I have a handful of Daiwa Fuego baitcasters and really like them. However, I'm developing a taste for nicer rods and I can sometimes feel a false positive bite on my most sensitive rod from the subtle tick of the handle/spool on the reel shifting a bit. As my nice rod collection grows, I anticipate this will worsen.

 

I'm also kind of price averse when it comes to reels so I'm wondering:

 

A ) Is there a way to modify a reel to eliminate or greatly reduce play in a reel?

 

B ) What are the least expensive reels in the mid tier that have really tight tolerances on their parts?

Break it down, clean it, and lubricate it properly and that should help out a good amount.

Are you referring to the in/out play of the handle? 

5 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Break it down, clean it, and lubricate it properly and that should help out a good amount.

Legitimate suggestion but I still notice it after a full maintenance session. I do a full disassemble and clean at the beginning of the season and half way through. What I like less than buying a reel in the first place is replacing it due to neglect.

2 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

Are you referring to the in/out play of the handle? 

Yes, and a little around the knobs.

I'm not sure if that get eliminated completely ... you may have to go to ultra-high end reels but someone else may be able to tell for sure

 

I can tell you there is no significant difference in level of play between the Fuego CT and the Curado K. 

1 minute ago, garroyo130 said:

I'm not sure if that get eliminated completely ... you may have to go to ultra-high end reels but someone else may be able to tell for sure

 

I can tell you there is no significant difference in level of play between the Fuego CT and the Curado K. 

Oh... then I will stop wondering about them.  Thank you, that's a very helpful comparison. Maybe I should be looking at aftermarket handles....

 

Get rid of them and start fresh. I’ll dispose of them for you. I’ll meet you in St. Johns to pick them up. ?

Just now, 12poundbass said:

Get rid of them and start fresh. I’ll dispose of them for you. I’ll meet you in St. Johns to pick them up. ?

? Well, thankfully not all my rods are good enough to notice. 

You can remove some of the slop by adding a shim between the driveshaft collar and driveshaft gear.  The shim will be the same ID as the driveshaft bearing.  You will want to get a few different thicknesses to experiment and find which one works best.

36 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

You can remove some of the slop by adding a shim between the driveshaft collar and driveshaft gear.  The shim will be the same ID as the driveshaft bearing.  You will want to get a few different thicknesses to experiment and find which one works best.

Ok, I'm into trying that. Maybe I can shim up the handles too if I can get them off. One side looks riveted but there's a decorative cap on the exterior side that might be able to be removed.