strewth

Curados are going very cheap in the US at the moment, due to the fact that they have been replaced by new models. The 50E was recently available for US$110 plus shipping (about US$30). Plenty of places in the US are selling the 200E for around US$140. A$270 for a Curado 200E is overpriced, especially when the Assie dollar has appreciated hugely against the US dollar..... The Curados are mid-level reels that are robust and cast great. Also easy to service.

+1 on that....Dawn is great to deal with

Excellent info available on the US Shimano site http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.html Also on Youtube and very detailed. Doesn't help much with Daiwa though.

Ted Donelan's leader knot. Looks like an Albright, but only has one tag end as you must weave the leader under and over through the bimini. I use it on everything from 6 lb to 60 lb and it's very compact and strong. Takes about 30 secs to tie. Google it or look in Geoff Wilon's knot book.

I would get a Curado 200E7 - from the US shipped it will cost ~ $170-190.

I forgot to mention that some suppliers allow you to order the bearings "pre-greased" or "dry". Boca has this option.

I remove all my Daiwa roller bearings before use and pack them with Daiwa blue grease (squeeze it in using your thumb and forefinger). This stops the water getting in which is the chief cause of your problems. Roller bearings can be greased since they are load bearing and only need to turn under the load of the line. My roller bearings typically last 4 or 5 years before needing replacement. If you have a rough bearing, remove it and soak it in a small jar of Shellite or acetone for an hour or so (with a few shakes) and then dry with a hairdyer or compressed air. Will often remedy the problem if the bearing is not too corroded.

Jumbo tackle in Tokyo (Shibuya station, west exit, up and over footbridge and turn left)has three floors of tackle. Loads of softies, hardbodies, reels and rods to choose from. Prices for hardbodies (and some reels) are cheaper than here - esp the top end. I spent a bundle there last week and would focus on lures.

Good stuff Slink....are the others all on there too?

And don't leave your tank unfilled - this stops condensation.

I seriously doubt it, as the questions always arises "what knot?". One braid, Fireline XDS, gives both knot strength and line strength but this was always impossible to interpret. IGFA rated braids must break close to their stated strength and this is mostly measured in simple tension at a specified rate of loading. Using appropriate knots and due care it is possible to get close to 100% strength in braids.

If some manufacturers can advertise correct (or close to correct ) breaking strains (eg Sufix, Sunline, etc) then they all can (and should). Five or ten percent accuracy is good enough for me, but factors of two or more are absurd. IGFA braids get very close to the true rated load capacity. The current situation, where the angler often has no idea of the true load capacity of the braid, is ridiculous. And the terminlogy "equivalent to xlb mono" is next to useless, and should be done away with. Just give us an estimate of the true diameter, averaged for non-circular braids, and be done with it. ps: "breaking strain" , although universal, is the wrong term for measuring the strengths of lines. Strain is a dimensionless measure of deformation, not load.

Have used TufLine XP, Fins PRT, and Sufix Performance Braid, and Sunline Castaway in 30 lb on baitcasters with no drama. Tufline and Fins do the job, but SPB and Castaway are thinner. Suspect the SPB might be better on eggbeaters, as it is not a limp as the others.

I had the same problem on a 60HP 4 stroke Yammie. Fixed it by inserting a small diameter drill bit in the hole and rotating by hand. Removed a lot of crud. I would not use compressed air, as that blows the crud in not out.

Interesting information fin101. It appears that not all gel cells are the same. I have been using a HAZE 100AH gel cell which costs about half of your "gel techs" and had very good performance (fingers crossed). It is wll known that AGM batteries will tolerate larger amps in the recharge phase and are thus good for applications where the level of discharge is high. Thanks for the update on the MK chargers Geoff. This is important information which is not widely known. Strewth

Sqizzy I have a dual bank Guest 2620-230 onboard charger that does both wet cells and gel cells. Worked a treat for 5 years, with one bank connected to my 100AH gel cell trolling battery and the other connected to the cranking battery. Just plug into 240V mains on the console when I get home and forget about it, as they are smart chargers. Don't know about the MK, but I would be surprised if their onboard models didn't do gels as they are so common in the US. Strewth

Get a purpose-built onboard charger - Guest and MinnKota are two that are available in Oz. These come in models with one, tow or even three banks that can charge multiple batteries at the same time. Just plug into 240V mains and leave on all the time, as they are smart chargers that reduce the amps to alomst zero once the battery is fully charged. I have a Guest model 2620-230 on a Hornet 445 which has two banks and a max of 10amps per bank. Will charge both wet cells and gels. I have one bank connected to my 100AH trolling motor battery and the other connected to my cranking battery. I get about 5 years of heavy use out of my batteries with this setup and never have to worry about flat betteries. Heard that the MK charger only does wet cells, but have not verified this. Hard to know why these things aren't standard on all serious fishing boats. Cheers Strewth

Sure can. With some very low viscosity lubes it can be difficult to control the spool speed, especially in windy conditions, leading to birds nests. The external mag brake dials on Daiwas make it is easier to moderate this sensitivity, but don't solve the problem completely. Centrfugal brakes are, in my experience, much more to difficult to control when using very low viscosity lubes. I have no trouble throwing 4g lures and up with YRF in good conditions, but you need the right reel, line and rod. YRF doesn't throw-off the bearings and only needs to be applied a couple of times a season. I've used TDZ and Alphas reels primed with the red Daiwa lube and was also very impressed (even though it has a lower viscosity). Strewth

Yellow rocket fuel is great stuff for baitcasters, have used it for years. The red lube that come with the high end Daiwa reels is also tops. A detailed comparison of the viscosities of various lubes can be found at http://www.cpinternet.com/msp02174/Viscosities%20table.jpg Note that if the viscosity is too low, the reel may become superfast and hard to use. YRF is a very good compromise. It is listed on Jack Erskine's site - TGs rocket fuel under products. Strewth

True braids are a softer than fused braids (such as Fireline). I have Tuf line XP on all my baitcasting outfits - mostly 20 lb - and can't speak highly enough of it. Limp, round, holds a knot, thin, and casts a mile. Great stuff. Haven't tried it on my spin gear - I use Fireline XDS for this. Check out http://www.nybass.com/illustrated/archives...e/superline.htm for an informative read. Strewth

I was a long time user of standard 6lb and 4lb Fireline but have recently switched to 8lb Fireline XDS. Couldn't be happier. There seems to have been a recent quality control issue with the standard Fireline in light gauges, but I also grew tired of wind knots and line fraying (a real problem if you fish racks or rough rocks). The XDS is much rounder, holds a knot, is much slower to fray, doesn't throw loops when new, and gives great line lay on the spool. Interestingly, we seem to be the only country where you can buy 8lb XDS (it's not even listed on the Berkley website!). I would stay away from softer "true" braids on a threadline, fused lines with a bit of stiffness are needed to avoid wind knots. Cheers Strewth

Can't comment on US Bass boats (never been in one), but their presence on these shores has got to be a good thing. As the owner of a Hornet, there a plenty of little things that could be done so much better. For example: recessed hinges on the casting decks, casting decks that don't warp, better quality carpet, better quality seats as standard, better quality consoles as standard, in-floor ice boxes, good quality on-board chargers as a standard option, properly located intakes for livewells to prevent them sucking air, timed livewells as a standard option etc etc. Strewth

It is possible to use a baitcaster for light estuary work (down to about 3g lure weight), but you will need a finesse model such as the Daiwa Sol or the Alphas. The Daiwa Pixy is perhaps the best finesse reel, but is no good in salt because of its magnesium construction. Don't forget to match it to a suitable light rod though - you won't get far trying to cast with a broomstick. On the Daiwa vs Shimano argument, there is no doubt that Daiwa has the best brake design. Magforce V, with the external dial, is much easier to use for light lures when casting in the wind. The Calais 100 (known as Antares AR in Japan) is Shimano's best baitcaster for throwing the light stuff in the salt, but you still have to fiddle with centrifugal brake blocks to adjust it. The Scorpion is also good, as it has an external 4x4 SVS brake adjustment, but is not recommended for the salt. Regarding price, be sure to shop around. Unfortunately, our reel prices can be much more expensive than those in the US, Japan or Singapore (depending on the model). Hope this helps. Strewth

Anyone know a dealer who carries a good range of Li'l Ripper colours? My usual supply seems to have dried up. Strewth

Thanks Ken. I like the feel of it (similar to true braid but stiffer), but have been unable to get an independent opinion on it. Hate to blow hard-earned $ on a lemon.... Strewth