Not just for
Saltwater, the Daiwa Zillion Coastal (continued)
Durability cont'd:
We did not find any rust at all on any of the anodized components of the reel
and we were surprised how well the components held up even after deliberate
neglect. Like most of the other Daiwa reels at this level the Zillion proves to
be both refined and long lasting, we didn’t experience any failures and the
master gearing continues to line up and provide a smooth retrieve even after a
full season of use.
A Lake Falcon Bass takes the
bait...
Price & Applications:
Even though the Zillion Coastal is designed as an inshore reel there is
absolutely nothing stopping this reel from being a great freshwater reel. It
does everything the standard Zillion can do, only it is designed to better
handle the elements. This proved to be an excellent crossover reel and anglers
that enjoy fishing both fresh and saltwater will find that the Zillion Coastal
has the flexibility to do both well. So well in fact that I wish I had an extra
spool so I could have one with straight mono for freshwater and another
pre-spooled with straight braid or a fluorocarbon topshot.
...and the Zillion Coastal is fast
enough to take up slack line quickly in the event fish turn and head right to
the boat
At a MSRP of 299.95 the
Zillion Coastal is 30 dollars more than both the standard Zillion and Crazy
Cranker reels. We think this is a reasonable price to pay for the extra
corrosion resistance put into the frame and anodized components. There is
however a lot of competition at this price point and anglers can also choose the
Shimano Chronarch for the same price or the aggressively priced Revo Inshore
which is 70 dollars less and comes with an extra power handle.
The Zillion Coastal features a
swept handle that Daiwa states exhibits "less wobble and better winding
leverage," we think it just looks cool
At the end of the day it
will probably come down to which camp you come from, are you a Shimano, Daiwa or
Abu fan? The Zillion Coastal is a good reel but it sports the same basic
features and ergonomics of Daiwa’s other reels, nothing is added that is so
radical that it will get anglers to switch sides just yet.
Anodized aluminum guard fins
protect the top of the reel
Daiwa did showcase a new
black colored Zillion reel at the Classic, albeit behind glass this sneak peek
caused quite a stir among anglers that attended the event. Likely a supertuned
composite based reel this new Zillion will most likely break the 300 dollar mark
and fill the gap in between the Zillion and ultra premium Steez series. So it
looks like there will be at least one more addition to the Zillion series on top
of the Coastal in the very near future.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
Daiwa
Zillion
Coastal
Ratings
(?/10)
|
Construction/Quality |
The
Zillion
family
of reels
make use
of
quality
materials
and the
Coastal
model is
no
different.
Excellent
quality
throughout |
9 |
Performance |
The
Zillion
Coastal
performed
well in
most
categories.
We wish
that it
had a
beefed
up drag
to
handle
bigger
inshore
species.
The
ultra
fast
gear
ratio is
better
for
shallow
water
fishing
than
cranking
up fish
from
vertical
fishing
applications |
8 |
Price |
The
Zillion
Coastal
costs
more
than the
competition
and the
Abu
Garcia
Revo
Inshore
is 70
dollars
less and
even
comes
with an
extra
power
handle. |
6 |
Features |
The
Zillion
Coastal is full
of
features
including
a ultra
high
speed
gear
ratio,
the Magforce-Z
cast
control
system,
anodized aluminum
guard
rails
and CRBB
corrosion
resistant
ball
bearings |
9 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
Good
ergonomics
and an
extra
bonus
point
here
because
this
particular
reel
doesn't
just
compete
with
other
baitcasters
but
larger
saltwater
reels
that
anglers
normally
use for
inshore
applications |
8 |
Application |
The
Zillion
Coastal
is not
just for
saltwater,
it
does
everything
the
standard
Zillion
can do,
only it
is
designed
to
better
handle
the
elements.
This
proved
to be an
excellent
crossover
reel and
anglers
that
enjoy
fishing
both
fresh
and
saltwater
will
find
that the
Zillion
Coastal
has the
flexibility
to do
both
equally
well |
9.5 |
Total
Score
|
8.25 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
Minus
|
J
Top
notch
construction
and
refinement |
L
Wish it
had a
souped
up drag
for
inshore
applications |
J
Ultra
fast
speed
7.3:1
gear
ratio |
L
More
expensive
than
competing
inshore reels |
J
Externally
adjustable
cast
control
system |
|
J
Extremely
refined
for
inshore
fishing |
|
J
Not just
for
saltwater,
great
crossover
reel |
|