ZPi spool for the Tat SV TW, who has used one?

Reels are the hottest topic for TackleTour. Everyone wants to know what the latest and greatest is and how they compare to the old guard. What's the best for light stuff, or what's your suggestion for heavy cover. Do we really need different retrieve ratios? It's all in here.
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LgMouthGambler
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ZPi spool for the Tat SV TW, who has used one?

Post by LgMouthGambler » Mon Mar 25, 2019 6:01 am

Was contemplating on a purchase of one for my SV Tat. I would like to hear from those that have purchased one for theirs, and what you thought of it in the reel? Now, I am not having any issues of casting distance, but was wondering what advantages you did or did not notice with the use of the ZPi spool? Also, what model did you get? I was thinking the M for the more shallow spool.
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daiwafan
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Re: ZPi spool for the Tat SV TW, who has used one?

Post by daiwafan » Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:26 am

I have both the M and PG versions of the spool. A red M in a 7.1 and a purple PG in a 8.1. The SV spool is great for all around fishing but I typically prefer the lightest possible spool for my style of fishing, which is throwing relatively light baits using small diameter braid for river small mouth. The ZPI spools are about 3 grams lighter than the SV Spool which is right around 13.8 grams if memory serves. That translates into effortless casting and control with baits in the 5 to 10 gram range.
In the case of the ZPI spool it easily added 5 to 10 feet to a cast with a 2.75 inch tube with a 1/8 once weight. I have found as well over time that I actually prefer fixed inductor spools like the ZPI. You can run a lot less mag with these types of spools and cast free-er if that is a word. LOL I usually run the mag at 2 with a ZPI spool in the Tatula SV.


I have each loaded with braid backing and then a usable length of 24# Gliss line. I liked the ZPI in the Tats so much that I recently bought a M spool for one of my Steez reels too. I really hate that they are changing the direction of the company and wont be making any more spools in the future.

Having said all of that if I were looking strictly to throw heavier baits I probably would have just stuck with the SV Spool. In fact when my small mouth fishing is done for the year and I revert to lake fishing which involves standard sized baits and skipping I will load one of the SV spools with flouro and use it instead. I really have not tried to skip with the ZPI spool but know what an SV spool can do.

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Re: ZPi spool for the Tat SV TW, who has used one?

Post by DirtyD64 » Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:05 am

All good info, good thread. I am assuming the same benefits relate to the ZPI 1016 spool too versus say the stock Zillion SV TW spool?

I liked learning about the 1/8 tube improvements, common style of lure I throw too.

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Re: ZPi spool for the Tat SV TW, who has used one?

Post by daiwafan » Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:31 am

The real deal with the lighter spools is the ease with which they can pitch smaller baits. I fish the New river from the bank a lot in winter and the more I think about it, that's what really makes theses spools work for me. It's not so much about the distance of a regular cast, it's about pitching because a lot of holes I fish have one spot to cast from and there are trees in your way if you cast overhand. Prior to the advent of the accessory spools and micro bearings available now, it was more difficult to find a bait casting reel that could pitch light baits effectively. I used to use various pixy reels a lot, along with OG Steez reels because they could pitch reasonably well in more or less stock trim.

One particular hole down there comes to mind, it's not fished by the masses because it's kind of treacherous to get down to the water because the bank is steep and it's got a bunch of briars on it. Once you get to the water you are basically standing at the tail of a small eddy that starts about 40 to 45 feet upstream from you. That eddy cuts in toward the bank a bit above you and while there are no trees right over your head there are trees immediately to your right so that a right handed thrower like me can't throw up and hit the heart of the eddy throwing overhand. Back in the day it was hard to get a pitch all the way up to an old tree laying at the head of the eddy. The only reel I had that could do it every time was a pixy and even it feel short of the mark sometimes. I fished this hole over this past weekend and the Tat with the ZPI spool will do it with ease, along with every other reel I now use down there.

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