OnthePotomac

From Shimano: "The side plates are CI4 material. This new composite is a little stronger than the CI4+ material. The model being sold in Japan uses the same material. The CI4 logo refers to the side plates. MGL is for Magnumlite which refers to the spool. This has the new spool design and the latest generation of SVS as well."

I am different I guess. My Senko and Strike King caffeine shads are on 7" MH fast tip rods. Lighter worms also, but with a 3/16 slip sinker.

I have the reel on 7' MH fast tip Carbonlite rod and use this set up for Senkos, which weigh approximately 3/8oz. A 7' rod will get you out further than a 6'6".

I have 10lb mono on my Citica 200E for plastics fishing and it works well. I am paranoid about keeping my spool bearings cleaned and very lightly oiled. Occasionally briskly wife off your spool shaft with paper towel and run a pipe cleaner up the pinion gear and that helps. Oil or grease which may migrate to your spool shaft will sure slow it down.

Four WEHA screw drivers, two flat and two Phillips, 10mm socket on screw driver handle to remove handle nuts, two dental picks (one large and one small) with 45 degree ends to remove bearing retainer springs and a bobby pin with the end bent on 90 degree angle to pull bearings.

I fished with Extremes for ten years before I converted to Carbonlites. A little heavy for my old hands, but they were work horse rods on the Potomac. Never a problem with them.

Either Yamaha Blue Marine Grease, or Super Lube on gears and Yellow Rocket fuel on bearings. Shimano or Cal's drag grease. Smoothdrag.com has Cal's drag grease. They have worked for me for 16 years. Try CRC Electric Cleaner in a spray can (Walmart) to blast grease from bearings and reel parts. Evaporates fast, not corrosive, no residue and won't harm plastic.

I use medium rods for top waters. Just my personal preference. Don't know if it is right or wrong, but it works for me.

I firmly believe that there is a difference in one reel to another of the same type for some reason and have experienced this in my other Shimano reels. Not a big difference, still a difference. I have three Curado 200E7's, but throwing the same weight lure on the same line and one of them will almost run the line out. Go figure.

On two my 70HG's, both have two brakes and on one reel outside dial at 3 and the other at 2, both with the same Invizx 15lb line. I never change the settings no matter the type bait and it works for everything. Great reels.

Shimano covers on my reels.. Well made and last.

I have newer Curados and Chronarchs, but every time I pick up one of my Curado 100B's they amaze me. I have kept them humming now for about 10 years, to include not a mark on them. Incredible reels.

My two Curado I's are fine and smooth.

I don't know about now, but I bought a Cabelas Tourney Trail 2-piece MH 6'6" baitcast rod 15 years ago to put in the trunk for a trip to Florida and that rod has been and is still an incredible rod. It is super light and really comfortable to fish with for long periods.

My Berkley was $18 16 years ago and has spooled a ton of line over the years. I clamp it to my work bench to keep it stable when spooling. Love that thing. I use the spool clamps on a straight rod with my drill when I want to move line to an empty line spool, so it serves double duty.

My grandson has a Sahara 2500 and bought a Sahara 3000 for kicks. We put each, unspooled, on my digital scale and darned if the 3000 wasn't a few grams lighter than the 2500. Go figure.

Yep, Simple Green and water mix, hold the reel under faucet of warm water and brush grease with a small paint brush. Remember to put a plug in the sink drain before you start in case you drop something and it won't go bye bye down the drain. I then blow dry the reel with a computer keyboard blower I mounted in a home made bracket on its side. Lube the gears with either Yamaha Blue Marine Grease (not Yamaha General Purpose Grease), or Super Lube applied with a child's water color brush. Easy on the grease so it does not end up all over the interior of the reel. Shimano, or Cal's drag grease. Yellow Rocket Fuel on spool bearings, ReelX on the worm gear and drive shaft bearing. Pinion bearing packed in the same grease as gears. At least that is my procedure. Look at CRC Electric Cleaner in a spray can also as a cleaning agent for everything including bearings. I step outdoors to use it, but it has no odor, can be sprayed on any material, to include plastic, and dries really fast with no residue. It is a very fast bearing cleaner by laying the bearings in a small strainer and blasting. Having said all that, I am now experimenting with my pinion bearings by cleaning them thoroughly and dipping them in TSI 301 rather than packing them in grease. I picked this up from the salt water anglers in California. Second season doing this now and so far, so good.

Pinion gear and drive gear lubrication possibility, or they are not meshing properly. Did you remove the plastic pinion yoke and put it back upside down?

Tackle Trap is taking pre orders and expects to have them within a week.

I have four of the Chronarchs now and they are incredible reels. This is a salt water ready reel and the bearings are anti rust. I have not bothered to swap them for faster bearings because they are so good. The Chronarch spool is also lighter giving you a faster start up on the cast. Plus as mentioned handle bearings.

Fry, with regard to your question on spooling braid, always use a backing before you install your braid and it will prevent braid slipping under pressure (and saves money). I just use old 10lb mono for my backing. I also use a backing for all of my lines to save money. Why put a football field length of line on a reel if you are usually going to be throwing 20-40 yds. I try to keep my line to about 1/8th of an inch from the spool edge if I can because as the line length reduces, so does the distance you can cast because of the change in spool RPM with less line on it.

I have ABEC 7's in some of my reels and they are going on 16 years old this summer. I have stock bearings in some of my reels going on 18 years old this summer. I do my own reels by the way.

Finally went to 50lb Sufix 832 on my frog rod and it is perfect for the task.

Correct. I screwed up last year by not noticing that and paid closer attention to the trade in dates this year. Don't know why they do that.

I just bought a 1000yd spool of InvizX from Amazon for $81.00, 15lb, .013 diameter (really thin for 15lb Flouro). Do the math, that is a huuuge savings.