Defective Zillion, Japan Lure Shop No Reply

[MontclairDave]

Bought a JDM Daiwa Zillion from Japan Lure Shop with a bum drag. Emailed them 3 times, no response. I actually thought I had bought it from Digitaka because I was on that site so much when tracking this reel and the yen conversion rate. So I emailed Digitaka first. They responded within 6 hours and let me know they had no record of purchase. Then I remembered I had bought it from Japan Lure Shop. 
 

So, lesson learned for me so far: if I ever decide to buy JDM again, Digitaka will get my money. Japan Lure Shop won’t.

 

Next adventure: finding someone willing to service a JDM Daiwa reel. This should be fun. ? 

[webertime]

Aside from the factory (Japan vs not Japan) and the alloy gears the drag should be the same on the usdm and jdm reels.  Check with DVT.

[Tatulatard]

Whats wrong with the drag?

[Cbump]

Should be an easy fix for any daiwa service person. 

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, MontclairDave said:

Bought a JDM Daiwa Zillion from Japan Lure Shop with a bum drag.

Is the drag clicking when drag is pulled by a fish, or when you pull it manually? This is a notorious issue with the new Zillion. If this is your problem, it's because it has a built-in drag clicker.

[FishTank]

2 hours ago, MontclairDave said:

Bought a JDM Daiwa Zillion from Japan Lure Shop with a bum drag. Emailed them 3 times, no response. I actually thought I had bought it from Digitaka because I was on that site so much when tracking this reel and the yen conversion rate. So I emailed Digitaka first. They responded within 6 hours and let me know they had no record of purchase. Then I remembered I had bought it from Japan Lure Shop. 
 

So, lesson learned for me so far: if I ever decide to buy JDM again, Digitaka will get my money. Japan Lure Shop won’t.

 

Next adventure: finding someone willing to service a JDM Daiwa reel. This should be fun. ? 

 

Weird. I placed an order with them and had a question about it. They responded the next day.

 

What's wrong with the drag? Also, did you include your order number with your emails. I have noticed they are kind of clueless without it. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

In to hear what is wrong with the drag.   

 

Digitaka is one of the best places I've ever done business with regard to customer satisfaction.  

[waymont]

2 hours ago, MontclairDave said:

bum drag

Explain

[MontclairDave]

2 hours ago, waymont said:

Explain

When I pull out the line, I don’t hear the drag clicking. When I reel, it feels mushy, as though the reel isn’t engaging all the time. And when I spin the handle just to test out how smooth the reel is, it the spool doesn’t really spin all that much. Basically it feels like something is just off. I am 100% clueless when it comes to reel maintenance, so apologies if I can’t be more specific than   that. But I have a bunch of Curados and I can tell what a quality reel feels like. This ain’t it. 
 

Casting isn’t an issue—getting pretty impressive distance. Reeling in and keeping fish pinned is definitely wonky.

[FishTank]

48 minutes ago, MontclairDave said:

When I pull out the line, I don’t hear the drag clicking. When I reel, it feels mushy, as though the reel isn’t engaging all the time. And when I spin the handle just to test out how smooth the reel is, it the spool doesn’t really spin all that much. Basically it feels like something is just off. I am 100% clueless when it comes to reel maintenance, so apologies if I can’t be more specific than   that. But I have a bunch of Curados and I can tell what a quality reel feels like. This ain’t it. 
 

Casting isn’t an issue—getting pretty impressive distance. Reeling in and keeping fish pinned is definitely wonky.

 

Just a guess but.... Braided line? Is it slipping on the spool?

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, FishTank said:

 

Just a guess but.... Braided line? Is it slipping on the spool?

I think that is the issue, too. Tape the line to the spool.

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

I think that is the issue, too. Tape the line to the spool.

Or put a few layers of mono backing on.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I’ll be glad to help you troubleshoot and/or correct the issue but you’re getting good feedback here already. Slipping braid is 99% of drag issues. A free spinning handle means absolutely nothing. Don’t sweat that. 

[JediAmoeba]

I guarantee this is an easy fix...

[MontclairDave]

2 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

I guarantee this is an easy fix...

Hope so. A bit more info if it helps: Rod is a Kistler Argon MH with 12 lb Seagar Red Label. I was throwing mostly 3/8 ounce baits (chatterbait, spinner bait). Never adjusted the “zero adjust” spool tension knob, so it’s set like it came from the factory. Bait had a pretty fast drop. And I was wrong in previous post: I just rechecked and I can hear the clicker drag when I pull out line with the thumb bar disengaged. It’s subtle but I can hear it. 
 

I guess it’s possible that this is an insanely smooth reel and I am just not used to how that feels on the retrieve?

 

And the fish not keeping pinned could be the Kistler. I’ve had that problem before with it, although usually with braid; it’s a stiff rod and definitely needs softer line, especially for chatterbaits. That’s why I tried straight fluorocarbon on it. 
 

I’m going out this weekend and will give it another shot. Will let you all know how it goes.

 

Thanks! 
 

 

[casts_by_fly]

50 minutes ago, MontclairDave said:

Hope so. A bit more info if it helps: Rod is a Kistler Argon MH with 12 lb Seagar Red Label. I was throwing mostly 3/8 ounce baits (chatterbait, spinner bait). Never adjusted the “zero adjust” spool tension knob, so it’s set like it came from the factory. Bait had a pretty fast drop. And I was wrong in previous post: I just rechecked and I can hear the clicker drag when I pull out line with the thumb bar disengaged. It’s subtle but I can hear it. 
 

I guess it’s possible that this is an insanely smooth reel and I am just not used to how that feels on the retrieve?

 

And the fish not keeping pinned could be the Kistler. I’ve had that problem before with it, although usually with braid; it’s a stiff rod and definitely needs softer line, especially for chatterbaits. That’s why I tried straight fluorocarbon on it. 
 

I’m going out this weekend and will give it another shot. Will let you all know how it goes.

 

Thanks! 
 

 

not sure where you’re headed but I was planning to get out Saturday morning early.  I can bring my zillion jdm and we can compare notes. 

[MontclairDave]

4 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

not sure where you’re headed but I was planning to get out Saturday morning early.  I can bring my zillion jdm and we can compare notes. 

Thanks! This weekend I’m up in the Berkshires but if you are near my neck of the woods (West Orange) I’ll let you know next time I go out and we can meet up. 

[casts_by_fly]

1 minute ago, MontclairDave said:

Thanks! This weekend I’m up in the Berkshires but if you are near my neck of the woods (West Orange) I’ll let you know next time I go out and we can meet up. 

im in Chester so budd, musconetcong, and hopatcong are local. Spruce is 30 minutes. My dad is coming next week so I’m trying to prefish a little and see what’s heating up to get him on some fish. Good luck on your trip. 

[KP Duty]

JLS is a good shop.  I'm wondering if your emails are going to their spam folder.  Happens to me because I use a gmail account....most recently at the 'gloomis superstore'.  I thought they were ignoring me, and when I called...all 3 emails were in the 'junk' folder she said.

[Tatulatard]

On 4/11/2023 at 8:52 PM, MontclairDave said:

guess it’s possible that this is an insanely smooth reel and I am just not used to how that feels on the retrieve?

Probably.  It is an insanely smooth reel that will make you think the drag is backed off when cranking.  If this is your 1st time with a reel this smooth you will do a double take at the spool to verify it is turning when cranking.

[txchaser]

On 4/11/2023 at 8:52 PM, MontclairDave said:

I guess it’s possible that this is an insanely smooth reel and I am just not used to how that feels on the retrieve?

It's that smooth...

 

[MontclairDave]

On 4/13/2023 at 10:45 PM, txchaser said:

It's that smooth...

 

Indeed! Caught 20 fish today on mini max chatterbait, spinnerbait, super fluke and worm. A junk-fishing party! Only lost a few, drag working fine. I think my biggest problem was an over-filled spool. Peeled off some line, leaving about an 1/8 of space from the edge of spool, voila, casting and retrieve felt 100% better. Still getting used to how ultra smooth this reel is—and using straight fluoro for the first time, which definitely feels different than braid—but it casts a mile and I’m definitely seeing what the hype is all about.