Well first off let me say, I have never used my Fuego before for any moving style baits, mainly jigs and bigger t-rigs.

But I decided to use it for some spinnerbaits because I didn't want to use my other rods for it, but man it felt really underpowered. I'm starting to think it may have something to do with how I cleaned it, I did like I do to every reel I have, strip, clean, and relube.

It's smoooth as all heck, but even with a regular spinnerbait (1/4 oz, 1 willow, 1 tiny colorado) it just felt underpowered on the retrieve. I thought it was pulling drag but my drag was set fine, with a good amount of pressure to pull some out.

Or maybe its the rod and reel? Im using a 6'8" MH/XF with 17# Sufix Seige, but I dont think that is the culprit, maybe, but I dont know for sure.

Any thoughts guys? It makes me want to not use reaction baits on my favorite reel.

This might sound silly, but I had a similar experience out on the water witha a new reel. It would cast ok but felt labored on the retrieve. I finally figured out that I ( like an idiot) had missed one of the line guides when I threaded the line. lol I'd look for some kind of interference like that.

No problems in the guides, it just seems weird to me.

DVT, I do coat the teeth of the gears with Ardent Reel Butter, would that possibly be a cause?

In all seriousness, after fishing with Shimano casting reels, Daiwa's have felt "weak" to me. In fact I sold my Tierra, Advantage's and Fuego a season or two ago because they all felt underpowered when fishing moving baits. More so than Revo's too. I think it's just the way they are, and I didn't like it so away they went.

In all seriousness, after fishing with Shimano casting reels, Daiwa's have felt "weak" to me. In fact I sold my Tierra, Advantage's and Fuego a season or two ago because they all felt underpowered when fishing moving baits. More so than Revo's too. I think it's just the way they are, and I didn't like it so away they went.

That was my experience with the Fuego as well. It doesn't have the larger/HEG-type gears a lot of other reels have. Add that to it's 28IPT and mine felt labored as well.

A longer handle will restore some crankin power to that Fuego.

Just sayin!

Greasing the gears won't hurt anything like you describe. If this is the first time using this reel in this manner and don't have prior experience with it to compare you can probably chalk it up to the reel just not being ideal for that application.