Capt.Bob

I have some outfits from back in the 80's even, at the time I was delighted and they were as good as it got back then, today I use them with the grandkids for catfish and the river, they still work good, in a branch stuck in the ground to hold them!!! The older I get the more I appreciate the help with lighter!! and at the same time stronger!

You are right RW!! There is a lot of young anglers on any fishing forum that think they have everything figured out and throw insults out, without even knowing that there doing it,,,,, totally unintentional. I should be old enough to realize this!!!! I will do a better job of ignoring it in the future!

Those that don't have both will tell you there is no difference just price. Thise who have both and used them for a year or two realize the better tolerances make one heck of a difference!!! I like the look of the TP better, but can put up with the looks for the performance, I have not looked back since going to Lew's, and the more models I try, the more impressed I am. I used Shimano for years and think they are great reels, but in Low Profile baitcasting, I think Lew's matches anything they make with a reel of better quality for less money, only 2 years on the reels I have (9) but no letdowns or problems yet!

spoken like a true beginning veteran?????? experience son, years of it!! guiding and chartering, been there done that, more than a few times!! from east to west and north to south, for many years, this would be a great place for you to listen and learn!! maybe you would care to enlighten us as to the drawbacks??????

I am talking about how poor the finest quality was in 81, we really thought we had great new equipmentmy 5500C and Bantam Shimano SG I believe or something like that, I thought I had the smoothest best casting reels in the world,,,,,,,Like I say thank GOD! for what we have today!! we have really seperated the ok from the really good!!

Kinda like compairing a Shimano Citica to a Cronarch, a much more solid and smoother feel!! I sold my Curados when I tried the Tournament, and core and Chronarch when I got the TP, and think the Team or new Team Gold is far smoother and more solid feeling than they were.

I have used Braid and Synthetics since they were introduced, and I always use a leader, Best of all worlds, when you run a lighter Pound Test leader you should never loose any braid, after a year or two, turn it around on your spool and you have brand new line, the cheapest line to use there is, only the leaders get lost or wore out!! As far as running a UNI to UNI thru the eyes, I am sure it wont hurt anything, but I use an improved blood knot to join mine, it makes a taper from center of the knott out both ways, I ussually run 6 to 12 foot leaders when I tie them on, this allows me to retire many times before putting on a new leader!! THAT'S WORKED,,,,,,fir over 20 years for me.

Oh how glad I am I lived long enough to see the difference in reels since 1981!! WOW what a change!!!

after nearly 60 years it's called been there done that!!! you will to some day??? WE ??????? did that!! OH REALLY?????? I think most would understand if you only told one story per thread!!! Harley Suzuki????? I wonder if he knows that's blasphemy!! ,,,,,,,Tell me bill have brain washed yourself into believing Bologna is as good and no different than Rib Eye????? save the review, I don't think I could take that serious now either!! your kill'n me dude!

On the external parts only, If you submerged it, it would need disassembled and cleaned, dried, and relubed, this is not necessary each time out, like DVT stated VISIBLE debris,

You can cut a branch off a tree,,,,,,and catch fish, some use a cane pole, I think these are probably the only thing less efficient than a spincaster!! Slow gear ratio's, very finicky with line and most only work well with mono, very little cranking power, even the best have poor drags,,,,,,,,,,,just trying to keep it real!! There are much better options , I'll reserve mine for the youngest of fisherman!!

X3 solid advice

Sorry Hoot,,,,,,,I just don't think mistakes should be encouraged, especially when we have such a young following, like others have tried to explain,,,,,,,these are the kinds of things that turn new fisherman off to this kind of equipment, when it's not the type of equipment but the model in that type, I will bet everything I own it's not up to a Black Max in quality, and I consider that an entry level I would only suggest if it was all you can afford. But Most of America has married the thought ,,,,,,,,if I can buy 3 or 4 and they last as long as one of this (whatever it is) I will, forget real quality!!!! It's been a while since I encouraged anyone to buy a zebco 33 also though, another fine old reel!!!

The Chronarch is a great reel, but sold mine for the Lew's, and for the 200 bucks I would choose the Team Gold as they can be had for less than that and much better than the Tournament Pro, which has an actual street value closer to the Curado, but hands down my choice of the reels you have on your list is the Lew's.

I would recamend a speed spool in a heart beat!!! I would however hesitate to recamend the speed spin's,,,,,,,,if you know what I mean.

you make it very easy to understand,,,,,,,,CRYSTAL CLEAR!!!

They are prices that are fixed and you can open a free account and check em out anytime on their web sight's!!! I pay my own freight and print the labels myself,,,,saves a few cent's! Your being upset because a guy cheated the company for you!!!! Now you want the whole company to cheat the price in your favor and screw the companie's prices to make you happy,,,,,,,we all pay for this sooner or latter,,,,,,,like Brian said,,,,,glass houses,,,,,, we do understand.

I have to say this isn't telling much. I have used 1000 size Stradics on Lake Erie for years, one is a Stradic 1000MgFB and with 8LBS. Braid I have caught so many sheaphead over 6 or 7 pounds it waw rediculous, catfish over that same weight, all while Perch fishing, last year at Dale Hollow on a Crappie trip an 8 1/2 pound Blue Cat on the same reel, countless Walleyes over 1 to 10 LBS. and this little rig with a Loomis 6' LF rod that I still use today like new. Catching to 5 pound bass on any reel should be expected to last forever. Maybe a bearing change on the line roller now and then, or a drag washer set sometime. I have found in these conditions every other brand has given out in less than a season with some, and none made three years without issues, and pitched. Bigger reels get the real test, fish to 20 pounds and boulder ridden raging rivers with stout no give Braid,,,,,, the ones I own today hold up to this year after year, bring those buble pack reels wally world sell's on, I hate to be honest, but you get what you pay for,,,, been that way for 60 years in my experience!

I have shipped rods for years in cardboard tubes and never once had a problem, I split a swim noodle down the side and use about 6' to 10" long and wrap the tip end with it, and the center of the rod, and the very but end of the grip, any material will work from a rag to plastic grocery bags, will protect the blank and guides, then i wrap tap around the but, slide the rod into the tube, and with the running end of the tape I from the but I tape it to outside of the tube and stuff the bottom from but to capped end, or at times just tape the end heavy without a cap, this has worked 100's of times with no failures, USPS under 15 bucks, UPS is around $20.00 bucks, securing the rod from sliding to protect the tip is priority.

OOP'S THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE!!,,,, The posse is gett'n smaller all the time!! It's ok gambler, it aint a sweet smooth casting Team Gold or Team Pro, but one sweet flipp'n reel!

WOW,,,,I would have loved to have a Curado G7, when I was 16!!! With that said, I like the E7 better, X3 spot on advice, just don't try Lew's Tournament Pro for about the same money,,,,,, your reel preferences might change!

Both solid reels, I chose the Lew's after trying both and using Shimano's for over 20 years, either one I feel is better than the other choices.

Really????? I never thought of wishing my misfortune on anybody,,,,,,,, the new American way,,,,,,,

X3!

Life is good*******I am not realy wanting anything at this time. I don't think I can upgrade These at this time, maybe more of them???????? Custom St Croix Legends Extremes W/ full corks and seats, and Super Tuned Lews Team Gold's 6'10" MXF W/ 7.1:1 Team Gold 7'2" MHM W/ 6.4:1 Team Gold Shimano custom Stradics and St. Croix Legend Elites 6'3" MXF W/ 1000FJ 6'6" MF W/ 2500FJ or a Custom St. Croix Avid and Stradic 7' MHXF W/4000FJ Stellas would be nice, but just not enough to justify 5x the money, to little gain for to much money,,,,,no matter how much you got!