Daiwa 26 Zillion TW150: A 36 mm-Spool Baitcaster for Bass, Seabass and Surf

Daiwa’s Zillion baitcasting reel has been around for more than 20 years, and it now gets a new 150 size.

Zillion usually means bass fishing, but the new 150 is a salt-ready model designed for seabass, surf and rockfish as well as bass. It has a larger 36 mm spool that holds 150 m of PE 3. If you want to use a baitcaster in saltwater, this is a reel to look at.

This article focuses on how to read the specs and how to choose a gear ratio.

Specifications

Shared by all models:

All six versions share the same price, weight and spool; the only differences are gear ratio and handle side. The only real decision is which gear ratio.

Features

1. A 36 mm MAG-Z BOOST spool built for distance

The spool is the headline: 36 mm in diameter and 24 mm wide, in G1 duralumin, holding 150 m of PE 3 – welcome capacity for saltwater.

The brake is MAG-Z BOOST. It is based on MAGFORCE-Z, a magnetic brake that responds to spool speed, with an added “BOOST” mechanism: once past the start of the cast, where backlashes happen, the braking drops back a step. That gives the cast an extra push in its second half – a distance-oriented design.

Daiwa itself says MAGFORCE-Z is best at casting medium-to-heavy lures a long way, and not suited to light lures. Think of it as a reel for throwing lures with some weight a long way, not for pitching light ones.

2. A new tapered T-Wing System for leader knots

One small but real headache with baitcasters in saltwater: the knot between PE and leader catching on the level-wind (the part that guides line side to side). The 150 uses a newly designed tapered TWS that widens the line path, so thick fluoro and nylon – and the PE-to-leader knot – pass through smoothly.

Daiwa still recommends keeping the knot outside the rod guides to avoid trouble. When casting, keep the leader short and the knot outside the guides. (Leader choice: PE line and leader chart.)

3. A tough, compact all-aluminium body

Frame, gear-side plate and set plate are all aluminium alloy, and it carries all four elements of Daiwa’s new baitcaster design philosophy, HYPERDRIVE DESIGN:

• HYPER ARMED HOUSING – all-aluminium, to limit twisting and flex under heavy load.
• HYPER TOUGH CLUTCH – reduces the clutch sticking from salt build-up.
• HYPER DOUBLE SUPPORT – prevents gear power loss under load.
• HYPERDRIVE DIGIGEAR – smooth, high-torque G1 duralumin gearing.

For saltwater use, a clutch that resists sticking with salt is not a small thing.

4. Drag click and double stopper

Maximum drag is 6 kg (5.5 kg on the XH), with a drag click so you can hear when line is going out during a fight with a big fish. It also has Perfect Double Stopper: a mechanical stopper in addition to the normal one, so if one fails the other still prevents the handle turning backwards. The 95 mm crank handle is aluminium, and the star drag is large-diameter ZAION.

Choosing a gear ratio: 6.3, 7.3 or 8.4?

Price and weight are identical, so choose by fishing style.

For a first saltwater baitcaster, the 7.3 H is the easiest to live with – it handles both seabass minnows and surf jigs.

Is the XH not just better because it winds faster? It picks up line faster, but when you want to retrieve a lure slowly you have to consciously slow down. And the XH alone has a slightly lower 5.5 kg max drag, so if you fish with a heavier drag, the H or normal gear is the safer choice.

Can you use it in saltwater and on the surf?

Daiwa lists it as saltwater-ready, naming seabass, surf and rockfish as targets, and has published video of a Daiwa saltwater tester using it for hirasuzuki on rocky shores.

Good for

• Seabass and hirasuzuki in estuaries, tidal flats and rocks (PE 1.5-2, medium to heavy plugs).
• Surf flounder and flathead (jigs and heavy sinking pencils around 20-40 g).
• Rockfish (Texas rigs and jig heads, ripping fish out of the rocks).

Not good for

• Fishing mainly with light lures under 10 g (the brake design does not suit them).
• Full-power casts into a strong headwind (a weakness of baitcasters in general – backlashes come easily).

On a beach, a baitcaster works best with heavier lures on days without too much wind. Switching to a spinning reel on headwind days keeps it stress-free.

The advantages of a baitcaster: you can drop the lure just by disengaging the clutch, and you feel the bottom clearly in your hand. Backlashes take practice, so start on calm days.

A rod to pair it with

For 20-50 g lures on PE 1-2, a saltwater baitcasting rod is the match. For example, Daiwa’s 26 Morethan baitcasting model 104MB (lure 10-50 g, PE 0.8-2.0) is a long-casting rod that balances well with it on beaches and big estuaries.

Things to note

• 58,400 yen (excl. tax) puts it in the mid-to-upper price range for baitcasters.
• 215 g: not a weight-first reel, but a stiffness-first all-aluminium body.
• The MAG-Z-type brake means a different reel suits light-lure fishing better.
• After saltwater use, rinse well in fresh water and dry it.

Summary

• 36 mm G1 duralumin spool: PE 3 x 150 m or PE 2 x 230 m.
• MAG-Z BOOST for long casts with medium-to-heavy lures.
• New tapered TWS lets PE-to-leader knots pass more easily.
• All-aluminium body and salt-resistant clutch.
• Gear ratios 6.3, 7.3 and 8.4 – if unsure, the 7.3 H.

There are not many baitcasters that cover everything from bass to the surf. If you want to start using baitcasting tackle in saltwater, put this one on your list.

Read next

• Daiwa 26 Freams
• Japanese PE line sizes and leader pairings
• How to set your drag
• Japanese flounder (hirame) guide
• Japanese seabass in autumn

MINAGIMAN

JAPAN ANGLER

TwitterInstagramYouTube

Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.