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Enthusiast Review

 

Shimano's Conquest 30/31HG Delivers a Joy and Enthusiasm Not Felt Since... (continued)

Power: Even in this tiny little package, the Conquest 30/31 packs a pretty good punch and pulls line in quite effectively. With this combo, I mostly fished a big bladed, finesse sized, vibrating jig I cobbled together myself. Because of the relatively large blade to jig size ratio, this jury-rigged bait has quite a bit of resistance in the water equivalent to a medium depth crank. The Conquest 30/31 had no difficulty with this bait.


Inside the Conquest 30/31HG is a brass main gear

Inside the reel, supplying the power is a brass main gear and pinion carved with Shimano's micro-module gear mesh. There are those who are not a fan of this design. I'm not one of them and have yet to experience any difficulties with a micro-module geared reel. In fact, I feel this design contributes to that buttery smooth feel you get when you turn the handle.


The gear is cut with Shimano's Micro Module system

Drag: Besides its shallow spool, a good indication that the Conquest 30/31 is built for lighter line applications is its maximum drag rating of only four kilograms (4kg). This translates to roughly eight point eight pounds (8.8lbs). Supplying that pressure is a single disc drag system with an audible alert when the drag is engaged. It may not be super powerful, but it does provide smooth and consistent resistance to feisty, unhinged battlers.


Inside that main gear sits a single drag disc

Design & Ergonomics: So remember when I said this reel reminded me of something? When the Conquest 31HG landed in my dirty little paws, I just took it for granted it was the 100 sized platform equipped with a shallow spool. It wasn't until after I fished the reel and felt that familiar joy that I went back to take a closer look by comparing the two. This is when I discovered that minuscule one millimeter difference in height.


Conducting the new peel test and getting movement at 0.2g

I checked this two or three times because it boggles my mind that Shimano would set up entirely new tooling to produce the Conquest 30/31 when the simple solution is to slap a shallow spool into the 100, but they did, and that difference in height proves it. The spools are also about a half millimeter different in diameter.


Our spool volume calculations are not meant to be exact, but are conducted to get a general idea and basis for comparison between different reels

So the next thing I did was compare the Conquest 31HG to a reel I've not fished in quite some time - my original Conquest 51. Turns out, that height from the bottom of the reel foot to the top of that front bar is the same on both reels - 43mm. The outside diameter of the non-handle sideplates are different. The Conquest 51 measured fifty three millimeters (53mm) while the new Conquest 31 measured forty nine (49). That's right, it's smaller! For the record, the Conquest 101 was also smaller measured at fifty (50).


Conquest 51's spool on the left, Conquest 31HG's on the right

One last point of comparison - line capacity. The easiest way to compare this data point is to calculate the volume of each spool. I do this with all my new reels now as a point of reference. The calculations are not exact since the surfaces inside the spool are not perfectly straight and perpendicular to one another, but it's a close enough approximation. The Conquest 51 came to seven point three cubic centimeters (7.3cm3 )while that of the Conquest 31, I calculated at seven point four (7.4cm3 ). That was the last piece of the puzzle. As far as I'm concerned, Shimano's new Conquest 30/31HG is the reincarnation of the beloved Conquest 50/51!

Comparisons Table

Model
Overall Wt (oz)
Spool Wt (g)
Spool Volume (cm3)
Peel Weight (g)
Height (mm)*
'24 Conquest 30/31 HG
7.8
15
7.4
0.2
43
'17 Conquest BFS
7.2
8
3.8
0.2
44
Conquest 50/51
7.5
15
7.3
0.3
43
'14 Conquest 101
8.6
17
10.8
--
44
*Measured from bottom of reel foot to top of front bar

While I had the Conquest 51 and new 31HG out, I took the comparison a step further and conducted a peel weight test. Both spools weigh the same, but it takes less weight to get that new MGL spool on the 31HG to begin peeling. In fact, the 31HG compares favorably in this regard to the Conquest BFS. Results are in the table above.


Shimano Japan's Conquest 30/31HG retails for 59,600 JPY

Price & Applications: However, unlike the Conquest BFS, the 30/31HG is a reel for general applications. That is, as long as you can fish the application you have in mind with about thirty pound (30lb) test braid or roughly eight pound (8lb) test fluorocarbon, copolymer, or nylon monofilament. Just remember not all "8lb" test lines are created with the same diameter - especially non-JDM fishing lines. Retail on the Conquest 30/31HG is 59,600 JPY or roughly $400 depending on the exchange rate and associated fees at the time of purchase.

Ratings:

Shimano Japan's '24 Conquest Shallow Edition 30/31HG Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Shimano at its best. There is just something about how well built Conquest series reels are in terms of build quality and precision, this Shallow Edition is no different 10
Performance Like fishing with a finely tooled little machine 10
Price Somewhat favorable given the exchange rate at the time of this writing, but still a pricey proposition 6.5
Features MGL 3 spool, micro-module gears, SVS Infinity braking system, ARB bearings 8
Design (Ergonomics) Nice compact size, 84mm handle, micro-click dragstar and spool tension knob, audible drag 9
Application A very good general application reel 8

Total Score

8.58
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ The differences are minuscule, but the reel is even smaller than the 100 - JDM Only (at least for now)
+ Micro-click dragstar, spool tension knob, and audible drag  
+ Higher gear ratio in a small package  
+ Legitimate return of the 50  


Beyond ergonomics, the Conquest 31HG performs at a very high level, that when combined with its compact size, delivers a joy and enthusiasm I've yet to experience in a low profile casting reel

Conclusion: Call it what you will, but for me, shrouded in its dark, cool grey robe, Shimano Japan's 2024 Conquest 30/31, marks the return of the Conquest 50 retooled and re-imagined for HG. It is a reel with limited line capacity, but capable of delivering unlimited fun as long as it is used within recommended parameters. If you've been curious to sample a round reel, but were hesitant due to questionable palming profiles, this reel is as good as it gets for ergonomics in such a reel. Beyond ergonomics, the reel performs at a very high level, that when combined with its compact size, delivers a joy and enthusiasm I've yet to experience in a low profile casting reel.

 

Looking for a Shimano Japan's '24 Conquest Shallow Edition 30/31HG?

Try Japan Tackle


 

   

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