Wicked style, the limited edition Daiwa Black Widow II
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Date: |
3/23/06 |
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Tackle type: |
Reels |
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Manufacturer: |
Daiwa |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.41
Introduction:
Daiwa has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of their Advantage design. The
award winning series has spawned a number of well received products including
the HST supertuned model, the Coastal inshore reel, and now the limited edition
Black Widow II. Is the Black Widow II more than just an Advantage painted
black? One thing for sure, it is considerably different from it’s rather dated
predecessor, the original Black Widow.
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Daiwa Black
Widow II
Specifications |
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Line Capacity (lb/yds) |
12/140, 14/120 |
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Gear Ratio |
6.3:1 |
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Weight |
8.6 oz. |
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Bearings |
6BB + 1RB |
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Additional Features |
Free floating perforated aluminum spool, Magforce-Z, infinite anti reverse,
precision machined marine bronze gears, low profile, seven disc wet drag,
micro-click drag adjustment, titanium nitride line guide aperture |
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MSRP |
$119.99 |
Impressions: Are
you familiar with the original Black Widow? We don’t blame you if you aren’t.
While it is a decent reel it really is a few generations past in terms of
design. The previous generation reel gained fame for its combination of
performance at the right price, not for its ergonomics or “good” looks. One
feature that really was nice on the original was a flipping mode switch. While
this feature is left out of the mix on the new reel the redesigned BWII is an
improvement from just about every angle. So where to begin? The BWII is
obviously a “modded” TDA Advantage. The profile and dimensions are identical,
but the guts are not. The reel looks very good with the matte black finish and
orange highlights. Where have you seen this color combination before? If you’re
a tackle aficionado you will immediately perceive the analogous details between
the BWII’s finish and the ultralight Daiwa Japan Presso.
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The very
mean looking Black Widow II |
Spec wise the BWII falls in
between the TDA Advantage and the supertuned Advantage HST. It features the same
oversized gearing, drag system, and Magforce-Z cast controls, but adds one more
ball bearing for a slight bump in retrieve refinement. Unlike the HST the drag
star is composite rather than metal, similar to the Coastal. The spool is
anodized orange, as is the cast tension knob, both look prominent against the
reel’s understated black finish. To top off the arachnid theme a graphic of a
black widow spider can be found on the Magforce-Z cast control knob. All in all
a very handsome package, one with enough cosmetic differences to set itself
apart visually from it’s sibling Advantages.
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The reel
sports the familiar Advantage profile |
The Field Tests:
I paired the Daiwa Black
Widow II with one of my favorite all round rods, the GLoomis MBR783C. Together
this combo was able to handle a wide range of applications ranging from dragging
plastics to deep cranking. All tests were conducted at two local Northern
California reservoirs. During the tests we fished the BWII side by side with the
normal Advantage, the HST, and the Coastal for a direct comparison.
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Complete
test rig for Daiwa Black Widow II Field Tests |
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Rod |
GLoomis MBR783C |
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Reel |
BW-II |
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Line |
12 lb. Yozuri Hybrid |
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Like it's
siblings the Black Widow II sits low on Fuji reel seats |
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Notice the
spider marking on the Magforce-Z cast control adjustment knob |
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The Magforce-Z
control knob is easy to adjust on the fly |
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A titanium
nitride line guide makes this reel braid capable |
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The anodized
orange spool tension knob matches the spool nicely |
Casting:
When it came to casting there were no surprises. The BWII casts better than the
Coastal, not as good as the HST, and identically to the standard TD Advantage.
The Magforce-Z system was good across the range, and easy to adjust on the fly.
Like the other Advantage reels the system is reliable, and offered varying cast
levels of cast control in rather minute increments, making it easy to match up
with any skill level or bait. Like the other Advantage reels the BWII casts with
a relatively low trajectory which helps anglers place baits accurately, while
minimizing splashdowns. This is a nice trait if you enjoy fishing low hanging
structure including pilings and docks.
Next Section: Retrieve and Drag Performance
