Is the OG Zillion dead ?

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.
goldrod
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Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by goldrod » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:13 pm

contemplating selling all my OG zillion style reels that I've worked so hard to get to were I wanted them to be. My IP's were hard to come by and my J dream most certainly was hard to get yet isn't fished as much. After talking with the wife and remembering something I was once told I've considered what I would replace them with or even if Id would replace them.
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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by Cristo » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:38 pm

Image

godshippy
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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by godshippy » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:43 pm

I still have 2 of the 50th anniversary ones...I replaced the handles, but left the rest of it stock. I use one of them for throwing glide baits and the other just sits in a drawer. They were great reels 10+ years ago, but now the new reels are lighter, shallower spools, and tight tolerances...makes me wonder if I should just sell them and get a couple more of the Zillion SV TW Gs.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by toddmc » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:57 pm

No platform is dead if it has a good palming profile for you and it has spool options that are suitable to some type of presentation that you like?

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by Jnkoepp » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:31 am

I’ve gotten rid of pretty much all my OG reels except for one Steez and a Zillion Crazy Cranker. It’s hard to beat the smoothness of an OG Zillion but the new Zillion platform really does it for me so that the majority of what I have now. The OG is a beast of a reel but you pay for it with weight

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by Fishing4Fun » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:02 am

Very much alive! Those were tank reels. A CF handle, lighter knobs etc can shave some weight. They are smooth and powerful and not cheaply made. All aluminum and quality parts. They can take a beating and come back strong. Lots of colors, limited variants, spools, tuning parts etc. If you are on the fence my friend I would encourage you keep at least one or two. They will likely only appreciate in value and clean examples will be tough to find down the road should you want to pick one up.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by LowRange » Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:09 am

Sort of. They are the only narrow 36mm platform around other than the Steez A HLC though. If you want a good palming 7.5-8 oz reel with larger than 34mm capacity the TD Zillion is pretty good as a J Dream or IP bit the new zillion is a better reel so far. It doesn't have the reputation the OG has but it hasn't had the time to prove itself yet.

Spool options are limited but they have some good ones like the original HLC, both PE specials and the original Ray's spool. The JDream/IP spool is pretty good too with braid. I have fluoro on both of mine and don't like it as much as when they had braid. I could skip with them and braid but not since moving to fluoro. I do like the high capacity of the IP and HLC spools for 50#-65# braid. A lot of the modern low profile Daiwas just don't have any capacity anymore and get spool pretty easily by good casting baits near an ounce and the next step up beyond a 34mm reel is some fixed induxtor gigga deep spool from a Tatula 200 or 300 or to step down to a Tatula 150 which is a old $100 reel from 2014.

For me I want one when I want a higher capacity smooth reel that will balance out a heavier powered and weight rod. I also really like my Ray's spool for pitching. I haven't found anything like it in 34mm. The old Ray's Zillion spools were their 1st "long cast" ones and have a stiffer spring than average Ray's spools. They just pitch really well. The fixed inductor PE special spool is pretty good too. It's a slower pitching spool but skips a bit easier than the Ray's. Its also a pretty effortless caster with frogs. It can't get HLC distances but the HLC takes some concentration to make work ensuring every cast is a power cast. That fixed inductor PE special can just be lazily cast at a low mag dial setting and get a bait out there a good long ways. Nice for one hand kayak casting.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by Kimbro1014 » Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:40 am

I only have one left, a 50th Anniversary my wife bought me for a Christmas gift when they first came out. I’ll never get rid of it as she bought it before we could really afford it and it has sentimental value. It may sound silly to some but I have one passion outside of taking care of my family and serving and she completely supports it. It currently has spool spacers and a Zillion SV spool helps do the dirty work. I’d eventually like to throw it on a TS Poker and use it for frogging.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by goldrod » Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:44 am

Kimbro1014 wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:40 am
I only have one left, a 50th Anniversary my wife bought me for a Christmas gift when they first came out. I’ll never get rid of it as she bought it before we could really afford it and it has sentimental value. It may sound silly to some but I have one passion outside of taking care of my family and serving and she completely supports it. It currently has spool spacers and a Zillion SV spool helps do the dirty work. I’d eventually like to throw it on a TS Poker and use it for frogging.

My wife got me a pxtr as we were walking in the store. Reel has much more meaning as I didn’t think we had the funds but she got it on the spot and paid retail. It has so much sentimental value that every time I use it I got back to that day.
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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by trevor60 » Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:28 pm

I enjoy the reel have three... two J Dreams and one SV103

Spoke with Daiwa earlier this year not sure how much longer part support will be available. I ordered 7.9 gear set for the SV103 and was advised they stopped production in Feb 2022. They had stock and I was able to complete my order.

Trevor

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by SSS » Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:03 pm

Don't see why they'd be dead, but i sure don't want one and would never get it over the new zillions. Its simply too heavy and bulky, but pretty good for frogging.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by hoohoorjoo » Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:41 pm

trevor60 wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:28 pm
I enjoy the reel have three... two J Dreams and one SV103

Spoke with Daiwa earlier this year not sure how much longer part support will be available. I ordered 7.9 gear set for the SV103 and was advised they stopped production in Feb 2022. They had stock and I was able to complete my order.

Trevor
Id say that this info is the official demise of the og zillion platform.
Try not to let your mind wander. It is much too small to be outside unsupervised.

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by Jnkoepp » Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:53 pm

SSS wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:03 pm
Don't see why they'd be dead, but i sure don't want one and would never get it over the new zillions. Its simply too heavy and bulky, but pretty good for frogging.
A 4.9 on an Orochi Launcher is the best deep Cranking combo known to man.

Image

The heavy reel is just perfect on that rod. I’ve tried a lighter Steez A Crazy Cranker, and a new Zillion 1000p but they are too light for that rod

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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by goldrod » Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:42 pm

Jnkoepp wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:53 pm
SSS wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:03 pm
Don't see why they'd be dead, but i sure don't want one and would never get it over the new zillions. Its simply too heavy and bulky, but pretty good for frogging.
A 4.9 on an Orochi Launcher is the best deep Cranking combo known to man.

Image

The heavy reel is just perfect on that rod. I’ve tried a lighter Steez A Crazy Cranker, and a new Zillion 1000p but they are too light for that rod

Now that’s a nice combo.
Balance is real. As long as the companies kept making rods that require a more heavy reel I think they will live on.
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Re: Is the OG Zillion dead ?

Post by SSS » Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:29 pm

Jnkoepp wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:53 pm
SSS wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:03 pm
Don't see why they'd be dead, but i sure don't want one and would never get it over the new zillions. Its simply too heavy and bulky, but pretty good for frogging.
A 4.9 on an Orochi Launcher is the best deep Cranking combo known to man.

Image

The heavy reel is just perfect on that rod. I’ve tried a lighter Steez A Crazy Cranker, and a new Zillion 1000p but they are too light for that rod
I'd use my Ringa SSS for that. And while the og zillions are indeed good for deep cranking, the new zillions are better because they palm better.

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