tennwalkinghorse

I know what you mean that's how I feel about my Curado E 7's on my St. Croix Legend tournament Bass rods, green and blue don't look pretty, but I would not give up those E7's for any reel. I wish they made a E 5 in left hand :'(.

I have a Stradic 2500 FI and had to sent it back right out of the box. Ticked me off big time ,I was not the only one out there that had the same issue with this reel. There were bail issues I believe they had to add a shim,it's works fine now. As far as the reel goes it is OK JMHO. I love Shimano bait casters but I think there spinning reels leave a lot to be desired. I to have a Tierra and it out performs the Stradic 2500 FI hands down every time. I know RW loves his Stella and C 14 and his opinion is well valued , but I have to say in my opinion I would go with a upgraded Daiwa. I don't know if they have fixed the problem or not but in my opinion Shimano should not have had these reels on the market to start with or notified the owners that there was a bail issue with this reel from the factory.Just my two cents

Thanks Chris that is the kind of info I was looking for.

Thinking of buying this reel,want a 5:1 ratio reel looked at the E5 but no left hand :'( don't know why the E7 comes left and right. Any way looking for input about Abu's don't own any. Would like to know about the drag system,braking system casting and any input at all from any of you guys that own one. Don't just want to know the good about the reel want to hear the bad to. Thanks

Need to make a bearing puller I used a small allen wrench cut the the bottom of the L off leaving about an 1/8" then grind both top and bottom flat ( kind of like a screw driver would look),then sandwich it between two bolt and one nuts by drilling one hole just small enough for the allen wrench to fit in one flat of the center of one of the nuts insert the allen wrench and tighten the two bolts together making a T - puller, slip it under the bearing in the side plate and work it around and pulling up at the same time and it should pop out. After the bearings are out mic the I.D / O.D. and thickness this would be in millimeters go on Boco bearings web site and cross reference the right bearings. As for the one on the spool is there a T type engaging pin on the spool? If so you will need to make Pin pliers to remove and install the pin. Hope this was of some help

Check your PM's

Hard call the core is a sweet reel but in my honest opinion is not worth the extra 150 bucks over the Curado 200E7. The only place I see it making a difference is in if you are looking to throw 1/4oz or less lures. I for one have a problem with lures less then 1/4 oz on a casting set up. Less then a 1/4 oz I go to my spinning gear. Don't get me wrong the core is a nice reel I guess it comes down to your money in hand at the time, but if you have to take money from your kids piggy bank I'm guessing you really can not afford a core. JMHO

ib I feel your pain yes some times people fail to realize how fortunate they are and that other people fish the gear they can afford. High end gear is nice but you can catch just as many fish on an ugly stick as a custom made rod ( my grandson proved that one to me). I once asked a question about high end gear and Road Warrior replied saying it was the law of diminishing returns some times you get what you pay for and some times you just pay a lot more money for a something that is just a tiny bit better or the same as what you have all ready. I don't think any one means to rub any thing in your face ,they just forget not everyone makes big bucks. Fish what you can afford and have fun doing it. Lots of luck with your reel issue and hope you can resolve it soon.

2X

I suggest a cleaning/lube/inspection first then mic the bearings to see if there the same size sorry I don't know first hand if they are the same. But a good cleaning and relubing may all you need.

2X

Not really a good idea electronics sometimes can pick up noise (interference) from the trolling motor if they are run off of the same battery. I know in a boat that small room is a concern,if you have the room you may want to pick up a small motorcycle battery or a lawn tractor battery just to run you fish finder just make sure you fuse the positive wire with a 3-amp in-line fuse as close to the battery as possible just in case there is a short. Just my two cents.

a little secret interstate makes optima i have had great sucess with interstate 2X

2X Great manual to use till you are comfortable about tearing them down and putting them back together schematics are important because there are many little parts that get stuck together and with out the drawing it could be hard trying to figure out were they go . Just my two cents

2X

2X

2X Thanks

Best to treat your line the night before. All so to the forum

I use the oil from the reel mechanic you can buy it on his web site and reel butter has two oils one is just for bearings and all so works great.

Yo-Zuri hands down

Just go to his web site www.*** then look in his store.

Reel Mechanic sells a great book on servicing your reels. In it he suggests to use reel scrubber safe for plastic and metal cleans & degrease leaves no residuals, then coat lightly with reel grease. Buying that book was the best money I ever spent. Hope this was of some help.

This one is for the guys who do maintenance on there own reels. Just started doing my own maintenance on my reels and I am reading about removing the side seals off of the bearings to make it easier to lube the bearing packs. To me the seals help protect the bearings from dirt and water getting inside. I can see how it would be easier to service the bearings. I was wondering how many of you remove the seals and keep them out being if you service the reel yourself you will most likely do it more then the person who sends them out. Any and all input welcome. Thanks

2X I think most of the onboard chargers can be left on 24/7 but I would check the owners manual to be sure.

Thanks for sharing