OnthePotomac

Same with the Curado 200 and the Citica 200. Lots of interchangeable parts. Do not be deceived by the price of the SLX making it a cheapo reel. The drive gear and pinion gear are brass and yes, they did put a bushing on the drive shaft, but hey, the wonderful Citica 200E also had a bushing on the drive shaft and performed just great. For $5.80 cents you can replace the bushing with a bearing. I fished the daylights out of my SLX and can only say it performs on a level with my Chronarchs and Curado 200K's. I call it good old Shimano engineering. The spool capacity is the same as the Curado 70. Yes, it is a solid little machine.

I have the original bearings in both of my 14 year old Curado 100 B's and they are still singing along. I do keep them cleaned and oiled properly. Never felt the need to change them.

Which is why I do not like to fish with braid, except on my frog set up with 50lb 832 and I roll cast the frog. No backlash and reasonable distance and I have been on a bait caster for 19 years. I am a mono and flouro lover.

Before cutting into the deck, take a few minutes and pull a deck panel to ensure you will not be cutting into a structure beam/truss.. I cannot install one in my 17'6" aluminum for that very reason and glad I checked before breaking out the saw.

I do not own one, but see them on the Potomac all the time and envy the owner when the river gets real choppy and they go zipping by high and dry as I am creeping through the chop with my aluminum modified V hull.

I only know that every boat they give the pros in Major League Fishing (MLF) competion is a Z18 with a Merc 150 to make the boats equal.

Take it to a TM authorized service quickly and have them take it down and check everything for you. They will know what to do.

Yep, I think we can kiss the Citica goodbye. Glad I still have two 200E's.

I fish all the baits mentioned on a Carbonlite 2.0 7' MH fast tip and it works real fine. Occasionally I will throw Senkos on a Med fast tip 7' Carbonlite 2.0 in light cover, but mostly use a 7' MH.

Wow, I cannot even think about a baitcaster with 20lb braid. Kind of like casting with real heavy sewing thread. 50lb is low as I go and that it on my frog reel. I am not into braid on my baitcasters other than that. I know it is popular, but not for me.

Another Sufix 50lb 832 fan here for the Potomac grass beds. Never felt the need for anything in greater strength.

Well, I have three K's and two are spooled with 15lb Invizx flouro and one is spooled with 12lb mono since they came out of the box. All three are 8.5:1.

I to use 12lb Invizx for the those baits in the question and 15lb Invizx for all plastics and jig and pig,

Another Invizx fan for crank baits and jigs here and 17lb mono XL for my spinner baits, chatter baits and top waters.

I too am a Carbonlite fan (to include the 2.0 series) for many years and always at on sale prices. They take a beating in the Potomac grass beds and have never failed. The grips on the 2.0 are really, really comfortable and the rods are incredibly light. I use the 6'6"MH and 7' MED and MH baitcasters and the 7'2" MED spinning rods.

I have had the same 50lb 832 on my frog reel for three years and it is still going strong.

Grease in all the fittings.

What he said.

My tube rig in grass beds is on a 3/0 EWG hook with a 3/16th slip sinker pegged on a 7'MH Carbonlite with a Shimano Curado 70 spooled with 15lb Invizx. Then it is lift and drop, lift and drop.

Another advantage of being married.....no stortage of hair dryers

No, as with other models now, the anti reverse has disappeared.

I do not have any Sufix fluorocarbon, but do know that they are still level winding their bulk spools. I have been using Invizx 15lb and the last 1000yd spool is not level wound. I mention it because it is important to some anglers that the spools be level wound and I really don't care whether it is or not. I have not had a problem spooling my reels from a product spool which is not level wound.

I just picked up a Sahara 3000HG (same reel as a 2500 with a larger spool), 6.2:1 at Cabelas for I believe $68. I wanted that speed and the new Sahara has just added it to their line. Now, if I can just get it away from my daughter when we fish together LOL.

Haven't heard about TruTurn in many years. When I got in to bass fishing 19 years ago I started with TruTurn and they were fine, but like all things in fishing I just gravitated away from them to other hooks.

I fish mine on an EWG, point "texposed" and a slip sinker. Too much grass for an exposed hook.