Shimano Catala 400 Fishing Reels
Fishing Reels Manufacturer: Shimano
Shimano Model: Catala 400
Review Category: Fishing Reels
Purchase: Fishing Reels Purchase in 2005 as combo with a Shimano Backbone rod. At a clearance price of NZ$150 (or at the average exchange rate about US$90) which was very cheap given the full retail price was NZ$400/US$240.
Things I like about the Shimano Catala 400 Fishing Reels: Rugged, reliable Shimano build quality. Powerful butter-smooth drag. Great corrosion resitance. Easily maintained.
What I don't like about the Shimano Catala 400: Issues with the spool release button. Often if the button isn't depressed firmly turning the handle won't engage the spool leaving it in free-spool. This can be a pain if it happens when you wan't to strike the hook into the fish. Interestingly the Catala 300 I used to own didn't have this issue
I've pulled the thing apart for mainatenance a couple of times and the last time I reversed the sprocket shaped disk that activates the spool engagement mechanism into engagement with the gearbox when the handle is turned in free-spool. I noticed that each side of the teeth were slightly different shapes and that reversed the sprocket teeth made a more postive engagement with the lever that rotates the engagment mechanism. I think I might have invertently reversed this part the first time and have continued to put in upside down! This has appeared to solve the problem, but time will tell.
Line-out alarm (rachet) is ratshit to use.
Fishing Reels Catala 400 quality: The Catala is an 'almost' Calcutta. The body of the reel is graphite with alloy end caps with a hard-anodized spool. The level wind mechanism features a ceramic line guide. Apparently much of the internals are similar/same as the Calcutta. While the graphite body cannot be as strong/rigid as the solid alloy Calcutta the reel is flex free and retains the same feel after 4 years of use.
Catala 400 summary: The Shimano Catala 400 has been superceeded by new models but it remains a very good baitcaster reel and a good second-hand proposition. The reels are tough and seem impervious to the salt water environment, given reasonable maintainence. Would I part with mine? No. Even with it's spool engagement issues.
Rating for this Shimano product: 4
Author of this review on Shimano Fishing Reels: CarbonRod
Date: 2009-01-27
Usefulness Rating: 4.875 out of 5.
8 reader(s) voted.
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