baluga

How do you know they're better bearings? The Chronarch has the A-RB(Anti-Rust Bearing) while the Curado has that standard Shielded Stainless Steel Bearings. The A-RB in Chronarch is unshielded and Black in color, same with the Core and Calais. One advantage of Curado E over the Chronarch is the bearing in the handle knobs.

I have the Chronarch 50MG and the E5, the 50MG cast a lot better than my E5. I usually use 3" swimbait w/ 1/4oz leadhead, Lucky Craft FM110, and Sara Spook Jr. but the drag in E5 is way better than the CH50MG to think that I've already upgraded the 50MG with the carbontex smooth drag. Some Shimano reel models just work great with the stock dartainuim drags.

That one looks promising, with a thinner dia than most braid. OHERO 20# braid having a 2# mono diameter where most braid would have an equivalent of 6# mono diameter. I might try it when i need to spool a new reel .

The strain in the wrist when working the spook walk-the-dog is not due to casting all day. Its due to snapping the rod down with your wrist to swing the lure side to side. The strain is specifically in the wrist joint so removing your 2.8 oz watch does not really help

baluga, i'm afraid you lost me a little bit here. 4.0 oz. and below would be light in anyone's book. but, with the unique exception of the cumara reaction, you're comparing apples to oranges. yesall else being equala graphite rod will be lighter than a glass rod but i don't think the differences are as great as you're making them out to be. i have a few 4.0 oz. and under rods but none of them are well-suited for crankin'. one of the most highly regarded graphite crankin' rods, the g.loomis CBR-845C, still comes in at 4.6 ounces. there are also exceptions to the rule too: the dobyns 704CB graphite is 0.2 oz. heavier than the dobyns 704CB glass. I believe you missed the part where I mentioned that a sub 4oz rod is best for spook walk-the-dog. Walk-the-dog action puts a lot of strain in the wrist and using a heavier rod is not ideal.

Yes, 5+ oz is heavy. 4.0oz and below is light weight for me. You'll the feel the big difference after working the spook walk-the-dog for hours. Your wrist will be thanking you for using a sub 4 oz rod. Comparing the Glass rod with Graphite rod with the same rating, the Glass rod will be heavier. Some of the rods I consider light weight are the Phenix rod: Ultra MBX700H = 3.7oz, another would be the Cumara reaction, CUC7MH = 3.9oz. But back to the original poster, Slower rod tip action is great for working the spook, more chances of landing that fish.

I think these differences are worth the price difference: Three bearings separate the two series and the Curado E comes with a Magnumlite spool versus an aluminum lo-mass spool on Citica E. Other differences between the two reels include a titanium line guide versus ceramic, cold forged dragstar versus standard metal alloy, and Septon PV power grips versus traditional rubber knobs. ..from TR review..

Some reels do not need upgrades and the the Calais is one of them. But with the Core, I do have excellent result. The Calis stock bearing spins too fast that I have to set all breaks on and adjust the cast control to tame it down. I even resorted to putting more drop of oil from my usual one or two drops just to slow it down a bit.

What iceintheveins said.! Graphite rod w/ Glass tip, You'll get the best of both worlds, the light weight and sensitivity of graphite and the slow action of glass rod. the only reason i stay away from Glass rod is the weight, its just heavy for me. The Graphite rod w/ Glass tip is a good option.

2X

what reel did you put them in? Curado CU200s thats impressive. i installed Orange Seals in an STX, and a Sol and noticed nothing much to brag about. in fact next time i service the STX the factory bearings are going back in. you should try installing the boca w/o the orange seals. It'll cast better and less birds nest. I've installed it in my Core 100mg and CH 50MG and the CORE benefited more than the CH50MG. It cast way better than the stock. JMHO

Hmmmnn ..Interesting experience you had with the phenix.. I have the Loomis CBR843 and Phenix Ultra MBX 606H Casting, I know.. it's not the best way to compare these rods having different specs. But all I know is that, I have added a rubber butt cap on the CBR843 to give me a better balance and butt grip. As for the phenix, its my favorite rod. No need for mods, it's light, well balance and sensitive.

2X on the upgrade -- mounted on phenix Ultra MBX 606H for walk the dog..

Awesome job! 8-)

2 brakes on w/ stock bearing and 4 Breaks on with ABEC 7 in Core 100MG.

I also use my bass gear for saltwater surf fishing for Halibut, Calico and WSB. I usually set my drags between 2#s to 4#s when working in the sand, but I set it to heavier setting when working near rocky structure. You need at least 6#s drag settings to slow down those big Calico Bass from getting into rocks.

I always get a stronger drag when I upgrade the drags from stock to Carbonex. I normally do the upgrade when I'm not satisfied with the drag performance. I usually install it dry w/o any grease to get the max drag w/o buttoning down the star drag. A simply straight pull of line from the reel and the amount of turn on the star drag is enough to give you the idea that it has improve or not. If you are not satisfied with the drag you are getting on your curado e, its really a good idea to upgraded to carbonex since the Dartanium drags seems to stick to the drive gear and sometimes corrode the key washer when not properly greased. It's also a good idea to check your drag spring washer and replace them when needed, sometimes they are the culprit of not getting the right drag performance. Just my humble opinion and observation on my reels.

I haven't found any of the Cumara's to be tip heavy, other than the 7-11 MHeavy Xfast. Are you fishing them with a dime size reel with 3 yards of mono on em? Seriously though, I haven't had thta impression on any of them. X2 I rigged them side by side w/ Core 100mg. Cumara is a tad tip heavy. You should try to test the phenix rods and you'll know what i'm talking about. Even my buddies who own cumaras and core 100 mg have the same observation when they compared it with the phenix. They did not know it's a tad tip heavy until they got a chance to hold a phenix..

Cumara's are nice but a tad tip heavy. I would go for phenix Ultra MBX any day. Warranty is also great. They even have the option to upgrade. 8-)

Oh yeah, forgot this: The number for Shimano's customer service: 1 877 577-0600. Best time to call is around 7:00 AM pacific time.

Try sending an email to: FishSiteFeedback@shimano.com Dan Thorburn Product Support Specialist would be the guy to help you out.

Sharpie the coat w/ devcon 30 minute epoxy From this Salty Chrome To this Perch Chrome Thrown to this water equals Have a nice day

CBR843 is kind of whippy but great in casting 5/8 LC FM110 and lighter lures. Difficult to control landing a fish weighing more than 4#s.

What they said The Abu should be fine . But I do recommend to grease and oil before initial use for saltwater. Grease the side wall and all metal parts. A drop of oil in all bearing, prawl. Light oil on the cluctch bearing. Then it's good to go. Rinse after the outing. Spraying with the corrosion-x is also good for those reel with heavy saltwater use. Maintenance every 3 mos, clean and oil the spool bearings and it should last a long time. I even use my CORE 100 MG on saltwater in harbors for topwater lure like the Zara spook jr and rebel por-r. A lot of fun, nothing like a bonita strikes the spook and run.

I have the revo inshore and curado e5, both are good reels, but I like the curado e5 better just because less maintenance is needed. Just rinse after use and it still good for the next outing. The Revo Ins, needs spool bearing cleaning and oiling after 2 outings to maintain a good casting distance.