Shimano Conquest 100 101 Casting Reel Review

Enthusiast Review

The Ultimate Conquest - by Shimano Japan

Date:	9/9/15
Tackle Type:	Reel
Manufacturer:	Shimano
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.17 - ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST AWARD!

Introduction: Low profile reels change shape and evolve with every passing year. What's considered small and comfortable one year can be obsolete in the matter of three to five. Round reels on the other hand are much more enduring. After all, there's not much you can do to change the shape of round. Most bass fisherman are familiar with Shimano's USDM flagship round reel, the Calcutta, but how many are aware of that reel's JDM counterpart, the Conquest?

Introducing Shimano Japan's 2014 refresh of the Calcutta Conquest.

The JDM Shimano Calcutta Conquest was like the old Calcutta GT reel on cosmetic steroids. It was a machined piece of art. A couple of years ago, there were rumors that Shimano Japan was planning to discontinue the line. Tackle Enthusiasts all around were distraught! Fortunately, the angst was short lived. Last year, instead of killing the line, Shimano introduced a new version of the vaunted reel. Here now is our look at the new 100 size of the Conquest from Shimano Japan.

Shimano Conquest 100/101 Specifications
Line Capacity - Rated	10 / 110
Line Capacity - Spool Volume	9.2 cm³
Retrieve Ratio	5.2:1	6.8:1
Inches Per Turn (IPT) - calculated	16 - 22	20.5 - 28.5"
Weight	7.6 oz
Spool Weight	13 g
Handle Length	75 mm
Bearings	12 + 1
Bearings per Knob	2 bearings
Levelwind Bearings	2 bearings
Tested Max Drag	~11.67 lbs
Origin	Made in Japan
MSRP	$549

Quality/Construction: If you haven't seen or more importantly, held a Shimano Conquest in your hands, it's hard to describe the precision with which these reels are assembled. The only finish these reels have is a gold anodization. Unlike paint, anodizing cannot hide or cover flaws. Joints, shadow lines, transitions between sideplates and other parts are all exposed so machining and finishing must be precise. Our Conquest 101 was perfect right out of the box.

The Conquest is a machined work of art.

Grasping the reel in one hand and its handle in the other, there is a small degree of backplay in the handle as well as when the handle is pulled away and pushed into the body of the reel. The knobs were perfect with zero play.

All edges and seems are perfectly aligned.

Quality Ratings for Shimano Conquest 100/101
Finish (1-5)	Frame & Sideplate Tolerance (1-5)	Handle Tolerance (1-5)	Knob Tolerance (1-5)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	5	3	5	18	20	9.0

Rigged and ready to go aboard Megabass's F4.5-610Xti Elseil C40 Evoluzion.

Performance: I fished the Conquest 101 on a couple of different rods before finally matching it up with Megabass's Elseil C40 Evoluzion. The 100 sized Calcutta has a relatively small spool so I initially fished it spooled with braided line with a fluorocarbon leader, but that eventually gave way to just straight up fluorocarbon - 10 Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon to be exact.

The Conquest's buttery smooth retrieve can be attributed to Shimano's new gearing system.

Retrieve: New for Conquest is Shimano's latest micro-module gearing system. These smaller teeth increase the contact points over similar sized gears with standard teeth. The result is a reel with an incredibly smooth retrieve. Our first experience with these micro-gears was with the 2012 Antares by Shimano Japan. The 2014 Conquest follows suit with buttery smooth performance that manages maintain that connected feel to your bait and line.

Micro-Modulus Gearing means provides more teeth for increase contact points.

Usually, super smooth reels insulate you from this feeling - the result of over greasing, frame and sideplate materials, and other factors. Such is not the case with the 2014 Conquest as the micro-module gears deliver all the smoothness you could wish for without insulating you from what's going on at the end of the line.

Shimano hangs on to their Dartanium drag system for the 2014 Conquest.

Performance Ratings for Shimano Conquest 100/101
Retrieve (1-5)	Drag (1-5)	Power (1-5)	Casting Range (1-5)	Brakes (1-5)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	4	4	5	5	23	25	9.2

Next Section: Drag, Power and Casting Range