Modern technology continues to elevate the baitcasters of today. The product recommendations on its site are independently chosen by its editors. When you click through its links, Wired2fish, Inc. may earn a commission. The average baitcaster today is light years ahead of what its predecessors used. But, even as capable as modern reels are, a select group is raising the bar even more. Frontrunners in the U.S., Asia, and even Sweden are pressing forward to explore modern baitcasters' new frontier. They're not only adding mini-computers and other electronics to reels, but also employing physics to control spool speeds in completely new ways. Here's more on some of those companies and what they've been up to. Shimano DC Curado 150. The Shimano DC (or Digital Control) line of reels came to market more than two decades ago. Since then, both the process of adding a computer to the reel and the materials comprising these reels have constantly evolved. Shimano's most recent invention, the DC Curado 150, sports the upgraded IDC4 digital control system. That system has four modes. Mode 1 is for maximum casting distance, Mode 2 is for braided lines, Mode 3 is for fluorocarbon, and Mode 4 is for beginners and skipping. I've spent a little time testing this reel, and I like what I'm seeing. The DC braking system does take some getting used to. But once you dial it in, you can throw a bait a good way without worrying about the spool backlashing when the bait lands. This is what makes a DC reel so good for beginners. It removes guesswork at the end so you don't have to know how to thumb a reel right away. Abu Garcia VoltIQ. Abu Garcia's VoltIQ launched this past spring and quickly gained industry acclaim. This reel uses electric brakes to adjust to the lessening tension on the line resulting from a bait slowing at the end of the cast. The VoltIQ has 10 settings, but similar to the DC lineup, these settings are broken down into four groups. Settings 1-3 are called "Pro Mode," intended for advanced anglers' use. Settings 4-6 are ideal for the majority of anglers, providing maximum casting distance with maximum control. Then 7 through 9 are for either windy conditions or throwing large baits. Lastly, setting the brake to 10 prioritizes control over casting distance. That makes it easy for beginners to get comfortable with a baitcaster without backlashing. I've been fishing with the VoltIQ for a few months now and really like it. This reel is built around the Revo framework, so it feels super familiar. But when you load up the rod and sling your bait, there's no mistaking this one for a traditional reel. The shrill electric brakes scream. The braking performs as advertised: highly functional in the lower levels and nearly impossible to backlash when set on 10. Svivlo. Swedish reel manufacturer Svivlo burst onto the scene at ICAST 2025. After dozens of videos popped up of media members, pros, and other anglers casting the Draken One and Genesis One reels, the consensus was clear. These reels were really hard to backlash. That's the result of Svivlo's proprietary CastGuard design. It measures the lure pull throughout the cast to know exactly how much pressure to put on the spool so it brakes without backlashing. This means the reel adjusts automatically to both different wind conditions and different bait types. CastGuard does all of this without the use of any electronics or sensors, solely relying on Euler's force, which keeps the brake arm sitting inside the spool until the lure pull starts to fade. Then, the brake engages automatically. Svivlo shipped one of their Draken 1 reels to me from across the pond, and I found CastGuard as effective as advertised. To set this reel up, you put your thumb on the spool and then try to slide it left or right. If there's any play in the reel, tighten the spool tension knob. Test for play again and repeat the process until the spool stops sliding side to side, but don't just crank it all the way down. You want to land on the fine line where the play disappears. Once you set up the reel, you don't have to adjust it again - unless you bump it in transit or the brake becomes dislocated. I made some bomb casts with this one and completely took my thumb off the spool. Sure enough, the spool comes to a slow halt without the least bit of overrun. While I couldn't throw quite as far this way as I could thumbing a free spooling reel, I can definitely see the benefit of this CastGuard for an angler early in their baitcaster journey. Lew's HyperMag ITB 150. Lew's introduced the ParaMag ITB (Intelligent Tension Braking) system in 2024 with the release of its Custom Pro baitcasting reel. Subsequently, it has released other reels with the ITB system, the latest being Lew's HyperMag ITB 150. This system doesn't use brake shoes, effectively eliminating friction from the equation. Instead, the ITB system uses magnets. There's a Turbo Disc Collar that moves out toward the magnets at the start of the cast to manage spool speed, and then retreats as the spool speed slows to reduce the amount of magnetic braking. No electronics in this one, and thus no loud shrill like in some other advanced braking systems. I've had the pleasure of fishing with Lew's HyperMag ITB, and it is sensational. The Custom Pro with the first iteration of the ITB is still one of the best reels I've ever fished with, and so is the original Lew's HyperMag that came out a few years ago. The HyperMag ITB is the lovechild of these two reels, and it's the perfect culmination of what's great about each: a lightweight reel that's extremely capable. The ITB braking system is legit. But, for me, it's the trimmings of this reel that set it apart: the Speed Knot system for quick line attachment to the spool; the Speed Dial on the spool tension knob, which you can adjust to indicate the size and type of line on the reel; and the Speed Keeper, a bait keeper that can flip out to store a bait or flip in for a snag-free finish. Shaye Baker grew up fishing with his father in the state of Alabama. While in college, he was involved in the creation and early years of the Auburn University Bass Team, which expanded his testing grounds to the southeast. After college, Shaye began to fish the semi-pro circuit while simultaneously starting a freelance journalism career, providing content for Wired2Fish, FLW, B.A.S.S. and a few other publications. As Shaye has transitioned from in front of the lens to behind it, his career has taken him to fisheries throughout the country and provided him intimate access to some of the best bass anglers to ever wet a line. Shaye now enjoys fun fishing and local tournaments with his father and friends, while working fulltime in the fishing industry as a freelance journalist shooting pictures and video, editing and writing.

'Bigger and better!' Public Day confirms its power at Australian trade show. The public day at the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) show has emerged as a growing and increasingly important part of the overall event. The sight of hundreds of anglers - including a substantial number of youngsters - queueing up in the early hours of the morning to get into the Brisbane venue on the final day of the show and an overall attendance running into more than 20,000 has cemented its place as a regular and popular addition to the event that was received with a certain amount of scepticism when it was first rolled out at the Gold Coast venue in 2019. Chad Rodgers, Managing Director of Shimano Australia Fishing - winner of an unprecedented seven accolades in the New Product Awards at the show - told Angling International: "The Public Day was a clear highlight and has become an established and increasingly important part of the AFTA event. It gives anglers the opportunity to make informed buying decisions, meet the people behind the brands they follow online and - particularly for the younger anglers - feel more connected to the wider fishing industry. "Seeing people getting hands-on with the products, asking questions and spending time with our team was a great reminder of the connection people have with the brand." His remarks were echoed by Ben Patrick, Managing Director of Halco Tackle. He admitted: "I was a Public Day sceptic, but not now. It is a major part of the show and it's here to stay - and that is a good thing. The young crew have really engaged with it as it continues to grow and grow." Wayne Shelley, of Nomad Design Tackle, added: "The Public Day had 20,000 registered visitors and it was crazy! Kids had been queuing since 2.30am as there were a lot of free giveaways and the opportunity to connect with the ever-growing group of fishing influencers who are huge on YouTube. "Fishing is also massive for families. There were large groups of them with dads and children looking at lures and discussing why they use one brand over another. Lots of ladies were also in attendance and as keen as their male counterparts with lots of questions about how they can catch more fish on lures." Malosi Studio - an AFTA runner-up in the New Product Awards - added: "We had a blast. It was an absolutely insane turn-out at AFTA this year - it keeps getting bigger and better. We really appreciated everyone who took time to drop by. We are excited by everyone's feedback and encouragement." In a post on its LinkedIn page, Daiwa Australia wrote: "Brisbane turned out in force for Public Day - what a way to wrap up this year's AFTA show! It was a great opportunity for our team to showcase the latest Daiwa products, connect with passionate anglers and share what we have been working on over the last year." Public Day aside, Rodgers described the AFTA show as a positive experience for Shimano. "The team put in a huge amount of work into the event this year and to see that reflected in the response from our trade partners was incredibly rewarding. AFTA remains more than for displaying new gear. It is a chance to spend meaningful time with retailers and outline the direction of the brand." Patrick added: "It is always difficult to move after being in a popular location for so long, but it was a very good venue in Brisbane and well located. Attendance is often linked with the buoyancy of the industry - overall it was pretty good considering the share of the market is held by independents. "Like all trade shows, it is the opportunity to meet with independent and big box retailers and show new products. It also gives manufacturers like us a great snapshot of trends and industry direction. For us it was a success."

Shimano 13-speed leak on retail website suggests a possible new freehub standard. The listing for a set of DT Swiss wheels on the Bike Discount website, originally spotted by a Reddit user, had a Shimano 13-speed option before being removed yesterday evening Wed, Aug 05, 2026 11:50 Road can be pretty sure that Shimano will launch a 13-speed groupset soon, and a listing on a German retailer website appears to confirm it. This was first reported, as far as Road know, by a Reddit user a few days ago and also picked up by Bikeradar yesterday. The listing on Bike-Discount has now been removed, but it did list "Shimano 13-speed" as a freehub body option on new DT Swiss G 1800 Spline gravel wheels. Road has known for some time that Shimano is likely making the jump to 13-speed simply because it holds loads of patents where 13-speed cassettes are shown. That's not proof in itself - patent applications are made for all sorts of products that never make it into the real world - but with Campagnolo already producing several 13-speed options and SRAM offering 13-speed wireless electronic groupsets tailored for gravel riding under its XPLR line, it would be strange if Shimano wasn't working on it. Shimano 13-speed patent comp (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson) The Bike-Discount listing isn't far short of cast iron proof that 13-speed Shimano is on the way. When buying the new DT Swiss wheels, customers were asked to make a selection: Freehub body (choose variant) * SRAM XDR (AXDR) * Shimano HG11s (ASF11) * Shimano MicroSpline 12s (ASL12R) * Shimano 13-speed (ASL13R) It would be hard to think of an admin error that could have magicked up a standard that's not going to exist. Naturally, Shimano is staying tight-lipped. The exact form of Shimano 13-speed is harder to guess. The DT Swiss G 1800 Spline wheels are designed for gravel, so it's not surprising that both Shimano HG (used for road applications) and Shimano Micro Spline (used for mountain biking) freehub options are available. Shimano's GRX gravel groupset uses both HG and Micro Spline. Why's that relevant? Because Road can't really be sure if the 'Shimano 13-speed' freehub body option refers to road or gravel products - or both. The product codes used on the Bike-Discount listing give Road a clue. ASL12R is Shimano's designation for the current Micro Spline freehub used by GRX 1x12. Following the same naming protocol, it's likely that ASL13R is an evolution of ASL12R rather than an entirely new interface. Dura-Ace, Shimano's top-level road groupset is certainly due an update, the current version having been unveiled back in 2021. And Shimano's new Dura-Ace wheels have the designation WH-R9370, whereas the current-generation Dura-Ace is R9250/R9270, suggesting that a new-generation groupset is in the offing. On the other hand, Shimano has launched a number of GRX 12-speed products over the past few years, while both SRAM and Campagnolo have offered 13-speed gravel components for some time. Shimano would doubtless like to follow suit sooner or later. Beyond that, Road is just guessing. Road'd say that Shimano is very likely to launch a new Dura-Ace groupset in the next few months, and that it's likely to be 13-speed. Will it share a freehub standard with a new 13-speed GRX groupset? Or does this Bike-Discount leak refer only to a new GRX setup? Road simply don't know. Plus, of course, it's not just a case of adding an extra sprocket. There's not a whole lot of spare space back there, which means alterations to the specs of other components. Would you value 13 speeds for off-road riding, particularly if you run 1x? Would you want a 13-speed setup on the road, or is 12 (or fewer) plenty? Or are you playing the long game and waiting for 20-speed from one of the big brands? If you have a theory about what's going on, please let Road know in the comments. Help Road to bring you the best cycling content. If you've enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £2.49. Its mission is to bring you all the news that's relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help Road to do more. Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50 - comfortably over, actually - he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions. 2 comments. * tomlew August 5, 2026 at 12:34 pm 0 They've missed the perfect chance to promote the new grouppo at the TdF. Now it doesn't really matter when they release it. BTW it's just pathetic how they're pushing another standard for no valid reason. Corporate greed at its absolute worst. Log In or Register to post comments * PoorInRichfield August 5, 2026 at 12:45 pm 0 My wallet told me it's not excited about this news! I'm currently riding Ultegra 2x11 and told myself I won't even consider buying a new bike unless it's 1x with a 13 speed cassette. With 13 speeds, a 1x can deliver nearly identical gear ratios without huge gaps between gears. Log In or Register to post comments