FloridaFishinFool

I'll mention the one thing I have not read yet in this thread. And for the record I run full ceramics in all of my baitcast reels except the round reels. The cost is minimal. I pay on average anywhere from $7 to $12 per bearing in part because I but them in bulk. Some of my buddies want them so we throw in together to negotiate a better deal. But the primary benefit not mentioned here yet though one came close mentioning "The single greatest distance gain comes from reducing loaded spool mass" -is not the distance gain factor connected to reduced mass. And another member got real close with this statement: "I was seriously impressed with the casting distance and more so the ease in which the reel casted. Almost there... I'll go ahead and point out what others were alluding to. Full ceramic bearings weigh about half of what stainless steel bearings weigh. Maybe just under half in weight. So the key gain going with full ceramics is not measured in distance. It is that the overall weight and mass of the spool's rotational ability is changed in that by reducing bearing weight, you can now reduce lure weight some and get spools rotating faster and with lighter weight lures. There is the possibility of faster spool startups with less weight, and with the reduced weight, there is less weight to develop less kinetic energy during a cast meaning the spools can be slowed and stopped easier with less amount of kinetic energy present possibly reducing backlash potential requiring less braking. I think this is the key gain because it gives a combo a wider variety of uses now that it might not have had with stainless steel bearings limiting use by the weight needed to operate it. As said casting distance increases are minimal and may not make it worth it. But the real noticeable use full ceramics may excel at would be in pitching and skipping situations. But with as cheap as they are today why not give them a try? I recommend avoiding ceramic hybrids because you gain almost nothing there. And they still require oil because the races are still steel and can rust. They may be quieter, but gain is very minimal. Another reason to avoid hybrids is the game one particular country of origin has been playing on us is that we out here on the tail end of the buying game cannot tell if the bearings we are purchasing have full ceramic balls inside or ceramic coated bearings. Some use small balls inside coated with a ceramic coating. These have been known to not be as durable as full ceramic. Most bearing companies will not correctly identify them for us. So it is buyer beware which is why going full ceramic is more certain for us out here. And the most to gain, but as stated they can be noisy which I personally don't mind and kind of like because now my ears can help me judge my casts. And its not that loud really. I would think another issue with the gain results going full ceramics depends on the reel. If the reel has any sort of magnetic braking, those cannot ever be fully turned off and so whatever gains full ceramics could offer might not be as much or as noticeable with magnetic braking reels as compared to centrifugal braking reels which is what I use exclusively and I can turn off all the brakes and go to a true free spinning spool which would offer full advantage of whatever gains are there. And you can purchase different ceramic materials: Zirconia for about $7 each purchased 1 at a time. Bulk can be slightly less. https://www.ebay.com/itm/387414266150 Silicon Nitride for just under $12 each https://www.ebay.com/itm/265932037068 Make sure to get the correct sizes for your reels! I have been running full ceramics in my Shimano baitcast reels for years and just to test their durability I have not touched the bearings in years, probably 3 or 4 years now in some reels just to see how far down the road I can get with them. No issues so far. Love them. I would not go back to stainless bearings or hybrids. I am very happy with where my Shimano's are at now with the full ceramics. I also replace the pinion bearing in my reels with full ceramics because they are located right next to the spool and are the first bearings to get wet and rust up. Going full ceramic there is done simply to prevent rust, and reels can work longer without as much regular maintenance and be more resilient in saltwater conditions. And if used in saltwater, one might consider going full ceramic in other areas as well like line guide bearings often rust up. Going full ceramic puts a stop to that and gives the user more use time from the reels before servicing and maintenance. But to each their own!

And way down here in sunny Florida I am still wearing shorts, t-shirt and flip flops all year round. Winter? What's that? Just the time of some good air conditioning we waited for all year long for. Our cold fronts are not much different than what blasts out of the AC in summer. All the same around here. My winter gear is maybe long pants 3 times a year, but still wearing flip flops. And, maybe a long sleeve shirt a couple of times a year. We may wake up to snow and ice on the houses' roofs- er, light frost really, and freezing temps at sunrise, but by noon Florida is back to the 50's. Drink a couple cups of coffee and by time I get out the door Florida has recovered. I would not live anywhere else. True story, but I think I am symbiotically connected to palm trees. When I drive out of Florida and begin to leave palm trees behind, depression starts to set in. Drive back into Florida and get connected to palm trees again, and the skies are bluer, birds chirping happier, and those dark clouds just vanish. Don't know what that is...

I don't blame you one bit! I moved my boat South as well! From north Florida to central Florida until spring for the same reason. Just too cold up north. North Florida that is! And it sounds like you found some great places to enjoy fishing too! Hope you catch a bunch of fish! I'm heading South this coming Sunday to do the same for a few days. Temps should be in mid 70's.

Mudhole quality is fine. I'd be asking if you want a foam grip or not? And a medium blank? $200 is a bit steep, but I see it comes with rod wrapping tools which are needed of course- unless you already have those. If you do have them you can get rod kits cheaper. My last spinning rod kit came from Get Bit Outdoors for under $50, but I also bought a discontinued made in USA blank 7' MHF. The blank was like $23 and kit $20. And no tools, no epoxy, and no thread because I have that already. Get Bit allowed me to choose the type of grip I wanted either full or split for same price. Ask yourself if you want foam or not. I'd go with cork myself, but to each their own. Maybe you can ask Mudhole to swap it out if you wanted something different? Unless that is what you want. You may be able to get them to adjust components to get closer to the rod you really want rather than settle on just what is in the kit shown here. Just make sure you are getting the components you really want before committing to a kit like this. I'd also consider getting more epoxy than what this kit shows. And I see a roll of tape which is used to center and fill void under reel seat. There are other newer products that do this job much better than tape. Its like a foam, but it can be reamed and shaped as needed and epoxy flows through it for a much better reel seat epoxy attachment to blank. Make sure to back fill each end as you don't want reel seat wobbling or having any side to side play on either end. (I am not a fan of tape method.) And one last thing... I spine all my rods. There are those who say don't spine and build on straightest axis, but I am not one of those. My rods are all spined how Gary Loomis teaches it. But again, to each their own. It will work fine either way. Just different opinions on how to build a rod. Custom rod building is fun and rewarding. I am sure you will enjoy doing it. Both MudHole and Get Bit OutDoors sell various kits and very different blanks for sure.

Which model Chronarch? I was in a thrift store today and found a 1987 Shimano BX25 spinning reel in great shape. They had $4.99 on it and 50% off of that. I picked it up and gave it a spin and was amazed by 2 things. One, it was super smooth. I could not feel the gear teeth. Not geary at all. That was amazing to find in such an old reel. And it was fully functional, a testament to the quality of Shimano. But what got me hooked was the anti-reverse was from the era of clicker reels, but this one did not click. Smooth and quiet. So I spent $2.50 on it plus tax. I figure if it has lasted 38 years without fail and is still this smooth, I am sure I will get another 25 to 30 years out of it just as smooth- only I probably won't be around that long. My son will inherit it. I don't think I have ever seen one of these before. I'll start overhauling it tonight replacing 3 bushings with ball bearings, and start fishing with it in a couple of days. It has one of the best rear drags I've ever used. Has some stopping power. I'll see if I can beef it some more. Not a bad deal for under $3.00. And its made in Japan too. This might explain the quality of it. So yes, I still buy old reels. Especially when this cheap and this smooth and this solid.

A cool old reel. And kind of rare these days. It is truly ironic that Shimano invented and patented the Fighting Star drag mechanism to be used on baitcast reels. But somewhere along the way Shimano developed a way of transferring it into their spinning reels. And what is ironic is that the mechanism was more useful and more successful in the spinning reels than the baitcast reels. It was quickly discontinued in the baitcast reels I think in part because it was not so easy to use, and the servicing of them was much more difficult and a pain in the rear for any tech, especially Shimano techs. So Shimano dropped it in baitcast reels. But it has successfully lived on in some of their spinning reels. Right now I am searching for specific spinning reels with the fightin' drag mech in them, but without the quickfire trigger. I have really enjoyed using one particular spinning reel for bass fishing over the last few decades until I have just about worn it out. Finding another has been a challenge. Most of them come with the quickfire trigger, but I just want a regular spinning reel without the quickfire trigger but with the fightin' drag mech. It has been very useful indeed. With it I can see the drag where I want it for normal fishing. And I can turn on the fightin' drag full on for a hookset and once the fish is hooked I can back off the fightin' drag to below normal drag setting or use normal drag setting or increase as needed while the fight is on. And all without changing the normal drag setting. It is really a very useful feature. So since I wore my favorite reel out, I want to buy two more, but the particular model I am after is not easy to find any more. Most of them have that dreaded quickfire trigger. The most successful baitcast reel that Shimano made with the fightin' star drag was the Black Magnum which was in line as a precursor reel to the citica and curado reels. The Black Magnum was Shimano's move towards the new reel shape. Yours is still the old school shape. I never got to use one like yours with that lever mech. I always used the Black Magnum and boy were those ever tricky to take apart and put back together. I can see why Shimano dropped it. This Black Magnum came after yours. Notice the lever is gone but now operated by a drag star. The normal drag was adjusted by the thumb dial between the star and handle. This is probably Shimano's idea of trying to keep the fightin drag alive in baitcast reels seeking better functionality improvements. And the final stab at Shimano trying to keep the fightin drag alive in baitcast reels, the precursor to the curado and citica right here- and today the above reel is still quite common, but this one seen below is a very rare model these days. I wish I could find one as a lefty. Shimano in early 1990's ditched these old reel designs and moved to these... The curado green bean B series. A Curado 200B And then Shimano created this beast. The very first true free spinning spools where the spool axle no longer touched the inside of the pinion gear to slow it down by friction. If you could cast one of these then you really knew what you were doing because these reels did not have the spool controls and better brakes like we have today. Super tune one of these reels and you better have a good thumb! The Curado 200BSF. Or, B model with "Super Free" spool. Sorry, I got carried away on my progression of reels to where I am at today. Reliving some old history here. A trip down memory lane. Below is one of the Shimano spinning reels incorporating into it the fightin' drag mech seen on rear of reel. The round dial adjusted the reel's normal drag, and the lever operates the fightin' drag mech. This one is a 2000 size. I want this reel but in 4000 size. Two of them if I can find them. Gonna cost me for sure to find them in good condition. For a 2000 size this one is nice and clean. I am considering it.... I take the drag apart and upgrade the drag washers in these... and throw in some extra bearings as well. The bass don't stand a chance. Drag changes on the fly quick and easy. I wonder if Shimano is still making any reels with the fightin' drag today? They sure sold a lot of reels with it, but far more spinning reels than baitcasters simply because it lasted decades longer in spinning reels than baitcasters. And lastly here is the el primo best version ever made, and one of the newest models with it. Its only $262.00. And its a stradic! Anyone have one? Give us a review! A dream reel right here. And quite rare too!

Today I am pulling out the old Quantum HyperCast HC3 (1990 era) and put it on a 6' medium "Pro Advantage" rod made in USA over 40 years ago to go fishing at a local retention pond and do some bank fishing since weather is too bad to take boat out. My son is learning how to cast baitcast reels on my old 5 foot pistol grip rods as well. They are easier for him to learn on and handle. But I will say he is not getting the good ones! I have one of those older Shimano pistol grip rods with the stainless steel reel seat on what could be a Gary Loomis blank (some say) that is today probably worth around $300. He is not getting that one until I kick the bucket. There is one on Etsy right now for near $200, but mine is in better shape and worth more I do believe. Cool old rods! These were what the pro's used back in the 1980's. I put one of my Curados or Chronarch reels on this rod and its like butter. Super smooth.

LottaBass thanks for your service! I only recently found out about the Quantum HyperCast spinning reels. They are quite rare. Part of the reason they did not sell well is probably due to their design and function. It takes some getting used to. I still tried using it like normal spinning reels unaware of the "firing pin" catching the line rather than my finger so now I have to try and relearn how to even use this reel the way it was designed to be used. I get it now, but it took a youtube video to put me on the right path on this one. Another issue with this reel is how complex it is to do a full tear down and overhaul on it. This reel uses around 12 different springs. And it is in the rotor where it gets really complicated and that old idea of laying the parts out in order they came out in will not work on this reel because there are 4 "pilon" springs inside the rotor and when I first disassembled my reel I was not aware those 4 springs are all of different spring capacity. And each one goes in a specific location because of that difference in spring ability. It threw me off while trying to rebuild one without a schematic. Once I got the schematic, it becomes clear that very careful reassembly is necessary. The one issue I had with mine was the bail spring was weak and needed an increase there, but now its all done and back to like new and what an amazing reel. Very solid. And super smooth. Now I just need to get used to how it operates because there is not another spinning reel out there like this one. I may buy another one or two of these. I want the smalled version the HC2. I prefer this reel for medium to medium light use. I'll stick with the stradics and sustains for the heavier lifting into medium heavy. My HC3 is an excellent swimbait reel on a 7' to 7'6" medium rod with fast action. Works great with rat'l traps and other crankbaits as well. What is unique about it and hard to get used to is it can cast from any rotor position 360 degrees around. I am so used to centering the line roller guide to the top and grabbing line with my finger that when I started using this reel that is how I used this one, but the following video makes it clear this reel design is one of a kind. It also has a slightly tapered spool which is unique. But to anyone who buys one of these, be very careful reassembling this reel! Its not easy. And keep in mind the old springs need some extra kick to them!

To add to that list... The bottle jack does little good on side of the road if it sinks into the dirt under load. So I carry several pieces of wood. About 6 of them. A couple of small boards to put under jacks in dirt, and blocks for extensions. I also carry a grease gun, spare wheel bearings and seal kit, and extra hub just in case. And a spare tire. I like the kneeling pad idea. Have not thought of that one. I also carry extra wire nuts and extra trailer connector. My SUV comes with a bottle jack inside the rear tire well, but I also carry a standard floor jack as well. Easier to use on side of road. And I also carry a breaker bar and 4 way lug removal tool. Fortunately I have never had to use any of it! In more than 40 years of towing a boat all over Florida I have never broken down. I think the reason is regular maintenance. It always amazes me how many boats wind up on the side of the road because the owner never thinks about his wheel bearings and let's their maintenance go until he winds up on the side of the road. This will never happen to me. I religiously keep that up to date. And when I am driving over long distances, I regularly pull off the highway and test the temperature of the hubs by hand sometimes an hour apart or about every 50 miles. One day I will get smart and install a digital wheel hub temperature monitoring system I can monitor while driving and not have to pull over to check them. Another good idea is to switch over to full synthetic grease in the wheel bearings. I wish I had done this sooner. Great idea for a thread! A lot of Florida guys could sure benefit from a thread like this one, especially the saltwater guys who almost never maintain their wheel bearings! I'd say most of the boats I see on side of the road are more often bearing failures than flat tires. And the saltwater guys should also check and test their leaf springs and mounts as well.

I'm with ya! I love older reels as well. I just finished up overhauling a Quantum HyperCast HC3. Its a solid and super smooth old reel. Kind of unique in its design needing a little tweaking here and there since it relies on a lot of springs- nearly a dozen of them, some needed more expansion strength, but now its back to like new and I am having a blast using it. My next purchase will the reel Shaw Grigsby is seen using in his 1991 Clearwater fishing video. It is also an old quantum. Kind of hard to find. None are available right now so I have to wait until a nice one pops up somewhere. I still have old Shimano stradic spinning reels from the FE to FJ series only. Nothing older. No Aeros. And nothing newer as those have too much plastic in them. I focus on the stradic line's good years of solid reels. I also have sustains as well. I just gave my 12 year old son for Christmas some older Shimano spinning reels. A couple of 6000FA sustains. A stradic 4000FG in like new smooth condition. A 2000FE also in like new super smooth condition. He also got a rare stradic MG only made for 2 years. I think its a 2500. And he got an SLX baitcast reel and some others like a Shimano 6500 baitrunner which he loves using since he fishes with shrimp a lot inshore. I still have numerous older Shimano chronarchs and curados going back to the green bean B series and my primary go to workhorse reels are the Curado HG series made before the K models. Great reels that never fail and never have any problems or issues. Gotta love that. I have some older Browning and Bass Pro round baitcast reels that work really well and last forever. I now have 4 older Daiwa spinning reels that have like 3 parts inside. And all metal. Solid "clicker" reels that will last for another 50 years without fail. So yeah I am with you on using older reels. Would not give them up for all new reels- which I do have a few of them but I really do love the older vintage reels more. My older stradics and sustains just can't be beat. Same with the Curado HG's. But there is one disadvantage to using older reels, and that is parts are no longer available to keep them up and running. So I keep specific searches programmed 24/7 to keep an eye out for parts reels which I buy from time to time and just set aside for parts only. I think between my son and I, we are sitting at around 60 older reels all rebuilt and ready to fish with. I even still have my fathers 1940's baitcast reels, but never use them. Just shelf decorations now. I have considered using them for shiner fishing at Rodman Reservoir though... for that big one one day. I also collect vintage made in USA fishing rods to use them on.

I just did a search online and picked some likely good guides for ya... https://www.floridatrophybass.com/ https://rodmanreservoirfishing.com/ https://bassonline.com/fishing-guides/florida/capt-kenneth-walker/ https://ioutdoor.com/fishing/florida/palatka/rodman-reservoir/ https://boogersguideservice.com/

I'm not sure you were being told the truth. I have never heard of such a thing before now. I've lived in Florida my entire life and know a number of guides and never heard this before. Guides use live shiners because they are trying to increase the likelihood or chances of their customer catching a large bass. They all do it. Now to repeat what you said minus some things... "After fishing all day with shiners and never catching a bass........ Oh well they bait the sites with chum and i dont do that." To me it sounds like your particular guide was making excuses for why you did not catch a bass. I call BS on his claim or excuse. I'd say the fish just were not biting on your day, or the fish were not in the area that you were fishing on that day. Chumming for bass is not a usual thing to do. It can be done, but it takes time for it to work. Someone has to chum the water with something that draws in smaller fish to feed on it, and then the bass move in to feed on the smaller fish feeding on the chum. Its not like you go out with a guide and he starts tossing dog food or cat food overboard and the bass just start biting. It could take hours for the chum to begin to show results. I personally have never heard of any bass guides chumming for bass. Usually its wild shiners and go to places known for big bass. I tend to think you may have been on the receiving end of some excuses and BS. But that is just my opinion of course and could be completely wrong! Would not be the first time. You can save a ton of money if you simply do your homework on where the biggest bass are being caught in Florida, and go get your own shiners and do it yourself. Florida has plenty of old fish camps that will help you out. Some even offer guides as well, but just rent a boat and take some wild shiners and go catch a trophy bass on your own. Far more rewarding in my opinion. You can do a search on Florida's documented trophy catches 8 pounds and larger and where they were caught here: https://license.gooutdoorsflorida.com/Angler/SearchCatches?id=1 And be aware that right now the number 1 big bass producer in the state Rodman reservoir is on its 4 year draw down so the water is now just in the river channel so all the big bass are congregated into the channel like monkeys in a barrel and having to fight each other for food so catching a lunker is easier right now in that location. TrophyCatch Florida April 29, 2023 · Your TrophyCatch Data Tells Us... We've made it to the #1 spot for which Florida lakes have the most TrophyCatch Club Wins? Ranking in the #1 spot is Rodman Reservoir with a total of 1,168 Club Wins! Rodman Reservoir is sometimes called Lake Ocklawaha & is found in Putnam & Marion Counties in north central Florida. This manmade reservoir covers 9,500 acres and is famous for producing Five (including the very first) TrophyCatch Hall of Fame bass (13 lbs. 14 oz.) by Bob Williams from New Jersey in February 2013. You don't need a paid guide to the big ones! Just the right info...

Good stuff Mike!

Well Mike's secret pond is a secret no more! I did the legal footwork today tracking down all available information about the lake Mike started this thread about. We now know the who, what, when, and where. And some very interesting background details. So without identifying anyone nor the "secret" location, I can share some of the incredible details to emerge from this thread. First, the background to the lake. At present time it is unknown if this body of water and others nearby were dug for mining or road construction. One thing is clear, these bodies of water are indeed dug out by man. So they are not naturally occurring bodies of water. And this makes them private bodies of water that are not included under Florida's riparian rights law which I won't get into since it does not apply here. I tracked the land ownership and discovered who owns every plot of land in and around this body of water. It is listed as owned under various private for profit corporations because of what the original owner was doing there with this land and water since they purchased it in 1987. I found all of the corporate records dating back to 1987. The corporation was ended just a couple months ago. But this tells Mike and I this body of water he was seeking information on and access to was actually part of a for profit corporate situation involving water skiing training on this lake. This lake is split into two separate land plots showing two different owners through two different corporations that records show are all owned by same person today, but the corporations are no longer active. The surrounding land has been developed and I think and believe this is how the current owner has made enough money to do well to this day to keep and maintain ownership over the lake and the various plots of land it is within. I think there are close to 6 or 7 different plots of land all tracked to this same current owner. Residential neighborhoods have popped up around this body of water and are more than likely bits and pieces of the land sold off to make a profit to allow current owner the ability to stay put and live comfortably. I found in public records where one piece of land was sold off just this year not far from this lake. So this is how a gated community sprang up along the road to the lake and put the current owner behind two locked gates to their house. The reason I am posting this information is because the woman who currently owns the land and lake in question is a widow now, but her husband was a national treasure and an American hero I wanted to tell all of you about. I am just sorry I can't reveal his name as I want to protect their privacy. According to news report & his obituary, he died tragically in a plane crash of an experimental plane back in 2009 at 59 years old about an hour away from his house at this lake. His obituary says he was originally from Tennessee but moved to Florida because he was in the U.S. Navy as a jet fighter pilot stationed in Jacksonville, but he was not just any jet fighter pilot. This man retired as a commander and served 12 more years in naval reserves. He had 300 certified aircraft carrier landings to his credit. And as a young lieutenant in the 1970's he was one of four pilots chosen to begin a training program that was the forerunner of the Navy's "Top Gun" school. He was also a commercial aircraft pilot for Eastern and Delta airlines and logged more than 18,000 hours of flight time before retiring. So it is a tragedy to lose him at 59 in a plane crash of an experimental plane. I have not researched the crash, but with what I know now, I'd say it was plane malfunction and NOT pilot error. This man knew what he was doing. But he left behind a widow who now owns the land and lake. They were married for 23 years until his tragic passing. He was a plane builder, a water skier, a mechanic, an instructor, an expert rifleman, an expert hunter, a wing shot and great dog trainer. He enjoyed playing the banjo, piano, & guitar. What I uncovered today shows that this national hero purchased this land and lake and ponds to retire on. He and his wife started up 3 corporations to earn income from beginning in 1987. One was a design and construction firm. The other two corporations were strictly for this lake and using it to earn income teaching people how to water ski on this lake. As stated all of this has ended since all of the corporations are now listed as inactive in state of Florida public records. So now the widow is retired on the land and living the good life no doubt, but sadly now alone, but does have children and grandchildren. For someone to be just 1 of 4 of the U.S. Navy's top jet fighter pilots chosen clearly for his knowledge and skills as a pilot into the navy's first "Top Gun" training program tells us this man was top notch and as good as they come. The best of the best. Rest in peace Top Gun!

Yes sir you are exactly correct. A lot of the electronics packages used today often use a combined mapping data approach. We have satellite generated maps which are not very accurate because satellites cannot penetrate the water for accurate bottom contour mapping, but we also have maps made by on site sonar mapping on a lake or river usually by government agencies that are very accurate. When I compare satellite bathymetry mapping to my hand made government maps there is no comparison. Maps made by people using sonar on a lake are far more accurate than maps generated by satellites. So today the electronics companies have been trying to create new mapping using data from both when possible combined within our electronics. Today I avoid all satellite generated mapping and use strictly bathymetry maps made by sonar: https://orange.wateratlas.usf.edu/library/learn-more/learnmore.aspx?toolsection=lm_bathymetric Fishermen should be made aware of this, and use the most accurate mapping possible when available. --------------------- I learned about this problem on a central Florida lake, lake Maitland. At one time I had mapping from satellites only, but one day I found and acquired a detailed bathymetry map made by a local government agency. When I cross compared the two maps I was surprised to find that the satellite map was an inaccurate generalized view that completely missed holes, channels, and bottom contour details that showed up on the local government hand made map. Ever since I have completely rejected satellite mapping and now exclusively maps made by hand. Incredibly more accurate than satellite. Far more detailed as well. Another issue I consider in my fishing maps is underwater vegetation mapping. You will never get this from satellites. They will not tell you where vegetation is located. But local governments who map our lakes and rivers produce several maps of one body of water like Lake Maitland. So now I can access not only the physical bottom contour maps called bathymetry maps, but I can now also access the vegetation maps made by government and are public information that shows me what plants are growing and where. The problem we presently have is that this type of mapping data is not yet included in electronics we use on the water. And presently I am not aware of any way to even get that type of data into any electronics currently used. I wish they could create electronics that gives us the options for the data we prefer and have all of easily accessible in our choice of on the water electronics. Florida is also including water quality mapping as well. To date about all we can hope for is combined data of bathymetry, but to date there is no inclusion of vegetation and water quality mapping. So I regularly use Florida's BMAPS and bathymetry maps for the mapping data I select to use. And it is this data that I hope one day is directly connected into all of our on water electronics with the ability to turn off satellite mapping as needed. We won't even need satellite mapping any longer.

The dorado the OP is wanting to catch grows bigger than some of us may be considering for some of our recommendations. I know for my part I did not consider it when I first got into this thread and simply rolled with the titled reel suggestions which after finding out more about this species of fish I am thinking of changing my opinion and go with FishTank's conclusion. AI Overview: The Golden Dorado in Brazil (and South America) is a large, powerful freshwater fish averaging 6.6–22 lbs (3–10 kg) but can exceed 75 lbs (34 kg) and reach over 4 feet (1.3 meters) long, known for its golden scales, sharp teeth, aggressive fighting, and acrobatic jumps, making it a prized gamefish. I was wondering if maybe the size and power of this fish might cause some of us to reconsider some tackle recommendations? I think FishTank is right on target on this one. https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/strike-south-american-gold-with-dorado/476478 "Quality 7 1/2-foot rods with medium-heavy or heavy actions and baitcasting reels, such as the Shimano Tranx 400HG, spooled with 65- or 80-pound-test high-visibility braid are ideal for La Zona dorado encounters." And I thought I was doing good at the 300HG level! Looks like its time to step it up another step.

Good catch for the OP. I don't use that site and just quoted from what I found on ebay which is not always the best place for sure. That's definitely a much better price. Still don't care for how that reel looks from any angle.

Thank you! This very same thing was just suggested to the OP! As well as line capacity. Glad someone finally caught this! Precisely!

Andres, one thing you may want to consider is... Do you see those spools in the photo above? Two of those do not hold much line at all. Spools like that have to be carefully considered with the type of fishing you do. For light fishing they may be fine, but if you are catching some bigger fish who take long runs, you may want to consider if you can get spooled using those. I do a lot of red fishing here in Florida and no way I could get away with spools like that around here. A big red could take every inch of line off of those- and take the reel with them. So for my part I guess I am suggesting reels with larger spools that can handle quite a bit more line.

I totally forgot to mention to SwampGirl's comment above, but here in Florida we have a saving grace on lure overload. That whopper plopper may not catch bass very well for some of us, but we Florida fishermen can simply re-purpose bass lures over into saltwater and turn them into dynamite lures. He has been doing a lot of inshore fishing and just loves topwater's explosive action. He recently said dad I need some good topwater lures that look alive and make noise and move. So I immediately thought about the whopper plopper and just purchased 3 of them for him for Christmas at $2.84 each with free shipping. So less than $10 for 3. It will be interesting to see if these do better in saltwater than they do in freshwater. So lures that don't do well in freshwater are moved from the bass tackle boxes right on into the saltwater tackle boxes. Lures redeemed!

Exactly! A lot of lures do overlap. Part of the human problem is how we see lures. We are looking at them out of the water and in good light with zero obstructions. Fish see things differently. They have to. And this is where we humans get tripped up all the time. An example I like to pull on fisherman many don't get. I fish the St. Johns River a lot. And quite often with the bright sun directly overhead, I can put my hand 6 inches under the surface and in the best of lighting conditions I CANNOT see my hand. Bright sunlight directly overhead shining directly into the surface water, and my hand disappears from view completely. Out of sight. So, I ask fishermen what color lure works best on river bottom sometimes 2 feet down, 4 feet down, 8 feet down, etc. And it is endlessly funny to hear them go off into all these wonderful colors that he swears up and down work best- when the correct answer is the fish cannot even see the lure. Even if it were 1 inch in front of them or 1 inch from an eyeball, the fish cannot see the lure. They cannot see the shape of it. They cannot see the color of it. So I really enjoy in a humorous way how the experts on color really go off into their perspectives on lure color, sizes, and shapes in water that one single fish can even see it. And this is where overlapping lures are basically useless and a fisherman can greatly reduce lure choices and selections because the fish are not biting from a visual cue. It is not physically possible. So like others mention here, I can use a small selection of lures rather than an endless supply of variants that all overlap each other in varying degrees. When I take my sons into a tackle store, or fishing buddies, I will sometimes point this out as we walk in to the store- now remember, all these sizes, shapes, and colors are NOT for the fish. They are designed to catch YOU the fisherman first and foremost and trick you into opening your wallet to purchase an endless variety of things you simply do not need. But if you have to have every size and shape and color, then so be it. Enjoy! Most of the time the fish are hitting lures so hard and fast that not a one of them are stopping to take the time to analyze the lures like we do. The fish are not stopping and saying hey you know its not the right size, or its not the right shape, or its not the right color for me to bite it today. Fish are slamming the lures often instantly with intent to kill it and eat it and prevent the next fish from taking his opportunistic quick meal. The fish do not analyze lures like we do. And they surely do not "see" them like we do and often never do see the lures they are striking. Its not possible in waters the light cannot penetrate. It does take light to see. Fish not only have little to no light in a lot of waters, but they also have the density of the water obstruction to overcome as well. And many of us humans do not factor that into what we do up here out of the water in good light with no obstruction of view. I really do get a kick out of fishermen fishing in dark stained waters with zero light at the bottom endlessly switching lures to find just the right color the fish will like! Boy are we on the wrong path! Say Bill, you know I think red works better than purple! No, try black, maybe blue! How about green? No, motor oil! Chartreuse! I am sure the fish can see it and will discuss among themselves which color they are going to bite on today so keep up the bait switching all day long! Its quite humorous really. Quite often because of this, I will use only one lure and do just as well as the bait switchers. But by all means do continue the discussion on what colors work best on the bottom where it is physically impossible for a fish to see the colors how we do up here. The bait monkey wins every time! Those color variations do better at catching fishermen than they do the fish much of the time.

I know. I totally get it. Been dealing with daiwa fans for decades- and Shimano fans. I have tried and tried to like daiwa baitcast reels over the long decades of fishing and just do not like how daiwa makes reels while I absolutely love how Shimano makes their reels. This is why I try and stay neutral and say its not about who is better or who is worse, but more about what we as humans tend to like or dislike or prefer or not prefer is more or less the truth of it. What flavor does one like best? I think another part of it comes down to reel construction as well. I worked in a professional rod and reel and trolling motor repair shop and had to work on all brands of reels every day for years. And it is from that perspective that I also grew to dislike how daiwa designs and constructs some of their reels, and grew to like more how Shimano designs and constructs their reels. So for me its not just a function opinion, but also an aesthetic opinion, but also a workbench opinion developed over many long years that has absolutely driven me away from daiwa and right straight to Shimano as a preferred choice many times over. So like you, in reverse, I would not buy nor own any daiwa baitcast reels. When they come my way I will try them out and quickly get rid of it. But I do use some Daiwa spinning reels. And I have over a dozen Daiwa rods as well. Love them! But not their baitcast reels. Its kind of funny that I do own one reel that has a copy of the daiwa magnetic braking structure in it made by Doyo for Bass Pro and Rick Clunn signature series reels. It is an awesome flipping and pitching reel like no other. But what is funny about it is that Doyo recognized they needed to add something to the braking situation and so the doubled it up and added in centrifugal braking along with the magnets. And that little addition right there put it over the top to a keeper for me. If you look behind the spool's inductor, you can see two of the centrifugal brake pins visible and on the side plate you can clearly see the added brake drum. There! Now the daiwa braking problem is all fixed up! I don't know why daiwa never considered doing this. Doyo sure did! So thanks! I wonder how this reel would operate if I removed the magnets all together? Something to consider... Shimano engineers sure did! So I totally agree with you about sticking to one brand.

Sorry Andres but I did not see this comment until after I posted the last one. I am not sure where you are located so I am not sure what you have available in your area. I had the pleasure of being able to talk to the Shimano engineers who designed the DC reels every year just before ICAST and at ICAST. They told me the DC reels sold in USA were designed for how Americans fish. The settings on the USA DC reels were carefully crafted for how we fish. So I am not aware of the differences engineers programmed into DC reels made for other foreign markets like their own JDM. These differences in settings and operation might make a difference to you and I just wanted to point that out since no one else will. All you get there is Daiwa great. Shimano bad. Which is ignored to a large degree. So if you take a look at the DC reels, Shimano has a few of them. At first Shimano put this DC technology only in their most expensive reels, but over the years have been moving it down their line next to midline, and then on down to bottom of their line and now make an SLX DC which has proven to be a popular seller, but for my tastes is not where I would start as entry level. I said in a comment above I would start at the Curado DC as entry level and move up from there. So one thing I would be taking a look at if its possible are what the Shimano engineers have done in the way of tweaking the DC technology for different markets. Maybe the USA DC models have settings that will work for you. I can't say. Maybe the JDM DC reels have settings that would fit you better. You can examine all the USA DC models on their website: https://fish.shimano.com/en-US/product/list.html?pcat1=cg1SHIFNaReel&pcat2=cg2SHIFNaReelBaitcast&pcat3=&pcat4=&fs=&series=&price_min=&price_max= I posted a link above to a Curado DC reel for only $160 used. If it is in good working condition it might be a reasonably priced option for you to leave passive reels behind and enter into the space age of active reels that actually do work for you to help you become a better caster. DC reels are very popular and people generally love using them. DC braking is superior.

Here's a beaut for less than $200 to your door. https://www.ebay.com/itm/326719400328 The other reel costs quite a bit more and does not look as good IMO. $304 plus $42 in shipping. The ones in Australia appear to go much higher plus tariffs. And for what? https://www.ebay.com/itm/357970185009 You can pick up a DC for $160 that might be a very good option. (If this one was a lefty I'd be considering it) https://www.ebay.com/itm/376719972799 Forget the reels' function. Just by looks alone I have to side with Shimano. They make some good lookin' reels in side by side comparisons!

You don't have to buy new reels. You can purchase used reels and save some money. The HG Curado reels are like $269 new and have improved centrifugal brakes over magnets that other brand uses, but you can buy them used on ebay for around $100 in like new condition. As I said before its not about which is better or worse, though someone did call their choice "cheaper" which is true for a reason, but it is about what is a best fit for you. And it will revolve around the castability of each reel. Magnets never turn off. So daiwa had to come up with a centrifugal operated inductor plate to compensate for this fact that magnets never turn off so they had to create a way for the reel to kind of adjust to the cast to minimize the effect of the always on magnets. This technology has been around for decades and has not changed much. It would be awesome if daiwa would create eletronic magnetic designs, but as yet have not stepped up to the plate to offer anything new really. If you purchase a $20 baitcast reel guess what type of braking 99% of the real cheapo reels has? Almost always they have the same old same old magnets. Daiwa simply changed their shape and tossed in a centrifugal moving inductor plate on some spools to give slight appearance of magnetic flux density variation. Shimano however has some awesome engineers who advanced their technology far beyond magnets which Shimano left behind in the dust bins of history about 30+ years ago and went full tilt into centrifugal brakes which has no magnets, and so the braking operation of centrifugal brakes works the most at the top of the cast at high speed spin out, and reduces the braking effect as the spool slows down in the cast which is just about perfect and ideal and works well with thumb muscle memory training. When Shimano engineers created the DC microprocessor controlled reels, they incorporated the same centrifugal braking mechanism to now include computer controlled application for a far more refined braking idealism that is simply not possible and not available in that other brand. Light years apart. So it boils down to what works best for you. Don't listen to us. We just offer opinions. Some good. Some problematic. But what you need to find out is what type of casting works best for you. Do you want old unimproved same old same old magnets repeated in just about every reel? Or, ever evolving improving engineering in centrifugal braking? This is the primary difference between these two brands or reels. Magnets versus centrifugal. Its about what works best for you. And I hope you don't "waste" your money as well on one you don't like. Reading is one thing, but hands on experience is best. Take a read from a Louisiana based article: https://www.lafishblog.com/daiwas-air-brake-system/ "...you must first understand that there are two main types of casting brakes: centrifugal and magnetic. In fact, I've detailed the differences between the two inside this article (inshore anglers use it to make good purchasing decisions) and always found that centrifugal brakes tend to perform the best." So don't take my word for it! But I agree. Centrifugal brakes do perform better because their physical operation is actual braking from a physical perspective as well from a linear application through cast perspective meaning the physical braking of the centrifugal brakes more accurately follows the cast spool speed changes. It more linear. The always on magnets cannot do this. It can only roughly try and follow spool speed changes with less adjustment or control since its not a physical braking mechanism. All it does is reach for more or less magnetic flux based on rotation speed and tends to be heavier on tail end of cast while Shimano brakes are backing off more. Daiwa is more or less theory in looks and less in practice while Shimano is more theory in practice, hence the quote from article "...centrifugal brakes tend to perform the best." And this brings me to another point. With the Curado, you can turn off all the brakes and achieve a true free spinning spool with nothing to slow it down- other than your thumb of course. But with the always on magnets of daiwa those reels can never achieve a true free spinning spool because the always on magnets are always affecting the spool. You can't turn them off. Shimano used to use magnets for braking. But they made a switch to all centrifugal braking and have never turned back. This means Shimano made the correct decision. And then hired awesome engineers to advance the technology. DC reels are taking it to a whole 'nother level daiwa can only dream about right now. It leaves one wonder just what the heck does daiwa engineers do other change their reels shape and color every year? This is why I place Shimano as the number 1 reel company in all the world. Daiwa is runner up, but KastKing a recent startup has already surpassed daiwa with their new offerings of computer controlled reels. Only Shimano and Kastking have them. Daiwa? Still making the same old thing in different shapes and colors really. This is how I see it today. Just how it is in my opinion. So if you can afford it, I'd recommend your entry level at Curado DC and you can't go wrong with that. Non-DC at the least. I just looked up a review of the Curado DC and found this: "The Shimano Curado DC is praised for its revolutionary I-DC4 digital control technology, which dramatically reduces backlashes, allows for longer, more accurate casts with various lures (light to heavy), and offers great versatility for all-around bass fishing." The non-DC HG reels I use exclusively has these brakes: I love them! I have worked myself down to using just one brake out of 4. Cast amazing and super smooth and never have any problems with my reels in years of use. And here is the Daiwa always on magnetic brakes. No physical braking here. All done with magnetic flux and an attempt at centrifugal variation of flux density application. It looks nifty, but still no physical braking. This is what it is going to come down to when choosing between these two brands. Just a matter of preference. Not that one is better than the other, but maybe the technology differences are. Sometimes cheaper is not always better. So wasting one's money is most definitely a matter of choice and perspective. For me, there is a clear winner. I followed Shimano from magnets to centrifugal and have never looked back. To each their own!