Coarse Fishing Tackle Review: The Shimano Catana 2500 RA Reel

If you’re a coarse fisherman, then you know the challenge of stalking a variety of fish species. When you’re out for barbel, bream, dace, perch, pike, grayling and others, your coarse fishing tackle should be as versatile as possible. As a coarse angler, you often need to adapt quickly to a variety of fishing venues, baits and tactics. Personally, I’m fond of pike because they put up a terrific fight and present quite a challenge. Regardless of what coarse species you may be partial to, you’re going to need tackle that’s both durable and effective. Since I can’t afford top-of-the-line fishing gear, I’m always on the lookout for quality tackle that’s reasonably priced. I wanted to share my thoughts on a great, budget-priced reel from Shimano: the Cantana 2500 RA.

Key Features of the Shimano Catana 2500 RA Coarse Fishing Reel

This reel is ambidextrous and quite light in weight, a feature that’s important to me during extended fishing sessions. It has 2 stainless steel ball bearings for smooth operation and will hold 200 yards of 6 pound test line. The gear ratio is 5.2:1, and the gearing is cold forged. Cold forging is a process in which a metal, often aluminium, is forced into a die, where it deforms in a controlled way and takes the shape of the die. In the case of cold forged aluminium, the metal also is subjected to a heat treatment tempering process that strengthens it. The Catana 2500 RA comes with a spare extra-light graphite spool along with the standard aluminium spool. Despite its exceptionally low price of about £24.99, the reel features 3D CAD-CAM designed gearing for precise operation and exceptional smoothness.

More About the Catana 2500 RA Reel

Another high-end feature found on this affordable reel is the progressive multi-disk rear drag system that has a surprisingly wide range of adjustments. This makes the reel appropriate for everything from heavy spinning to light match fishing. The Dyna-Balance®feature can be thought of as similar to balancing an automobile tyre. This technique eliminates rotor wobble during the retrieve. The Varispeed®oscillation feature ensures correct line lay. Finally, the 2500 RA’s Super Stopper II®facilitates instant hook setting. For the price, this reel is loaded with features usually found on more expensive models. One of my angling friends also has this reel. When I asked his opinion, here’s what he said: “I can use these for light float, feeder/ledger and spinning. As an all-rounder, they are not too big and not too small. The reel looks and feels well made, A cut above the ‘budget’ reels without getting silly on price.”

Final Thoughts on the Shimano Catana 2500 RA Coarse Fishing Reel

This reel was a great addition to my collection of coarse fishing tackle. I find myself reaching for it more often than some of my other, more expensive reels. I’m happy to rate it at 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars.