Daiwa Coastal Inshore Special: Engineered for light salt applications and yet still great for bass (continued)
 

Drag: If there is any downside to using a smaller inshore reel like the Coastal then drag pressure is it. Larger round inshore reels have oversized drag washers, and consequently can deliver more counter pressure. The Coastal makes use of a seven disc fiber composite wet drag similar to the one found on many of the other freshwater Daiwa reels. We had hoped that the Coastal would have a souped up drag but in our tests drag pressure maxed out at 5.2lbs, which pretty much puts it in line with the TD Advantage and Fuego. Is that enough drag performance for most inshore species? Yes, absolutely. Do we still wish it had more? Once again...Yes. While the total drag pressure isn't anything to brag about the level of refinement of the system is. Even when we had Lingcod on the end of the line the drag never felt jittery or anything but ultra-smooth. This smooth drag will help prevent tearing hooks from soft mouthed fish like Speckled Trout.
 

Update 1/15/06: We have retested the drag on this reel after cleaning out the drag washers. During our initial test we submerged this reel in saltwater during stress tests and we have discovered significant mineral salt buildup in the drag assembly. After cleaning out the drag system the reel retested to 9.2lbs of drag counter pressure which is much more respectable than the 5.2lbs we originally observed.

Ergonomics: Used to fishing bass baitcasters? Then the Coastal will feel right at home. With the exact same profile as the TDA this reel is a terrific reel for light saltwater applications. In our tests we paired the reel with rods using both unbranded and Fuji branded reel seats. In both cases the Coastal sat low enough to get your entire hand around the reel in palming situations. The Coastal makes use of the same rubber grips found on other Daiwa products including the Advantage and the Fuego. These oversized grips delivered plenty of tack even in heavy mist conditions. The Centriflex cast control system obviously cannot be adjusted as quickly as a traditional Daiwa MagForce system, but honestly when casting heavier saltwater lures rarely did we need to make cast control adjustments in the field. Overall ergonomics are excellent, and this reel effectively conveys traditional low profile baitcasting ease and comfort to inshore anglers.

Durability: At first I questioned why Daiwa did not implement the same higher end forged handle and aluminum drag star like that used on the HST models, but after fishing with it in saltwater it all made sense. The standard handle and composite drag star may not be as refined or as pretty as the forged components but they do hold up to corrosive saltwater much better. Much less care and maintenance is necessary to keep these components looking and performing like new. In fact durability concerns are the same reason why Daiwa opted to design the completely new Centriflex internal cast control system, to eliminate the chance of harsh saltwater contaminates from entering the reel.

To achieve a very rigid frame aluminum is used throughout this reel, and both the frame and sideplates are coated for increased resistance from the elements. But what is most exciting about Coastal in terms of durability are the actual guts of the reel. Daiwa starts by using CRBB corrosion resistant bearings, like those used on the Saltist. These shielded bearings last up to 12 times longer in saltwater environments than traditional bearings. Next Daiwa uses a specialized anti-corrosion treatment to coat just about every internal metal component from the mounting plates to the pinion and gears. This coating is specifically designed to shield all metal components from the harmful effects of saltwater. While we certainly don't recommend anglers do this we just had to see how well these coatings performed so we fully submerged the reel overboard in the Pacific on the very first trip out. Three months later the reel still performs just as well as the day it came out of the box. It is always good practice to spray the Coastal with freshwater and wipe down your reel after any inshore use. In addition oiling and greasing the gearing once a season will ensure a long life for your investment.

Price: Daiwa is more known for their premium freshwater reels than anything else, but lately their saltwater offerings including the Saltiga, Saltist, and Sealine reels have really come on strong. The Saltist proved that Daiwa was serious about producing quality saltwater reels at mainstream level prices, and the Coastal continues that trend. Priced at only 129.99 per copy the Coastal is ten dollars cheaper than the Daiwa Advantage HST. Even though the metal drag star and popular ported handle are gone the reel makes up for it with features like corrosion resistant treated internals and sealed cast control system, both of which cater towards inshore applications. When you figure in the added capacity to use this product in freshwater applications this crossover reel offers multi-species anglers exceptional “bang for the buck” value.