The Daiwa is a great reel but the 253 is closer to the Calcutta 250 size. If you want a comparable reel, you could look at the Daiwa 300 series. I actually have friends that now prefer the Daiwa to the Shimano, but I've not gone to the dark side! hahahahaha! I'm a tried and true Shimano fan but I know there are other reels out there that will do a fine job as well. Just know that you couldn't go wrong with a Shimano choice. Good luck!

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