JustJames

@OCdockskipperif you need help reducing population of those catfish in your pond let me know. I'll help you free of charge and my wife would thanks you a lot lol. @Bluebasser86were you fishing golf course pond ?. I remembered in the day when I did Ninja-fishing at one of the golf course pond behind my house. We would got bite within 10 second cast after cast. I should had tried lures then.

This is just for fun for those of you who got excitement for a moment when big cat hit your lures instead of bass. What type of lure have you caught catfish? No cutbait livebait or hand and snag doesn't count please lol. I guess @Bluebasser86will get the longest list in this category ?. let me start first 1 whopper plopper 110, this got me very excite for a big moment, the catfish hit the lure just as soon as it hit water. 2. Chatterbait caught total of 3 catfish 3. Marabou jig. I think it 1/32 oz on light spinning setup, this one got some fun out of me. 4. Dropshot Zman TRD, almost pulled the rod out of my hand, that 5lbs catfish hit the lure right after I pitch to some grass. 5. Texas rig, Zman boar hogz 6. Just this morning caught another one on jackall Jerkbait. Also got me excite for a minute until it started pulling the line into log nearby.

I'm not sure where the water get in. I will check it out after I have more time, but the guy from YouTube said something like from thumb bar when click. Is this uncommon, I'm not sure but some of the old reels water can get in, that why they make holes to drain water out from inside. It is not really major problem in fresh water world but you would need to open your reel more often, the first this that will show sign is your drag where the smoothness is compromised. Too bad I did not open the main gear when I flushed the bearing, I cannot compare but today all my drag washer was soaking wet.

Okay I went out to test my 200K for the first time this morning. I like it, it cast very good and very controllable, also very smooth even when fighting with fish. Now the bad part, as I've seen in you tube about water can get into maingear side plate. I can confirm that. I only fish for an hour casting about 1oz topwater lure caught two fish. This reel is not suitable for saltwater at all, for fresh water you might be able to get away with more frequently maintenance. Decision, decision, decision.. if I wanna keep this one. I really plan to replace my steez ex100 with this reel for all topwater and chatterbait.

I'm in the process of converting all my top water to single inline hook. Still trying to figure out which size hook should I get. Image below is VMC 1x 3/0 and might be a tad too big. I like the idea of cutting the treble hook too but not sure if one hook would be strong enough. I did cut one hook of lipless crank to make it more snag less but wouldnt do any to my jerk bait (only barbless) All the reason is not really for fish but safety of myself lol.

This ^^^ curado K don't have magnatic just a fine tune for centrifugal brake. Now you have other reel at one or no break but 2 on curado K, I believe that your old one might not get a good free spin or spool bearing need to be cleaned. I too have 2 brakes on most of Shimano reels but only curado 70 and scorpion 70 that i set at 3 becuz I use a lot of light lure and that help eliminate over run, I did loose some distance but not by much.

I normally use 30lb power pro but sometime I would go as small as 20lb daiwa J-braid.

First of all, I don't have BFS reel but from spec 6lb you would get about 50yds capacity. Senko is about 3/8oz small rattle trap 1/4oz you can spooled yourself easily and you don't really need BFS for them. Just a thought.

Mine arrived and I don't see any problem with it, open and close just like normal.

Finally home here some pics for you compare with scorpion 70 and curado 200K. Note that even aldebaran mg7 look bigger than scorpion but overall shape is more comfortable for me to palm and handle is closer than scorpion which is important since I fish one hand a lot.

$200 reels, you have a whole bunch of selection new and slightly used, shimano,daiwa,Abu Garcia, lews and etc. that capable of throwing weightless plastic. The best for me or other might not be the best for you. There are so many varieties to consider like size and comfort, line capacity, brake system. The best for you is to try it out yourself. Goto store and try to hold different reels on the rod, pick the system that you familiar with(mag, centrifugal, both DC.), try to stay with name brand, shimano/daiwa so if you don't like it you can sell without loosing a lot of money.

I guess. I do have only one lefty where I have to palm when cast but so far no incidents just yet. totally agree with @lmbfisherman I have both shimano and daiwa, the only time I have to change brake setting on shimano is when casting very light lure (1/8 oz) otherwise set it and forget it both old VBS and new SVS system. With daiwa of course it easy to change setting on the fly but to open and maintenance kind of pain, i have pin remover but yet to flush any bearing on my daiwa reel.

Never bother for one, even the reels that come with cover I still have them brand new in original boxes.

It is not really complicated if you know what to look for. You don't have to completely breakdown to clean the reel and a few loose parts like, springs, pinion gear and main gear with all the washers. The hardest for me to take apart is worm gear with those tiny C-clips. Next time I will do as @WRBmentioned, take out all the loose parts and shoot hard with some electronic cleaner spray without taking out from reel. This way I can extend my totally service even longer.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, but you should do or learn for some basic maintenance like oil the spool, clean and lube the wormgear (this part is the dirtiest of your reel) open the reel and check grease inside main gear add if need. With that amount of use I would send to professional to clean after 2-3 seasons, reason grease become hardened and not lube maingear properly. I have used both shimano and professional but I feel more confident with professional to clean the reel more throughly than manufacturers.

Let see here, I got to fish top of the line shimano (in the past) a few days back, they are conquest 50 and scorpion Antares pair with Tenryu rods. Would it make me a better angler? NO becuz I got skunked big time. BUT for sure they make my fishing more enjoyable and also perform better for specific techniques. I still don't understand why ppl have to worry about what other use. Some, money is no object, some best bang for buck and some just wanna fish and don't care about equipment. To be a better fisherman or not only YOU who can answer it. Whatever their pick, kudos to them as long as fishing involved. Buy what you like as long as you enjoy using it or just plain looking at it.

I agree with @kickerfish1here in some degree. I use my Chronarch 50e for everything from 1oz top water, jerkbait, chatterbait and Magnum Fluke, but I save my alde mg7 for 1/16oz Ned rig, wacky rig and small jerkbait. All other applications I have 3 of 70s to serve my need. The different is if I ever need new gear, I would get 6.4 ratio brass gear from cu50e instead of aluminum gear from core. I plan to get rid of my other daiwa, alphas SV105(my Ned rig setup) and steez EX another reason I just ordered curado 200k.

Most of my cast is done with overhead cast since I fish mostly from bank, and that also what I first learned. Another one is sidearm cast where I want the lure to land lower and very useful with finesse style fishing (one hand sidearm lob cast). After these techniques then cast with your other hand. I can cast with my left both overhead and sidearm, but accuracy is not as good as my right. After all these done then should be easier to practice pitching, skipping and backhand cast.

I just also ordered that 200k, I still don't know what I'm gonna do with it, but found it on sale,Talk about bait monkey, huh? I hope I don't get a POS like yours.

Yes way smaller it is the same frame as curado 50e but a lot lighter. If you can wait until Sunday, I can take some pics for you to compare.

I got to fish with Scorpion Antares a few day ago, this I believe same frame as Met mg. This reel is tank and heavy but you know what in the course of me fishing from 3/8 chatterbait all the way to 3/32oz jighead with 2" swimbait, I don't feel heavy at all. The reel palm nice better than my steez. And man oh man this reel is d**n smooth and can cast a mile, I don't even have to change any setting with 3/32 jighead.

It depends? The aldebaran is actually the same body as beloved 50e series. A lot of ppl like it but some preferred 70 series with sit just a tad higher on reel seat. I never try newer aldebaran 50 so can't comment on those but this reel is also on my radar. Me 5'7 with small Asian hand, I like comfort of 50 better but I do have 2 of those (more coming) and 3 of 70 series. The metanium MG should be the same size as chronarch 100d which is a tad wider and obviously longer and sit higher than aldebaran mg, think 200i vs 70. I hope this help.

For those of you who use cover, what type of UV and water repellent spray, you guy use? I used to use tarp but got a letter from HOA to use fitted cover instead of loose tarp otherwise I would get some ticket (suck to live under HOA, huh?). I like fitted cover better, easier and faster to cover the boat, but fabric is pretty thin and might not last a full season. My old one lost water repellent within first season and fabric started to tear with strong wind right after.

And the good thing is most of the part are interchangeable. 5000 and 6000 series got the same side plate only one wider than other. I've never seen shallow spool for Abu 5000 series, but I'm out of ABU world for quite awhile. I think the new bent from 6500 c3 might fit your reel. There are also power handle for Abu that should fit your reel just fine. You can also add line clicker but you have to buy new side plate that come with it. These all in my opinion worth upgrading for your reel. Mine 5000 series also BPS special come with thumb bar release and line clicker already, I only swapped handle with my 6500c3.

I don't know now man, I wish I could help more but those are simple diagnoses for shimano reel. Your might be defective or someone with the same problem might be able to help more. May be spring where the sideplate attached to frame not in place?