November 14, 2025
By Shane Beilue
The new Antares 100 B baitcaster from Shimano combines all of Shimano's high-end reel technology within a frame that could easily be mistaken for an exotic sports car. After using the Antares for eight striaght weeks, I'll tell you how it performs on the water and point out a couple of interesting, if not curious, design features.
When carrying the weight and responsibility of being the flagship reel in a very robust line of Shimano baitcasters, the Antares has to look the part. With smooth lines and a mirrored finish, the Antares delivers. Shimano engineers avoided any visible screws or even screw holes to give the reel smooth lines with nothing to distract the eye. The mirrored chrome finish and minimal branding on the reel accentuate the high-end appeal of the Antares. The reel ships within a protective mesh reel sleeve to protect when packed or stowed.
Sure, looks are important when choosing a product, but it’s what's “under the hood” that matters most. As previously stated, Shimano packed all its premium technology into the new Antares. Though breaking down every bit of technology within the reel would become tedious, here are a few that enhance the experience with the reel.
The reel's centerpiece is the new MGL Spool IV. The lightweight spool has easy startup inertia for casting lightweight lures and a unique reverse taper design intended to create very precise line winding when retrieving line onto the reel. Shimano is seeking maximum rotational balance for the spool during the cast with the reverse taper spool. Combining the advanced spool with Shimano's Silent Tune technology, which further stabilizes the spool throughout the cast, results in an incredibly smooth casting experience with satisfying distance with each cast.
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Additional technologies packed into the reel frame are finely cut MicroModule gears for near-silent operation, and Shimano’s popular SVS Infinity brake for precise cast control. These technologies are housed in a rigid Hagane magnesium body that's reasonably lightweight at 7.6 ounces.
Now for the oddities I referenced earlier, starting with the size designation of a 100-size frame. Theoretically, a 100-size reel is significantly smaller than a 200-size reel, yet the frame is quite similar in size to a Shimano Curado 200.
The Antares does have a significantly smaller spool than the Curado 200, holding 75 yards of 14-pound test line compared to the Curado's 110 yards.
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The Antares is quite comfortable to palm; nevertheless, I remain uncertain about the size designation.
Additionally, the Antares is available in two gear ratios: 7.4:1 and 7.8:1. As you might suspect, there isn't much difference between them. In fact, two inches of line retrieved per turn of the reel handle is all that separates them.
One typically sees the available gear ratios of a reel spread out among 6, 7, and/or 8:1 retrieves to broaden the applicability of a particular baitcaster. Again, I'm not certain why the retrieves are so closely aligned, but it certainly doesn't detract from the reel's overall excellent performance.
My experience over two months of testing included multiple applications with fluorocarbon and braided lines. As I alluded to earlier, the reel casts lures great distances with a simple flick of the wrist. Its silent, smooth operation makes it an absolute pleasure to fish with.
Lighter topwaters and jerkbaits sailed off the end of the rod tip, but I also wanted to know how much muscle the Antares has when power-fishing swim jigs in shallow cover when using braided line. As expected, the Antares has plenty of torque for moving a quality bass to the boat, allowing the user to choose the reel as a racehorse or a workhorse.
All the premium technology and performance of the new Antares 100 B come at a price. With an MSRP of $599.99, Shimano targets those anglers who demand the “best of the best” and are willing to pay for it.
