FishTank

I would go with the Curado K if you have been using the B's. The SLX is slightly smaller. The guy I fish with has 5 of the B's. That's all he fishes. He tried the SLX and didn't like the way it palmed. He said it felt like a kid's toy but he said the same about my Chronarch 51e as well. I have fished the SLX and like it a lot. It's the best $100 reel I have tried.

Good. They are a little wide on me but not much. Also, the temples on the frames flex out but are not too loose and not too snug. Here is a video of what they are like. I did as much research as I could before getting my first pair last year. The guy is goofy though.

This is what the OP was trying to accomplish but I have seen posts asking this question before on pretty much any type of reel. Bottomline, I am not a fan of the it but the idea is to save line and use what is close to the center of spool since it is new.

I have tried this with Power Pro on a spinning reel and didn't have much luck. It seemed the line had tons of loops and twists. It was spooled tight and looked good and was done from spool to spool on a machine but casting and retrieving was awful.

I have one as well. I have never had an issue with it. It has been a workhorse.

If it's that stained, you don't need to use a leader. I use straight braid for topwater.

A buddy of mine has caught several nice ones this year, one between 3-4lb. He has caught all of them on a Berkley Power Worm 7in. He fishes close to the bank and doesn't cast any further than 30-40 feet. Myself, none this year.

Lucky Craft Pointer 100.

So two different rod line ups I have tried that I like that are distinctly different..... 1. G. Loomis IMX Crankbait rods..... I have the 903C. It loads like a graphite rod and is sensitive but it has a soft tip. It will throw a lipless crank a mile. 2. St. Croix Legend Glass > I know you said you did not want a glass rod but this rod is awesome. It is the perfect crankbait rod. I have the 7'2'' Med. It loads perfectly, balances well, hook sets are perfect, its sensitive but not too sensitive, and it just feels right. I have tried other glass rods and this is the only one that I really liked.

Then....Without seeing it first hand, I would take it apart one more time and see if something is a miss.

Did you use the drag washers or the key washer from the Curado K?

Depending on how deep the water is and how tall the grass is.... A shallow running crankbait, fished slow over the grass.

Yes. The bait is nothing special or new for that matter> just new marketing. However, it does catch fish for me when I have the patience to fish it slow.

Maybe a few bucks over your budget..... St. Croix Avid 7' M Fast. It does just about anything.

Is there any play in the handle side to side? >More so than usual? If the nut on the handle comes loose, there is a thin lip that fits over the drive shaft (might be part of the drag clicker), it can make it feel tight when turned but be slightly loose side to side> this will loosen the tension on the drag. When working on mine, I have not held the handle tight enough to the reel when putting it back together a few times causing this to happen. It could also be the drag washers are shot. In this case flip them over, run them dry until you get new ones.

I bought the current STX and returned it. Tons of issues. I also fished my friends SX and it was not to my liking. But on the other hand, I have the ALX as well and it is one of the funnest reels I own. Love fishing it.

I too have the Winch and out of the Abu reels I have tried, this reel gets the job done. I picked mine up at Amazon for $145. I don't think its worth much more than that but still a good reel.

Which Antares model is it?

I have a pack with a few left in it of that color but never caught anything. I like 927 better.

I like the stuff from Arc'teryx and they too make military gear (for Canadian troops and service). Layers like mentioned above is the way to go. It can be complex and difficult to nail all the right stuff. Each type of weather presents its own challenge. Guide from Arc'teryx below. https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens-layering-guide/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxNT8BRD9ARIsAJ8S5xbZjfMG5cz32TXZyPRl0UYJE1Pnhk5eiep3EV0zY_8BHXZ5UUWSDaMaAl_-EALw_wcB What I use for Indiana cold weather..... Pants> REI Gore-Tex Rain pants with Smartwool base layer or fleece lined jeans Shell Jacket> Arc'teryx Beta AR over one of these... Shirt> Smartwool Base Layer and/or Arc'teryx Delta LT Fleece Pullover Jacket for 30 Degree weather> Arc'teryx Atom LT Jacket for below 30 Degrees> Arc'teryx Thorium AR Neoprene water proof gloves Wool sock hat Muck boots insulated and Smartwool hunting socks

I think by the video it's more grease than oil. The noise occurs when the handle is cranked and not during free spool. I would guess the main gear and pinion are making the noise and would need to be greased lightly along with the anti-reverse bearing and the sleeve that fits over the drive shaft. Again this is just a guess but a lot of issues like this can be resolved by just doing a clean and lube. I would also use a drop of oil or two on the worm gear. Not sure on this one but I think it is plastic so you may not see a whole lot of benefit.

The Curado K and SLX probably, both being new, shouldn't really need a soak just yet. I have a few reels I fish heavily throughout the year and they probably just get a drop of oil on the spool bearings maybe twice a season and are fine for years but if they start to show some issues I soak them and re-lube. My process goes like this.... I soak the spool bearings in either acetone or simple green/orange overnight. I let out to dry or I lightly blow them dry. Once dry, I re-oil them with a drop of Bantam oil or now TSI-321 oil. I have also used Daiwa's oil, Abu Garcia's, and Ardent oil. After it soaks on one side, I check the bearing on a pencil. If it's still feels off, I put a drop of oil on the other side of the bearing and let it soak. If it still feels bad, then I replace it. Over the 15+ years of fishing and 16 setups, I have replaced maybe 3 sets of bearings that actually needed it. On a side note....One bearing on the K that needs attention as much as the spool bearings, is the X-ship bearing located below the spool bearing under the cast control knob.

I have been using Sunline Xplasma 16lb on my spinning gear this year and so far so good. I haven't had any issues other than it loosing some of the color. I use a leader anyway so no big deal. I have liked it better than Sufix 832 and Power Pro but its about equal to Seaguar Smackdown.

If it's a JDM reel, I hate to say it.... there is no warranty but sometimes Shimano USA can be sympathetic and get you some kind of help. Back to the sound..... I had a similar noise, but not as bad as yours, in a new Daiwa Steez SV TWS. It just needed a few drops of oil and some grease and it was like a whole different reel. It went from smooth to super smooth and has been so ever since.

It sounds like the reel is bone dry. It may just need to be oiled and a little grease added to the main gear and pinion. For me.....I have come to distrust how reels are produced and stored, even Shimano and Daiwa, etc. I would think that you could just fish reels right out of the box but I now re-lube each new reel I buy. Some reels I have bought have had too much oil and grease and others not enough. I like to make sure it is just the way I like it before I fish it.