
Minus |
| J
Great features and design |
L
Not as light as some ultralights |
| J
Available in full range of sizes |
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| J
Attractive high-quality
finish |
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| J
Excellent drag |
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| J
Reasonable price |
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Conclusion: So
what’s next for Daiwa?
Perhaps the Agua
(Water), Onda (Wave), or
Marea (Tide). All
kidding aside, the
latest batch of brightly
colored, Spanish named
reels have been an
impressive lot. My
favorites of the bunch
have been the TD Luna,
which replaced the
Millionaire nicely, and
the ultra palmable SOL
baitcaster which really
helped define a
recognizable design for
Daiwa low profile
baitcasters. Daiwa has a
much more robust lineup
than it showcased just
two seasons ago. They
have reels in the value,
mainstream, and
enthusiast categories.
The Tierra looks and
performs much like a
enthusiast reel, heck it
possess premium features
like the sealed drag and
DigiGear design, but it
is priced in the
mainstream category. The
Capricorn was a great
reel, one that
introduced us to
Hardbodyz design, and
the Tierra really ups
both the performance and
style level once
occupied in this
particular price range.
Competition is fierce at
this price, but if
you’re looking for a
reel that can pull
triple duty as a trout,
bass, and light
saltwater reel the
Tierra is up to the
challenge.
Check out
Tackle Warehouse
for the best selection
of Daiwa Spinning Reels
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