Daiwa pitching and casting: from a shimano user

[trent_s]

Hey guys,
So I recently got into some Daiwa reels, and in true TT form I purchased two Zillions and tuned the sh*t out of them, before ever owning a Daiwa One's a JDM HSLA, and one's a domestic HSLA both supertuned with TD-Z 100M spools and orange seals, also having Ian tune and polish one of them now.

Well, I finally got my JDM on the water today and spent some extended time fishing it, and I have some questions for Daiwa aficionados:
1) I can pitch very well, but in order to get the spool to start up fast, the brake has to be turned way down, and the Mag Force set around 3 or 4. Which is fine and works well, but when I go to overhand cast or make harder sidearm casts I have to set the main brake down a few clicks or really thumb it well and not cast hard. Now it still casts really far, but it just gets to be a pain always playing with the brakes.
2) On my Shimano's (Core, Metanium, Scorpion, Chronarch E) I can pretty much set the main brake pretty loose, and set about 4 of the 6 SVS brakes out and can pitch/flip or overhand cast hard with out having to thumb it much if any...is this just something I'll need to get used to with Daiwa's? Or is it the TD-Z spool, or the Zillion? Or just me being a newbie to Daiwas.

Thanks

[trent_s]

Forgot to mention lost an 8-9# bass right at the boat today
On my way home, I got to thinking the drag did feel a little (jumpy/shuttery) under the big fish...which is what made me think it was a drum at first. Anyone who's caught them knows how they kind of pull in a jittery fashion and do barrel rolls in the water...it felt like the fish was doing this.

Maybe I will have to get some Carbontex for my JDM Zillion. Ian is putting Carbtontex in the other one.

what do you guys think?

My shimano's are always pretty smooth with big fish on.

[kakaryan]

Most of the time I set the tension knob loose and only play with the mag. brake. I use my Zillion J dream with mag brake 1-4, usually 2-3 (depends on wind, bait size, casting/pitching)

Don't cast your Daiwa reels really hard as you cast your Shimano centri brake reels or you would end up in backlash. Increase the braking does help allowing you cast it hard but it wouldn't help with casting distance. The key is to cast it gently with little braking then your lure would fly a mile.

Sometimes my mates borrow my gears and they can't cast my Daiwa reels as they are either using Shimano or Abu. It does take some time to get used to.

[haoz]

on my shims, I can set brake to 1 and cast really hard. and the lure..... flies

on my J-dream, i need to cast in a smooth fluid motion, and I can't shift my weight behind my cast rapidly or I always end up with bird nest, regardless of how I thumb.

to be honest, I suspect the Daiwa reel might outcast the shim if both have brakes set to one. however, a Daiwa on brake 1 is insanely hard to control. just my experience.

[kakaryan]

on my shims, I can set brake to 1 and cast really hard. and the lure..... flies

on my J-dream, i need to cast in a smooth fluid motion, and I can't shift my weight behind my cast rapidly or I always end up with bird nest, regardless of how I thumb.

to be honest, I suspect the Daiwa reel might outcast the shim if both have brakes set to one. however, a Daiwa on brake 1 is insanely hard to control. just my experience.

IMO in windy condition Daiwa's mag brake cast better and with less backlash than Shimano's centri brake. In calm condition, given both casters are familiar with their reels, I think they might be a draw. I fish with mates using Shimano and Abu centri brake and dual brake reels and I didn't see any is significantly better. Some do cast further, but there are many factors such as better spools, bearings and design.

Actually the newer Daiwa models are already easier to cast and more user friendly such as the Zillion J dream. The spool has stronger braking force which allows you to dial the mag brake down to 1. For older models, I remember my Alphas could only go down to 4.

Some older models have pretty fast spool such as the TD-ito. I recently got mine and I am impressed. Fast spools give you effortless cast once you have get used to.

[trent_s]

on my shims, I can set brake to 1 and cast really hard. and the lure..... flies

on my J-dream, i need to cast in a smooth fluid motion, and I can't shift my weight behind my cast rapidly or I always end up with bird nest, regardless of how I thumb.

to be honest, I suspect the Daiwa reel might outcast the shim if both have brakes set to one. however, a Daiwa on brake 1 is insanely hard to control. just my experience.

Pretty much my exact experience...slow and smooth. It really casts quite well, probably better than the
shims. The shimanos are just easier to control for me, and allow for more freedom of casting styles
Without having to readjust brakes.

[sofinesse]

http://japantackle.com/Topics/brake_system.htm
pretty sure it has been posted before, but an interesting read on reel brake systems.
I use both Shimanos and Daiwa reels, For me there was a learning curve adjusting from centrifugal to mag brakes. I get about the same distance with both, Shimano set at 2 brakes on, Daiwas still struggling between having the brakes set at 5-7 and casting really hard with little thumb, or having it set at 3- free, using more thumb and casting more gently.

[thelatrobe33]

As mentioned, don't force the cast with Daiwa reels. Just a smooth steady motion is all you need. I have the mag brakes on all my Daiwa reels set at 4 and then I set the cast control cap so the lure makes a slow descent in freespool. I rarely ever need to change the mag brake settings under any conditions.

The TDZ 100M spools are excellent for pitching and I use them in reels that I almost exclusively pitch with. They will cast well too but they're a bit more temperamental casting than pitching. Smooth sidearm lobs tend to work better than overhand bomb casts. If you're wanting to overhand bomb baits (1/2 oz or over) with a Zillion then get the HLC spool.

On my Shimano reels I set 2 brakes out and adjust the cast control cap for a slow lure descent as mentioned above. I've always liked my Shimano centrifugal reels better for casting than pitching and I use mostly Shimano reels for moving baits and mostly Daiwa reels for bottom contact baits.

[njbasscat]

I always have to adjust a Daiwa when I go from pitching to overhand casting. They are easy to adjust so I don't find it to be a hassle. A few times I forgot and had one heck of a birds nest. Like others have said, they cast much better when you have a smooth and even motion.

[BRbasser]

I have noticed that side arm casts turn out better with my Daiwa reels. I guess it could be due to the fact that generally when you side arm cast the motion tends to be more fluid and controlled. Also when I throw overhead there tends to be a higher arc which results in more overruns.

[Katron]

I set my spool tension to minimum (as loose as possible without side to side play) and adjust my brakes between 3 and 5. Daiwa reels (high end) are very "free" casters needing much less force to put the lure out there, an advantage in many conditions especially kayak fishing

[Mcyl]

1) I can pitch very well, but in order to get the spool to start up fast, the brake has to be turned way down, and the Mag Force set around 3 or 4. Which is fine and works well, but when I go to overhand cast or make harder sidearm casts I have to set the main brake down a few clicks or really thumb it well and not cast hard. Now it still casts really far, but it just gets to be a pain always playing with the brakes.

You can cast forceful and still be smooth. Although centrifugal brakes are more forgiving, they function best set very light and casted smoothly. I feel with magbrakes higher spool speeds can be achieved early and mid cast, hence when the lure decelerates overruns are more common. Having brakes of any kind set low and casted smoothly I found distances are similar.

IMO in windy condition Daiwa's mag brake cast better and with less backlash than Shimano's centri brake.

X2 I found that the same with all mag brakes whether it be magforce, abu mags or magbrakes from tuning companies.
If ultralight finesse baits aren't on the inventory try dual braking reels, they offer the best of both worlds but tend to have heavier spools. For BFS I can't make my mind up which is better...

I have noticed that side arm casts turn out better with my Daiwa reels. I guess it could be due to the fact that generally when you side arm cast the motion tends to be more fluid and controlled. Also when I throw overhead there tends to be a higher arc which results in more overruns.

I found the same too, likewise with side arm rolls and backhand casts. I've looked at videos of myself casting both ways and I still don't understand why. Possibly due to the lure + line swinging up from vertical to horizontal rather than arcing up like an onager.

In the end I believe smooth casts are the way to go. On a big day I have rigs setup with magforce V, Shimano DC, SVS, abu pitch centrifugal and stepless avail magbrakes. Most of them gets used as I approach, a point or snag presenting different baits. A smooth cast coupled with a light brake will cause less fatigue through the day and more consistent accuracy. It also allows me to have the whole dials range for increasing and high resistance baits.

Best of luck

[Silas]

http://japantackle.com/Topics/brake_system.htm
pretty sure it has been posted before, but an interesting read on reel brake systems.
I use both Shimanos and Daiwa reels, For me there was a learning curve adjusting from centrifugal to mag brakes. I get about the same distance with both, Shimano set at 2 brakes on, Daiwas still struggling between having the brakes set at 5-7 and casting really hard with little thumb, or having it set at 3- free, using more thumb and casting more gently.

I totally agree and have the very same experiences. I have several Shimanos and several Daiwas and it's always the same. The Shimanos are a "Set it and forget it" type mantra. When I have a buddy in my boat, I ALWAYS let them use the Shimanos: Scorpion, Curado 50E, Chronarch 50E, Curado 200E5. They tend to be the easier to manage for the "uninitiated.
The Daiwas I have: Zillion, TDZ's, Alpha Ito, Alpha 103, Pixies,Steez 103 and 100. ALL cast more "effortlessly" than the Shimanos. Casting distance is not a concern for me: I fish bayous. But precise casting at medium distances with little effort seems to be the Daiwa's "Forte."
I love both sets of my reels. If I want to really "Wang" one out across a flat with a jerkbait, getting as far as I can, I use the Curado 50 or the Scorpion 1000 or the Curado E5.
If I'm casting at objects: stumps, holes, laydowns and such< I move to the Daiwas. the TDZ103 and TDZ100 are closest to the Shimanos in being able to be "flung" rather than cast. Not so with the Pixies, Alphas, Steez.....a more refined, more smooth delivery is best for them. And the reward is great! I like my Shimanos.....I LOVE my Daiwas.

[Mcyl]

T3 reels seem to do okay being belted full force. Casts far too. I need to OWN one instead if fishing mates all the time.