Best Value Reliable 200 Series Baitcast Reel ?

[ChrisD46]

I’m seeking a larger size 200 series 6:3:1 or 7:3:1 gear ratio baitcast reel for holding a higher quantity of larger size braid for heavier tackle applications - which 200 series bait cast reels do you like at that approx. $150 or less price range ? 

[Rockhopper]

curado 200k

[MediumMouthBass]

Really depends on what you are throwing, idea of what weigh range youll be using?

 

Best thing for bigger baits when it comes to reliability is an older or current non Chinese made Abu Ambassadeur. Big reel, no modern tech, etc....

But very simple to use and work on too, parts are everywhere. Easy to modify.

 

If you want a modern reel than its very very hard to beat the Tatula 200 for anything that doesnt require a 300 sized reels. Goes on sale alot for around $150 too.

However the Curado 200k is also a good option, looks much nicer too. But much more cost.

 

[Bigbox99]

Tatula 150.  It holds as much line as a Curado 200k.  

[PBBrandon]

Either a Tatula 150/200 or a Curado 200K

 

Both great reels but the Tatula is a bit bulkier so if you have smaller hands it might not palm well. I used to have one and it would sling a frog a mile. Sold it due to how big it was but I do miss it.

 

I throw small swimbaits and A-rigs with a Curado 200K, it’s a beast of a reel and palms well.

[ABU is overpriced]

I don't know about the Curado being reliable. In random fishing vids on youtube, i've seen many people losing the thumb bar while fishing. Don't believe i've even seen this happening on a single other reel. And those gear sets become pepper grinders real quick.

[Columbia Craw]

Tatula 200.  

[Bigbox99]

Just to get an idea of the size of the Tatula 200's spool.  It's actually a 300 size spool/capacity making the 150 more like a Shimano 200.  The 150 has a wide spool like the 200 but has a larger arbor to accommodate Magforce Z that the Tatula 200 lacks.  If large diameter braid and power fishing is your thing then the Tatula 150 is the Tatula to get.  

[FishTank]

JDM Shimano Scorpion 200MD.  

[Bigbox99]

The Curado 200m also looks good and I will be picking up one for a lipless rod soon on Aliexpress.  Speaking of Aliexpress you can get Tatula 150s for $100 free shipping now.  

 

[MediumMouthBass]

3 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

Speaking of Aliexpress you can get Tatula 150s for $100 free shipping now.  

 

Always considered Aliexpress/Temu/Alibaba/Whatever else they come up with next nothing more than a cheap Chinese knockoff scam site, is it actually legit?

Talking about the product being really whats shown, then customer support if something goes wrong, and being safe to put a card # into?

[new2BC4bass]

59 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Always considered Aliexpress/Temu/Alibaba/Whatever else they come up with next nothing more than a cheap Chinese knockoff scam site, is it actually legit?

Talking about the product being really whats shown, then customer support if something goes wrong, and being safe to put a card # into?

I've bought a few reels from Aliexpress and a couple other Japanese sites.  All reels were legitimate.

[primetime]

2 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Always considered Aliexpress/Temu/Alibaba/Whatever else they come up with next nothing more than a cheap Chinese knockoff scam site, is it actually legit?

Talking about the product being really whats shown, then customer support if something goes wrong, and being safe to put a card # into?

All the china sites are nothing more than a marketplace of online venders. Same as Amazon or Ebay etc.    I just picked up a Fuego 2022 Spinning reel for $45 and Daiwa Revros 2023 for $40. Both are legit, believe they were both from an American company based in Miami since they arrived in like 3-4 days. 

 

Alibaba has venders from lots of countries,  lots of products ship from America and you can search for that criteria. Customer service has always been good as well. Just make sure the place you buy from has feedback and a good reputation.   You can find just about anything on China sites, if price is to good to be true than it is likely fake.   I am probably going to order the older Abu Garcia Orra casting reels which are going for $29.99. Those were $100 reels 10 years ago. 

 

CVS Pharmacy takes Alipay now....times are changing

[ChrisD46]

Looking to use 30lb. to 40lb. braid and lures up to 1 oz. on a 200 size reel . How are Okumo Helios 200 series reels or is the Tatula clearly superior ?

[Bigbox99]

8 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

Looking to use 30lb. to 40lb. braid and lures up to 1 oz. on a 200 size reel . How are Okumo Helios 200 series reels or is the Tatula clearly superior ?

Are fishing reels disposable to you or are they long lived items that are repaired and maintained over long periods of time?  The Tatula 150 is a bulky reel even for a 200 size reel since its an old design from 2013 but has been in production for a while so there are a ton of parts out there to keep it going forever.  It's a popular enough platform that there are aftermarket parts like spools, drag stars ect as well as parts that are cross compatible with higher end Daiwas.  I have two from 2015 that plan to keep going for another 10 years at least.  

 

If you are going to use it bone stock until it stops working and throw it away then paying $150 or whatever scamwarehouse wants for it is not a great option but you can get them for way cheaper (fair market value) on Aliexpress.  It's a bigger brick shaped reel so if weight and palming are a big factor you could get something like the the Smoke S3 or similar pictured above.  That's a deep spool version of a normal 100 size bass reel making it a high capacity small reel instead of big wide spool Tatula 150/200.  I don't mind the size of the old Tatula platform but not everyone feels the same.

[Bigbox99]

19 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Always considered Aliexpress/Temu/Alibaba/Whatever else they come up with next nothing more than a cheap Chinese knockoff scam site, is it actually legit?

Talking about the product being really whats shown, then customer support if something goes wrong, and being safe to put a card # into?

Everything is legit and great except the customer support.  I haven't used customer support but the policy is basically that once a timer ticks down from the time the reel is shipped the order is finalized and if there is any issue its between you and the seller.  Aliexpress doesn't seem to want to get involved. 

 

I've ordered like a hundred fishing related products off the site and never had an issue with an order but I only do buisness with sellers/stores that sell a lot of items.  The prices are so cheap for USDM reels they also sell on the chinease market that I'd rather just fix the reels myself and still come out way ahead vs buying the same thing on Amazon.  I treat the reels like I do JDM reels and use the lack of a US warranty but a way cheaper price to just fix any issues myself if they arise. 

 

If you wanted to be sneaky you could send a china market Tatula to Daiwa US for warranty work but there may be stickers on the reel that indicate it is a non US market purchase and you could just peel the stickers off.  I know there are Daiwa line capacity chart stickers on all china market Daiwas that must be some rule over there that I always peel off.  If one came across a Daiwa US bench for warranty work that would be a dead giveaway it was purchased outside the US.

 

[Bigbox99]

Here is a shot of a Tatula 150/200 platform reel next to a Tatula 80/Alphas TW reel.  I consider the Tatula 80 to be small and the Tatula 150 to be large but not monstrous.  

[Big Hands]

On 1/24/2025 at 9:44 AM, Rockhopper said:

curado 200k

 That would be my choice for sure.

 

I have two Tatula 200's and a Curado 200K. For what the OP has described, I would go with the Curado 200K. That Tatula is a bigger reel, and IMHO, that extra size is not giving you anything you need to use it the way you described. 

[new2BC4bass]

18 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

Looking to use 30lb. to 40lb. braid and lures up to 1 oz. on a 200 size reel . How are Okumo Helios 200 series reels or is the Tatula clearly superior ?

None of my reels see heavy use.  I have both of these reels.  The Helios has seen less use.  Not because of anything to do with the reel itself.  I kept purchasing rods and reels to keep my interest up enough to avoid quitting again.  I've used my Helios Air more and it is one of my favorites.

 

here is a review of the Helios rod and reel.

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/okuma-helios-reel-rod.html

 

[webertime]

I guess I am taking a step back here for clarification.  A Tatula 200 is as big as a Shimano 300 physically and in line capacity.  A Tatula 150 is the Tatula 200 platform with a lower capacity spool.  A Shimano 200 is physically smaller than a Daiwa 150 with about the same capacity.  Most everyone else's "150" is about the same (i.e., a "standard" size).  Then there's the Itty bitty Alphas/70/50 sizes.

 

With that said OP if your hands work with the size of a Tatula 200/150, they hold a ton of 20lb Abrazx and are no more than $135. I repair reels, etc, myself and have been very neglectful of mine, and they are still going strong.  A Shimano Curado 200 is a bit harder to find at $150 but totally a great reel.  If you look at the specs on a Tatula 80, it is also sort of surprising capacity-wise and is around 100.

 

I throw swimbaits up to 4oz on Shimano 200s with plenty of line on the spool (65lb braid or 16lb Fluorocarbon).  Bigger baits get the Tatula 200 and heavier line.

[ABU is overpriced]

Also gotta add, micro module+reliability=no bueno.

[Rockhopper]

29 minutes ago, ABU is overpriced said:

Also gotta add, micro module+reliability=no bueno.

🤣

 

Shimano's with micro module gears are absolutely perfectly fine. Don't let ABU persuade you away from that. He's hell bent in every reel thread making sure everyone only buys Daiwa.  Daiwa is a great choice too. They make some great reels. The Daiwas I own have all been great.  It's Chevy vs Ford in most cases between the two brands. 

 

In my experience having owned 8 total curado 200k's at one point, they have been a fantastic reel. Smooth as butter, great drags, and cast very well. Zero issues and would buy another again in a heartbeat if I had the need. There are absolutely better reels you can buy. You asked for a 200 size reel that can be had for $150. Curado k fits that perfectly and is a great quality reel. 

[F14A-B]

9 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

🤣

 

Shimano's with micro module gears are absolutely perfectly fine. Don't let ABU persuade you away from that. He's hell bent in every reel thread making sure everyone only buys Daiwa.  Daiwa is a great choice too. They make some great reels. The Daiwas I own have all been great.  It's Chevy vs Ford in most cases between the two brands. 

 

In my experience having owned 8 total curado 200k's at one point, they have been a fantastic reel. Smooth as butter, great drags, and cast very well. Zero issues and would buy another again in a heartbeat if I had the need. There are absolutely better reels you can buy. You asked for a 200 size reel that can be had for $150. Curado k fits that perfectly and is a great quality reel. 

He’s trollish in nature, but your absolutely correct about Shimano, I can absolutely tell ya they are far quieter than any Daiwa I’ve ever owned including the Tatula I tried and took back to my local BPS this past year. I’m going to probably try an HD Zillion soon and give it another go. But I’ve had zero issues out of my Bantums or Metanium reels. 

[JN94]

Curado 200K for sure. Should be able to find them sub $150 easily with the new Ms rolling out

[ABU is overpriced]

1 hour ago, Rockhopper said:

🤣

 

Shimano's with micro module gears are absolutely perfectly fine. Don't let ABU persuade you away from that. He's hell bent in every reel thread making sure everyone only buys Daiwa.  Daiwa is a great choice too. They make some great reels. The Daiwas I own have all been great.  It's Chevy vs Ford in most cases between the two brands. 

 

In my experience having owned 8 total curado 200k's at one point, they have been a fantastic reel. Smooth as butter, great drags, and cast very well. Zero issues and would buy another again in a heartbeat if I had the need. There are absolutely better reels you can buy. You asked for a 200 size reel that can be had for $150. Curado k fits that perfectly and is a great quality reel. 

I am not pushing Daiwa, no. I am pushing the Zillion, best bang per buck ever made.😊 And anyone in-the-know does the same, so i ain't a unique snowflake in that matter.

And the only way your MM gears don't go buzzy and grindy, is if you use your reel for presentations that have zero pull on the line, things such as jerkbaitin'. This is not a matter of opinion either, Shimano has a secondary market at reselling gear sets because they're made to last 1 year. Have a peek at swimbait forums to find out how well those Anteres MD's hold up😐 I fully expect the gear set on my brand new 24 Met DC to die this year, or mid next season if i use a bunch of spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, etc. And if i were to frog/flip with it, OOOOOOOF.