Fishwhittler

I'd stick with the E-series and avoid the Curado and Citica G. They're decent reels, but the quality is noticeably worse than with the E-series. There are more rough edges, the finishes aren't as well done, the side plate fits on worse, etc.; they're still very serviceable workhorse reels, but the quality has been downgraded. Personally, I'd go with a used Citica E before I'd buy either a Curado or Citica G.

Thanks guys. Just about all parts will interchange between any 200E-series reel from Shimano (the Curado 300E and 50E are completely different reels from the 200E and have few interchangeable parts). The Curado and Citica 200E were the same reel, only the Citica used plastic in a few places where the Curado had metal, as well as having fewer bearings and other minor downgrades. The Chronarch E is essentially a Curado E with new paint and a few tweaks, so again, almost all of the parts are interchangeable. I think the only one that can't be swapped directly is the drag star; the Curado 200E used a metal drag star instead of graphite and needed two additional parts to accommodate it.I marked the locations for the holes on top of the thumb rest and drilled the holes with a 1/8" drill bit. No drill press, just freehand. I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but I don't have access to them. I don't recommend trying this mod unless you're willing to risk destroying your reel frame. You can buy a replacement frame from Shimano, but that's $75 or so down the drain. I ordered the gears directly from Shimano. My reel is a lefty, it's the RH gears that are out of stock. Just a suggestion, but when you're able to get your pinion gear ordered, I'd go ahead and replace the drive gear as well. If you're replacing the pinion gear because it was grinding, the damage is already done to the drive gear, even though it might look fine. It weighs about the same as before, or at least I don't have a scale precise enough to measure whatever tiny difference there may be. I figure the bulky knobs cancel out the carbon-fiber handle; the custom paint cancels out the holes drilled in the frame; and the addition of a crankshaft bearing and the metal brake case cancels out anything else I did to save weight. Lightness would have been nice, but it wasn't one of my biggest concerns. Improving the reel's overall performance was #1, and after that probably looks. I like my gear to look nice.

Calfish's original quote was $65, but he wasn't quite satisfied with the paint after it was finished so he only charged me $55. All I can say, if this is a subpar paint job I can't imagine what one of his good ones would be like. I'd have been perfectly satisfied paying $65. Expect to pay more for a multi-colored paint job, or if you want a color that's hard to get or difficult to mix. I took the reel apart and sent only the shell. I sanded the reel myself prior to shipping, though I don't know if that made much difference. If you leave the reel together, there'll probably be an extra charge for teardown and reassembly, not to mention it'll cost quite a bit more to ship the entire reel due to weight.

Thanks! Hawg Handles come with four bearings, so each knob has two. You get the bearings even if you don't buy Hawgtech cork knobs with your handle, which is really nice. I did find that my handle needed a single Shimano shim washer in each knob to eliminate lateral knob play. That's something that probably varies depending on the handle itself and each set of knobs.

21farms asked about this reel after I posted a pic of it in another thread. Here it is: Reel: Shimano Citica 201E. Modifications: Replaced stock Dartanium drag washers with carbontex washers Replaced stock 6:1 gears with 7:1 gears from Chronarch E Replaced stock plastic brake case with metal brake case from Chronarch E (then polished the new brake race) Replaced stock handle with 102mm Hawgtech swept carbon-fiber handle, w/ Shimano Power Grip II knobs (not stock knobs) Replaced stock graphite drag star with aluminum star from Core 101MG Replaced stock silver spool-tension knob with black knob from Chronarch E Replaced stock crankshaft bushing with ball bearing Drilled holes in thumb rest for weight savings and looks (mainly looks—I was going for something similar to Daiwa's Type R reels) Drilled holes in crankshaft for weight savings Polished spool shaft ends Polished key washer & anti-reverse ratchet surfaces for smoother drag (haven't polished the drive gear—it's brand-new and doesn't really need it) Polished clutch bar for smoother clutch engagement and disengagement Polished crankshaft just for the heck of it—I like shiny brass Flushed and lubricated all non-handle bearings The paint is Calfish's work and is the only modification I outsourced. The difference in how this reel handled before and how it handles now is night and day. The retrieve is silky smooth and at the same time feels very connected. So far I've only been able to test it out in the yard. Next year is gonna be a lot of fun. Still haven't decided on a rod for this reel, but I'm thinking a *** Black might be the ticket. Speaking of which, here's my next project reel: Still gathering funds for the upgrades I have planned. Going to give it basically the same treatment as my first reel, though this one isn't going to have the same Darth Vader theme. Not quite sure what I'll do just yet, though I've got a couple ideas. Tight lines, Ben

No problem. Parts 2121 and 2120 are the same in the Core and Curado.

Actually it started as a Citica, though it's impossible to tell that now. You'll need the drag star from either a Core 101MG or 51MG. The 51MG has a differently styled drag star with straight tines rather than raked forward, and it's also slightly more expensive. I believe the 51's drag star fits either RH or LH reels, but if you go with the 100-size drag star, make sure you get it for the LH reel (Core 101MG).

X2. I put a Hawgtech swept handle on my Citica E, and the difference it makes in how the reel feels is just unreal. I did need to add a single Shimano shim washer to each handle post to eliminate play in the knobs (I used Shimano Power Grip II knobs instead of the cork Hawg knobs). After that, it's pretty much perfect.

You can order parts directly from Shimano. You'll need the Curado E drag star, as well as part #2121 and #2120 (drag click plate and retainer spring). Total cost including shipping will be something like $25. The click plate from the Curado G won't work, though you can reuse the click pin and click pin spring. Just a suggestion, but the Core 100MG7 dark gunmetal drag star is only $1 more than the silver drag star from the Curado E, and it would match the Curado G's spool-tension knob. The two stars are the same size and shape, just different colors to match the different reels. I put a Core drag star on one of my Shimanos:

My post wasn't aimed at you, or anyone in particular. I do prefer LH reels because they're more comfortable for me to use, and my right hand has better coordination than my left hand does so it's easier for me to work some lures with the rod in my right hand. Just saying, if a fish swings at a lure and misses in that split-second while one is transitioning the rod between hands, it's not unlikely that the fish would get away in any case.

I heard this story a while back and don't know if it's true, but I believe baitcast reels were originally cast with the reel on top of the rod, and then flipped over and reeled with the left hand. Then some guy figured he'd just leave the reel on top of the rod and switch hands after casting, and the rest is history. I use both RH and LH reels, and the argument that you save time by casting with one hand and reeling with the other isn't really true. There may be a slight time savings, but it's so small that the fish won't notice. Unless you can feather your spool with the ball of your hand (I can't), you still have to change your right hand's position on the reel before you start your retrieve. That split-second to change hand position takes approximately as much time as it takes to swap the reel from one hand to the other. Oftentimes I'll switch hands or move my right hand before my lure even hits the water, so there's virtually no lag time. It comes down to which one you're more comfortable using.

Pay up...you owe me $5

I'll take that bet. I say Korea.

I really don't care too much what Duckett does; their reels looks like they're going to be more of the same-old-same-old, nothing more than Revo's, Speed Spools, Pro Qualifiers, or Presidents in different clothes and with slightly different features. Underneath, the reels will still be very closely related. I'd like to see more innovation and less rebranding.If I had the money and was so inclined, I could contact Doyo and order up a thousand reels with my own paint scheme on them and whatever other features I thought I wanted. Slap my name on there, and suddenly I've got my on reel company. Nothing wrong with that, but there's a significant difference between doing that and actually designing my own reel from the ground up. These companies are nothing more than importers, when you get right down to it. They choose the features they think will sell well, they make sure they get a certain level of quality, but if you take the clutch out of a Revo you can swap it right into a Speed Spool without noticing a difference. I find it very difficult to get excited over one more Korean import with the same insides as reels from six or ten other brands.

Looks like whatever the issues Duckett ran into, they went with the same company in the end. More Doyo OEM's…whatever. One more set of features to choose from. Now, I'm genuinely excited about the 13 reels. It's been years since any new company came onto the scene with its own internally-designed and produced reel. I hope *** does exactly that.

Where'd you get that info, if you don't mind my asking?

All information that has surfaced regarding ***'s reels points to them being a completely new reel design, not just another OEM rebrand. Here's the pic on the *** website: The Duckett reels look exactly like Revo's or Browning baitcasters. Haven't seen anything about Zombie yet.

Nice! Love the customs.

I like the idea of Vader and ST's. Hmm…a fleet of Chronarch E's is out of my price range, but I do have a couple more reels that could use new paint… Thanks. The Daiwa Zillion Type R was where I got the idea for this reel, which is the second super-custom I've done and the most extensive to date. This was the first: I had that reel painted by a guy other than Calfish, who did a nice job…but there's only one Calfish. Sometime I might strip that reel back down and have The Master go over it. Can you tell the Type R theme is one I really like?

Customized Citica 201E: Only posted the reel by itself since I don't yet have a rod to go with it. That reel began life as a Citica 201E before receiving the following upgrades: Chronarch E aluminum brake case Chronarch E 7:1 gears Chronarch E spool-tension knob Core 101MG drag star Hawgtech 102mm swept handle w/ Shimano Power Grip II knobs Daiwa drag spring washers Crankshaft bearing Carbontex drag The reel has also been super-tuned, painted by Calfish, and I drilled holes in the thumb rest to make it look a little different. Also drilled the crankshaft to shave off a little weight, but the savings is so small it's really not noticeable.

A while back I asked a Shimano rep about Curado G/E gear interchangeability, and they're not supposed to swap. However…I've looked inside both the G and the E series, and the gears look to be approximately the same size. It might be worth a shot to see if they fit. Though, if they fit but aren't quite the right size the gears will grind against each other and wear out quickly.

I've been using a 10mm wrench, hadn't tried a socket—I'd have to get it from the garage, and it's 4ºF outside right now. My motivation to go outside is very low. Should have thought of that. Thanks for the tip.

Finally got a chance to put my new Hawgtech handle on a reel (I bought it for a major upgrade project, which is still waiting on one small but crucial part). I swapped it temporarily onto a Citica 100D, which has two brass bushings under each handle knob. The difference was night and day. The retrieve is so much smoother with the Hawg handle that it's not even funny. That handle will eventually be going on another reel, the Citica 201E for which I bought it, but I'll definitely be getting a Hawg handle for my Citica D as well. One thing I did find was that it works best to mount the handle nut upside-down. Otherwise it's tricky to fit a wrench inside the Hawg handle's cutout to fully tighten the nut.

True. Most people in the US are looking for cheap stuff, and they don't care where it's made. Which is why US Reel shipped production overseas, and why there are rumors flying that Ardent is going to do the same. I think the other posters in this thread were talking more about high-end enthusiast gear, not relegating this forum to discussing only US-built tackle. Tackle Tour has carved out its niche, and to be honest I seriously doubt if an enthusiast-tackle-only forum would catch on here. It's a self-perpetuating cycle; most of the guys who want to discuss high-end gear go to Tackle Tour, because that's where the other guys who talk about that stuff are, so they go to Tackle Tour to talk about it…and so on. Just curious: Why do you want a forum dedicated to rods in a certain price point?

I've tried to bend my Hawg Handle, and it just doesn't flex. That sucker is sturdy. Cool. Let me know if you need a guinea pig to test spool anodizing on. Matter of fact, I've got a spare spool from an H2O Xpress Mettle you could experiment on, if you'd like. I managed to ruin the gears for that reel when I tried to polish them using the toothpaste method (which might have worked for older reels with looser tolerances, but it's nothing but damage to modern reels), so now I just use it for spare parts. The spool has a plastic brake holder similar to the Citica E, and it doesn't matter if the spool gets ruined. PM me if you're interested.