Well,... Just got back from vacation up north of MN in Ontario, and finally got a chance to spend some quality time with my 6spd 21 Zillion G.

 

I started with it loaded with 17lb mono on a Plopper setup on a MH/MF Mojo Spinnerbait rod.. I was enjoying that setup until getting bit off by a big Northern. So much for me recently saying I hadn't had issues with Northerns on a topwater!! ? Guess I jinxed myself!

 

Anyways,... After getting bit off, I changed over to a craw colored OG Slim and started tearing them up. LOTS of Smallies, Northerns, Walleyes, and even a 50" Muskie. He just nipped the back treble and never did let go!!

 

Anyways,... Other than hating the location and tension of the brake knob, I love everything else about the reel. To coin a phrase,... The retrieve is "Like Butta", and when the brakes stay where I had them, it casts really nice and controlled.

 

If I could find a way to tighten the detent on the brake knob so it doesn't turn so easy, I would love this reel. It is just TOO easy to bump in the direction of increasing the brake and I tend to bump it up a click or two on every cast when casting in the palming position,

 

Anyone know of a way to tighten up the brake knob, I'm thinking maybe a stiffer spring on the detent or something.. I need to pull it apart and see what controls brake kbob tension.

 

Other than that it is a GREAT reel!! One of the smoothest reels I have every fished!

1 hour ago, FrnkNsteen said:

when casting in the palming position,

Stop that.  Its weird.

6 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Stop that.  Its weird.

LOL! Can't help it. It's second nature. More comfortable and better balanced for me.

 

I actually tried shifting my hand back to just have my index finger in front of the trigger, but within a couple casts my hand shifted right back up there.

Can’t really help you with that. I also palm the reel when cast as well but it only happen when I fish small swimbait. I now don’t see it change anymore and if I remember correctly it never happened with Alphas SV TW. I might change the way I hold the rod since I fish both right and left hand reel but only cast with my right.

I don’t thing you can change the tension on dial. It is like old Daiwa dial held with V groove clip #11.

38 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Stop that.  Its weird.

Try it. You'll like it. Good for rapid fire short casts.

20 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

Can’t really help you with that. I also palm the reel when cast as well but it only happen when I fish small swimbait. I now don’t see it change anymore and if I remember correctly it never happened with Alphas SV TW. I might change the way I hold the rod since I fish both right and left hand reel but only cast with my right.

I don’t thing you can change the tension on dial. It is like old Daiwa dial held with V groove clip #11.

The brake on my Alphas SV TW is quite a bit tighter and it doesn't happen as often on it.

I know no one asked, but the jdm 22 Zillion HD is immediately a top contender for best reel I've ever used.  For sure, I'm getting a better understanding of Diawa users love of the of the brand.  You're definitely onto something.

 

scott

5 hours ago, softwateronly said:

I know no one asked, but the jdm 22 Zillion HD is immediately a top contender for best reel I've ever used. 

Great. After the monkey puts you in a headlock and forces you to get the standard Zillion G, and he will, please report on the differences between the MagZ boost spool and the SV boost spool. I have zero complaints about distance casting with SV boost. Light to heavier baits fly way out there beautifully with very little fuss. Just wondering what the Mag Z boost is about. I have yet to hear that articulated in any real detail.

That break dial position is actually an improvement over the Tatulas, lol. The tension knob would have been set at the factory and left there. I've slightly adjusted a few of mine but those reels should be left loose on the spoon tension. You dont need to change it for different baits.

 

Are you a hand switcher? (cast with right hand, reel with right hand)? 

 

 

35 minutes ago, ErieCan said:

That break dial position is actually an improvement over the Tatulas, lol. The tension knob would have been set at the factory and left there. I've slightly adjusted a few of mine but those reels should be left loose on the spoon tension. You dont need to change it for different baits.

 

Are you a hand switcher? (cast with right hand, reel with right hand)? 

 

 

Thanks for the reply, but I wasn't talking about the cast control knob. I set that at just enough to eliminate sided to side movement and leave it be. 

I was talking about tension/tightness of the brake knob.,.. Meaning how difficult it was to turn when setting. Mine on my Zillion moves very easily if bumped. My Alphas SV has the same design. But is tighter so doesn't change if bumped.

51 minutes ago, ErieCan said:

Are you a hand switcher?

Doesn't sound like it.

1 minute ago, PhishLI said:

Doesn't sound like it.

Oops,... Sorry. Forgot to answer that...

 

Nope. I cast right handed with a LH reel so no hand switching. Hence the "Casting while in palming position" comment above.

 

My index finger tends to drop down between the reel and the reel seat and bump up the brakes when I cast. Fortunately it just leads to increasing brakes and shorter casts instead of decreasing the brakes and having a surprise backlash. 

 

Don't get me wrong,... I still love the reel! I just have to watch out for it.

23 minutes ago, FrnkNsteen said:

My index finger tends to drop down between the reel and the reel seat and bump up the brakes when I cast.

I don't know whether I do this or not. I haven't moved the dial palm casting, but I always wear gloves, so maybe that's why. Less traction. I'll try casting gloveless and see what happens. Otherwise I'm glad the dial moves as easily as it does. I'm usually fishing at night, so a click up or down without changing position works out nicely.

Mine turns really easy on my Zillion. WAY easier than on my Alphas SV TW or any of the other Daiwa Tatula SV's, Tat 100's. Or CT Type R's that I have. Thats why I was going to look into how the detent for the brake dial works to see if I could tighten it up.

My recently acquired alphas is the first daiwa reel I’ve owned with the brake dial at the bottom and I had the same issue of moving it inadvertently with my index finger. It was not good decision on daiwas part to mess with a good thing purely for the sake of aesthetics [imo] in order to “clean up” its looks. It took a few outings but I’ve adjusted my grip and it’s no longer an issue for me.

 

I got a zillion incoming any day now which will be used on a bottom contact rod that I choke up on using its foregrip so [fingers crossed] hopefully no issue there.

16 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

Can’t really help you with that. I also palm the reel when cast as well but it only happen when I fish small swimbait. I now don’t see it change anymore and if I remember correctly it never happened with Alphas SV TW. I might change the way I hold the rod since I fish both right and left hand reel but only cast with my right.

I don’t thing you can change the tension on dial. It is like old Daiwa dial held with V groove clip #11.

SoCal is right. I pulled mine apart this morning and the brake knob detent is controlled by spring #11 that isn't easily manipulated. 

 

It doesn't help that part #13 is springloaded and assists in moving the brake knob in the direction of increasing the brakes. It makes it even easier to turn in that direction if inadvertently contacted.

 

Oh well,... I'll have to learn to adjust or live with it because I love everthing else about the reel!!

There used to be a guy said to bend that V-clip out a little once Daiwa old style brake dial start to slip to make it tighter. You might be able to do that but don’t quote me, never done it myself. Or you can try to compare the gap or swap with alphas to see if it help. I think that might me identical part.

4 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

There used to be a guy said to bend that V-clip out a little once Daiwa old style brake dial start to slip to make it tighter. You might be able to do that but don’t quote me, never done it myself. Or you can try to compare the gap or swap with alphas to see if it help. I think that might me identical part.

Good idea, but I think I will try to get a coupke of those springs first in case I ruin one trying!!

 

Don't want this reel being out of commission due to something stupid like that!!

 

Thanks for the suggestion!

Duct tape.  If it can't be fixed with duct tape, it aint broke.

Got my new little jdm beauty out for a short 90 minute session this morning, 1st impressions are great smooth all around performance (as expected), was able to pop two fish, the drag sound feedback upon hookset was a nice unexpected surprise. Love the handle, a little disappointed on the ergonomics when palming though, it’s a bit bulkier than I expected, was hoping it would sit lower and melt in my hand like the curado mgl and the alphas. It’s size and feel reminds of my now departed og steez. Tolerances feel tighter than any reel I’ve ever laid hands on. Unlike my alphas and other zillions mine has a very stiff brake dial, like actually hard to change even with with my thumb nail, there’ll be no accidental changes on this reel, that’s a good thing, keep yer duct tape! ? 

On 6/23/2022 at 10:30 AM, FrnkNsteen said:

Oh well,... I'll have to learn to adjust or live with it because I love everthing else about the reel!!

I tried casting glove-less last night for a while. Whether I grip the handle with both hands for bombing, then climb my hand up into palming position, or semi-palm cast, no dial movement. I tried to do it by messing with a "for me" non-standard grip, but I needed to purposely aim for the dial to make it move. Hopefully you'll adjust.

I played around with mine and I think what is happening with me is my index finger rests between the reel and rod at the front, when I squeeze my grip to make the cast my index finger is on the brake knob and rolls it downward towards the rod, increasing the brake.

 

I found that if I grip the front of the reel right below the levelwind with my index finger, it keeps it off the brake knob and I don't have the issue

I have 3 (2 USM and 1 JDM) and they are amazing!  I would buy 10 more if I could.  One thing I did notice is that the knobs on the JDM version is smaller but I swapped it out with the knobs from my Tat 100.  Love everything else about them.  No issues with the dials for me.