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Reel Review


Not just for Saltwater, the Daiwa Zillion Coastal (continued)

 

Casting: The Zillion Coastal casts just like the other Zillion reels, no better and certainly no worse. The Magforce-Z system continues to impress and when it comes to making minute adjustments to the casting system on the fly this system still sets the bar for externally adjustable systems. 

 


To access the spool use a coin and unscrew the spring loaded lock

 

When casting saltwater lures like irons a simple lob cast was all that was necessary for proper placement and it is when lure fishing with reaction baits that the Zillion excels in casting. When fishing for Stripers we utilized a lot of topwater lures as well as ripbaits and the Coastal was able to cast the complete range of weights well.

 


A look at the inductor that pairs with the Magforce-Z cast control system

 

While some saltwater reels are good for just tossing heavier lures the Zillion is excellent at the complete range. It can handle large plugs and even swimbaits for stripers but is equally at home tossing weightless Senkos for bass, something I did quite a lot of both at the Delta and at Lake Falcon.

 


The entire spool is anodized blue for improved corrosion resistance

 

Retrieving: The Coastal also feels identical to the other Zillions when it comes to retrieve and is a refined reel that exhibits a smooth yet connected feel. This is one reel that constantly reminds you that you are in control of the bait and when there is a fish on the line in freshwater situations the high speed 7.3:1 gear ratio makes it possible to easily keep up with fish that charge the boat when by pulling in up 32” of line per handle crank.

 


The Zillion Coastal takes Inshore fishing to the next level and it is a big step up from the original Coastal Inshore which was based on the TD-Advantage

 

Even though the reel has a high speed gear ratio big fish don’t feel like they are loading up the gearing except in one situation, vertical jigging. When fishing baits in less than 20 feet of water we didn’t notice this stress at all but once we started fishing for Lings in 50 plus feet of water cranking fish up vertically felt fairly heavy. In these vertical situations a round reel with a lower speed gear ratio is much easier to fish when it comes to winching up sheer weight.

 


The original Coastal Inshore reel used the Centriflex anti-backlash system that required anglers to take down the sideplate to make adjustments

 

The previous gen Coastal Inshore baitcaster cannot even be compared to the Zillion Coastal when it comes to retrieve, the new reel is infinitely more refined and feels much smoother over the long term. The Magforce –Z casting system is also preferable over the old centrifugal system which required anglers to take down the sideplate to make even the smallest cast control adjustment. 

 


The Zillion Coastal looked right at home on a Power Paragon rod

 

All in all the Zillion Coastal is just as good as a freshwater reel as it is a saltwater one. The fast retrieve ratio makes this a first-rate reel for working reaction baits in both fresh and saltwater or simply flipping and pitching plastics. This reel proved extremely good for the outer California Delta region which has plenty of brackish water areas. I could fish the reel without concerns over corrosion and it proved excellent for both largemouth bass and stripers running in from the San Francisco Bay. When it came to rockfishing I still preferred the sheer muscle of the Daiwa Luna or Pluton but the Zillion Coastal can get the job done if you are looking for one reel that can do it all.

 


The reel has all the nice "clickies" making minute adjustments to both the drag and spool tension easy (and audible)

 

Next Section: A drag for inshore applications?

 

   

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