Shimano Calais or Daiwa Zillion 2024

Carrington reply :

I am wondering which is better for a crankbait reel. The shimano calais or the Daiwa Zillion. i would get the lowest gear ratio in whichever i get.

barroncooper reply :

I think that they're both pretty sweet reels. however i have no experience with either of them. I'd love to have either one. but tell me this, what would either of them do that a curado e5 wouldn't do for less than half the price. don't get me wrong like i said i'd love to have either one but they don't fit within my budget

Carrington reply :

today i went and tested the reels and i must say the E5 felt very loose to me compared to the two in the topic title. It felt as if the E5 was a cheaper made real so that is why im going with the more expensive reels because i feel you get what you pay for.

Redsyn reply :

Just remember only the calais 100 has the HEG.

Also depends on which braking system do you prefer.

If you were to get the calais wouldn't the chronarch D5 be better? weights less then the 2 reels and has HEG. Priced right in between the two. I havn't used that reel but you should atleast take a look at it?

Carrington reply :

i looked at it, and i didnt like the look of it, and tbh it felt balkyer then the other 2. It basicaly didnt fit well in my hand

uicdent11 reply :

Did you try a Curado already on display or take one out of the box? I find the reels on display never feel right and always ask to take one out of the box and put on a rod off the shelf.

I have never thought the Curado E felt loose, but that is my opinion. The Chronarch D feels great in my hands so I guess we may be polar opposites.

Never used either in your title so no help there. If I ever get a CB reel I would have to get the zillion because Shimano no longer carries a lefty in the new lineup. I'm holding out in the hope that they release one in the near future. :-/

Gone_Phishin reply :

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If I ever get a CB reel I would have to get the zillion because Shimano no longer carries a lefty in the new lineup. I'm holding out in the hope that they release one in the near future. :-/

Shimano believes we were all wiped-out in the Great Southpaw Influenza.

As for the OP, the Calais is in a different league when compared to the Zillion. The Shimano Calcutta TE, DC, and Conquest are worth a look too.

Carrington reply :

the displays they had were brand new. They had just gotten them in 2 or 3 days ago. So it was basicaly a brand new real and on top of that the curado was one of the brands that was kept in the display case so kids could not come up and mess with it.

Carrington reply :

any more positives and negatives on the two reels in the title?

skunked_again reply :

Quote
today i went and tested the reels and i must say the E5 felt very loose to me compared to the two in the topic title. It felt as if the E5 was a cheaper made real so that is why im going with the more expensive reels because i feel you get what you pay for.

what was loose? i hope the one i have beat to death and never serviced dont start to feel loose.....

BTW.....id get the Zillion.

Carrington reply :

The i guess you call it the spool was lose in the body and the handle was slightly wobbling.

and why do you recommend the zillion over the calias

uicdent11 reply :

The spool would be loose because the spool tension knob was not tightened. The handle would be a different story. Shimano is "known" to have a little backplay in the handle, but I can hardly notice in the Curado or Chronarch.

skunked_again reply :

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The i guess you call it the spool was lose in the body and the handle was slightly wobbling.
and why do you recommend the zillion over the calias

i guess because ima Daiwa homer.

to be honest id take the Curado over both of the listed reels. the chances of anything being "loose" is slim to none. ive used mine as a heavy cranking reel since day one and its still tight as a drum. i dont see you getting your moneys worth out of a Zillion over a Curado.

JMO

Carrington reply :

ya idk what was up with the handle, but i have my mind pretty deadset on the zillion or the calais

on top of that, i have always regreted when i did not get the best i could afford so this time im gonna try and save money in the long run and get the best i can afford.

Carrington reply :

ahhh this is such a hard choice, ive heard alot of great comments about the curado but ive also heard some bad comments about it. That is whats steering me away from the curado, but i need to get off for the night so ill check this thread tommarow. Thanks for the help today guys.

skunked_again reply :

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ya idk what was up with the handle, but i have my mind pretty deadset on the zillion or the calais
on top of that, i have always regreted when i did not get the best i could afford so this time im gonna try and save money in the long run and get the best i can afford.

the Zillion is a fine reel. let us see your setup once you get it together.

Redsyn reply :

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The i guess you call it the spool was lose in the body and the handle was slightly wobbling.
and why do you recommend the zillion over the calias

The spool was loose because maybe the spool tension was on a loose setting?

21farms reply :

i think the zillion crazy cranker is an outstanding reel. each time i fish it, i like it more and more. i have a couple of curado E5s too but i prefer the zillion...not exactly sure why. really smooth and casts well. the daiwa magnetic brakes are about the best i've encountered. i've fished the calais once (dunno which model it was) but i thought it was heavy and extremely smooth but no big deal.

Choke Canyon Boy reply :

I dont think the Zillion even comes in a slower 5.4 etc retrieve I think they are all 7.1/1 but I may be wrong. The Daiwa Zillion is a super reel every bit as good as any Curado so if that is the one you want rest assured it is a high quality choice.

lapieza reply :

The Calais is by far a better reel. You can get it around 275 on ebay in the 5:1 retrieve. Between the Curado E5 and Zillion cranking reel i would aldo choose the curado because of the price. Might want to consider the Revo Winch if you are mainly throwing DD22 or heavier cranks!

Redlinerobert reply :

I had a Calais and sold it. Besides the Steez, I have plenty of Zillion reels. They simply feel much more solid to me. I also prefer the longer stock handle on the Zillion.

Id go for the 4.9 for what you are planning on using it for.

Carrington reply :

this reel is going to be put on a g.loomis crankbait rod and the whole setup witll be fro throwing a range of crankbaits from super shallow to super deep.

21farms reply :

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I dont think the Zillion even comes in a slower 5.4 etc retrieve I think they are all 7.1/1 but I may be wrong.

the zillion crazy cranker is 4.9:1 and is rated at 22 inches per turn (IPT). the curado E5 is 5.0:1 and is rated at 21 IPT.

KYntucky Warmouth reply :

I would go with the Zillion, I've not fished the Calais or the Crazy Cranker but have an SHA and love it, I also use an E5 and love it but you sound set on the two. For me it's a visual thing, I think Shimano is hit or miss for aesthetics and I don't like the Calais. The price tag of the Calais is a bit much for me as well.

Raul reply :

If you are left paw with Shimano you are scrwd, there ain 't no slow left paws in the Shimano line up, but there are left paws in the Daiwa line up. So if you want a cranking left paw reel it 's a no brainer ---> Zillion Crazy Cranker.

coryjames reply :

i think both are too heavy.reels have changed so much inthe last few years for the better.i think in the long run you will enjoy any of the highend reel,but lighter is better,well it is for me.im way more accurate with a steez or a core,i sold my zillion just didnt like it after i got my chronach mg 51.

i know its not what you were asking about,but you did say that you wanted to save up and get a highend reel.i just think if you give the mg51 a chance you will know what i mean.plus the zillion wont cast light cranks that well,not near as good as the mg:D

hope i helped a little.

now go shopping....lol

Simp reply :

As you can tell Carrington us Shimano fan boys won't accept no for a answer!

VAfishin4me reply :

You should go with whatever feels best to you, so if you didn't like the feel of other reels don't get them. I got a Curado E7 and I just can't stand the play in the handle. I also don't like their braking system as much as Daiwa's so now I live by the rule of Daiwa baitcasting and Shimano spinning. So if I were you I would go with a Zillion, the Zillions in almost every model have gotten excellent reviews. A Zillion is likely going to be the next reel I purchase.

barroncooper reply :

the curado is an effortless caster. wind or not light lure or heavy. yes there is a minuscule amt of back play when free spooling. but i've not noticed any when cranking. this reel is a d**n tank. all of this info is coming from someone who's only fished calcutta gtb's and TE's. this is my intro fo lowprofiles and i'll have to say that i have half a mind to sell every calcutta I own and replace with curados... yes...they're that good. you will not be disappointed. they are a little geary feeling @ first. but break in soon. I heard it's because they use a harder alloy for the gears. and whoever said it is right. HEG gears only come on the 100 in the calais. you'll love the large paddles on the curado for cranking

roadwarrior reply :

The Calais is built like a tank. If matched with

the right rod (well balanced) you wouldn't notice

the weight. I have had mine for a decade...It will

NEVER wear out. This reel defines what Shimano

is all about: Strong, smooth, silent and reliant.

8-)

Carrington reply :

thankyou everyone, and road that statement is what i want, i want a crank rod that is a tank so thankyou very much

Pantera61 reply :

Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

Carrington reply :

im open to the two models that are in the thread.

barroncooper reply :

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

I've poked at the idea of buying a daiwa for a couple of months now so i'm not strictly a shimano man. but they do make a great product for that particular pricepoint. the zillions are buttery smooth and are aesthetically pleasing. maybe i'll have to try one out. any thing that I said regarding curados is purely my own opinion and I hope it was taken that way.

Carrington reply :

btw do yall think that a 7 foot g.loomis m/h fast action crankbait rod would be a good match for the calais or the zillion?

Pantera61 reply :

Quote

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

I've poked at the idea of buying a daiwa for a couple of months now so i'm not strictly a shimano man. but they do make a great product for that particular pricepoint. the zillions are buttery smooth and are aesthetically pleasing. maybe i'll have to try one out. any thing that I said regarding curados is purely my own opinion and I hope it was taken that way.

The Zillion, whether in the 4.9 version or 6.3 version would be an excellent choice. My only experience with the Calais was actually with the Japanese version, the Antares DC 7. It's an excellent reel but the Zillion has a better combination of features starting with lighter weight, solid frame, better drag and better castability.

Raul reply :

Quote
The Calais is built like a tank. If matched with
the right rod (well balanced) you wouldn't notice

the weight. I have had mine for a decade...It will

NEVER wear out. This reel defines what Shimano

is all about: Strong, smooth, silent and reliant.

8-)

I had a Calais 100A, golly molly ! absolutely gorgeous reel, but nowdays before I say something about a reel first I look if there is a lefty version of it because lots of people are gravitating towards lefty reels, I don 't suffer from the lack of reel availability ( all of them exist as righty versions and I 'm righty ), unfortunately there 's no lefty version of either 5:1 ratio Shimano ( Calais 200APV, Chronarch D5, Curado E5 ) only righties, of course, for me Calais vs Zillion for cranking, man no contest, Calais hands down and by a gazillion ( pun intended ) miles away, when the TDZ103 P existed then it would have been a tuffer choice but the 103P is no more around.

So, if you are righty and you are looking for a magnific reel for cranking the Calais 200APV is a sweetie. But if you are lefty in that speed Daiwa is your only choice between both brands.

Carrington reply :

ok, im right handed

uicdent11 reply :

Sorry if this has been answered in any of your threads, but is this your first baitcaster?

Carrington reply :

its my second, i currently have a cheap one and a fairly nice spinning setup so i figured id get a nice baitcast setup

Ojurb reply :

if youve never used a bait casting reel , then lefty or righty doestnreally matter at least it didnt matter to me, i have allwasy used spinning setups and i cast right handed and retrive left handed, with the my New baitcaster i cast left handed and retrive right it just feel natural to me to cast with the hand that isgonna be holding the rod.

as for the reel i dont have any coment i got a super smoking deal on a rove s with an allstart rod and im very happy with that set up

uicdent11 reply :

I got into baitcaisters about 2 years ago. I always casted with my right and reeled with my left hand. When I switched to baitcasters I had no idea which to get, but I ended up getting a RH one. I used it a couple times out and although I was getting the hang of casting with my right hand and switching the reel to my left and cranking with my right, it didn't feel right.

I then tried a LH reel and it felt more natural to me. I cast with my right hand and reel with my left. I hav eused LH reels since.

If you are set on RH reels then I guess you have your fair share to choose from. I like the lighter reels myself and will probably wait until a LH crankin reel comes out around 7 ounces. I would hope it'd be the Curado, but I know you weren't a big fan of it.

I know you will be happy with either so I think you may need to put each on a CBR845 and try it in the store. It seems you are a "feel" guy when it comes to reels so I think this is your best bet. Whatever feels to best....there ya go.

Carrington reply :

i just bought the calais for a great deal, ill post pictures when it gets here through the mail

Micro reply :

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

Distilled to its essence.

Carrington reply :

so now that i got the reel, what do yall think about the g.loomis CBR845C

Pantera61 reply :

Quote

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

Distilled to its essence.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing-forum/Templates/Forum/default/grin.gif

bilgerat reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficianodoes of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

Distilled to its essence.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing-forum/Templates/Forum/default/grin.gif

Well done, gentlemen.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjHT5GpAYQ

skunked_again reply :

Quote
Not to bash anyone but has anybody else noticed aficionados of one particular brand just won't take no for an answer? Sort of like a drunk chick at a party. A whole lot of fun 'til she pukes on your shoes!

i never noticed, maybe its because i dont care. i could be wrong.....

the only homer that sticks out is the kid that bashed ALL centrifugal braking reels and swore Mojo rods were as good or better than Steez rods. i think i still owe RW a drink for packing his bags.

Fishing Doug reply :

Zillion...and it isn't even close. I was less than impressed with the Calais.

coryjames reply :

if your really thinking about the calias.....

i would ask your doctor, if its right for you...

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
Distilled to its essence.

CLASSIC!

Maico1 reply :

Quote
i just bought the calais for a great deal, ill post pictures when it gets here through the mail

Congratulations, you will not be disappointed. Just make sure you adjust the reel to the weight of the lures that you will be throwing.

2449

Shimano Calais or Daiwa Zillion 2024

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