TT Shootout : Zillion TWS vs Chronarch CI4+ (continued)

Pitching: For the pitching tests, I tied on a 3/8th ounce jig from Bass Patrol and once again found that after about a dozen pitches with each reel, distance was roughly the same. The interesting observation here was that at times it felt as though the Zillion TWS could pitch further, but that the pitch was choked of at the end by the magnetic brakes. Oddly enough when I backed off the brakes entirely, pitching distance didn't improve by much but that choked off sensation no longer presented itself.

The Zillion TWS line guide lets the line come off the reel's spool effortlessly during a pitch.

Low End Casting Limit: The last casting test we made with these reels was to see how light of a bait they'd let us cast. Three eighths (3/8ths) of an ounce is the lower end rating for the Megabass F6-72X4 Destruction, so we switched these reels over to identical Phenix Recon PHX-C682 instead to test out their lower limits. During each of the reels' individual product reviews, I got a sense they'd be able to handle baits down to one quarter of an ounce, but I never really investigated further.

To test each reel's low end casting limit, we went all the way down to a lure and hook combo that topped our scale at 5 grams.

Thanks to this shootout assignment, I took the time to find that proper stick with which to pair these rods and test this limit. To the end of each line, I tied a bare Owner #2 Wacky Hook and attached the new Savage Gear 3" 3D Craw. Total weight of the hook and bait was 5 grams or 0.176 ounces.

The Chronarch CI4+ just edged the Zillion TWS.

A few test casts with each combo in order to fine tune their brake adjustments and I found the Chronarch CI4+ just ever so slightly edged out the Zillion TWS in distance with this bait (roughly fifty feet to forty five feet). I did not get the sense either reel could realistically go lower in weight than the unweighted 3D Craw. On the plus side for the Zillion TWS, it was easier to fine tune its brakes because there was only one setting to adjust, but given the performance difference with the Chronarch CI4+, taking the extra steps necessary to adjust its brakes was worth it. Advantage : SHIMANO

Fig 1: This chart illustrates the sweet drag performance of our Zillion TWS.

Max Drag: The Zillion TWS measured out in our lab with a massive 18.7 pounds of maximum pressure. The Chronarch CI4+ came in with a more than respectable 10 pounds of maximum pressure, but if pure lockdown, drag them out, heavy drag power is what you're after, the Zillion TWS wins this category hands down. Advantage : DAIWA

Fig 2: This chart illustrates the sweet drag performance of our Chronarch CI4+.

Sweet Drag: The Sweet Drag Performance charts for both these reels both show curves that are very smooth and consistent except during lockdown where the Chronarch CI4+'s curve was just slightly less erratic. Similarly in their overall numbers, the Chronarch CI4+ just edges out the Zillion TWS in terms of average change in drag pressure when measuring startup drag versus sustained, and the largest drop in drag pressure from sustained. The differences are slight, but the Chronarch CI4+ has the sweeter sweet drag numbers. Advantage : SHIMANO

With four available retrieve ratios including super low (5.5:1) and super high (9.1:1), the Zillion TWS as a suite of reels offers more versatility than that of the Chronarch CI4+.