What reel should I get/best baitcaster for lightweight baits?

[Riverside.bassin]

I recently purchased a 7’ m/f St. Croix Legend Extreme on sale at my local shop. Looking to through mostly jerkbaits on it, and probably some smaller (almost finesse) t-rigs, jigs, soft plastics etc. 

 

Any good suggestions for what reel I should pair with it? I want to be able to throw those lightweight baits pretty far. Also wanna keep the price range $300 and under.

 

 I’m thinking of the new Shimano Curado 70k MGL, but I have the old 70k and don’t like it too much so I’m a little skeptical. 

suggestions are appreciated!

[EzyEric]

I have the 70k as well and really like it overall but as you know it's not the best with really light lures.  The 70 MGL is supposed to be much better for that due to the MGL (lighter) spool.  

 

But the #1 recommendation you will get on this forum is any Daiwa SV.  

Edited March 11, 2021 by EzyEric
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[roadwarrior]

4 minutes ago, EzyEric said:

But the #1 recommendation you will get on this forum is any Daiwa SV.  

 

?

[EzyEric]

6 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

 

?

Probably Tatula SV or Zillion SV given his budget but I think there are even more SV reels in his range.

 

Or were you questioning me assuming what people on the forum will recommend?

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, EzyEric said:

Or were you questioning me assuming what people on the forum will recommend?

I would - the Shimano DC reels are also heavily recommended for light baits.

[bulldog1935]

You can get long casts with light lures fishing about 20-lb braid on a matched rod.  

PE#1 is recommended by Jun at Japan Tackle as the lightest braid you want to fish on a baitcaster.  In X-braid, that's 22-lb test.  In Sufix 832, it's 10-lb.  Don't go to the finer braids unless you're pretty confident in your casting skill.  

 

I set up a shallow spool Lew's SP with Air bearings for my ML niche, and the combo casts 1/8 ounce farther than I need to fish - which makes casting the range I want to fish low-effort and reliable.  

So my vote would be any shallow, lightweight-spool reel with a good casting brake, loaded with PE#1 to #1.5 line.  

The whole idea is keeping the mass/inertia of the loaded spool low.

The MGL fits the idea with fluoro, but you can set up a shallower/lighter spool with braid.   

[roadwarrior]

9 minutes ago, EzyEric said:

Or were you questioning me assuming what people on the forum will recommend?

 

We have fans a lot of brands, but Shimano is probably the favorite with Diawa

a distant second. Abu Garcia and Lew's have a good following, too. I have a couple

of Core 50Mg, Aldebaran and a Diawa Alpha in this space. If you have any interest

in a used reel, I have a Curado 50E I might be interested in selling.

[new2BC4bass]

I'd recommend a Daiwa as well, but the Elite.  Have read here that it handles light lures quite well, and distance is great.

[FryDog62]

I went through this whole process the past 3-4 years and switched my jerk bait rod first from a Curado 70, then to a Tatula SV TW and now to a Tatula Elite. With the Elite I easily get 20% or more distance than anything else I've ever thrown.

 

I also throw lighter lures on the Elite down to 3/16 oz or so to get that extra distance. The only time I use my SV reels anymore (Tatula SV TW, Alphas SV, Steez SV TW) is if I'm going to be skipping anything, or throwing weightless up to 1/8 oz plastics - otherwise all Elites now to get that extra, effortless distance. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Well, there is no old Curado 70k, there is the Curado 70 which came in an HG and XG version and the new Curado 70K MGL. I have both and I use the Curado 70 HG to throw jrekbaits and it casts them really well. 

[Dens228]

I'd go with a Tatula Elite.  I can't imagine ever needing to cast lures further than I'm able with this. 

But rod also is a large contributing factor of course. 

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, Riverside.bassin said:

I’m thinking of the new Shimano Curado 70k MGL, but I have the old 70k and don’t like it too much so I’m a little skeptical. 

What didn't you like about the 70? Provide details.

[dodgeguy]

Lews Custom light. 

[Riverside.bassin]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Im leaning towards the Diawa Elite at the moment, but more suggestions are still very welcome!

20 hours ago, PhishLI said:

What didn't you like about the 70? Provide details.

- Was great when I first got it, but after a summer of use the retrieve started to get a little grindy (even with the typical cleanings and oiling/greasing). Also I don't think It handle lighter lures better than most of my other shimano's (Chronarch, 200k, Curado DC, etc.). 

[waymont]

21 hours ago, Riverside.bassin said:

 I’m thinking of the new Shimano Curado 70k MGL, but I have the old 70k and don’t like it too much so I’m a little skeptical. 

 

There isn't an old 70k. Any Curado 70k will be the newest model with the MGL spool.

[Finessegenics]

https://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/Shimano_Product_Page.P-CURADO_MGL_70_K.html
 

https://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/Shimano_Product_Page.P-CURADO_70.html

[Matt_3479]

It’s funny I bought the tatula sv for this purpose and had nothing but bad luck. Swapped it on rods for a different purpose and still couldn’t get the distance or the thing to stop back lashing. I replaced it with the chronarch mgl and worked a million times better. So I am now a shimano fan boy and only fish there reels. 
 

but since fishing nothing shimano on my rods, my dad and buddy both fish daiwa (2 tatula sv, and 1 feugo) and all three reels are nice. Great distance, easy to tune to your bait, and smooth. I litterally just think I had a Lemon. There was no sweet spot on mine. Fishing my dads, I can change the brake from 3/4 area to 10-12 area and see no change in the amount I need to thumb as long as spool tension is set correctly and the right bait is on. Once I get below the 3/4 I really need to pay attention. He sets it at 5 or 6 if I remember and swaps baits from the smallest cranks to larger swim jigs and spinners and never has an issue. 
 

still wouldn’t give up my shimano’s for them but that’s just me

[jimmyjoe]

18 hours ago, Riverside.bassin said:

- Was great when I first got it, but after a summer of use the retrieve started to get a little grindy (even with the typical cleanings and oiling/greasing). Also I don't think It handle lighter lures better than most of my other shimano's (Chronarch, 200k, Curado DC, etc.). 

 

   You could have had a problem not related to bearings. Contact Shimano for more info. You might want to PM me.                         jj

[JustJames]

Curado 70 is my favorite reel for jerk bait even more so than 50e series. It cast further than any reels from 1/4oz and up. I use 70 for anything from finesse all the way to 1/2jig to a frog. Now I agree about grinding or gearly which happened quite a bit with modern shimano, it even happen with my Bantam MGL HG after a hard used on Colorado blade spinnerbait. I’m not sure how new 70MGL gonna hold up for a long term. If you can find any of Shimano 50e series, you should give that a try. It is super smooth after all the hard used and handle light weight baits very well. Beside this you might have to switch to Daiwa. 

[GReb]

$300 budget? There’s only one answer. The new Metanium MGL which is $295 from Asian Portal. 
 

I own several SVs, elites, coastals, chronarchs, curado, etc. Nothing touches the new Metanium in my opinion

[FishTank]

13 minutes ago, GReb said:

$300 budget? There’s only one answer. The new Metanium MGL which is $295 from Asian Portal. 
 

I own several SVs, elites, coastals, chronarchs, curado, etc. Nothing touches the new Metanium in my opinion

This or the Bantam MGL JDM.

[redux]

I have a pile of 70s and use them for everything from 1/32 worm weights to 1.5 ounce punching rigs. For me the trick is replacing the 2 spool bearings with full ceramics. Granted, you have to use the right setup for the lighter stuff. I have an Expride ML for the super finesse stuff and need to be careful around heavy vegetation, but it lets me throw baits normally reserved for spinning setups.

[EzyEric]

2 hours ago, redux said:

I have a pile of 70s and use them for everything from 1/32 worm weights to 1.5 ounce punching rigs. For me the trick is replacing the 2 spool bearings with full ceramics. Granted, you have to use the right setup for the lighter stuff. I have an Expride ML for the super finesse stuff and need to be careful around heavy vegetation, but it lets me throw baits normally reserved for spinning setups.

Regular (old) 70 or MGL?

[redux]

15 hours ago, EzyEric said:

Regular (old) 70 or MGL?

Just the regular reels. Technically they are 71s because I'm a crank who casts right and reels left. ?

[EzyEric]

9 hours ago, redux said:

Just the regular reels. Technically they are 71s because I'm a crank who casts right and reels left. ?

This is very intriguing to me as I have some ceramic boca bearings that were in and old Scorpion that have been sitting around for a few months.  Assuming the 70 takes the same size.