Last updated on March 7th, 2023 at 11:44 pm
Somewhere in a northwoods cabin, sitting on an old wooden shelf next to a collection of antique wood plugs, is the inspiration for the Shimano Calcutta Reel – the classic round reel.
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Shimano Calcutta Fishing Reels
Our folks and our grandparents likely fished with them for many years. You probably have even used one or two for fishing as a child. And though the old classic round reels bring back rich memories, Shimano knew that they had the potential to provide so much more benefit to the muskie angler. With that in mind, Shimano resurrected the round design. And they perfected it with their Shimano Calcutta Reel.
Shimano utilized the classic round shape for their Calcutta fishing reels, but simplified it a bit with a sleek, one-piece, rigid aluminum frame. By recessing the reel seat, they were able to get the reel to mount closer to the muskie rod for a much more comfortable feel. Avoiding the urge to over-indulge it with gimmicks and features, Shimano kept the design pure and focused strictly on the Calcutta reel performance.
The end result is a finely tuned piece of fishing machinery featuring a museum-quality appearance and liquid-smooth mechanics. The Shimano Calcutta Reel is a standout in any tiger muskie fisherman’s collection. From the smaller Calcutta 50 up to the very impressive Calcutta 700, the Calcutta fishing reels are a musky reel that you will be proud to own both now and many years into the future. Below is a closer look at the Shimano Calcutta Fishing Reels.
Shimano Calcutta Reels For Sale
| MODEL | RETRIEVE | GEAR RATIO | RATING | PRICE & AVAILABILITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200B | Right | 6.0:1 | 4.7 |  |
| 201B | Left | 6.0:1 | 4.7 | |
| 400B | Right | 5.0:1 | 4.4 | |
| 700B | Right | 4.7:1 | 4.5 | |
| Conquest | Right | 5.2:1 - 4.8:1 | 5.0 | |
| D | Right | 5.7:1 - 5.1:1 | 4.6 | |
There are obviously plenty of places that have Shimano Calcutta reels for sale. While the local sporting goods store has Calcutta reels for sale, we have found the markup to be a bit too much for our wallets. We prefer to shop from a reputable online retailer, like Amazon.com, for Shimano Calcutta reels for sale. The money we save is better spent on a good musky net, more tiger musky lures, or a solid musky tackle box.
Shimano Calcutta B Series
The Shimano Calcutta B Series reel is a high-speed fishing reel. With it’s classic round shape, this musky reel will keep up with any of it’s low profile reel competitors.
Shimano Calcutta fishing reels are the classicly round framed musky reels that define muskie reel perfection. They feature ultralight weight, super-strong forged aluminum sideplates and frames which ensure that all of their parts will stay in perfect alignment providing lifelong solid rigidity and smooth power. The 100 and 101 Shimano Calcutta reel are rated for 8-14 pound fishing line and are fantastic for all light to medium fishing applications. The 100B or 101B Calcutta reel are the ultimate worm rod fishing reels. The Shimano Calcutta 200 size reels are slightly bigger and capable of pretty much anything you may want to do. The Calcutta 200B takes the place of the older 250 sized Calcutta fishing reels and would be perfect for steelhead fishermen. The Calcutta 400B size is the workhorse and is big and beefy. These reels are able to do literally everything in freshwater, from bass to giant catfish and pike to musky. The Shimano Calcutta 400B will even handle light to medium saltwater fishing applications.
The Shimano Calcutta B Series reels are superior to the older Shimano Calcutta reel in a couple of important ways. For example, all sizes of this reel have implemented the popular Speton Handles combined with Shimano’s exclusive Rust Resistant Bearings (A-RB), and the ultra-smooth Dartanium Drags . The 100, 200 & 400 B series incorporate the single sideplate screw, as well as easy access VBS which means that adjusting the muskie reels centrifugal brakes is far easier than ever. The Calctutta 200GTB provides even more value. It includes a drilled top bar along with a wiffle spool which helps to reduce weight by about 2 ounces. More so, it has a 6.0:1 gear ratio, and a grand total of 8 bearings. Each of these musky fishing reels will easily handle the popular braided fishing lines. The Shimano Calcutta B series round reel can do it all!
Shimano Calcutta 200B
The Shimano Calcutta 200B is the ultimate in simplicity. Featuring aluminum sideplates and spool, along with a cold-forged all aluminum frame, this tiger muskie reel provides the strongest & tightest tolerances for superb durability and smoothness. The Calcutta 200B also uses Anti-Rust Bearings which are up to 10x more corrosion-resistant than regular stainless steel. The (VBS) Variable Brake System, takes advantage of centrifugal force rather than magnets to help with controlling your cast for increased adjustability and distance. Dartainium® Drag material, exlusive to Shimano, provides a vast range of different drag settings, making the 200B and it’s bigger brothers the smoothest fishing Shimano drag system ever. The 200B has a 6.0:1 gear ratio.
Shimano Calcutta 201B
The Shimano Calcutta 201B is left handed version Calcutta 200B mentioned above. The Calcutta 201B features the same weight and gear ratio as the 200B. If you are a southpaw, we highly recommend that you pick up a Shimano Calcutta 201B left handed reel.
Shimano Calcutta 400B
It is musky fishing reels such as the Shimano Calcutta 400B which makes Shimano #1 in the world when it comes to making tiger musky fishing accessories. The Shimano Calcutta 400B baitcast reel is suited for both fresh and salt and water anglers. The word “Calcutta” will ring a bell with most tiger muskie fishermen, as they have probably heard a bit about its legacy.
This Shimano Calcutta reel model takes a lot of features off of the original Shimano Calcutta reel, such as a two ball bearing configuration, smooth operation, and a superb build quality.
The flawless performance of the two ball bearing system is exquisite. This Shimano Calcutta reel provides excellent drag and is silky smooth. Shimano has done a great job in keeping the legacy of the original Shimano Calcutta reel alive with it’s very high standards. In our opinion, Shimano has perfected Calcutta fishing reels with the Shimano Calcutta 400B.
Shimano Calcutta 700 B
The Shimano Calcutta 700B fishing reel has been a staple in the Australian baitcasting reel market for over 20 years now. The Shimano Calcutta reel design gets it’s longevity due to Shimano’s emphasis on producing high quality products. Many requests from tiger muskie fishermen for a larger line capacity drum style fishing reel led to the birth of the Calcutta 700B Baitcasting Reel.
As a favorite among fishermen worldwide, the Shimano Calcutta 700B has a longevity matched only by a select few other tiger muskie fishing reels.
The 700B is the largest size fishing reel in the Shimano Calcutta Reel Series. This Shimano Calcutta reel is full of the market leading features which set Shimano Calcutta Reels ahead of the competition. Thanks to these advanced features, this Shimano Calcutta reel is more durable and reliable than most other musky reels in their same price range.
The recently improved multi-disc carbon drag system is yet another giant upside from the Shimano Calcutta Baitcasting 700B Reel. This new drag system aids in distributing heat in the drag properly and evenly and results in extremely high drag pressures when required.
Essentially engineered for saltwater fishing, Shimano implemented a few upgrades to the Shimano Calcutta 700B in order to deal with the huge amount of punishment that the saltwater exerts to all fishing reels. For example, this Shimano Calcutta reel has a greater lifespan than most other saltwater reels thanks to it’s anodized spool and body.
Additionally, it has a rubber grips and a bigger handle design. Not surprisingly, the Shimano Calcutta 700B is famous for its simple use.
Shimano Calcutta Conquest
The Shimano Calcutta Conquest is a round musky fishing reel that delivers super-premium performance. Fitting easily in the hand, and loaded with all of Shimano’s newest and greatest features and technologies, the Shimano Calcutta Conquest Casting Reel is perhaps the best tiger musky reel you can buy. In the Japanese market, the Shimano Calcutta Conquest family of fishing reels have been quite common for years. The Shimano Calcutta Conquest has proven over and over to perform above the other musky fishing reels for sale.
The Shimano Calcutta Conquest utilizes Shimano’s refined Micro Module Gear system providing the smoothest retrieves in the fishing industry. Thanks to it’s use of smaller teeth on the reels gears, there are more points of contact between the gears. This results in a more efficient and effective gear train with less gear “feel.” Exclusive X-Ship material offers enhanced reel gear durability and a reduction in friction, thus greatly improving bait casting performance in particular with lighter musky lures. The Shimano Calcutta Conquest’s Stable Spool Design, or S3D. essentially eliminates spool vibration, and combined with the SVS Infinity the reel provides easy-to-handle, consistent reel control and also brake force for superb casting control. This is a top-of-the-line musky reel that is perfect for a wide range of fishing applications. The Shimano Calcutta Conquest Casting Reel has everything a devoted musky fisherman could want – and more.
Shimano Calcutta D
Shimano recently introduced the Shimano Calcutta D Series Baitcasting Reels. These musky reels are the next generation in classic round fishing reels. The Shimano Calcutta D reels feature a whole new design. The Shimano Calcutta D muskie reels combine the great performance of the original Calcutta’s along with some new key enhancements and features all their own.
Shimano Calcutta D baitcasting reels deliver serious cranking power, and they also provide the strength, durability, and rigidity needed to stand up to year after year of use. Calcutta D reels can be used to fish both freshwater or saltwater. Shimano’s new exclusive X-Drag system also provides the ultimate in tiger muskie fighting force, and each fishing reel now comes standard with Shimano’s X-Ship technology offering superior free-spooling. The Shimano Calcutta D features Shimano’s ‘S Compact Body’ which provides better ergonomic comfort for your hands. The improved Shimano Calcutta D Series Casting Reels are blazing a trail in the latest Round Era for tiger musky fishermen looking for design, function, quality, and longevity.
Shimano Calcutta 250
The Shimano Calcutta 250 is discontinued, but you can still find parts for it. In fact, Amazon.com has a good selection of Shimano Calcutta 250 parts.
Great page! Can i Get away with 100 yards of 80lb braid on a calcutta 200b series reel? I am new to this and will likely only be fishing for musky once a year as I am about 5 hours from musky waters. I will likely use this rod for large pike the rest of the year. Thanks!
Hi Chris.
Yes, 100 yards of 80lb braid will be plenty. It’s highly unlikely that you will be able to cast anywhere near that much line. Furthermore, most musky bites are within 10 yards of the boat. Many prefer to pre-spool some mono line before the braid in order to prevent slippage. Good luck!
Thanks for the question.
Great info!
Are the reel sizes, fit in hand, all the same or are the 100 smaller than 200, smaller than 300/400?
Any chance of a photo of reels side by side?
Many thanks