Shimano Scorpion 1000 (Guest Review)
by Mike Whitten

The magic of the Internet has made it possible for American anglers to fish with what in my hands is the finest medium sized, freshwater bass casting reel I've ever owned. Especially when you consider the fact that at current exchange rates, this reel costs less than $150.

The Scorpion 1000 is a Shimano Japan product that comes in a dark burgundy wine color, polished to a high gloss finish. Immediately apparent when you open the box is the “wiffle spool”. This spool has holes drilled in it to reduce overall weight, thus allowing it to spin faster during the cast. The faster acceleration of the spool is one of the main reasons for this reel's fantastic performance with light lures. Bearings appear to be ABEC 5's, and overall tolerances seem tighter and smoother in my hands than the standard Shimano reels offered in the U.S. One of the most unique features this reel has to offer is the one touch operation of the external braking system. This feature makes the reel truly versatile when it comes to light lure casting against the wind. There are a total of 16 settings, which should very well cover any casting situation. I am a “reel freak” and own, or have owned everything Shimano makes, from Calais to Citica's. Based on my use, the Scorpion 1000 is equal to a Chronarch in smoothness, castability and drag quality.

So, why own this reel? Mounted on a light action rod—my preferences are the Falcon Expert '2' action (EC-2-169), or the Cara '3' action (CC-3-166), this reel is perfect for small crankbaits like the 200 Bandit, Bevy Shad, or Bill Dee's Lil' Bit. It is super for fishing Zoom Trick worms or other floating plastic baits in the spring. On the '2' action rod, it is also well-suited for fishing tubes and grubs, lures than many anglers fish only on a spinning rod. And here is a real sleeper—this reel also can be loaded with 14-17# line and used to pitch downsized jigs and plastics, such as a tube on 1/8 oz weight, or a Strike King Flipping Bitsy Bug. The key here is the lightweight, super fast spool. The light lures will accelerate this spool more easily. Finally, if you are into drop shotting, load this little gem with some small diameter, low-vis 8# line, like Yamamoto's Sugoi, put it on the '2' action Expert, and you are set!

For me, the #1 reason to own one is that it is just plain FUN to use! This reel is small, light, easy to use, and makes catching fish on a little lighter tackle just more fun—and it will handle big fish. I've caught hybrids on this reel up to 8#, and the silky drag system handled them with ease.

Keep in mind that Shimano produces the Scorpion series of reels for the Japanese market. My source for them is ProFishing Network, an emerging e-commerce company in Virginia catering to fisherman who requires performance fishing tackle. These guys are super to do business with and will get you a new Scorpion reel, direct from Japan, in less time than I get orders from Bass Pro Shops! I've bought 3 Scorpions from them, all with no problems and excellent response.

ProFishing Network