Aldebaran 50 brake setup?

[fishwizzard]

I recently picked up my first Shimano reel and I am having a hell of a time getting the brakes set correctly.  Most all of my other reels are Daiwa mag/sv and I have no idea about other braking systems. 

 

Right now I have the reel on a M/XF rod and have been casting stuff like a t-rig Super Fluke (~1/4oz) on the low end and say a Duo Pencil 110 (~3/4oz) on the high end.   To get any distance with any but the heaviest I need to do the following:

 

1) Internal brake "shoes", 3 off and 1 on.  

2) External brake dial, set to 3-4 out of 1-6 settings

3) Spool tension knob set to give a fast drop but not wide open.  

 

This gives me acceptable distance but it's often right on the edge of uncontrollable and to get the fluke to cast well I have to keep it set so loose that it takes a firm thumb to control loose coils to the point where it ends up costing me distance.  If I go lighter on the dial it gets uncontrolable in a hurry.  If I go any heavier  the casting distance props off quickly.

 

The reel is 100% stock and I have not flushed the bearing or anything like that yet. The reel did feel like it was packed with grease out of the box but it has loosed up a lot in a few hours of fishing.  

 

I love how the reel of palms but I need to get the brake adjustment set up if I am going to keep it. Can anyone suggest what I am doing wrong? 

 

[The Bassman]

Try 2 brakes and a lower dial (1-2), zero tension.  Bump the dial up if you're dealing with wind or a difficult lure profile. My Ald is a casting machine.  I'm using 30 lb. Tuf-Line Domin 8 braid.  Also, flush and re-oil your bearings. The spool shaft bearing can be cleaned by suspending the shaft in a small container of solvent.  Don't use anything harsh like acetone because of the plastic washer.  I use mineral spirits.

[JustJames]

To me who love old style centrifugal on 50e and get spoiled by no thumb casting on daiwa magZ(steez ex100, CT type R SV105), hated new SVS system.

I get a very good distance on my curado 70 but every few cast I'd get uncomfortable spool spinning in other word backlash LOL. 

As of now I have 3 of these d**n 70 don't know why?.

The set up to be the best I found for this new SVS system is 2 on dial to 2-4 depend on weight, AND spool tension cannot be too loose. I set the lure to medium drop and little to no over run on spool.

As for you with those heavy lure, set 4 brakes on, start dial at 3 down to 1 but keep spool tension to medium drop with no over run. Once you got a hang of it not to adjust any more spool tension but only dial and internal brake. Be careful on spool tension just a slight turn and it will ruin every thing. BTW no whipping just lob easy cast is the best.

 

 

[The Bassman]

Ald 50 has first gen SVS.  Whole different animal than newer version on 70 , MGL, and K.  I'm patiently(?) waiting for new Ald 30 MGL.

[JustJames]

I know it is newer than my curado I (red brake shoe) but I think internal beside brake shoe should be the same? (Red seem to be more brake than white, after that shimano change the whole brake shoe on all newer reels)

[The Bassman]

Ald 50 has the same brakes as Curado I, just a lighter footprint (white vs. red).  It's a shame Shimano didn't engineer the present SVS from the start.

[fishwizzard]

Interesting, I'll try two brake shoes on and the dial set lower, but I was still getting terribly chopped off distance from it set up that way. 

 

I  really don't wanna have to open up the side plate and fuss with the shoes when I'm out on the water.   I'm gonna try to flush the bearings and see what that does for me. It's a nice little reel, as much as I hate to say it, and palms better then my beloved Alphases.  

 

I got a pretty screaming deal on it so if I cant get it set up like I need it, I should be able to offload it for most of what I have into it. If 

[Dwight Hottle]

Since your having a problem I would suggest you try with all brakes on. Adjust the cast control to slowly dropping & set the dial control to the middle. See how that does. If that works fine continue by removing only one brake at a time & retry. Once your happy with the results leave the brakes where you had the best distance without trouble & forget about them. You should not have to set the brakes again. 

Now try adjusting only the dial control one number at a time until you max everything out distance & control wise. The only thing you will need to adjust is the cast control as you change baits with different weights. Once I have a reel dialed in I leave everything alone except adjusting the cast control knob for lure weight changes. 

[The Bassman]

As much as I enjoy my baitcasters I don't enjoy messing with them on the water. A revolving spool reel is dynamic in that many things affect its performance.  The more I fish the more I appreciate my spinning tackle.  Baitcasting excels in several apps but nothing that a medium heavy or heavy spinning outfit can't suffice at.  My CI4+ reels on stout rods are also very light.