Daiwa Ballistic Spinning Reel - First Impressions and Gear Review

Introduction

In this blog we will be going over all the specs and features this reel has to offer. Firstly, I am super excited to get my hands on this reel. I’ve only heard great things about the Ballistic MQ LT. As anglers in the fishing world know, Daiwa has been a top producing manufacture of quality reels for some time now. And the Daiwa Ballistic MQ LT is a prime example of such quality. Let’s delve into its impressive features and specifications:

Ratings:

Overall:

Design:

Sensitivity:

Functionality:

Daiwa Ballistic Key Features

Air Bail: The Ballistic incorporates an Air Bail design, providing an incredibly lightweight yet sturdy bail system. This innovation contributes to the reel’s overall weight reduction and enhanced durability.
Air Rotor: Daiwa’s Air Rotor design reduces the weight of the rotor, resulting in improved sensitivity and smooth rotation. This technology contributes to the reel’s exceptional balance and responsiveness.
Monocoque Body (MQ) : Monocoque body design ensures a seamless and rigid structure, enhancing overall strength and durability. This feature minimizes flex, providing a solid foundation for the reel’s internal components.
Tough Digigear: Tough Digigear system involves precise digital design and manufacturing, resulting in a gear system that delivers unparalleled smoothness, strength, and durability. It ensures consistent performance, even under heavy loads.
Zaion-V Frame Material: The Ballistic features a frame constructed from ZAION-V, a high-density carbon strain material. This material provides exceptional rigidity and strength while remaining impressively lightweight.
Magsealed Main Shaft: The main shaft of the reel is Magsealed, featuring a magnetic oil seal. This innovation protects the internal components from water and debris, ensuring long-lasting smooth operation and reducing maintenance requirements.

Technology that trickles down the line

As technology gets better with breakthroughs in engineering Daiwa has trickled down it’s high end features down the line. The Ballistic MQ LT has features that go as far up as one of Daiwa’s flagship spinning reels: Certate LT. Both these reels feature the Monocoque Body design, Tough Digigear, Air Rotor, Air Bail and both are Magsealed. But this is not a blog about the Certate, maybe another day. But, as you can see you are definitely getting a bang for your buck.

Specs Chart

Now, let’s break down the specifications of the Daiwa Ballistic Spinning Reel:

MODEL	BEARINGS	GEAR RATIO	LINE PER CRANK (IN)	WEIGHT (OZ)	MONO CAPACITY (LB/YDS)	J BRAID CAPACITY (LB/YDS)	DRAG MAX (LBS)
BLSMQLT1000D	8(2CRBB+6BB) 1RB	5.1:1	25.4	6	4/250, 6/160	6/320, 8/200	11
BLSMQLT2500D	8(2CRBB+6BB) 1RB	5.2:1	28.7	6.9	8/240, 10/210	10/250, 15/185	22
BLSMQLT2500D-XH	8(2CRBB+6BB) 1RB	6.2:1	34.5	6.9	8/240, 10/210	10/250, 15/185	22
BLSMQLT3000D	8(2CRBB+6BB) 1RB	5.2:1	30.6	7.6	10/280, 12/220	15/250, 20/220	22
BLSMQLT4000D-C	8(2CRBB+6BB) 1RB	5.2:1	32.5	8.1	14/250, 20/160	20/280, 30/200	26

My setup

I paired up my Ballistic with the St Croix Mojo Bass Trigon. The Specific rod I matched this reel with is the “Dropshot Finesse XL” 7’3″ MLXF model. The reason why I chose this combination is for one word; versatility. This combo is very versatile and will be capable of throwing all the best finesse techniques such as: Hair Jigs, Spybaits and Ned Rigs. It would even be capable of dropshot. When people see finesse Hair Jigs they think of a 7’6″ rod. I went with 7’3″ with the intent of throwing more than just Hair Jigs for this rod to be my all around finesse combo. This rod feels designed for this reel. Perfectly balanced, St Croix X Daiwa combo just feels right.

Conclusion

Overall, I am greatly impressed with the Daiwa Ballistic reel. The Air Rotor and Air Bail really makes this reel a pleasure to use as it is extremally smooth on both flipping the bail and retrieve. Not only is it super smooth, its incredibly durable. Made with Zaion V material and Monocoque Body design the reel provides unmatched rigidity. The Daiwa Ballistic Spinning Reel, with its innovative features and top-notch specifications, redefines excellence in the world of fishing reels. Anglers can expect unparalleled performance and durability, making it an investment worth every cast.