20 met

1 hour ago, KP Duty said:

Chronarch Mg50 circa 2004.

X2, I’ve got 8 of them that’s still going 

1 hour ago, KP Duty said:

Either the 200E series from Shimano which includes Chronarch, Curado and Citica.  Or, the pearl white Chronarch 100...... such a great reel!

I really like my Curado 200i. These reels get a bad rap for some reason but Tackle Tour loved the reel and I bought one based on this review:

 

https://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanocuradoibaitcaster.html

 

I got mine in 2016 and i still use it all the time on an imx pro MBR 903C with 12 pound Sufix Siege for all purpose work 

 

9 hours ago, shackman said:

X2, I’ve got 8 of them that’s still going 

I really liked them...with all 5 of their bearings, lol.  To be fair, I haven't fished any Shimanos since then.  Just picked up a couple Curado 70's and a 150mgl.   We'll see...

1 hour ago, Flyfish-mt said:

Either the 200E series from Shimano which includes Chronarch, Curado and Citica.  Or, the pearl white Chronarch 100...... such a great reel!

Has to be one lol not the whole range of reels.

Oh man that is a tough question.  I guess if I had to pick only one best Shimano baitcaster from my last 40 years of fishing to cover all types of fishing...I guess I would probably have to go with the '22 Bantam.

 

The Curado 50/200e were killer, the Curado 150 mgl is killer, and the Curado 70 mgl is just fantastic too.

 

The 20 Mets are absolutely fantastic, but I do not LOVE them enough to justify the price.

 

What the fishing world needs as mentioned in a post above...we NEED a 22 Bantam with a magnesium body like the Met.  That would be the best reel they have ever produced.  Hello?  Shimano? Are you listening?

My favorites are my curado 51e and my '92 calcutta. The 51e is/was such a work horse, and it looked sharp. The 92 calcutta was my first casting reel, my grandfather bought "half" of it for my birthday and i paid for the other half. I still have it, i still fish it

Another vote for the Curado 200 E7. I own a handful. 

For me, the current Mets are pretty phenomenal.  I have a pair of Mets and a pair of bantams and they are both excellent.  But i think the Mets are better reels for most everything. And while I haven’t held an Antares, i have an aldebaran bfs, chronarch (current), chronarch (200e), bantam 100, and started with the original bantams in the early 90’s. The met is awesome. 

11 hours ago, Flyfish-mt said:

Either the 200E series from Shimano which includes Chronarch, Curado and Citica.  Or, the pearl white Chronarch 100...... such a great reel!

Anyone want a Chronarch 200e?  I have one on my big rod and it just doesn’t suit me.  Happy to trade straight up for a new Bantam.

 

 

The chronarch bantam 100 in pearl is a beast for smoothness and long casting.  I just wish the profile was a bit lower.  The internals are incredible but the external frame is bigger than my hand prefers.  

Last gen SLX MGL 70, destroys every other casting reel i own. I probably wouldve liked my Zillion more if i didnt buy the MGL first.

 

IMO its the best Shimano reel for the money, it had the looks, feel, quality, performance, reviews, heck even had the same if not similar tech and features that the lineups 2x its price had. All for $100-150.

 

I cant understand how they chose to throw it all away for the new 70 A model that looks awful and is getting terrible reviews.

I loved the E and D series from Shimano, but i will never understand how one would take those over newer offerings from Shimano. Is it nostalgia? Is it the fact that they're hard to get in clean condition? Because its certainly not performance or smoothness. Sure the gears lasted way longer before buzzing like crazy, but that's the only positive i can think of.

My Calcutta 200GTB.  Hands down.  I have reels newer, lighter etc. that may be better value, tech or whatever. But if the question is favourite one it’s the trusty Calcutta, they are perfection in a reel.  Still going strong over 10 years later and can tackle almost any species or technique

Metanium 101 HG is my best Shimano. I have old Bantam B5's that are still great and are workhorses.

I have SLX 71 & SLX BFS and they've become a letdown. They're "geary" and seriously flex when fighting fish in vegetation.

Really wondering about micro module......

I've used basically every high end Shimano since the late 90's. Best all around models are the Chronarch D series and the 2013 Metaniums. 

16 hours ago, wolfe_ohara said:

My favorites are my curado 51e and my '92 calcutta. The 51e is/was such a work horse, and it looked sharp. The 92 calcutta was my first casting reel, my grandfather bought "half" of it for my birthday and i paid for the other half. I still have it, i still fish it

Awesome can you post a pic of the 92 Calcutta? they were all silver back then right? the gold ones came out in the late 90s? 

12 hours ago, ABU is overpriced said:

I loved the E and D series from Shimano, but i will never understand how one would take those over newer offerings from Shimano. Is it nostalgia? Is it the fact that they're hard to get in clean condition? Because its certainly not performance or smoothness. Sure the gears lasted way longer before buzzing like crazy, but that's the only positive i can think of.

Yes, it IS all about performance, toughness, longevity and the overall build. 
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it. 
 

All the new and improved materials, fancy innards, precision this or that is great, but none of that is reason enough to sacrifice the tried and true. 
 

But that’s me

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

So far Curado 201E7.  Bantam MGL, SLX 71 MGL, and 19 Scorpion MGL are still in boxes.  Haven't used the older Exsence DC enough to form an opinion other than it is nearly backlash proof.

3 hours ago, Mike L said:

Yes, it IS all about performance, toughness, longevity and the overall build. 
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it. 
 

All the new and improved materials, fancy innards, precision this or that is great, but none of that is reason enough to sacrifice the tried and true. 
 

But that’s me

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Well, minus the micro module, the Bantam and the 2020 Met is pretty tried and true to me. And while the gear set won't last as long as something on the Curado E, newer reels are certainly smoother under load.

The E Series

Honestly I really enjoyed the Shimano Casitas, a great little reel.

 

The E series is definitely legendary, love the Curado 50E

the trend?  more $$ = more love!

 

someone mentioned the Curado MGL 150.  I have two.  one is magic, the other one not so much magic.  it even rattles a bit.  hahah..  I need to send it to mr DVT, but I dont even need it much these days.  

All time favorite reel? In reading the responses, I guess it depends on what one’s definition of “all time” is, and what’s the individual’s point of reference in terms of reliability or latest shiny new tech. My personal favorite is the reel that is the workhorse of my lineup over the years, the Curado B because it’s dependable, reliable, easy to maintain and still provides me with a lot personal satisfaction when fishing.

I'm thinking the Curado 150 mgl is going to be a classic.  I've loved that reel so far, been progressively replacing my hodgepodge of reels with that line.

I have used mostly all the higher end shimano reels and sold them all. Now I just use the SLX 70a MGL. That by far has blown me away by how comfortable it is fishing it all day, and how smooth it is.