warefisher

Do you normally use light spinning gear or BFS to toss these?

Six when smallmouth + walleye+ pike fishing up north. Four baitcasters and two finesse spinning. Possibly one more if I go for a BFS setup.

2021 Honda Ridgeline. Liking it. Only 5000 tow rating but is enough for me.

Got it & thank you!

I have two JDM Zillions, recently purchased and yet to be used, and am considering a third. I’d like to convert one to BFS with a light & shallow spool but am still not confident I’ll order the correct components. There are many choices discussed on this forum. What’s the best but also safest way to go? Lots of info on YouTube also. Mostly helpful but a bit confusing. Knowledge overload. I’ll be brave and give it go. Can always convert back and have a great reel. I do like finesse fishing for Canadian smallmouth and am getting away from spinning gear, in spite of a recently purchased JDM Certate! That JDM monkey thing that I discovered on here.

Good info on this thread. So in general, if throwing a bait in the 1/8th oz range (1/10 ned jig head plus bait), an unmodified Alpha 800S and an unmodified Zillion SV TW might be fairly equal in casting distance? Maybe a slight edge to the Alpha 800S with the shallow spool but both would cast well? How would either of these reels perform on a BFS rod, like the Dobyns Sierra 7’er?

BFS and musky in the same paragraph! I want to read that fishing tale!

Quite the collection! Any favorite there or are they equally loved?

I like the EGO net with the extendable handle. I mostly fish alone so it’s easy to extend the handle with the rod in one hand and net in the other. Place a foot on the net frame (on deck of the boat) and push the button to extend. One hand operation. I use the short fixed handle EGO net in the kayak. They float if dropped.

Just looked at the specs on some JDM sites. Do you have one? If so, what rod and how light can you cast well? 1/16 oz on 6 lb line?

Excellent pic Dave! I know this feeling. I received my first Zillion several days ago from JLS (along with a complimentary Megabass jerkbait) and am supposed to receive another from Digitaka tomorrow. Nice routing with the non-stop flight from Japan to Memphis and on to Richmond, VA. The world has shrunk.

Good website. Very helpful.

That looks great! Thanks.

That sure looks like a good bait for my local speckled trout (known in other waters as a spotted sea trout).

What’s a good source for that Avail handle? I have two JDM Zillions traveling east to me right now.

My first two Zillion SV TW reels are crossing the Pacific coming my way. One is from JLS and the other from Digi…. The notification for “back in stock” made me jump on them (like a monkey in the tree). Nice buy on those ball head jigs as you’re gonna lose them if you’re down where the fish are. Can’t have too many at that nice price.

Many Canadian smallmouth loved the look of a ned rig. Also enjoyed by the walleyes and a few northern pike. Tubes were also consumed by all. Stay along the bottom, crawl and slow hop.

I’m familiar with what you’re suggesting and have been doing that. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the advice. I won’t waste slightly used Tatsu. Am switching back to braid on spinning gear as I’m getting better at home-tied FG knots and boat-tied Albertos. Mostly FC on the baitcasters.

Sounds like a well thought out plan. You’ll enjoying putting your strategy into action and getting those tight lines.

I used 6, 8, and 12 lb Tatsu on various setups (baitcast and spinning) for several Canadian fishing trips over the summer. I love the line and did use KVD line conditioner. At this point, without pressure, the lines comes off as coils. I'll change out all these lines before next year's fishing. It's hard to throw away slightly used Tatsu (Scottish DNA). Might I be successful in straightening the line and using it for leaders on braid setups? I was thinking about cutting several ten foot lengths, boiling the coiled line, and hanging it from a second floor window for several days with a weight attached. Do you think this would make a useable FC line for leader material? Would the line be weakened? Has anyone tried this?

I believe they’ve been talking about this one, a newer model: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Daiwa-Gillion-1000P-Right-Handle-dp-B08NP6PKZM/dp/B08NP6PKZM/ref=dp_ob_title_sports?th=1&language=en_US&currency=USD

That’s funny! Resistance is futile. Succumb to the chimp’s pressure.

I want to have fun with this one: https://www.digitaka.com/item/5/4/2/4969363036759. Months and months of “Sorry, no stock.”

I may have to order up some fun! I’ve been waiting for a different reel to come back in stock but it hasn’t been happening. Time to get some fun somewhere else.