New reels first impressions

[king fisher]

        I lost two combos overboard a month ago, and have finally replaced the equipment.  

       One of the reels I lost was a Diawa coastal 200.  I replaced the Coastal with a Tatula 150.  I saved $100, but think I might have been better off spending the extra money.  I was surprised to find the Tatula 150 was significantly larger than the Coastal 150 I have.  I don't have a 200 to compare it to, but I think it is larger than the 200 too.  I have only been able to cast around the marina and haven't been fishing, but with the little casting I have done, the 150 feels more like my used Tat CT than my old Coastal 200.  The 200 was smoother, and had a more solid feel.  They both hold the same amount of line, and the Coastal is saltwater rated, although I don't really know what they do to give it that classification.  I only have minor regrets, the Tatula 150 is far better than my old Ambassador's and I am sure I it will be reeling in bass for many years to come. I wish I would have learned by now, once I find something  I like I should stick with it, even if it costs a little more.

     The other reel I lost was a Tatula CT.  I replaced it with a JDM Zillion SV.  There is no real comparison between these two.  The Zillion is the smoothest best casting reel I have ever held in my hands.  I was expecting a big jump in performance, but I wasn't prepared for the night and day difference.  I may find myself changing baits and techniques only because I want to use the rod with the Zillion on it.  Only one day after getting my new gear, The Monkey was limping down the street crying from getting severely beaten up by my wife. He looked at me, smiled and mouthed the word Zillion.  I don't think I will throw any more combos overboard, but I may find a way to justify getting another Zillion.

       I wish I would have had the option to actually hold the reels in my hand before ordering.  Living in Mexico does have it's disadvantages.  Descriptions on the internet are good for getting specs, and comparing price, but being able to actually hold a reel is a big plus. 

      Now that I have my new gear, I need to go fishing.  I sure hope the kid with the soda bottle for a rod and reel isn't at the launch when I get there. 

Watching him catch more bass than me, after all the money I spent would not be fun.  I wont mind it so much after the credit card is paid and the sting has wore off, but getting embarrassed on my first day back, could really hurt. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Agreed on the JDM Zillion SV TW.......it just feels different than any other high end reel I've used.   It's off the charts in terms of smoothness on retrieve.    Over hundreds of casts with a chatterbait or crankbait, this makes a big difference alone on fatigue.     I'm battling right now getting another one, I have a few holes in my lineup that need upgraded, but for the current price.....I find it hard to believe you can get more bang for your buck than a JDM Zillion.    This reel gets 5 stars across the board wherever you look.   

 

I assume it's the "hyperdrive" part of the reel. that feels so unique and makes it so smooth.    Clicking saltwater type drag is just brilliant as well.   Sharp looking unit as well.   My only complaint is the drag dial appears to be made out of a plastic.   

 

You know the monkey is going to chunk a few more reels off the boat, might as well get ahead of it ?

[Tatulatard]

The Tatula 150 is the old big Tatula with new paint.  The coastal 150 is a Tatula 100 with new paint and deep SV spool.  Very different reels in size and ergonomics.  Buy based on what platform the reel is and not any numbering like "150" to determine size.

[king fisher]

13 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

The Tatula 150 is the old big Tatula with new paint.  The coastal 150 is a Tatula 100 with new paint and deep SV spool.  Very different reels in size and ergonomics.  Buy based on what platform the reel is and not any numbering like "150" to determine size.

Problem is in the Descriptions on TW and other sites don't say what the platform is, and they  use different line sizes on their capacity ratings, making it difficult to compare models.  Do you know what platform the Coastal 200 is?  I preferred it over the Coastal 150.  I don't remember it being larger than the coastal 150. What do they do different besides paint them blue for the coastal classification?  Thanks Tim.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

I may find myself changing baits and techniques only because I want to use the rod with the Zillion on it.  Only one day after getting my new gear, The Monkey was limping down the street crying from getting severely beaten up by my wife. He looked at me, smiled and mouthed the word Zillion.  I don't think I will throw any more combos overboard, but I may find a way to justify getting another Zillion.

 

The downside to shiny new toys is that the old toys quickly seem old.  Suddenly perfectly fine isn't perfectly fine.  Been there, got the card (aka the box from digitaka).  On the upside, you can justify that you're exploiting a temporary foreign exchange imbalance in the market.  Just remember they are temporary, so you might as well get two in the next order.  After all they are practically half the US MSRP. (says the guy who bought the zillion and the Met).

[Tatulatard]

7 hours ago, king fisher said:

Problem is in the Descriptions on TW and other sites don't say what the platform is, and they  use different line sizes on their capacity ratings, making it difficult to compare models.  Do you know what platform the Coastal 200 is?  I preferred it over the Coastal 150.  I don't remember it being larger than the coastal 150. What do they do different besides paint them blue for the coastal classification?  Thanks Tim.

The coastal 200 is the old tatula like the current tatula 200.  Its the are size as the tatula 150 but gets a larger diameter and deeper spool without magZ.  They are big old solid reels that hold up well.