Issues with Daiwa Fuego

[Ravox]

Just got a Daiwa Fuego baitcaster saw good reviews on this one,  and I only have issues with it can't cast far enough and no matter how i put the brakes this thing wants to backlash all the time tried to put on max and happened too, have 2 Abu Garcia Silvermax that i love it way less expensive than the Daiwa, and can cast far with them than with the Fuego, got a defective reel on this one is complicated like that? 

[BrianMDTX]

I have a Fuego CT and I have had no issues. First question is, how (did) you set your spool tension? You should loosen the spool tension so that the spool moves back and forth, then tighten incrementally until you can’t hear it click anymore. 
 

As far as brakes, I freely admit to using my thumb way more than I rely on the brakes. 

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I have a Fuego CT and I have had no issues. First question is, how (did) you set your spool tension? You should loosen the spool tension so that the spool moves back and forth, then tighten incrementally until you can’t hear it click anymore. 
 

As far as brakes, I freely admit to using my thumb way more than I rely on the brakes. 

I've got my tension just a touch looser - maybe 1mm of movement.

 

I too use my thumb a lot with the Fuego - almost all my reels actually. The only one I dare 'forget the thumb' with is my Patriarch...maybe because it has centrifugal and magnetic brakes.

[BrianMDTX]

16 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I've got my tension just a touch looser - maybe 1mm of movement.

 

I too use my thumb a lot with the Fuego - almost all my reels actually. The only one I dare 'forget the thumb' with is my Patriarch...maybe because it has centrifugal and magnetic brakes.

Maybe I’m old school (highly likely lol), but I find it discomforting not having my thumb in play. Besides, it makes it so much easier to stop my bait just where I want it. Especially if I want a soft entry. 
 

I learned on a Daiwa Millionaire 3H. Had a spool tension knob. My thumb WAS the brake! 

[Hammer 4]

Just to add to all the above, sometimes you get reels, no matter the make, that come with little oil on the spool bearings. I'd suggest adding a drop of good quality reel oil to them, should make casting a bit easier.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Is the fuego on the same rod with same line casting same bait as the Max? All those variables have an impact 

[bulldog1935]

With stock Daiwa spools, not even my Steez and Zillion can cast light weights (1/8- 3/8 oz) to the distance of my Lew's Super Duty.  (The Daiwa SVs are a different story with the hot aftermarket spools made for them).  

Super Duty is the same basic linear-mag-brake design as Abu, and honestly, with its heavy deep spool, Super Duty doesn't seem on paper like it should cast as well as it proves out.  It's also not a very fast spool - just seems to keep going.  

 

However, Daiwa SV lets their stock spools cast big weights much more reliably, and with little or no linear mag dialed-in.  If you want an opinion, Daiwa homogenizes their spools for reliable casting with big lines and a wide weight range, leaning toward the heavy end.  What I gathered swapping notes with Jun Sonada at JapanTackle is that Magforce magnets aren't quite as powerful as newer SV magnets.  

 

Agree with everyone about using zero spool tension, regardless of reel brand.  However, you may find reels with linear mag brake cast big weights more reliably if you dial in a little spool tension.  

 

 

 

The most shocking distance caster I've played with lately is ZPI Alcance, an Abu with magnesium spool, hot bearings and tuned mag brake.  

 

 

As far as backlash, it can happen in 3 places with 3 different causes - start-up, mid-cast, and finish-cast.  We might be able to tell you more if you can identify for us which you have.  Also lure weights you're trying to cast.  

[Ravox]

Thank you for the excellent posts here, im using silvermax and Daiwa on similar equipment , medium heavy rods (Bionic Blade) and using texas rigs with weight, and sometimes flukes (no weight) with flukes the situation is much worse, silvermax cast without any issues

[bulldog1935]

Linear mag brake Abu is going to shine there.  

Your only source of backlash with weightless rigs is mid-cast wind backlash, where linear mag works best.  Especially casting light weights, there's something to be said for mag brake and a good clean spool flange with no brake add-ons hanging on.  

 

The Daiwa wants more weight.  I'd guess you're trying to cast hard to force more distance, and probably getting start-up backlash.  

 

 Super Duty

 

btw, I ran into similar problems with Lew's centrifugal brake - just couldn't get distance with 1/8 oz, and Super Duty linear mag laughed at it.  There was probably a way to set up fewer centrifugal shoes and make it work, but I simply sold it and bought another Super Duty.  

 

[HawgHunter13]

I bought a fuego ct for my 2nd frog reel and love it. It casts a mile! All I can say is if you like that Silvermax then the fuego should blow that out of the water. I hated my silvermax 

[Lmsmbassaddict]

Gotta say I don't think there's a weight class there Fuego would lose in vs. the silver Max. The only thing the Fuego is going to lose to is price in that battle. It's got to be an issue, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the Fuego have magforce z? 

[bulldog1935]

Fuego has magforce z, and as I also mentioned above, stock Boost spool on Steez and Zillion SV won't cast 1/8 oz to the distance of my linear mag brake Super Duty - 90' v. 120'

7' ML, all reel mag brakes dialed to incipient backlash +1

My linear mag brake Alcance will cast 1/8 oz beyond 130' (with shocking spool speed).

 

Noteworthy, the Steez and Zillion will duplicate this longer distance with Ray's Studio BFS SV spool.  (Roro-X spool will cast 1/16 oz that far)

 

 

of course, none of them cast with this, which I can't cast in my back acre, anyway

[FishTank]

Just a guess..... Most out of the box Daiwa reels I have seen have been bone dry.  It could be a good clean and lube is all you need.

 

Also,  I have taken a couple of Black Max and Silver Max reels apart.  They are not bad reels but the ones I have seen aren't the greatest casters.  Unfortunately, I have not worked on a new Fuego so I can't say how it performs.

[diehardbassfishing]

Brake at max would make it virtually impossible to backlash. Actually the spool control would be so tight - you'll hardly get a lure to launch 25 feet!

 

Here's a simple "home test" to see if the mag break is operating at all. Tape your line down on the spool. Have the spool side tension essentially zero - as long as there is the smallest side to side spool play, you're there.

 

Now the mag force test:

Set mag force to zero and spin the spool by simply getting the spool to spin with your finger. No need to try for any max super hi RPM. Consistency is the key here. A simple spin with zero mag, getting maybe 15 to 30 seconds of roll. Maybe less, maybe more. Just try to get consistent with how you spin the spool.

 

Once you have a feel for that, now put the mag force to max. You should have a noticeable decrease in free spin time. Maybe 1/2 of what you had spinning the spool at mag setting of zero.

 

Let us know!

 

Karl

 

(I do own, along with many Daiwas, a Fuego. It casts with the best of 'em)

[Big Hands]

The Silver Max is basically a Black Max with a 'rocket button'. I have a Black Max and two Pro Max reels (a step up from the Black Max and the Silver Max) and a Fuego CT. I'll just say that I am surprised to read that you have had better performance from The Silver Max than you have from the Fuego CT. All of my Garcia Max reels mentioned above are no longer in my regular rotation, and the Fuego CT is.

 

Sometimes the bearings are lacking in lubrication on new reels. I'd look to carefully get a couple tiny drops of a quality reel onto the spool bearing and end cap bearing and try it again.

 

 

[bulldog1935]

Having fished weightless rigs since Ambassadeur day, currently fishing both Daiwa and Abu, I can see exactly where our OP is coming from.  

He's already worked out casting his Abu without added cast control and with proper mag adjustment for weightless rig.  

What he's running into is the Daiwa not being made for casting weightless rigs; instead, the Daiwa spool and brake is tuned from Daiwa to prevent backlash with heavier weights when also set with minimum or no added cast control.  

He'll be happier with the Daiwa using it where it was designed to shine. 

I think the replies on this thread giving him advice haven't worked this out for themselves - we all see from our own experience base.  

[BrianMDTX]

4 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

What he's running into is the Daiwa not being made for casting weightless rigs; instead, the Daiwa spool and brake is tuned from Daiwa to prevent backlash with heavier weights when also set with minimum or no added cast control.  

What’s the definition of “weightless”?  I ask as I fish Fat IKA’s and Neko Machos on a 3/0 EWG hook with no additional weight from both my Fuego CT and Tatula 100H without an issue. Granted, not gonna happen with a weightless Zoom Trick or even a Mann’s Jelly Worm, but those baits cast well without additional weight from my Daiwas. 

[bulldog1935]

in my case, it was a live shrimp hooked through its shell on a 2/0 kahle hook - free shrimping around oyster reefs...

If you jerk the rod, the shrimp and hook land in difference places.  

 

Guides with spinning rods used to tell me what was wrong with my cast, then I'd show them my spiral cast doubled the distance of their best effort.  

I always made them look good at the dock, though.  

 

... it ain't a half-ounce, which is where Daiwa magforce excels.  

 

On XUL, we do the same thing with 4' leader, a bit smaller hook, and an air-resistant weightless cigar cork.  Can't spiral cast that rig.  

 

What's clear is our OP knows what he's doing, he just wants to understand the difference.  

You can fish in close to the boat - he has a specific question about the difference in cast distance result.   

It's not a brand challenge, no need for mile-casting hyperbole...  

[PhishLI]

On 8/2/2021 at 3:50 PM, Ravox said:

Just got a Daiwa Fuego baitcaster saw good reviews on this one,  and I only have issues with it can't cast far enough and no matter how i put the brakes this thing wants to backlash all the time tried to put on max and happened too, have 2 Abu Garcia Silvermax that i love it way less expensive than the Daiwa, and can cast far with them than with the Fuego, got a defective reel on this one is complicated like that? 

I bought two Fuegos 4 years ago, but they were purchased about a month apart. The first was fine, but the 2nd was giving me the same issues you've described. It turns out that the spool bearings were packed with clear grease. The shields on these bearings are pressed in. Instead of soaking them in solvent I elected to simply add a few cycles of oil. This cut the grease and resolved the issue quickly. No major disassembly required. Simply remove the palm side plate and spool tension knob to access the spool bearings.