John B.

I think the last two Shimano reels that I have bought were a 22 Aldebaran BFS XG and a Aldebaran MGL 30. I also have an 18 Bantam and I haven't even checked to see what kind of bearings it has because I've hardly ever used it so no need for maintenance so far. If they came with anything other than stainless steel then that would be news to me because I've always assumed that Shimano used high-quality stainless steel bearings on their higher end reels. I think the last ceramic bearings that I've used was somewhere around 2015 and I've always hated the noise of ceramics but if there's something new and improved out there, then maybe I should give them a try.

I'll add that there is absolutely nothing wrong at all with the stainless steel bearings that come with the Shimano Aldebaran BFS reels and as far as I know, all of the other higher end Shimano reels. The sound better than any ceramic bearing and a lot quieter and the performance is with lower end lure weights is astounding.

I've always thought they went well together whether the reel itself is called a BFS reel and and people have been calling BFS rods BFS rods for definitely over a decade. The term being incorrect when used on a rod is news to me. As far as low inertia bearings are concerned, give me a set of the ZR stainless steel bearings that Hedgehog sells along with some 7 or 8 pound Sniper FC and I'm good to go.

Things sure have changed. Back in the day when the Chronarch 50E came out, people here were complaining about it because it was nothing but a Curado 50E but in a different color. 🤣

My Legit DesignWild Side' BFS rod that says BFS is a JDM Brand and the rod itself is a JDM Model.

JDM Fenwick puts Bait Finesse Special on their BFS rods and I own a Legit Design'Wild Side' BFS rod that actually has a graphic on it that says Bait Finesse.

What Calcuttas are the Black Max 1600 and 3600 comparable to in size? I usually opt for the smaller reel and I don't own a 1600 yet but I'm investigating and I would definitely be interested in a shallow spool.

When I used to own the MBR844, I never used it for topwater but with its fast taper, and even using FC, I think it would make a great topwater rod for lures like Jackall Pompadour and Pompadour Jr, Deps BuzzJet and BuzzJet Jr, Imakatsu Aventa Crawler GT and RS and any other topwater crawlers, that in my humble opinion, fall into the 3/4oz range. I know that the 844 has a 1 ounce rating but I would really prefer to stay in the 3/4oz range if possible. I have owned the Loomis PR844C IMX and there's no way that I would have ever considered that noodle of a rod acceptable for topwater unless I was using it for Megabass Sigletts.

I was going to say....why not get another one until I looked at the Loomis website. It seems that they did away with the BCR GLX's and they just have the Mossybacks.

I am looking to spend up to around $200.00 for a rod. I have some Loomis rods now and to be honest, I like the way they feel. I plan on using this spinning combo for all lightweights from now on. Very small jigs, small worms, small treble hook baits etc. I am through with trying to cast small lightweight baits with my baitcasters.

I might end up doing this. Is there a replacement knob for the EVA round knob? I went to Dicks today and they had a Stradic 3000 on display. I would have like to play around with it a little bit but I guess someone needed a handle for theirs cause they stole the handle from the 3000. I sure was surprised at how small it is.

You can find plenty of Curado E's on eBay.

I just got back from DSG and the 200G7 that I handled wasn't near as of a nice reeling reel as my Curado 50E.

I appreciate all the advice! I think the 2500 is for me. It will be a dedicated freshwater rod. I have a couple of Penn 440SSG's for salt water use. I have changed the rod that the Stradic will go on. I am thinking something more along the lines of a Loomis SJR782 IMX. Does anyone own this rod?

It's nice to find a forum where you get so many responses in such a short period of time. Thanks......It is appreciated. I have read that a 2500 is great for Bass but the 3000 is about the same but with greater line capacity and the 3000 is what I was thinking about after reading the specs on Shimano's website. I did not consider the 4000 until this Thread. It is true that you never know what you will hook up with in saltwater. I may just end up buying a 2500 for fresh and use the 4000 for salt water.

Thanks for the quick replies! Mike, Would you think the 3000 would be a good compromise between the 2500 and the 4000? Basically the same weight as a 2500 but with more line capacity but I think it's around an ounce lighter than the 4000? Not that any of these are heavy compared to the Penn 440SSG that I have been using.

I live right near the Intracoastal Waterway in Fl. It will be used on a 7ft popping rod using anything from live shrimp for Seatrout and small Redfish to small cranks, little Rapalas, Sinkos, etc for Bass. Thanks