Shimano Talica Review
Well, I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on one of the new Shimano Talica 10 II 2-speed reels to review and test out.
The reel was spooled with 65lb PowerPro braid and a 75yd topshot of 30lb P-line and was set to be tested on the water chasing Yellow Fin Tuna, dorado and Yellowtail.
I paired it with a G.Loomis Pelagic PSR84-30C SU 7' 25-40lb rod. The combination of the two made for an incredibly light set up that could be fished all day.
First impressions:
The reel didn't have the flash that one normally expects of a reel of this price range and pedigree. It was a good looking reel but didn't scream out high end when I first looked at. Accurates have the look of a Ferrari, high end performance in a product that gets the heart racing. Avets have the look of a Subaru WRX, fast, extremely functional and able to get the job done. The Talica struck me as being like a Nissan 370ZX. You know it's a good high-end performance product but it just doesn't get the blood pumping like some of the thoroughbreds out there. Luckily, first impressions change over time, as I grew to like this little reel more and more.
The reel was small for what I expected. Shimano had designed this reel to be a small 2-speed lever drag that could handle the rigors of braided lines and higher drag settings.
The design, with a smaller left side plate, sloping cross members to the larger right side plate and oversized gearbox was very pleasing to the eyes. The lines flowed naturally and it had a very futuristic look to it. The lever drag was very comfortable to use and felt more refined than the larger lever on the Accurates, and felt and looked much more solid and better than the comparable lever on the Avets. The preset knob was easy to adjust and the click system let you know just how much pressure you were adding or taking off. Upon removing the preset the only drawback I noticed is that the “clicker ring” for the lever is plastic. On a reel of this price range I would have expected it to be part of the metal sideplate. Further use over time will let me know if this is a weakness or a non-issue. The rubber handle feels great and the handle arm seems incredibly beefy. The shifting mechanism was simple and easy to use. Shifting the reel from high to low while sitting in my office chair was super easy. Its ease of use under fishing conditions was to be determined at a later date.
The color scheme on the reel, silver body and sideplates, gold spool, lever and handle arm, initially put me off a bit. I would have assumed that Shimano would have used their tried and true gold color standard for a high end reel, like they had on the Trinidad line and Torsa line. From a distance the reel looked like the bastard child of a Trinidad and Saltiga. After a bit of time though, the color scheme grew on me and I began to like its look.
The other thing I noticed right away was that the surface of the reel felt like no other reel. It had an incredibly smooth finish. After doing some research on it I found that Shimano had gone with a new finish called E.I. After the standard anodizing process is complete Shimano then adds an additional E.I. coating. Per Shimano the E.I. coating gives the Talica twice the resistance to corrosion as standard anodizing. This is a great addition and should help keep spools from getting pitted and reduce the overall maintenance requirements of the reel.
The one thing I noticed initially when playing with the reel was the side load. On most lever drags this is a normal occurrence. It was noticeable and I pondered if this was going to be an issue. The side load was less than what I experienced with an Avet but more than what I have experienced with an Accurate. When under load and fighting a fish the side load was not noticeable at all.
On the water impressions:
I was able to test the reel on a fishing trip out of Ensenada. I would love to be able to tell you I was able to test it against large, drag pulling Yellow Fin Tuna, Yellowtail and dorado but alas the fish gods didn’t cooperate and I was only able to test it out against smaller 6-10lb dorado. I will say this though, the reel performed flawlessly.
Casting
This reel casts much better than anticipated. Lever drags are notoriously poor casters when compared to star drag reels, but this reel cast like a champ. Shimano did their homework on designing this reel to be a great caster. They manufactured the spool to be as light as possible and made use of high-grade greaseless bearings. Pitching a sardine or a mini-mack well out behind the boat was an easy task. Once in the water the bait was able to pull line off the spool with ease. It outcast my Accurate 270 with ease. I did not have a comparable Avet with me at the time, but I’d put it up against an Avet any day of the week.
For our style of casting and fly-lining live baits this reel is a great addition to anyone’s arsenal.
Fighting Fish
The Talica had plenty of power. Due to the oversize gearing and gearbox it had plenty of torque. Gaining line on fish was simple and the reel truly did feel like a winch. Even though our quarry did not present the need to shift to low gear I did anyway so I could see how easy shifting between the two gears was. Shifting was flawless and easy and the low gear is definitely like having four low in a 4x4 vehicle. Low gear felt like I was reeling back in my bait, not the dorado I had on the line. Switching between high and low was “so simple even a caveman could do it.” I have no doubt that this reel will be able to handle much larger fish and I hope to have it when I’m fighting larger class tunas and bruiser Yellowtail.
The drag felt silky smooth. Unfortunately, the dorado we caught barely pulled any drag, but I have confidence that the drag will hold up to much larger quarry. Further testing at home using a couple of different methods gave me a lot of confidence in the Talica’s drag system. Both my wife and 60lb black lab pulled plenty of drag and it never surged or felt anything but buttery smooth. My methods may not have been completely scientific but sometimes you have to go with what’s available. As I get a chance to do more testing of the drag against animals with fins I’ll provide more updates.
Comparisons Between Competitors:
Following are some comparisons to other reels that I feel are in the same league.
Weight
Shimano Talica 10 II – 18.6 ounces
Avet MXJ6/4 – 18 ounces
Accurate BX2-400 – 20 ounces
Daiwa Saltist STTLD30-2SPD – 15 ounces
Gear Ratio
Shimano Talica 10 II – 6.2:1 (H) 4.1:1 (L)
Avet MXJ6/4 – 6.3:1 (H) 3.8:1 (L)
Accurate BX2-400 – 6:1 (H) 3:1(L)
Daiwa Saltist STTLD30-2SPD – 6.3:1 (H) 3.1:1 (L)
Capacity of 20lb. mono
Shimano Talica 10 II – 270 yds.
Avet MXJ6/4 – 300 yds.
Accurate BX2-400 – 300 yds.
Daiwa Saltist STTLD30-2SPD – 295 yds.
Max Drag with Freespool/Max Drag at Strike with Freespool (Manufacturer specs)
Shimano Talica 10 II – 20lbs/13lbs
Avet MXJ6/4 – 16lbs/9lbs
Accurate BX2-400 – 30lbs/
Daiwa Saltist STTLD30-2SPD – 22lbs/13.2lbs
Price (per Anglers Center, Newport Beach CA)
Shimano Talica 10 II – $479.99
Avet MXJ6/4 – $389.99
Accurate BX2-400 – $569.99
Daiwa Saltist STTLD30-2SPD – $299.95
Conclusion:
Shimano has come out with a winner with the Talica. Their technology and innovation they used in the creation of the Talica puts them as one of the top competitors in the small 2-speed reel market. It is a small, lightweight reel that fishes hard and casts well. Its price point puts it right in between the Avet and the Accurate which will please a lot of cost conscious anglers. I liked it a lot and plan on adding it to my arsenal as a dedicated 30lb outfit and as a 40lb outfit on long-range trips. It’s a good looking reel with good ergonomics and has a pedigree that instills confidence in the angler.
I’m very impressed with the latest product from Shimano and look forward to testing it out further on the water.
Shimano Talica Review 
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