The new 2021 Shimano Twin Power SW is here! New look, fresh upgrades, but the same high-performance heavy-duty spinning reel fit for monster fish!
If you plan to target big saltwater sport fish, the 2021 Shimano Twin Power has redefined the traditional game fishing reel. A reel that can survive the perils of saltwater fishing and the abuse that comes with it. The Twin Power is close to bullet-proof but still refined and encompasses a silky smooth drag system. This line capacity and cranking power can stop any 30kg+ fish in its tracks.
With its rich history in taming angry saltwater species with power and poise, we can confidently say that the new 2021 Shimano Twin Power SW will maintain its stance as a powerhouse reel.
Shimano TWINPOWER SW 2021
First Impressions of the 2021 Shimano Twin Power SW
The Shimano Twin Power SW 2021 has a color scheme akin to the first breath of fresh salt spray in the morning, that is, with a deep blue base with silver accents and a silver spool. Apart from the stark difference in color and physical size, the body, the spool design, and the overall silhouette of the reel are identical to its smaller sibling, the Shimano Twin Power FD, released last year.
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The subtler color styling matches the Twin Power’s persona as Shimano Stella’s silent but deadly sibling. It is not too loud to make users expect perfection, but it is just subtle enough to mask its ferocious power and outstanding durability—making for a true powerhouse reel.
How the 2021 Shimano Twin Power redefines the traditional game fishing reel
The Body
Shimano focused its efforts on making this reel rigid and durable, with an extreme focus on rigidity and reduction of flex during the battle, claiming that it is the strongest Twin Power yet.
And the obvious material of choice for the frame and body is aluminum. Shimano’s Hagane Body treatment, to be specific. Produced from high rigidity aluminum, body flexing during a battle with a trophy fish will be virtually non-existent. The Hagane body also has excellent impact resistance, which is great for transport, traveling, storage, and when struggling to keep your balance on a wet deck.
Hagane doesn’t mean that this baby is strong and rigid; it also means the body is made super light. This feature makes it easier to use throughout the day. Whether you are casting heavy poppers or jigging heavy metals, your fatigue won’t come from this lightweight powerhouse.
The Rotor
Like the rest of the reels in Shimano’s saltwater lineup, the Twin Power gets the following upgrades:
- Improved waterproofing on the bail roller mechanism.
The TwinPower may feature the same aggressive and classy style update as the rest of the Shimano SW range of reels, but with a functional aluminum alloy rotor add-on that doesn’t do much against keeping the weight low.
- Additional rigidity comes with having an aluminum rotor.
This aluminum rotor eliminates rotor flex and improves rotational torque and power transfer, resulting in efficient reel performance. With the extra rigidity in place, anglers are guaranteed a no-mushy-feel even when the reel is under heavy pressure.
- The one-piece bail is beefier which adds to the overall rigidity.
The one-piece bail also eliminates worry regarding unnecessary removable and moving parts. With this baby, you can expect solid hookset and battles without any rotor or body flex. That said, it’s a clear go-signal to confidently pump and crank with peace of mind.
The Spool
There isn’t much to be excited about in the spool department. The Twin Power gets the standard AR-C spool technology which has the angled spool lip. It might not look like much, but this angled lip allows braided lines to slide off the spool smoothly, reducing friction and lessening the chances of wind knots. The spool’s angular porting adds aggressive styling to the reel’s overall look and projects a ‘tough’ look rather than the high-end luxury styling of generations before.
The Drag
- Shimano HeatSink Drag Disc helps dissipate heat.
Rigid Support Drag is present, which means that the drag stack is supported at both ends of the main shaft with bearings. This rigid support prevents unnecessary stress on one point of the spool shaft, allowing even distribution of pressure from the bottom to the top of the spool. For anglers, this support translates to stable line release when the line is being pulled.
- Cross Carbon drag washers are installed.
As discussed previously, the washers are cross-hatched, offering a rough texture and more grip and ventilation and preventing overheating.
Since we’re talking about ventilation anyway, it is worth noting that the Twin Power 8000, 10000, and 140000 get a Heat Sink radiator disc to help prevent heat from transferring over to the spool, preventing a decrease in overall drag performance. It is not a surprising addition, as the others, from the Stellas down to the Saragosa SW reels, all have them installed too.
- 25kg of drag on paper for the big reels sized at 8000, 10000, and 140000 is plenty for tackling our favorite saltwater species.
The smallest Twin Power in the lineup, the 4000, gets 11kg of drag power, like last year’s FD release. On the other hand, the 5000 and 6000 sizes get 13kg of drag power.
These numbers may look good on paper and websites, but don’t expect to get max drag numbers like these during actual use. Realistically, you won’t really need 25kg of drag, and if you do, you’re probably in the 1% of those radical situations where you need extreme stopping power to get the fish or yourself out of a crazy spot.
Sizes
The bigger models are finally here but if you are among those who love their light inshore casting, now isn’t the time to be depressed. With the availability of the overall 4000 size in the SW configuration, you get to abuse this not-so-tiny terror in the salt.
In Japan, the 6000 size comes in PG (low gear: ideal for jigging), HG (high-gear: ideal for all-around fishing), and XG (extra-high gear: ideal for topwater fishing), which makes it the most versatile size of the range.
The 8000 size, also available in Japan, comes in 2 configurations: PG for jigging and HG for casting. This trendy size is actually a personal favorite among the different sizes. It is small enough to cast and jig for the whole day without being too cumbersome, yet it offers sufficient line capacity at PE 3 – 5 for large saltwater species and the same 25kg drag power of its bigger siblings.
Japan’s 10000 size is also available in two configurations: PG and HG. If you feel that the 8000’s line capacity is not enough, then the 10000 is a game-changer for you. With more line capacity packed in the same form and size factor as the 8000, it allows for comfortable all-day use. It works perfectly well with PE 4 – 6 lines, too. Though I mentioned that all-day comfort is a feature of both the 8000 and 10000 sizes, these new reels promise that weight is essentially a non-factor, and this is especially true with the 14000 size.
Japan also offers two gear configurations for their 14000 size Twin Powers. PG and XG. PG for deep water jigging and the XG for topwater GT and Tuna fishing. These options ensure that PE 6 – 8 lines will be put to good use.
Despite all these, we ask: Will the rest of the world get the same size and gear configurations as Japan? If not, then it means that if we really want a specific size-to-gear model, we might have to do special orders from dealers in Japan or settle on getting a different model altogether, like a Stella or a Saragosa. If so, then the teams who are working the Shimano marketing have our praise: it was a well-played tactic, indeed.
RELATED: 2020 Shimano Saragosa: Was it worth the wait?
Waterproofing
Much like most recent updates to Stella and Saragosa, the Twin Power SW gets X-protect and X-shield by default. The X-protect and X-shield guarantees that they are “almost” fully sealed. The reels’ waterproofing is accomplished after Shimano made use of smart design and strategic placement of grease where it matters.
Shimano also prevents water intrusion by designing a series of interlocking lips where the spool and rotor meet. Plus with grease applied at the very last innermost lip, it is almost guaranteed to prevent water intrusion. This triple lip locking system is applied everywhere, including the body and the spool/drag knob to block saltwater intrusion.
The line roller also gets special attention this time after having the most issues in previous generations. It’s almost a given, as it is the line roller that gets tons of saltwater in it, either from constant contact with saltwater-soaked braid or from saltwater spray and splashes throughout the fishing session.
Last Cast
The Shimano Twin Power SW may be Stella’s less glamorous sibling, but it can easily stand toe-to-toe with it in harsh saltwater fishing conditions.
You won’t be getting all the bells and whistles that the top-of-the-line Stella has, but you will have all the high-end functionality and durability you need for heavy-duty saltwater use. So, if you are keen on getting yourself a high-end, high-performance saltwater reel without Stella’s top-of-the-line price tag, the Shimano Twin Power SWC may be the perfect reel for you. With a $400 – 600 price difference from the Stella SWC, the Twin Power SWC may be the victor in terms of value.
