Real World Tests: Daiwa provided us with a mass production Tatula SV TW103 reel two months prior to today’s official launch at the Bassmaster Classic, and since that time we have been fishing it on a variety of rods including Daiwa’s own Tatula Elite Series. We spooled the reel with a variety of lines, including Daiwa’s own J Braid, and Trilene Big Game for the monofilament tests. Though our time with the reel was limited prior to this hard launch we put it through the paces fishing lightweight plastics as well as seeing just how well it performed handling reaction baits.

The polished finish gives it a higher-end look and feel than other Tatula reels

Casting: What makes the new reel unique is that not only is it light but it is designed to cast better with the implementation of Daiwa’s patented SV Spool and Airbreak technology, which is basically a dual casting system that works together to minimize backlashes and deliver improved casts through the integration of both magnetic braking and centrifugal braking systems.

It just took a few casts to see just how much the SV Spool improves casting performance in the platform

The new Tatula casts almost identical to other reels in the family when it came to launching reaction baits, and pretty much anything 1/2oz. and heavier. It is when using lighter lines and casting smaller, and lighter, baits like tiny jigs, weightless plastics, or a tiny ned rig that the reel really shines.

The SV spool is nothing not new, but it is proven, and the quick startup combined with the air brake system helps control casts with even the lightest of baits.

The A7075 SV Spool is designed to be both light and durable

This system was based on older Magforce systems and rather than just use magnetic or centrifugal systems it leverages both in unison to provide spool management from the start to finish of each cast.

Inside we can see the combined magnetic and centrifugal system

At the beginning of the cast the spool starts up quickly without counter-resistance, and as it speeds up the golden inductor moves away from the spool and into the magnetic rings housed within the non-handle-side sideplate where magnetic braking applies pressure based on your settings. At the end of the cast the spool rotations slow down and a spring pulls the inductor back from the magnetic rings as it no longer requires brake force.

The spool weighs .45oz. (12.75 grams)

As with other Tatula reels Daiwa encourages anglers to set and forget the spool tension with the “Zero Adjuster” and rely on the cast control for fine-adjustments. Casting is further maximized with the company’s proven T-Wing System that works by opening up the line feed and allowing line to flow smoothly off the spool, and also gives the reel the distinctive unhindered casting feel across all weight ranges.

The SV spool's inductor is spring loaded and moves outwards at high RPM and into the magnetic rings

As with other SV equipped reels the Tatula 103 SV TW provides consistent, and quiet casts, and while the casting system does effectively combat backlashes the reel is still not immune to them, and I did find it necessary to sometimes make minor adjustments to the “Zero Adjuster” to eliminate those pesky professional overruns.

The gearing in the Tatula SV TW is made of hardened brass

Retrieve: Today’s Tatula Series reels continue to up the ante when it comes to performance, and refinement, and reels like this latest version are even as smooth as previous generation Zillions. The well designed aluminum frame locks the master gearing in place while the bearings help deliver a smooth overall retrieve.

Our test reel featured a 7.1:1 retrieve and even when continuous cranking with long lipped deep divers like the River2Sea Tactical DD crank we never experienced any lack of power, or gear bind, whatsoever.

A closer look at the primary gearing. The teeth on the gear are average size

On the other end of the spectrum the new Tatula is a surprisingly good baitfinesse option, as the reel is able to cast lightweight baits easily, and has the speed (with the two higher speed models), to bring back those baits quickly to focus on your target zones. Out of the entire Tatula lineup if fishing light line and baitfinesse is your focus application then this is the spider to get.

The drag star on this Tatula is functional but nowhere near as refined as the Zaion star found on the Elite models

Next Section: The most balanced Tatula yet?