The new TD Zero range for 2022 has just started hitting stores and and while the starting price of $299 is the same as the preceding Zero model, that’s where the similarities end. Gone is the all-silver aesthetic now replaced with a mix of dark grey, black and silver with orange highlights. The new models look great, and they feature some of Daiwa’s best rod tech such as a HVF Nanoplus blank with X45X external shielding.
Fuji Titanium framed guides are a very nice touch while the new V-Joint Alpha provides a superior join at the ferrules. These exceptional features all mean that the new Zero is composed of a blank that is lighter, stronger and purpose built for durability, whilst containing high quality guides that reduce weight and heighten responsiveness.
On spec the new TD Zero has better features than the other Daiwa rods in this price range and it’s great to see that Daiwa are making superior products with their new releases as opposed to new colours with higher price tags. While the specs and build quality is superior to other rods in the price range and the previous Zero model, this style of rod may not be for everyone.
The model I was given to test and review was the 702LFS. A 2-4kg, two-piece that’s a perfect estuary all-rounder. It’s sensitive enough to feel light bites when fishing soft plastics with a slow action to ensure you don’t pull hooks during the fight.
The first fish I hooked and landed on this rod came off the back of the lightest of bites. I struck hard and bullied the fish away from its snag. I extracted the fish with ease and couldn’t help but call it for an average fish. Well, as it came up in the water column, I noticed the fish wasn’t that small at all. In fact, it was a nice 45cm black bream.
This encounter really spoke volumes of the versatility of this 702LFS model. This is a rod that is every definition of an all-rounder. It has a fast and sensitive tip that enables you to detect even the lightest of bites with a forgiving action that still retains a heap of power.
Even though a 7ft rod is longer than what I’d typically use for structure fishing, I was pleased with the strength and power that it possessed in the lower part of the blank. I’ve spent a lot of time fishing with the previous TD Zero model in very similar spec and without doubt the new model is superior. If you like rods with a slower more forgiving action and you’re looking for a versatile rod that can handle a variety of estuary and inshore fishing applications, then the new TD Zero is one to check out.
