Was able to find a Curado 50E locally in barely used condition for a crazy good price, and i am really impressed by everything on it. It really doesn't have any flaws at all, everything, including the paintjob, looks and feels great. So i decided to google the original MSRP, and for a Made in Japan reel, these launched for $180. With inflation its probably a bit higher now, but still, this is a really good price for what you're getting. So it made me wonder, is it even a possibility for Shimano (or Daiwa for that matter) to release a Japan made baitcaster for the USDM, and be around the $180-200 range? Or is a Curado E-like in 2026 would be a Bantam, sold for $395?

The current JDM 100 bantam is an infinitely better reel than the 200E (curado/chronarch). Size differences aside the bantam has a better profile for palming (for my hands), it more solidly built, and has a better spool and breaking system. I have both in the boat rigged right now for tomorrow. If I could have a 200 size version that is the same just a little bigger (for 22# fluoro on an 8’ rod) I would swap in a second.

$180 then is about $320 today per Google.

My main issue with using the older reels today is the high thumb bar feels really bad now.

Part of the reason I like Japan Underground old-school offset grips with round reels.

2 hours ago, GReb said:

$180 then is about $320 today per Google.

My main issue with using the older reels today is the high thumb bar feels really bad now.

That is more expensive than i thought it would be. Still, $180 back then did not feel anywhere near as expensive as $320 now.

In my opinion it’s still the best reel Shimano ever made regardless of price.

Mike

I will never in my life understand the Cult of the 200E.

VBS was over for me as soon as I picked up a Mag-V Sol.

Bantam '22 is a very good candidate for "Best Shimano Eva" but maybe micro module holds it back.

28 minutes ago, PGA Dropout said:

I will never in my life understand the Cult of the 200E.

VBS was over for me as soon as I picked up a Mag-V Sol.

Bantam '22 is a very good candidate for "Best Shimano Eva" but maybe micro module holds it back.

Cult??

No, we just recognize and appreciate anything that’s well made, tough, does exactly what it’s designed to do no matter what.

We put less emphasis on bling, and so called technological improvements that’s debated constantly.

Have a Great Day

Mike

10 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Cult??

No, we just recognize and appreciate anything that’s well made, tough, does exactly what it’s designed to do no matter what.

We put less emphasis on bling, and so called technological improvements that’s debated constantly.

Have a Great Day

Mike

I mean, it's kind of a cult.

Not that that's inherently a bad thing.

I'm in a lot of cults.

Also the Bantam has no bling (but maybe it should).

54 minutes ago, PGA Dropout said:

I mean, it's kind of a cult.

Not that that's inherently a bad thing.

I'm in a lot of cults.

Also the Bantam has no bling (but maybe it should).

I do agree that there's a cult behind these. The Core has a cult as well, and so does the Pixy, in which i've been in since 2016😂

4 hours ago, Mike L said:

In my opinion it’s still the best reel Shimano ever made regardless of price.

Mike

I agree. I always liked the VBS . If I had to fish the E series forever that would be fine by me. I have Aldebarans and Mets and they are nice but they aren't going to catch anymore fish than the trusty E's.

Any of the reels Shimano made from that era were amazing and the 50 size reels where somewhat unique. Any and all where just fun to fish. The 50 Calcutta, Core, Curado, and Chronarch are some of the best long lasting reels ever made and are still sought after. I recently had someone again offer me $250 for my Chronarch 51e.

I think what made them so good is that they were the perfection of simplicity. The cast fairly fare, they stay smooth, the braking was great, and the drag was good enough to get the job done. Plus these reels were easy to clean and maintain.

Also, the braking, to me, did something no other reel did well back then. You put two brakes on, set it and forget it. You could pitch/flip or bomb cast it without changing anything. The braking was also consistent and smoother on these reels.

I don't know about these reels having a cult following. Its more like they feel better than what's made today to a large segment of anglers. If anything, I think Daiwa has a cult following. Because nothing says cult like modifications and Daiwa reels have an endless amount of people changing spools, painting them, adding custom handles, etc. Not a bad thing but there are whole businesses just dedicated to that need. You don't see it as much with other brands.

Man, I agree 100%. E series is my fav by far. I still have 3 citica 200E’s that I’m currently using in heavy rotation & have 2 more that need servicing. I also have 2 Curado 200 E7’s & 2 Curado 50E’s that all need servicing so I can put them back in rotation.

Talk about workhorse reels that just work simply. Def a set & forget reel that can go years without a servicing & keeps on ticking. I’ve had all mine 15+ yrs.

4 hours ago, SuperWetBlanket said:

I do agree that there's a cult behind these. The Core has a cult as well, and so does the Pixy, in which i've been in since 2016😂

Pixy was a good cult. Owned a couple variations. Should have kept my Type R.

Still in the OG Alphas cult.

44 minutes ago, PGA Dropout said:

Pixy was a good cult. Owned a couple variations. Should have kept my Type R.

Still in the OG Alphas cult.

In the og alphas cult too🤣

22 hours ago, FishTank said:

I think what made them so good is that they were the perfection of simplicity. The cast fairly fare, they stay smooth, the braking was great, and the drag was good enough to get the job done. Plus these reels were easy to clean and maintain.

I think this is a great point. I still use 2 Curado E7s and 2 Citica Es in my rotation and they just keep on tickin'. Are they the very best reels in terms of casting distance, braking, drag performance, etc? No they aren't, but they do all things well and they are reliable. They are simple to maintain and parts have not been difficult to obtain when needed. The reels I have seem to be as smooth as they were when I purchased them.