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Dripping from head to toe with awesomeness, the XTE and XSE Ultegra reels from Shimano give the appearance of a product that would be twice or even three times the price. Crammed full of loads of Shimano’s latest tech, the team behind them have dubbed them ‘long range superstars’, mainly thanks to the Super Slow Oscillation, which creates the perfect line lay and reduced friction on casting. Any serious carp angler will want to take a look at these superb carp reels - especially at this price range.
Absolute beasts in terms of power, these reels are silent and smooth, thanks to a combination of HAGANE Gear, S-Ship, Infinity Drive and Silent Drive. The XTE is for the angler who seeks a darker, stealthier-looking reel, while the XSE is in a stunning clean silver, for those who want that real glow to their treasured carp set-up.
The Verdict
From the moment you get these reels out of the box, you can't fail to be impressed. They boast the same remarkable quality anglers have come to expect from a Shimano reel and are packed with a stack of features to improve performance.
On testing we found the casting distances achieved, even when this reel was loaded with a budget reel line, were very impressive, and the line lay was as good as Shimano had boasted. Perhaps a more interesting feature is Silent Drive and they really are that too. Everything is just so silky and smooth, you would honestly think you were paying a lot more for them. The clutch just ticks away under steady pressure and nothing locks up. This reel is a well oiled machine that will catch the biggest carp on the toughest of lakes.
Visually they won't look out of place on any rod or pod combination you put them on, but you may find clumsy anglers will scratch them over time. Whilst we are on the negatives, what might be one of the biggest annoyances for some anglers is the screw-on reel handle. Whilst this does make the handle rock solid when screwed in place, it does make them difficult to fold and can lead to handles dropping off in your holdall if unscrewed too far. This is present on many other high end carp reels, however, so it is simply down to what you prefer as an angler and may have used before.
Finishing on a big positive, inside the box is a spare spool and line reducers - perfect for spooling up for different waters and situations you might face.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AND OTHERS FROM SHIMANO HERE.
Best mid-range carp reel
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Shimano says the Ultegra 14000 XTE will redefine the mid-priced long-range reel market. Packed with many of Shimano’s ‘long cast’ technologies, these reels boast Shimano’s Super Slow Oscillation 5 for perfect line lay, which will in turn reduce friction and increase casting performance.
Other technical features include HAGANE Gear and X-SHIP for amazing smoothness and lightweight rotation. Rigid Cast reduces spool deflection at the moment of release, while Parallel Body sends the line out at the perfect angle. If casting power and efficiency is what you want, without breaking the bank, these reels have answered every question in the book.
Pros
- Offers superior line lay.
- Incredible cranking power.
Cons
- Screw-on handle might not appeal to everyone.
Our pick of the alternatives
Best budget big pit carp reel
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While also available in 6000 and 10,000 sizes, we consider the Nash 8000 LR reels to be some of the best available for a wide variety of fishing scenarios (including floater fishing). Great with both mono and braided mainlines, these little blue beauties boast plenty of exciting features, including an extended stroke spool, fast drag and super slow oscillation.
Despite being a more compact sized big pit reel, these reels pack a serious punch when it comes to casting, so will be suitable for open-water scenarios too, or just blasting big bolt machines out into the pond on a warm summer’s day.
The reels have 8+1 ball-bearings and a beefy gear ratio of 4:9:1.
Pros
- Compact and lightweight design.
- Great line lay.
Cons
- Not the best for casting extreme ranges (take a look at the 10,000).
Best for boat fishing
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Just as visually impressive as Daiwa’s top-end reels, the stunning Whisker 45 SCW QD OT boasts some truly incredible casting characteristics for less than half the price of the company’s famed Basias. It’s the first Daiwa reel to feature the QDM drag system, where the drag switches from open to closed via one full turn.
The 45mm spool stroke, in combination with the Slow Cross wrap tech, ensures friction-free line-lay to significantly improve casting. But the real bonus for anglers fishing at mega distances is the monster 700m of 0.35mm line that one of the two spare spools that come with this awesome reel will accommodate.
You won’t get arm-ache reeling in from afar with these reels either, thanks to Digigear II gearings!
Pros
- Massive line capacity.
- Two spare spools.
Cons
- New drag design might take some getting used to.
Best carp reel for versatility
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Fox’s flagship 12000 XC Big Pit reel has been updated and improved, and the result is an incredibly versatile carp fishing reel. Featuring a new carbon polymer body, the weight of the reel has been reduced to a mere 610g. The lighter weight will improve your ability to cast, whilst also make using the reels for spodding or playing fish far easier.
Super slow osscilation and Mesh-Tec gearing create superior line lay whilst providing maximum cranking power with 96cm of line retrieved per turn. No matter the size of the fish, you always feel the reel has it under control with much more to give.
The spools on the reel have some nice features included too. A pro cast lip has reduced the thickness at the top of the spool to help minimise friction, whilst the reel also incorporates two line clips, particularly useful if you use the reel for Spombing or feature finding. Spare spools can be bought in shallow and deep, with the deep spool holding 515m of 18lb line.
Pros
- Packed with clever little features.
- A great casting reel.
Cons
- No deep spools supplied, must be bought separately.
Author Chris Haydon is a keen and lifelong all-round angler that is currently in the position of Online Editor at Angling Times. As an angler, Chris likes to fish for just about everything that swims, from big roach to monster carp.