Need help...decided to FINALLY dish out the dough to buy a ZB but need some advice. Go with the 22 or 25? I surfcast the rocks,last year from waders,this year with a WS (seldom from sandy beach),fish 30# You-Zuri Hybrid line and fish mostly rigged or live eels with some 3-5oz plugs thrown in from time to time. For the past 10yrs I fished a 560 Slammer and like the size...the 22 seems about the same in weight. Before I order this just want to make sure I get it right the first time. Advantages each would be helpful. I do have some time as Im probably leaving for AZ at the end of this to fight fire anyway and havent had a chance too fish yet this year.....my buds catch 20lbers while Im running a saw night and day for the last 3 in Brimfield after the twister ripped the place apart....2 weeks ago it was fires in TX. September will be here before I know it...for now its just all work. I guess the $1k is easy year at the expense of my body and mind

Thanks for your help guys,

-Fireman

Go with the 25. You'll welcome the larger line capacity, which with Zeebaas isn't exactly what they claim in the specs. It's also pretty light for what you get.

What rod are you matching it up to?

Get the 25 or even the 27.

I have the 27, the thing is so smooth and the dual rotor is a great feature.

They weigh more than they say do, I forgot what ZeeBaas claimed it weighed but mine was 2 or 3 oz more without line.

The drag is amazing. Buttery smooth.

Right now I have 120 yards of 20lb big game and 250 yards of 50lb tuf line braid on it. Casts great.

The customer service from them is amazing, one day turn around, Wendy and rob ( I think) are good people.

Unfortunetly mine has had to go back twice in less than a year.

First time a seal failed and I had water inside which froze the gear. They serviced the whole reel and replaced Everything inside.

It just went back two days ago cause it froze up again :(

It felt clunky and I knew something was wrong.

I talked to Wendy and she said that they recently came out with a new set of seals, that are larger and better quality.

Also they now pressure test every reel in a viewable tank to make sure there is no water intrusion.

I fish 4 to 6 nights a week, for 4 to 5 hours a session, in the surf and in a wetsuit, so the reel is constantly dunked and abused. Nothing stands up to saltwater.

In all fairness i smoked my VS 250 after 3 months of use.

There great reels when they work 100%.
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Get the 25 or even the 27.

I have the 27, the thing is so smooth and the dual rotor is a great feature.

They weigh more than they say do, I forgot what ZeeBaas claimed it weighed but mine was 2 or 3 oz more without line.

The drag is amazing. Buttery smooth.

Right now I have 120 yards of 20lb big game and 250 yards of 50lb tuf line braid on it. Casts great.

The customer service from them is amazing, one day turn around, Wendy and rob ( I think) are good people.

Unfortunetly mine has had to go back twice in less than a year.

First time a seal failed and I had water inside which froze the gear. They serviced the whole reel and replaced Everything inside.

It just went back two days ago cause it froze up again :(

It felt clunky and I knew something was wrong.

I talked to Wendy and she said that they recently came out with a new set of seals, that are larger and better quality.

Also they now pressure test every reel in a viewable tank to make sure there is no water intrusion.

I fish 4 to 6 nights a week, for 4 to 5 hours a session, in the surf and in a wetsuit, so the reel is constantly dunked and abused. Nothing stands up to saltwater.

In all fairness i smoked my VS 250 after 3 months of use.

There great reels when they work 100%.
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You're right about the weight being a little more than they claim, but they're still pretty light considering that they're made so well.

I don't fish as hard or as much as you Chris, but my 25 has been beat on pretty hard and dunked a lot with no problems at all. When I sent it in for service in April, they upgraded the seals for no charge. Can't beat that for customer service.

FYI, Rob is no longer with the company. The person to talk to now is Ron (or Wendy).

I would recommend a ZX25 or a ZX27. With the same real base and shaft, you can use a ZX25 or a ZX27 spool. But, if you go with the ZX22, you will have to swap out the shaft to put on a ZX25 (or ZX27) spool.

I have a 22 upgraded to 27 - go big. 22 is too small.

Choose the size that balances your pole and holds the amount of string you need.
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I would recommend a ZX25 or a ZX27. With the same real base and shaft, you can use a ZX25 or a ZX27 spool. But, if you go with the ZX22, you will have to swap out the shaft to put on a ZX25 (or ZX27) spool.

Knew I forgot to put something in my post, your dead on with that statement.

I fish my 27 on my 11ft lami and down to my heavy 9 ft tica. balances perfect on the 11, but that rod is soooo light.

Sounds like the 25 would probably suit your needs best.

If you want Ill offer you to meet up and you can try out the 27, see how it feels, casts and works.

And think your a fireman from your sig, if so thank you for your service.

the 25 is the perfect size imho- i put it on 10'-12' rods.

I have both, a 1st gen 22 and a 25 (with a spare 27 spool I haven't felt a need to use).
I think the 25 is the most useful size.

With the 22, the ergonomics seem off and I find it a long reach to use the manual pickup (even though my 22 has a shorter stem than the newer versions).

A 27 might be usful somewhere, but I worry that the larger spool would require a larger collector guide, which in turn means a larger guide progression and heavier rod. Since I build my own rods with small Lowrider collectors (20 or 16M), I consider large spools are a disadvantage.

I like these reels very much, but I suggest learning to check and change seals yourself because eventually they, like all sealed reels, will leak. They are pretty easy to work on once you get the courage to try.

I purchased a 25 and a spare 27 spool. After fishing both, I sold the 25 spool and now fish the 27 exclusively. The weight difference is minimal, there is a slight increase in yds/crank, but the casting distance is much better, even with a concept setup.

I purchased a 25 and a spare 27 spool. After fishing both, I sold the 25 spool and now fish the 27 exclusively. The weight difference is minimal, there is a slight increase in yds/crank, but the casting distance is much better, even with a concept setup.

what he said. mines a 27, and i have a spare 25 spool for it. you arent going to go wrong with either a 25 or 27. ive fished his also - and to be honest, youd have to be a lot more perceptive than me to tell the difference between the sizes throwing in the dark all night.....

ive used my 27 on rods just under 9 feet, all the way up t0 1322's, 10'6" legends, 132 1MH's and 126's great on all of them

good luck and enjoy!

The 22 is not too small for fishing off the rocks. In my opinion the 27 is over kill. A 25 is prob a good compromise. I fish exclusively from rocks/boulders with a 22 and it is perfect. I don't need any more reel than that. It is on a 10 ft superSurf. And it holds plenty of line.
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what he said. mines a 27, and i have a spare 25 spool for it. you arent going to go wrong with either a 25 or 27. ive fished his also - and to be honest, youd have to be a lot more perceptive than me to tell the difference between the sizes throwing in the dark all night.....

ive used my 27 on rods just under 9 feet, all the way up t0 1322's, 10'6" legends, 132 1MH's and 126's great on all of them

good luck and enjoy!

Did you just agree with something I said?:confused: And without any cynical undertones? You feeling OK?

If I were only fishing the rocks, I might opt for the 22 but I spend a lot of time in the canal where the 27 gets paired with an Arra 1261MH for throwing big plugs and jigs. It casts VERY well, nearly as well as my emblem 5500 and has loads of cranking power.

27

Thanks for all the replys. Sorry it took so long to get back on here...been sawin' in Southbridge and needed some long over due sleep last night. Off for the nex two days so Im going to order this ASAP. I fish a 10' rod and from you recomendations going to go w/ the 25. I have seen some on EBAY- brand new but leary of buying a $1k reel and would rather give a local tackle shop my biz. Im in Plymouth...are there any ZB vendors nearby?

Thanks again guys. As always the info. and opinions are very helpful! Well, most of the time! LOL

-Fireman

Think redtop is a zee dealer.

I know the saltwater edge is for sure, thats where mine came from, plus there a sponsor of the site so its a win and win, and free shipping from them too.

You will be pleased with the reel.

I just got mine back from service, the thing is super smooth, theyve upgraded the orings and now pressure tank test every reel, the tank is clear so they can see if theres any bubbles indicating leaks.

I talked to Ron, who is the new service guy, very nice and knowledgeable, one day turn around time too.

Their customer service is top notch.

Call any dealer before going in to look for one. They aren't usually in stock at Red Top and The Edge isn't showing any in stock on their website. You might want to call ZeeBaas directly and ask where they've shipped to recently. I think production slowed for a bit when the company changed hands, as they are pretty hard to find right now. Good luck and as ChefChris said, you'll be pleased with it.

Most shops don't carry them, as there are more than a few
Options.

Last time I was at the edge they had a silver 27.

When I talked to Wendy this week they had them in stock and ready to ship.

I had mine in two days when I ordered it from the edge.
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Saltwater edge sucks balls. Wouldn't give them a wooden nickel. If you do get a z get a single roller and put the customer service # in your top 5. Gl
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25 single roller here . the 25 will except the 27 spool .. same rotor... There all the same body,, 2 different rotors , 4 different spools .