Fishing gear is put to the ultimate test when targeting fish near structure – it places the most pressure on the gear and the angler has limited time to make decisions. In these high-pressure scenarios, your experience and ability to act instinctively are major factors in whether you land the fish. Your gear is of secondary importance, although still crucial. This is true when a GT or kingfish is trying to run you into a shallow reef, or a big bream or estuary perch is making a run for a submerged tree, or a mussel-lined pontoon. As someone who fishes a lot of heavy structure in estuaries, I’m always looking for gear that can give me an edge on the fish. I place the most emphasis on rod selection, but using a high-quality fishing reel that is sensitive, has tough yet smooth gearing and a high-performance drag is also extremely important in high pressure situations. I don’t want to think too much about the reel, I just want it to work when it counts.
Unfortunately, not all reels boast the qualities needed to get you through these high-pressure angling scenarios. Some may for a time, but can fail after repeated pressure. Some light tackle fishing reels are durable and powerful, but have little finesse, while others are light and smooth, but lack strength. You need to buy what suits your angling, your budget and have realistic expectations of how long a reel will perform at its best based on your budget.
When it comes to light tackle angling, the Daiwa Certate is pitched as the reel that possesses finesse, strength, performance and long-term durability. A reel for anglers that fish often and place high demands on their gear.
I was therefore stoked when I received the 24 Daiwa Cerate in size 2500D to review.
24 Certate
The 24 Certate is well and truly stacked with features, boasting all the components you’d expect of a high-end reel. There are 12 different models in the 2024 range, six fewer models than the 2019 Certate range. The reels start at $659 with the FC LT 2000S-P, all the way up to the $789 5000D-XH-ARK model. This range also includes shallow and deep spool models, as well as slow and high-speed models with gear ratios ranging from 4.9:1 through to 6.2:1. There’s a model to suit any imaginable light tackle angling technique.
Additionally, of the 12 models in the 2024 range, five of them are FC (or Finesse Custom) models. These reels are designed for lighter line applications, with FC LT models up to 35 grams lighter than comparable standard LT models.
The 24 Certate’s key features are highlighted by Daiwa’s iconic full metal Monocoque body construction. This one-piece body eliminates support screws from the gear cavity, allowing for a bigger drive gear to be installed, providing you with a lighter, stronger and more powerful fishing reel.
The big new feature of the 24 Certate is Daiwa’s Airdrive design components: an Airdrive spool, Airdrive bail, Airdrive rotor and Airdrive shaft. The Airdrive rotor feature on the 24 Certate is different from the 19 Certate Zaion Air Rotor. Due to a change in shape and design, it has seen a reduction in the weight of the rotor, which Daiwa says does not compromise strength. The Certate has always been the full metal-bodied tough reel, which made it heavier, but Daiwa’s recent technologies have made it lighter.
The LT5000D, LT5000-CXH and LT5000D-XH have additional carbon drag washers, as well as all 3000 to 5000 reels being fitted with the same pinion gear found on Saltiga reels.
On the Water
I have spent around four months at different estuaries around Victoria searching for big bream and perch to test the Certate. With a reel like this I needed to find some larger fish holding close to structure to really do the review justice. I paired it with my Daiwa Steez Kingbolt – a rod worthy of this reel – and the reel was spooled with 15lb Daiwa Expedition braid (which I loved but that’s another review). This all made for an amazing outfit that any light tackle enthusiast would appreciate.
Even with a relatively heavy line and leader, casting was exceptional, as was line management. One thing I learned from all the new Airdrive tech is that the point isn’t really about weight reduction for the sake of the reel being lighter; it’s the increased sensitivity that comes with the lack of weight that’s the benefit.
Daiwa has spent years now living up to the LT ethos of Light and Tough and is really pushing it to another level with the 24 Certate. Some anglers place great priority on a reel being as light as possible; I don’t care about 30 or even 40 grams here or there, but I do appreciate new technologies that are lighter while still providing the same durability of previous models but increasing sensitivity. When finesse fishing with lightly weighted plastics in structure, how you’re being fed information from the lure and fish to your hand and brain can be the difference between missed fish, snagged hooks and lost fish. The increased sensitivity from the Airdrive features is noticeable and makes for a more effective and enjoyable experience when working lures and detecting bites.
The Certate offers a tough reel that’s going to take a lot of punishment but gives you similar sensitivity and fluidity to the ultra-smooth operation of an Exist.
One of the more memorable trips during the test was to East Gippsland in late August, where I was targeting shallow snag-dwelling bream on Daiwa Bait Junkie grubs and minnows. I caught a lot of decent bream and perch on my trips in the 35-40cm range but on this one trip I managed two 45cm/1.6kg black bream and managed to pull them away from their barnacle-covered homes. As expected, this reel is a genuine workhorse. It just bullied these bream and some decent perch away from their snags with ease. I even ran into a few big tailor that really put the drag to the test as well. It’s smooth and sensitive yet feels solid and tough, providing you with control and confidence.
I really appreciate a product that makes fishing more enjoyable and effective and I have absolutely no doubt this reel has done that. This is why you purchase a high-end fishing reel – to make your fishing more effective and enjoyable.
Conclusion
There are a lot of fishing reels on the market that will perform to a high standard. However, very few possess the qualities that the 24 Certate does. I will happily use this reel for larger snapper, mulloway and flathead where I believe the 2500 size is up to the task. It’s a reel you can buy and confidently cover a lot of different fish with and feel reassured it will last you many years of hard fishing.
At the end of the day, there are very few multi-dimensional reels in the market that can create confidence in an angler like this Certate does. I’m more confident when I have this reel in my hand because I know it can handle almost any task I put it up to – and for me, more confidence typically results in more fish landed.
