dulouz

Is there something different between Trilene XL or XT besides diameter? 8lb XT has a diameter of .012, 12lb XL has a diameter of .013. I know in theory, XT is tougher and XL casts smoother and has less memory. Changing line diameter would accomplish these goals right? So what is the difference?

How do you know how much line you have put on? Do you guess or do you use a line counter?

I put some 15#PP on one of my baitcasters at the end of last season. I only caught a couple of medium size smallmouths, and had not problems. I talked to a few of my friends who use 20#PP with no problem. I am going to give both of them a try this season.

I have a couple of pfluegers that had some similar problems. What I narrowed it down to, I think, is that the the outside housing for the worm gear got too dry. The line guide started to hang up, and was worse going in one direction than the other. Water splashing on the reel from the line seemed to make it worse, maybe because it washes off the oil??? After having someone look at it, I was told there wasn't anything wrong, just to keep it oiled. I did a lot of research on the internet to figure out what was going on and found that a lot of people were having problems with pflueger reels. Good luck.

I have upgraded a couple of my reels this winter and I am wondering if I should keep the old ones. I have a couple of the cheaper pflueger baitcasters (1 Purist, and 1 Echelon). I don't know if it would be worth the trouble to sell them since I probably wouldn't get much for them. I suppose it would be good to have a couple of spares in my tacklebox. What do you guys do with your old reels if you don't sell them?

Nothing can be more frustrating than a reel that isn't meeting your expectations. I would also suggest spending more on the reel.

I didn't know that.

Never heard the term Baitmonkey before. :-/ You've got to watch out for that one... "You can never have too many lures." a fishin' buddy told me once. This winter I started scaling back what I carry in my box. What I have learned the most here is gear related, mainly about reels. I love reading the rod, reels, line thread. Thank you everyone for all of your contributions.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I have thought about the 50E, but I like the way the 200's balance on my rod. The Curado 200E7 seems to be an extremely popular reel, I am probably leaning that direction. I do have a nice spinning set up, which has a 5.2:1 reel. I could use that for the slow stuff.

I need some advice. I am looking at buying a new reel for a custom rod I had made. I am not technique specific with my rods, I want them to do many things. It is a light rod with a extra fast tip and I use it for small cranks, 1/4 oz jigs, 1/4oz spinnerbaits, and some light texas rig plastics (grubs, 1/8-1/4oz). So my dillema is, I am choosing between a Curado 200E7 or a Citica 200E. My thought is a that the 6.3:1 ratio of the citica might be better for a general purpose reel. But, the Curado is, in theory, a better reel. All of my current reels are in the 6:1 range. How big of a difference is the 6.3:1 vs 7:1? Help please...

So are you saying that brand new reels need to be serviced before use? I wouldn't have thought so, but I guess it makes sense. Musical instruments are that way, they don't play well right out of the box.

I have been starting to wonder this. Thank you guys for all the info, keep it coming.

I have an aquaintence who judges baitcasting reels by spinning the spool to see how long the spool spins. He will also spin the handle with it engaged as well. So my question is, why do my cheap pflueger reels spin longer than my curado. And yes, the spool tension is loose. The breaks are either off, or have the same # of pins out. I was checking out some brand new curados and citcas yesterday and noticed they didn't spin long either. Any insights?

I have a 5'6" light action rod that I keep in my car for spontaneous fishing trips. It is great for smaller, light weight lures. There isn't any hook setting power, but it is fun when you do hook up with a big fish. The last fish I caught this fall was a 25" northern, and it was a real fun fight on that light rod!

This is a little off subject, sort of. I have bought several of those really nice hard cover fishing books put out by the NAFC at a used book store for $7 each. Much cheaper than what NAFC sells them for.

I just bought a 301dsv and like it (for $100), but want a smaller reel with a 6.x:1 ratio. I would go for the curado but, I am not sure weather to get a 5:1 or 7:1. I use my rods and reels for a wide range of techniques and figure the middle is a good place to be. You ready to sell me that 301d yet? ;D Absolutely not! I haven't actually fished it yet, but I have done some practice casting in the snow when the temp reached the mid 20's one day. I can't wait to try it on the water. This reel is why I want another shimano. If the curado 201E came in a 6:1 ratio I would be all over it.

I just bought a 301dsv and like it (for $100), but want a smaller reel with a 6.x:1 ratio. I would go for the curado but, I am not sure weather to get a 5:1 or 7:1. I use my rods and reels for a wide range of techniques and figure the middle is a good place to be.

I have thought about the flea market, but didn't want to post a WTB thread until I was sure that the citica is what I want.

I am thinking of picking up a Shimano Citica 201E, but I am not sure I should spend that much. I have started to look on line a bit, and have seen some good deals. What concerns me is that you don't know what you are getting. I have had some bad experiences, and heard stories, with ebay. I feel there are values to buying new, and will save up if i need to. If that is the case, where is the best place to buy new. All of the big stores have the same price, but some online sites have lower prices. Why is that? Any advice on how not to get ripped off would be greatly appreciated.

I tried to make one once. I used a couple of old bath towels. Didn't work out so well because it was too heavy. I cut it in half and it works good for my 2 piece rods. I looked into buying flannel but it was more expensive than buying a rod sleeve. Maybe if you are making ten it would be more cost effective. I really like the Cabela's rod sock with the built in hook tube. I have some of the rod slick mesh covers and I find that they wear the paint off the guides and the hooks get tangled in the mesh if you don't keep it rolled up.

I am not technique specific with my rods, what matters more to me is the weight and resistence of the lure I am using. Light lures with little resistence go on my light rod, big heavy spinner baits with colorado blades go on my MH. And one of my favorite rods is a cheap 5'6" light 2 pc mitchell, with a spinning reel that only holds 100yds of 4lb line.

I have an All Star Pro series rod that I used to use a Pfluger purist on. The purist is very light and the rod always felt very tip heavy. I recently picked up a Curado 300, which weighs a whopping 10.5 oz. The rod actually feels lighter with the heavy reel than it does with the lighter reel. It amazes me how much different a rod feels as you experiment with different reel weights.

I don't know much about physics, but if you assume the fulcrum is at the reel seat the rod should balance without a reel. None of mine do. My custom rods are balanced on the foregrip just infront of the reel, and with the right reel combinations my stock rods do as well. Does it really matter or is it all just personal preference?

This past August I got my first custom rod, which was perfectly balanced. Until then, I had no clue about balancing rods. I was horrified when I checked some of my standard stock rods. Lately I have been experimenting with all my rods and reels to see which combos balance the best and I have discovered something. My stock rods all are tip heavy and my thesis is that it is easier to add weight to the handle than to take it away. Therefore companies balance rods for heavier reels and if the buyer needs to add weight they can. If the rod was balanced for a light reel and the buyer wanted a heavy reel it wouldn't work. Any thoughts?

I bought my license yesterday just to cheer myself up. I am constantly studying the BPS catalogue. I frequently sneak down to my work bench and experiment with different rod/reel combinations.