Daiwa Launches Deluxe Kage LT MQ Spinning Reel Family
Behold the new standard in crossover saltwater and freshwater spinning reels, Daiwa’s brilliantly designed Kage LT MQ.
The new Kage (pronounced kah-gay) LT MQ embodies a rich feature set, which starts with its one-piece MONOCOQUE Zaion body. This design framework yields more space for larger gears, thus promoting increased torque and power from the get-go and at the same gear ratios of competitive reels.
The inventive Zaion MONOCOQUE body also offers 360 degrees of stability and improved waterproofing over standard spinning reels with conventional, screw-in side plates. Three hundred sixty degrees of stability means the gearing is held firmly and in precise alignment; the fewer gears shift side to side, the less binding and wear take place, and longer your new reel will feel fresh-out-of-the-box. The unique MONOCOQUE body features no screw holes. Engineering-wise, when you introduce screw holes to a reel body, the holes have to be built up with metal or plastic. That adds weight and decreases the amount of space inside the reel body for large gearing. In short, with MONOCOQUE, Daiwa can increase interior space to facilitate larger gearing and reduce overall weight, simultaneously. Lighter and more corrosion resistant than aluminum, Zaion is an exceptionally light but rigid material, which minimizes flex in the handle stem and gearbox.
Unlike reels that use rubber seals to protect the one-way roller bearing, Daiwa employs a proprietary system of waterproofing protection called Magseal. Magsealing uses a unique magnetic bushing in conjunction with a magnetic weld to create an airtight and watertight oil seal, virtually eliminating the travel of contaminants or water down the main shaft and into the gear set or roller bearing. Daiwa’s patented Magseal process is so effective; it was initially used in the aerospace industry on spacesuits.
The Kage LT MQ also features an air rotor engineered to be incredibly rigid and with minimal flex, especially at high drag pressures. Critically designed cut-outs reduce the weight of the rotor itself. The lighter the rotor, the less force it takes to spin around the reel, making it easier to turn the handle. The Kage LT MQ also features a tubular air bail, which further reduces weight and offers more rigidity than standard wire, minimizing concerns over flex, bending, or breaking. The thicker material feels better to the fingers when flipping the tubular air bail as well.
A7075 aircraft-grade aluminum DIGIGEAR technology is another hallmark of the Kage LT MQ. The especially hard and lightweight aluminum is precision machined and digitally cut, making it considerably more resistant to wear than traditional gear materials on the market.
Anglers fishing Kage LT MQ reels will appreciate Daiwa’s brilliant Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD) when setting the hook and fighting fish. The smart system applies an increased, instantaneous, and calculated resistance during the hookset. After the hook drives home and the fish starts pulling, ATD automatically returns to the selected drag setting.
Where reel meets angler, the Kage LT MQ features a machined screw-in handle that connects directly to the main drive gear. The other end of the handle features a premium, grippy cork handle knob, emblazoned with the Kage logo for aesthetic flair.
Key Features: Daiwa Kage LT MQ
- One-piece MONOCOQUE ZAION body
- MAGSEALED
- AIR ROTOR and AIR BAIL
- A7075 Aircraft Grade Aluminum DIGIGEAR
- Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD)
- Premium Cork Handle Knobs
- Machined aluminum screw in handle
- MSRP: $329.99 – $359.99
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.