Stop Whining? It's Shimano Japan's Scorpion DC

Total Score: 7.92 - GOOD

Introduction: If there is one group of reels that rarely fail to intrigue me they are the digital brake control reels of Shimano and perhaps more accurately, Shimano Japan. As a whole, these reels may not be perfect, and you can still experience professional overruns -especially if you're as professional as we are - but the shear joy they enable each and every time you shoot your cast is nothing short of addicting. Up until recently, however, Shimano's digital brake control (DC) was only available in their upper end reels. Last year, the manufacturing giant trickled DC technology down to their Scorpion level baitcasters (equivalent to the USDM Curado E / Chronarch E) and reports are the Scorpion DC is one of the hottest selling reels in Japan.

Introducing the Shimano Japan's Scorpion DC7.

I-DC+: The trouble with Shimano Japan and their DC reels is, you're never really sure which interpretation of their heralded digital control you're going to get. As explained in our review of the Conquest 50/51DC, we were anticipating a chance to test out the new DC+ system leveraged in all the newer Conquest DC reels, but Shimano chose to use i-DC4 in the 50 size reel instead - a system with which we were already familiar and not very thrilled.

Featuring an all new DC system, i-DC+.

So first check with the Scorpion DC was, which system would we be getting? Turns out, it's another brand new interpretation dubbed i-DC+. If we can criticize Daiwa Japan for pumping out variant after variant of the same reel platform just to confuse and make us want to spend more money, we need to give equal gripe time to Shimano Japan for doing the same with their DC braking systems. Fortunately, Shimano America Corporation has not adopted this same practice.

Same shape and profile as the Scorpion 1500/1501 XT.

Hopefully this new, i-DC+ will prove more worthwhile to us than the i-DC4 system. Supposedly, with i-DC+, you simply choose your line type (nylon, fluorocarbon, or polyethylene) and the braking system will adjust accordingly. It's as simple as that? Let's find out.

Impressions: The Scorpion DC is built upon the very familiar frame of Shimano Japan's Scorpion XT 1500 and Shimano America Corporation's Curado E/Chronarch E. In the non-DC interpretation, this frame is a 100 sized reel with a 200 sized reel's line capacity. Enabling a reel with a DC braking technology usually results in slightly less line capacity. Such is the case with the Scorpion DC for while the XT 1500 is rated as holding 110 yards of 0.350mm diameter line, the Scorpion DC is rated as only holding 100 yards of 0.330 Diameter line.

But of course, with the DC label!

Otherwise, the frames, weights, handle length and types, are all the same. The Scorpion DC features a silver and dark grey paint job while the Scorpion XT 1500 is that deep metallic, burgundy.

Rigged and ready for some action aboard a St. Croix Avid casting rod.

I-DC+ is all about set it and forget it.

Choose your line type and make a cast, but no more whine!

Really, the Scorpion DC performed flawlessly, but the one thing I just could not get over? Shimano Japan inexplicably decided to silence this reel. Gone is the familiar, comforting, and all together addicting DC-whine. It's a characteristic that really shouldn't matter as long as the reel performs - which it does - but having grown so accustomed to that sound on my top-dollar DC reels, I felt short changed not having it on my Scorpion DC.

Of course, the whine doesn't help you catch fish.

Broken in on a recent trip to the Amazon aboard a G.Loomis GL2.

A Butterfly Peacock caught on a hair jig.