Fishwhittler

Of the three reels you mentioned, there are better options for the $$. The Silver Max has a graphite frame which will flex under load and potentially shorten the life of the reel by causing faster wear on the clutch and gears. The Evercast and Skeet Reese Victory reels are the same reel, thinly disguised with different paint. Look at them closely and you'll see the similarity. The same reel platform is used to make the Pinnacle Producer reels, and the only difference there is that the Producer has magnetic brakes. They're decent reels at best, nothing about them that really makes them stand out. For the money I'd go with a new Pro Qualifier or a good used reel. I've also heard excellent things about the Lew's Speed Spool, which isn't too difficult to find for $80 shipped. You can usually find used Citica E's for $75 - $85 in good condition, and there are even crazier deals to be had if you keep your eyes open. I picked up one of the older Pflueger President baitcasters for $60 last year, and that reel sold for $150 new. There is also the Academy H2O Xpress Mettle, which has a metal frame and is $50 new from Academy. There's a thread about it here: H2O Xpress Mettle or Daiwa Laguna?

Take a rod out of the racks at Walmart and try to avoid banging it against the other rods in the rack. It can be done, but most people who shop in Walmart aren't going to be too careful about that. I would hesitate to purchase any graphite rod that had scuffs on it. If the rod is scuffed, it's not terribly unlikely that the rod has worse damage under the skin. Here's an excerpt from a very good (and lengthy) article: The full article can be read here: Gary Loomis talks about rod breakage

Ordered one of the 7'. Whether it's the V1 or V2, that's a heck of a price. Even though the website shows the V2, I'd guess that the rod on sale is probably the V1 being blown out to make room for the V2. Thanks for the heads-up!

You are correct, all of the Max reels are graphite-framed. The Orra is Abu Garcia's least expensive aluminum low-profile reel. I would never recommend a baitcast reel with a graphite frame. Yes, there are many anglers using graphite-framed reels hard with no problems, but you are much more likely to get a lemon with a graphite reel. The graphite baitcasters today are better than previous generations, but a metal frame is always stronger and more rigid than a graphite frame.

Team Daiwa T. No clue how light it is compared with the Carbonlite, but when paired with a Citica E it balances very well and feels light in the hand. Far as that goes, the TDT balances well with every reel I've tried on it. I used the 6'6"M model last year and it is an excellent value. Plus, it looks really great.

If the Curado G is on the same level as the Curado E, why is Shimano still making the Curado E but calling it the Chronarch E? The Chronarch E is a $200 reel. The Curado G retails for $160. Do the math—something doesn't add up if the G is just as good as the E. The Curado G is a reel in between the Citica E/G and the Curado/Chronarch E. Not a replacement for the Curado E, a lower-cost compliment in the same way the Revo SX compliments the Revo STX. The Citica G is the successor to the Citica E, but there's not quite so much difference between the two models there. The only reason there's any brouhaha at all about the Curado G is because Shimano decided to swap the names around. A consumer sees the Curado E. The G is a step below the E, still a good reel but a step below. Yet they share the same name, and the G comes after the E. Logical conclusion? That the G is supposed to be a better reel, an improvement on the old one. Never mind the Curado E is still being built as the Chronarch E, with a few minor changes—the Curado name is what the consumer sees first and foremost. When the Curado G isn't quite as nice as the Curado/Chronarch E, what does the consumer think? That Shimano downgraded the Curado, when in reality all that happened was they introduced a new reel. Suppose Shimano had called the Curado G the Cutlass, Connecticut, Chimpanzee, any name under the sun that starts with C. And then kept on calling the Curado E the Curado E while raising the price to $200, or calling it the Curado G and making a few minor changes and raising the price. I guarantee there would have been rave reviews about the new Shimano Chimpanzee reel that is $40 less than a Curado and is almost as good. And there would have been no complaints about the reel being a watered-down Curado. Shimano's reason behind the name changes was not illogical from their perspective, but the resulting negative feedback on the Curado G should have been foreseen. It was a marketing ploy that went over like a lead balloon.

Just think, the extra parts are probably not necessary since they didn't fit back inside… Cranking is exactly what this reel would be used for, both lipless and shallow cranks as well as blade baits. That 7.3:1 ratio would be nice for burning lipless baits. Durn it, I'm almost convinced.

Have you opened up the Mystic at all to see what's inside? I'm looking at getting a Mystic down the road, or possibly one of the new Menace reels. However, after seeing firsthand how light the Revo MGX is I'd love to have a reel close to that weight, and if the Mystic is a solid reel I might have to scrape up the extra $$ over the Menace.

Yes, it feels as solid as any reel I've tried except my Ambassadeur C3. I do believe you could pit the C3 against an M1A1 tank and the tank would lose. BTW, the Menace you see on the Academy website is a new model. If someone is seeing the Menace for sale in stores for $30, it's the old model. The new one was just released along with the Mystic, which is a 5.8 ounce reel. Looks interesting.

The Mettle has an aluminum frame and the Laguna does not. End of story. Between those two reels I'd take the Mettle any day of the week and twice on sundays for that reason alone. I have two Mettles, one stock and the other that I tuned for comparison. I haven't been able to use them much yet, so all I can say is that they feel very good right now. The profile is a little higher than that of a Citica E but by no means uncomfortable. A while back I took one of my Mettles apart and did a write-up of what I found. Here it is, with plenty of pics: I hope this helps. Ben

These companies are only responding to the demands of the American fishing market. Both Shimano and Daiwa produce better, more refined reels for the Japanese market than for the market in the US, and there's a reason. The average fisherman in the US wants cheap gear, not necessarily good gear. It has been said that those who prefer JDM tackle are in the minority. Well, so are all of us who are on Bass Resource or any fishing forum! We represent a very small percentage of the market. Look at the gear sold in Walmart. Walmart sells to practically everyone in the US, and they stock what sells. That's why you see all those cheap spincasters and spinning combos, and the $20 baitcasters that fall apart within a month. The fact is that the American market simply has not been able to support high-dollar offerings from tackle companies. That appears to be changing, and perhaps we'll see more change in the marketing strategies as well.

The Okuma Krios is only available in 7.3:1 retrieve speed, not 6.2:1. Per the Okuma website.

"Wow" is the first thing I thought on seeing your collection. The two I like the most are the two reels on the far left—whatever else can be said about the JDM Revo's, they certainly look a heck of a lot better than the USDM versions. BTW, I also love how you have everything on the correct side.

True, but upgrading a less expensive reel does allow you to pay over a period of time rather than all at once.

Quite possibly, you used less lubricant than the factory did, hence the "geary" feel. Under load it will also feel less smooth than when spinning free—that's normal, as TNBassin' said.

A low bearing count, in and of itself, is never better than a high bearing count. However, a high bearing count does not necessarily equate to a better reel. Case in point: The Shimano Citica E VS the Shimano Caenan, which has more bearings but a graphite frame. Those extra bearings won't stop the graphite reel from flexing under load. I'd take a Citica over a Caenan any day of the week and twice on sundays. I wouldn't mind seeing more reels like the Citica E, which is built with close tolerances but with only three ball bearings. If you want more bearings, you can add them yourself, but the stock Citica is a sturdy and smooth platform. Now, someone mentioned three spool bearings as being unnecessary. I used to be of the same opinion, but now I'm not so sure. On reels like the Citica and Curado with only two spool bearings, there's more potential for the spool shaft to bend. When the reel is in gear it's fine, but put too much load on the spool when the pinion gear is disengaged and the shaft can bend. Just the other day I was handed a Citica D to clean, and that particular reel has a warped spool shaft from too much pressure being exerted on it. Obviously this is not a common problem, and I'd guess that it happened while the clutch was disengaged rather than while fighting a fish. On reels such as the BPS Extreme or Pflueger President baitcaster, the three spool bearings are located as follows: One in the palm-side cover, one set between the spool and the frame on the handle-side, and a third bearing under the spool-tension knob. One of those bearings isn't really necessary, but not the one you might think: The bearing under the spool-tension knob. Look closely at the spool shaft on such reels, and you'll see that it does not fit snugly inside the bearing. This is intentional. When the spool shaft flexes very slightly under load, that bearing comes into action and helps keep the reel running smoothly. A bushing would probably serve instead, but it would have to be a metal bushing rather than nylon. That third bearing has no effect on casting, so it doesn't really need to be upgraded if you want to increase casting performance. Whether a three-spool-bearing design is more or less effective than a two-spool-bearing system is up for debate, but I'd be inclined to say that they're just different, and neither one is really "better" than the other.

Thanks once again! I'm looking into doing more reel painting. I've done a few reels with epoxy topcoat, but it's really too thick and tends to pull away from sharp edges. Aerosol clears are not up to the job, so it's largely come down to a two-part urethane clear. Now I just need to find a good one.

Thanks for the info! I looked up the DC2000 topcoat and found the Deltron® info sheet, but nowhere to purchase. Is this something that must be purchased in-store?

Sounds like a good project for that Citica 201E I have sitting in the basement right now… If you don't mind my asking, what topcoat are you using?

Right, thorough masking is a given with painting as well. The reason I asked is because I did not know if the contours of the frame rendered it impossible to achieve a "clean" hydro-dip coat.

That reel looks absolutely amazing. Would it be possible to dip the frame to match? Just wondering, because that would really push the reel over the top as far as looks.

I would like to see more aftermarket parts available in the USDM. More lefty reels would be nice, as well. That's what happens in 2014. Due to exchange rate differences, Shimano will be forced to give the Citica G a graphite frame, use a lower bearing count in the Curado G, switch the Chronarch E to the G platform (while giving it a snazzy new coat of paint), and then the Core gets an aluminum frame in the 50/51. The Core 100 is phased out and replaced with the Core 200/201, also with an aluminum frame. The new Core also gets a two-tone gunmetal and black paint job. The new series is called the "H" generation, and is praised by diehard Shimano users for lowering prices on all models across the board.

J Francho, please do not shoot me for what I am about to say. (I'm going off-topic…) It's funny when you think about it: The Shimano Calais DC has possibly the most advanced braking system on the market and retails for $650. The Daiwa Steez costs $600 MSRP, and it's one of the best-known flagship reels for its lightness and refinement. Now Abu Garcia rolls out the MGXtreme, which will be the lightest metal-frame baitcast reel in the world. Why is Abu being bashed for trying to cut into the high-end reel market? The MGXtreme is .5oz lighter than a Steez or Abu's own MGX, and being at least a half-ounce lighter than any other reel on the market seems to me to be a pretty impressive feat that's worthy of a flagship reel. Whether or not the MGXtreme is worth $500 is up to each individual angler—nobody has to buy one. I probably won't because I can't afford that much for a single reel, but if someone else has the money and wants one, I hope they really enjoy it. Personally, I think the MGXtreme is a stunner in terms of cosmetics, though I wouldn't mind seeing a different color for the accents. Black and red is a trifle blasé, but the execution on the MGXtreme is well done. Maybe if they'd go with black and green, or black and purple, or something? Hint, hint…

The product specs say the MGX has the IVCB-IV braking system, and the MGXtreme has the IVCB-4. Looks to me as though they just decided to use arabic instead of roman numerals.

Have one. Used it last year. Like it much. Get one.