brophog

I'm not addressing your personal preferences, I'm addressing the why. The usage of magnetic fields to help us control spool rotation is simply so much more varied and nuanced than you're letting on. Even if we just limited it to Daiwa systems, which ones are we even talking about? The thread title is problematic, to say the least.

DC reels are not related to SVS reels. This second statement is actually describing how DC reels operate. They are electromagnetic reels that constantly adjust the braking force. So we do have the technology and it works. SVS reels are great. Centrifugal reels are a time tested technology, but they aren't a perfect solution under all circumstances. Of the three primary braking systems found on modern Shimano reels (SVS, FTB, DC), 2 of the 3 are magnetic. The magnetic systems of today are a far cry from the systems of that time period, as both FTB and DC reels show. Small changes in distance make a big difference with magnetic fields and it doesn't take very much force to slow down a reel for the purposes of controlling spool speed. This is why dynamic magnetic braking systems like FTB can be effective.

If there was a reel that never backlashed and the mechanism for preventing backlash didn't also decrease casting performance then that would indeed make sense. However, there's no free lunch. They all use some form of braking and that braking force slows down the reel and reduces casting performance. It's all about finding the right balance for you. Most of the reels these days, whether that be magnetic, centrifugal, DC or something else will have a multitude of settings to strike that balance for the given conditions.

I wouldn't think about it that much, that's the honest truth. I don't think reels are particularly technique specific, given they're in the same class (I.E not comparing a small bfs reel to a big 400 class reel). I think the choice of reel is more about the user experience than it's ability to present a specific technique.

It's still basically a 4 setting reel but with 10 notches. Abu Garcia markets it like this: 1-3 Pro Mode. 4-6 Sweet Spot. (The optimal mix of control and distance. Perfect for all-around use.) 7-9 Advanced Control. (Ideal for windier conditions) 10 Maximum

The cost part is not so true anymore, and the reel the OP has is one example of how cheap they've become. Spinning reels are still the overall king when budget is concerned, because casting reels in general are more expensive, but the cost delta specifically between spinning and bfs has greatly decreased in the last few years. For spinning and BFS, my floor is 2g. The biggest benefits going below that, imo, are fall rate and hook size. For hook size, you just go to a smaller hook (pouring your own jigs helps). For fall rate, when it gets to be that important I'm either vertical fishing or casting under a slip float and that generally gets back up to 2g. A trout magnet is a good example. I don't cast a trout magnet on any kind of gear. The biggest benefit in that lure, vs just using any other small hooked bait, is that very subtle movement. That's best done under a float, imo, because if you're trying to do it without one every seemingly small movement you make gets magnified over the length of the rod and line.

Agreed, but unfortunately, the over 7ft UL casting rod is an under represented segment of the market. If casting distance on a lake is a primary concern then it is probably better to go up to a light power rod, something in that 2g - 10g (~1/16 - 3/8) range or thereabouts is common. Much more available in longer lengths, and casting distance below about 1/16oz is where things really start to get compromised on just about any setup. A few other tips for the OP 1) Clean and lube your spool bearings with a light oil. Maybe even replace them, but definitely clean them. Factory bearings tend to have heavy lubricants that really slow things down, especially problematic when casting light lures. 2) Use as thin of line as you can comfortably get away with. Especially with braid/PE lines you'll probably want to add a mono or fluorocarbon leader to provide some abrasion resistance.

In my experience, they come from the factory with a fairly decent range on the tension. It's a 'Zero Adjust' not a 'Never Adjust', though we should probably tell Daiwa that, I suppose, if they decide to keep messing with it. It's really just marketing to tell the user that the old way of turning the tension knob for every lure isn't needed. I never adjust with the fall method. I've always set up all of my reels, centrifugal or magnetic, as is described in this thread. You'll have to get that thumb involved prior to splashdown, especially with centrifugal reels, otherwise the braking systems on most reels are very good at handling the task of braking a reel just fine without that spool tension knob robbing you of performance.

Good reel and good size. Wouldn’t think twice about it.

That shouldn’t be read as a complaint as I love my older reels. Simply putting the reel in a historical context.

I can attest, as I know others can here as well, that SDS is great to do business with. For what you’re wanting to cast, an aftermarket spool is the way to go, imo.

If I was seriously debating on whether I would buy this rod or not, I'd save my money for a better rod. I've owned a bunch of these low to mid tier Shimano rods over the years and none of them are anything special. I throw a cheap reel on them and use them as loaners or back of the truck rods. They're decent enough to bother owning, but not good enough for me to care about losing.

The Pixy is a 20 year old reel, coming out at a time when both an enthusiast level reel meant something and we weren't so flush with options in the finesse category. Most full size "normal" baitcasters now throw much better at the lower weights than the average reel did back then.

I gotta add to the others in this recommendation. Even if it isn’t what you want, at that price you’ll find a use for it. The only negative I have with those rods is the grip material is on the thin side. Not enough to bother me, but enough that I notice it after using other rods.

There is certainly an audience that will trade distance for control. The question is how much overlap is there between that audience and the one willing to spend $250 on a fishing reel.

That video shows the technology better.

Thanks. Those are the same points I made earlier in this thread. That would be nice. Unfortunately, companies are coercing reviews about 3 seconds after a product is bought nowadays and you can find loads of reviews from people that readily admit they haven't actually used the product yet. Finding information on a product 5 years old basically takes an enthusiast site like this one. I remember several years ago we had a thread here where someone bought a BPS Pro Qualifier reel (I think that was the model) and used it a great deal and documented it. Very useful review. The other problem is companies that once were quite good about supporting models for a number of years aren't doing that so much anymore. They're turning over models faster and not keeping parts around for as long.

Can you elaborate?

I know, I felt bad and deleted it but you replied too quickly. My apologies.

deleted

I think this sentiment potentially explains why Kastking would be willing to undercut the sales of their own reel with an alternate version. If they believe they have a good product here that the market just won't currently accept at it's premium price point then it makes sense to try to lower that price. If everything is what it looks like, that this is just a change in frame material and some cosmetic changes, then I'm not sure why anyone would buy the MG version now. The AL version is effectively a replacement as I see it, but now at a price point more people may be more willing to take a flier on.

Other than the fact the maker of the video is a known troll, especially with regards to anything Daiwa, why are we calling out Tatulas, specifically? Most companies have reels in the price range of the AL-Ti.

The issue is in marketing, which isn’t really an issue at all, but they’re trying to sell an idea that seems good on paper but doesn’t work well in reality. Having one reel do everything sounds great (and is, with multiple spools) but there are big tradeoffs that have to be made when trying to accomplish it with only one spool. For instance, spool depth. That’s a fairly deep spool, which it kinda needs to be for the thicker line diameters used in the upper half of its lure range. The problem is that line itself adds quite a bit of weight. That’s roughly a 7g spool. I’m guessing here, but I’d say it probably holds 5g or more in line weight, maybe even enough to double the initial spool weight itself. For “normal” bass sized lures (7g+) that we’d throw in that size of reel that isn’t an issue, but when we’re trying to throw in that 2g range that’s a huge issue. Your only option is to try to severely underspool it to save line weight but now you’ve degraded its performance because it’s releasing/retrieving so little line due to its lower effective spool diameter. And, of course, simply underspooling it loses the versatility the reel sought to achieve in the first place. For someone that just likes the reel itself and doesn’t care about all of that, at least this AL version saves a fair amount of money, but then it becomes odd that they even have two versions of what otherwise appears to be the same reel with some cosmetic changes. For a reel that’s already this light, the weight savings of MG is almost negligible.

I'm not clicking on that video. It is an interesting choice though for a company to undercut the price of their own reel with essentially the same reel. That spool has always been the selling point of that reel, and it remains in the AL version. As much as I'm a fan of a reel being capable of using multiple spools, I'm not a big fan of only one spool trying to cover that big of a lure range (and many users have questioned if it effectively even does). You're really not going to effectively cover that range with one rod and you probably won't want to use the same line across that range. That's why the MG version was never appealing to me as there were multiple reels on the market that could be had with a second spool for less. The AL version at least attempts to close that price gap a bit.

The value in the Zillion is two fold. First, we all got them on cheap exchange rates a few years back when the price to performance ratio was pretty immense. Secondly, that 34mm Daiwa platform offers so many spool options that it makes that one reel perform a huge range of applications. You're seeing more and more with some of these reels either the ability to buy an aftermarket spool or them including a shallow and deep spool in the box. Having the ability to run multiple spools is a real game changer, and over time, I think it saves a lot of money. The thing to watch for in these cheaper reels when comparing them to more expensive models is longevity. Lots of things feel good out of the box or for a season or two and then just don't hold up. Unfortunately, most reviews for nearly anything online these days are procured before the person ever had a chance to experience an item long enough to check for durability.