USA-Retired

Just curious how long it takes for them to ship someting they have in stock? Ordered a reel this morning and was wondering if it's the normal 5-7 days or longer? I know what they say..but is that what they really mean........

They both make great reels. If you ask which is better, Shimano users will say Shimano, Daiwa Users will say Daiwa. I use both and think both are excellent (who the heck is going to buy one brand and then say the other brand is better...hehe). I personally think the mid priced Daiwas have a better spool spin than the Shimanos, however I've not noticed them casting any further than the Shimano. I not sure one will backlash more than another. I was used to reels with Mag control (my old Shimano Bantams were all mag control) so when I bought a new Shimano with the VBS, I was backlashing initially until I understood how the system works, now it's fine. I'd expect the same would be true with someone not familiar with the mag control. Which one is better....well, what tastes better Grilled Steak or BBQ Ribs? Now I'm hungry

Falcon makes great rods for the money. Unless these two are real "beaters". The price is RIGHT!

Just a side note. I had about 2 hours to kill in our local Bass Pro Shop..so I spet all that time looking at and comparing rods. The Browning Midas looks like one heck of a rod for the money. I compared it the Shimano Crucial (Which I own) and have to say, that the Browing is more than a match for the Crucial for the same money. The Guides used on the Midas are far and away much better than the guides on the Shimano and I think the detail work on the Browning is superior to the Shimano also. I've fished my Crucial and am very pleased with it's performance. The crucial is light and sensitive with a great warranty. After comparing the two (Shimano Crucial and Browning Midas) in the store, I have no reason to think the Midas will perform worse than the Crucial. I'd say go for it.....for the money it looks like a very nice rod with materialsl found on more expensive brands. I also like what I saw in the Bass Pro brand "Prolite Finese" rods. Superior Guides and nice appointments on the rod for $99.99. The rod appears to be a bargain when you consider the construction and materials. Just my $.02 worth.

If you like the Steez and the Zillion...pick up a Sol and play with it......you will fall in love with it. I trying to find an Alphas...if not, a Sol will be coming home with me. Also a Zillion......variety is the spice of life ;D Cheers

The difference between the 100D and 100DSV is the spool. I'm guessing, but I'll wager the casts will be marginally shorter with the DSV due to the spool weight. Shimano makes great stuff, as do some other manufacturers. Most people buy and fish Shimano..so, you get many more referals for that brand over any other. Best advice is check out a few reels from different manufacturers and choose the one that you like. Like anything else, there is a "herd" mentality when it comes to fishing reels. I have a Curado 100D and love the little thing. I will be buying a Daiwa Alphas (if I can find one) or a Sol in the near future. Daiwa makes great stuff too. I've handled the Abu Garcia low profile and was very impressed with their operation. When you spend upwards of $200 or more for a reel, you'll get a quality product regardless of the brand name. If you take care of it, it will last you a life time. Regards and good luck.

Compared to MegaBass and some of the custom built rods...Steez rods are a bargain. Just my opinion, I could be wrong ;D

I'm trying to find a rod blank offered by Loomis or St. Croix that would closley match the Shimano Crucial IM9. I Know Loomis GTX and St. Croix Legend Elite are probably the best you can buy for sensitivity. Not sure I need something that good or to spend that much to match the Crucial sensitivity. Can anyone steer me to the quality blank I should be looking at in Loomis or St Croix lines. I was looking at the Rainshadow RX7 line but am not sure if that is a good blank with sensitivity to match the Crucial (much cheaper than either the Loomis or St. Croix). But figuring most guys build with Loomis or St. Croix, you would know which type of blank to recommend from those two makers. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

You bought the Qunatum, enjoy it. Next time buy the Shimano (variety is the spice of life)...then post back here and tell US which one you like best. Congrats on your purchase, have fun with it, catch lots of fish, release them and stay safe. Cheers

As promised, here's the deal on the internal gears in the Citica. I got this from a Shimano service rep....so I can't attest to it's accuracy 100%. But I have no reason to doubt him. The Citica drive gear and pinion gear are both brass...not fiber or plastic. The Curado main drive gear is anodized aluminum while the pinion gear is brass. Not sure why they aren't using the same pinion gears in both...however, the pinion gears are brass in both reels. That makes the Citica 100D a heck of a buy for a fishing reel (IMHO). Especially when you compare it to a Curado 100D (Which I do own) part for part. Cheers...............

I don't have any experience with that rod. I did however buy two of the Bass Pro Boron Rods when they were the hot item to have in the 70's (or was it the 80's). I didn't like like the feel of the rods and they seemed to be a bit more dead compared to the Graphite rods. I really had high expectations for the boron rods and paid top dollar for them. I sold both for a big loss and bought four matcing graphite rods (the brand new 5' 6" Berkley pistol grip lighting rods)....hehe. Hope you hear from someone that uses the rod you're interested in. Cheers

No Probelm Muddy Man, I've never gotten into bashing one reel brand over another. Never made much sense to disparage products I don't personally use. I've had great experience with both Daiwa and Shimano, and now fish Shimano almost exclusively. I have to say I'm more than a little impressed with the smoothness and precsison of all the higher end reels being manufactured by Silstar. But being a creature of habit, I stick with what has worked and performed well for me and pass my personal experiences on, as I'm sure you do. Plenty of market share out there for everyone Regards and Cheers

Hey Muddy Man, As a matter of fact, I have an old Pflueger reel that was my Dad's, bought back in the 1920's and it's still working. That reel has Jeweled oil cups on the spool and there was no such thing as a free spool button. That's the reel I learned to bait cast with. It was made in the good old US of A. The Pflueger company your refer to, is long gone. Silstar was doing all the Pflueger warranty work during the transistion. The product carries the same name but is not made by the same people. Another example is Sharp LCD televisions......32" and below, not made in Japan anymore. Shimano Citica 200...made in Malasyia however Shimano still manufacturers it's own reels too. Many of the electronics that carry a Japanese brand name and now are made by Funai in China but are badged as Japanese brands. Is your RCA or Zenith TV made in the USA by the same comapny 25 years ago? Is Magnavox American made? Companies and brand names are bought and sold everyday. Reel companies are no different. As I mentioned in my original post, reels made by Silstar can be good regardless of the bedge they wear, it comes down to the price you pay for them. Daiwa and Shimano are still the same companies making the reels that we bought 35 years ago. The others are not. Hope that clears things up. Cheers

Echo the 6# ultra soft

For $7.05 and $3.00 shipping you can purchase the drive shaft bearing from Shimano to replace the bushing in the Citica. The reels are identical in the hand. They are the same frame, sideplate, handle etc....just different colors. Part numbers vary because of the color...other than the bushing and two internal gears. The weight difference is due to the spools...DSV vs. the drilled spool on the Curado. I will find out what the gear differences are and post it when I get the info.

Check this out as an option. http://www.porta-bote.com/ I am considering one strictly for fishing canals and selected areas of larger lakes. Folds flat for storage and transport (was going to carry mine in a Saturn Ion with a red flag on the extending portion from the trunk). Cheers

Take a look at the Shimano Crucial 7'6" MH trigger rod (Flipping stick). I'm picking one up in a couple of weeks to us for Frogs, Jigs, Flippin and spinnerbaits. Rod is surprising light for it's size. Has a nice tip action and plenty of backbone to set hooks or pull fish out of slop. Could also use it as a shinner rod. Cheers

I saw Bill fish Okeechobee many years ago,...of course he was in waders and in the canals around the lake. Dang, he caught some nice fish on that show...last one was a 10lb + fish on a 6inch rapala floating minnow. Not sure I'd be wading in there with the gators.

Over 6, less than 7..going to say 6lb 8oz

I love the Falcon rods. Have one of the originals and it's been stellar. I'm also a Shimano lover..I have Compre's and Crucial's and think they are outstanding (you cannot beat their warranty). When I make my choice, I usually take the rods I'm interested in and compare them side by side. Compare weights and feel in your hand, look at the details in construction (reel seat, number of guides and quality of the wrap (I prefer single foot guides as they stand up better to the occasional mishap).....then look at the price. Sometimes you'll be surprised that a less expensive rod will feel better and have a better build quality than the more expensive rods. Good luck and enjoy your purchase.

I'm using a Curado 100D with a Shimano Crucial Drop Shot rod. The set up is very well balanced and very very sensitive. If your budget limits you on the reel, take a look at the Shimano Citica 100DSV...pretty much the same reel as the Curado 100D which is a kissing cousin to the Chronarch 50mg. Cheers

Ive handled a few of them in the "box" stores, and they are what they are. Inexpensive baitcasting reels. As I recall, Silstar now makes the reels for Pfueger, Bass Pro, Shakespear and a couple of other companies. The quality will vary with the price of the reel regardless of the badge the reels wear. The more you spend the better the reel will be. That being said, there are a couple of reel manufactureres that have been around for a long time and have a good reputatioin...Shimano and Daiwa. It's my opinion that you would be wise to wait a while and purchase a more expensive reel made by either Shimano or Daiwa. The price point is right around $100 for a quality product. With proper care your $100 reel will last you for many years or decades. (I have Shimano's and Daiwa's I purchased 25 years ago and they still work flawlessly) . A $40 or $50 reel may not last you one season. Hope this helps Cheers

I have a Curado 100D and love the reel...also have a Daiwa Inshore (SW version of the advantage) and really like it too. Daiwa and Shimano make great products. If you are used to fishing a Chronach 50mg and like it's feel, consider going with the Citica 100DSV for the extra line capacity. Maybe it won't have as much as a 200, but close enough that you probably won't get spooled. Shimano seems to be the reel of choice for most anglers and I understand that the return rate for problems with Shimano is very low compared to other reel manufacturers. I'm sure the Daiwa Advantage ST or the Citica will serve you well....but the Citica offers a small profile reel (just like the Chronarch 50mg) with a larger line capacity. I like the smaller reels...so my vote is for the Citica. Cheers

Having nothing but time on my hands I did a part by part comparison off the schematics of each reel and here's what I discovered: 1. There are a total of 12 different parts between the Citica 100DSV and the Curado 100D. 2. 8 of the 12 appear to be cosmetic (reel frame, side plates, nut cover, star drag, turnkey dial, handle assembly, etc.) all have a different part number as they are a different color or finish than the Curado parts. They look to be idential in construction. 3. The 4 parts that appear to be different are: a. A drive shaft bushing on the Citica vs. a drive shaft bearing on the Curado (we all knew this) 3+1 vs. 4+1 b. The drive gear, and pinion gear are different part numbers for the Citica compared to the Curado..not sure if the Citica has Fiber/plastic internal gears (schematic doesn't say)..if the gears are metal, they may be cut differently or maybe not finished in the same manner as the Curado gears (Tooth rounding and chamfering, heat treatment, whatever). c. The last is the Spool..one is a deep V vs. the regular drilled spool on the Curado (not a biggie here as spools swap out between the two). That's it folks. The $80 difference comes down to two internal gears and a bushing. Cheers....