Sooooo........ I want to upgrade my cranking reels.  I still have old school Curado's on those rods.  The problem is that all the reels are so high in gear ratio now that i really cant use them.  I have a lot of trouble cranking slow enough on 6/7:1 reels.  For my budget, 3 $200 Curados in 5.4:1 is not realistic.  For as much as i throw the crank now (no longer competing much) I would like to stay under $120.  Caius, Caenan or Casitas and at most a Citica.  I want to do this before spring.  All my life I have been a die hard Shimano user, some other brands are just not an option.

Can any of these reels be geared down?

What are you cranking on?

(square bills, finesse cranks, deep divers up to 12')

There were a few website selling the Curado I's for Black Friday in the $120-140 range.

Even still, you can regularly find the I series 200PG for sub $150 if you know how to shop around the internet.

lews tournament mg 5.4:1 (if you can still find one that is just realized they're discontinued)

I don't crank a ton but anything diving over 10ft is getting thrown on a Curado E5.  I'm a big Shimano guy as well but I'm really liking Daiwa a lot more these days.  If you don't wanna spend a ton but want a decent reel, check out the Tatula CTs.  They can be had for $120 (even lower on ebay) and come in a 5.5:1 power ratio.

Shimano Calcutta 200D

A-Jay

Look at the Lews BB1 5.1:1. Really a great cranking reel. You can get these on the bay for less than $120. I have bought some for less than $90.

2 hours ago, TriCityBassin' said:

Sooooo........ I want to upgrade my cranking reels.  I still have old school Curado's on those rods.  The problem is that all the reels are so high in gear ratio now that i really cant use them.  I have a lot of trouble cranking slow enough on 6/7:1 reels.  For my budget, 3 $200 Curados in 5.4:1 is not realistic.  For as much as i throw the crank now (no longer competing much) I would like to stay under $120.  Caius, Caenan or Casitas and at most a Citica.  I want to do this before spring.  All my life I have been a die hard Shimano user, some other brands are just not an option.

Can any of these reels be geared down?

What are you cranking on?

(square bills, finesse cranks, deep divers up to 12')

Which Curado's do you have? E series?

Go with a casitas it's a great reel 631 is slow enough and the braking system is just freaking awesome. It's well within your budget.

Okie, die hard Shimano user here buuuuut, there's Daiwa and the Exceler is available in 5:1 GR and cost like 100 bucks a piece.

I believe you can get 5.1 gears for a curado e, let me check and I'll follow up

3 hours ago, Honkytonk said:

I believe you can get 5.1 gears for a curado e, let me check and I'll follow up

Yeah that is where I was going. Can get the 3 parts needed from Shimano for roughly $22.72 or can buy the kit from tackle trap that comes with carbon tex drag washers for $32.99.