Casting Distance - I Must Be Doing Something Wrong 2024
Preytorien reply :
So here's a question for the reel repair/tune/maintenance gurus on here....
I have a basically brand new Curado 201G7
So far it's been great. I'm not a 4-5 times a week fisherman, so this is probably an overkill reel, but I love it.
I've got it sitting on a Crucial 6'8" MH/Fast rod since I do a fair bit of shore fishing too, I don't desire too long of a rod.
I've taken it apart, cleaned all the excess lube, degreased and lightly oiled the bearings, put it all back together, filled the spool up with Sufix 832 65lb braid since I am mainly using it for frogs and jigs.
I guess I just expected it to cast much better than it does. I'm just not sure what part of my setup or technical lack of knowledge might be contributing to such bad distance. I rarely cast anything less than 3/8oz usually a 1/2oz. However I probably only get about 20m at best, and that only an estimate, and it takes a fair bit of heaving to get it that far. Compared to my BPS Carbonlite reel it's pretty sad, my BPS Carbonlite will flat out chuck a lure. For reference I'm really pitting the results of casting the same 1/2 Dean Rojas Spro Frog on both reels. The Carbonlite blows the Curado out of the water on distance. The Carbonlite reel is on a 7ft H/Fast Carbonlite rod.
I can't imagine it's the reel inherently since Curado's (even G's) get good feedback and plenty of guys use them day in and day out.
What would you suggest to possibly check as the culprit? Is there a kind of smoking gun when it comes to less-than-ideal casting distances?
I have, to quote Francho, "3 shoes" on for my brakes.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
What did you lube the bearings with and are you sure they were clean? How tight is the spool tension knob set? Any chance you got grease on the spool shaft rim or frame? Was the spool tension loose when you replaced the opposite side plate? they can bind otherwise.
Capt.Bob reply :
Well I have used both of these reels and at one time owned both, they both cast very good, their are a few things that could be causing your problem, did you remove the shields on your bearings when you degreased the G?? Then if so did you replace them? If so they could be damaged causing bearing drag. Do you have the tension knob on the handle side backed off enough to allow the spool to drop a lure freely?
Since you are speculating at distance, is there a difference in the line on the two reel's. 65 lbs. braid on the G spool will loose considerable distance with lighter lures than say 30lbs. If you cast the other reel without concern the G should give good cast also. The G spool with 65 lbs braid will require nearly twice the RPM's to feed off the same amount of line it would using 30 lbs. test. The reel is holding less line so as each layer is paid out on a cast it is dropping lower to the center of the spool, lower on the spool means less line per revolution, the closer you get to the center the less line each revolution caries and the quicker you loose rotation???
If all the mechanics are right with the reel drop the 65 lbs test of and try it with 30,,,,see if that makes you on par with you BPS reel. One other thing I noticed is the amount of breaking,,,,I use 2 brakes with lighter line and lures, but at 40 or 50 lbs 832 and 3/8 or better lures 1 brake and free, free spool!!! good luck but change the line first and see what you are getting, I have one reel with heavier than 30 lbs. test 832 and that is my Pike Musky reel, a Lew's Super Duty with 50 lbs 832, I also use it for pitch'n and flipp'n jigs in heavy veggies!
bootytrain reply :
Go down to 2 brakes on. Unless its windy you don't need 3 brakes on. And if you are throwing something pretty aerodynamic you can go down to 1 brake on and bomb some long distances.
Preytorien reply :
On 5/19/2014 at 10:22 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:What did you lube the bearings with and are you sure they were clean? How tight is the spool tension knob set? Any chance you got grease on the spool shaft rim or frame? Was the spool tension loose when you replaced the opposite side plate? they can bind otherwise.
I lubed with reel butt'r, just one drop. They spun pretty freely at the tip of a pencil after I soaked them about 30mins in acetone. They didn't feel like they were binding anywhere. I set the tension knob loose enough to just let the lure hit the ground and not have any overrun. I was careful with my grease, but you know how that usually ends up..... 
Your last two tips may be something to look into. I don't recall messing around with any grease on the shaft, but I'll check it, and I don't recall it being tight (binding) when I replaced the side plate, but I'll check that too.
On 5/19/2014 at 10:30 PM, Capt.Bob said:Well I have used both of these reels and at one time owned both, they both cast very good, their are a few things that could be causing your problem, did you remove the shields on your bearings when you degreased the G?? Then if so did you replace them? If so they could be damaged causing bearing drag. Do you have the tension knob on the handle side backed off enough to allow the spool to drop a lure freely?
Since you are speculating at distance, is there a difference in the line on the two reel's. 65 lbs. braid on the G spool will loose considerable distance with lighter lures than say 30lbs. If you cast the other reel without concern the G should give good cast also. The G spool with 65 lbs braid will require nearly twice the RPM's to feed off the same amount of line it would using 30 lbs. test. The reel is holding less line so as each layer is paid out on a cast it is dropping lower to the center of the spool, lower on the spool means less line per revolution, the closer you get to the center the less line each revolution caries and the quicker you loose rotation???
If all the mechanics are right with the reel drop the 65 lbs test of and try it with 30,,,,see if that makes you on par with you BPS reel. One other thing I noticed is the amount of breaking,,,,I use 2 brakes with lighter line and lures, but at 40 or 50 lbs 832 and 3/8 or better lures 1 brake and free, free spool!!! good luck but change the line first and see what you are getting, I have one reel with heavier than 30 lbs. test 832 and that is my Pike Musky reel, a Lew's Super Duty with 50 lbs 832, I also use it for pitch'n and flipp'n jigs in heavy veggies!
I didn't take the shields off when I cleaned them, I was a bit concerned to do that, afraid I would mess things up.
I'll try it with reduced braking. I have 65lb braid on both reels, but like I said the BPS reel will flat out rocket a lure, while the Curado doesn't. I frog, jig, and punch in some nasty stuff, so I like the confidence in 65lb, but if it stays this way I may drop to 30-40lb braid and keep the BPS for the extra nasty stuff, use the Curado for not-so-intimidating weeds.
I'll check all the above comments, thanks for the tips guys, I'll let you know how it does.
JGBassinAL reply :
Throw some ABEC 7's in there, use two brakes, and loosen your cast control knob to where the spool can slide left and right a little when casting. Then use your thumb to keep it from backlashing and it will throw twice as far as that carbonlite.
.RM. reply :
You don't need ABEC7'
Try this.................. 
Set the brake blocks all off.
Set your cast control cap lose enough (no side to side play) to let the lure drop to the ground/floor/water and the spool stops turning, then reset the brake blocks with 3 on 3 off .
This is the only way to properly setup any reel with centrifical brakes.
Make your first cast to check the casting, and adjust the brakes from that point only (not the cast control cap), never losen cap from the drop rate setting.
The only time you will need to re-adjust the drop rate is if you change to a differant lure weight/size..
Just an ol service techs .02¢
JGBassinAL reply :
I agree to an extent .RM. but my post was geared towards best overall performance for the reel, not just so the OP can cast better. What I posted will get you better results than just regularly tuning the reel.
.RM. reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 4:23 AM, JGBassinAL said:I agree to an extent .RM. but my post was geared towards best overall performance for the reel, not just so the OP can cast better. What I posted will get you better results than just regularly tuning the reel.
Hve been servicing the Shimano line for 30+ yrs......
Have never had to replace any bearing with anything above an ABEC5...
Tight Lines All! 
Preytorien reply :
Well, now there's a new problem. While I was checking it and cleaning it, I noticed a piece that was broken. I'm not sure if it would cause the casting to be short, but I presume any broken piece to be bad and needs replaced.
Where might I go to find this part:
Shimano BNT2213 - Clutch Cam Retainer
One of the posts was broken off. I see a few on flea bay that are used, but none for a Curado G series left-hand reel
I can't find on Shimano's website anyplace to order replacement parts.
Help!!!
Maico1 reply :
https://fishshop.shimano.com/vip/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441852769
If it does not allow you to order call the toll free number at the bottom and order that way.....
Preytorien reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 7:54 AM, Maico1 said:https://fishshop.shimano.com/vip/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441852769
If it does not allow you to order call the toll free number at the bottom and order that way.....
Yea they have it. But stinkin' shipping is $6 just for UPS ground.....this piece is about as big as a thimble.
I may call them tomorrow, be super nice to the rep, and see if they'll send it to me free. I just got this thing in November, and with ice out here in April, I've only used it about 10-15 times.
WRB reply :
Do yourself a favor and send the reel to DVT for cleaning and tuning.
You know how to adjust reels as proven by the other reels performance.
Tom
deaknh03 reply :
your rods are making a difference as well..the bps is on a longer rod.
WRB reply :
Switch rods and reels to see if there is any difference.
Tom
Alonerankin2 reply :
It's under warranty, yes? Send it to DVT... You will get it back quicker is my guess
.RM. reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 7:31 AM, Preytorien said:Well, now there's a new problem. While I was checking it and cleaning it, I noticed a piece that was broken. I'm not sure if it would cause the casting to be short, but I presume any broken piece to be bad and needs replaced.
Where might I go to find this part:
Shimano BNT2213 - Clutch Cam Retainer
One of the posts was broken off. I see a few on flea bay that are used, but none for a Curado G series left-hand reel
I can't find on Shimano's website anyplace to order replacement parts.
Help!!!
Oh ya tht would make it almost impossible to disengage the reel. ...
The reel when cleaned was not put back together right and when the thumbar was depressed that when that pin failed.
"Never open a new reel untill the warrenty is over"
Also do not try to install that part if you have never done so, YOU will just screw it up more!
Send it to MIke for servicing and to Shimano for warranty work....
Contact Shimano for parts here.
Customer Service: 877-577-0600
5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday
Pacific Standard Time
Tight Lines!
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 8:12 AM, Preytorien said:Yea they have it. But stinkin' shipping is $6 just for UPS ground.....this piece is about as big as a thimble.
I may call them tomorrow, be super nice to the rep, and see if they'll send it to me free. I just got this thing in November, and with ice out here in April, I've only used it about 10-15 times.
I wouldn't be surprised if they the part free, but you never know. If you'd like the reel gone through ($19.80 for members here) there's no additional labor replacing the part.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 6:02 AM, .RM. said:Hve been servicing the Shimano line for 30+ yrs......
Have never had to replace any bearing with anything above an ABEC5...
Tight Lines All!
Ya, I've come to the same conclusion. The ABEC rating is what drives the price too. An ABEC5 ceramic hybrid is so close in speed you can't tell the difference between them and the 7's and at just over 1/2 the price.
Capt.Bob reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 8:51 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Ya, I've come to the same conclusion. The ABEC rating is what drives the price too. An ABEC5 ceramic hybrid is so close in speed you can't tell the difference between them and the 7's and at just over 1/2 the price.
X2 Like I have said many times, these reels don't turn enough RPM's to benefit from abec 7 bearings!!! Like DVT said the abec 5 is the ideal bearing for your reels performance capabilities, I personally will not run ceramics, I have and run them wet for smooth AND QUIET, defeating the purpose of ceramic. Now I run Hi Grade stainless steel only and am giving up nothing especially my money for nothing!!! I always suggest stainless Boca abec 5 bearings for my customers, they all thank me.
Listen to .RM. and Mike, these guys have seen it all, let someone else service the reel before you risk more damage, you will be assured it will perform as good as your BPS reel when you get it back,,,,,,,and 20 buck's is cheap when it's right and you don't need to replace parts every service!!
P.S. if I were servicing a reel for saltwater use I would always use ceramic,,,,even though I would run them wet. I have two reels with ceramic for trips to the gulf, this does not eliminate the need for cleaning and maintenance when I use them in salt water, but does give me insurance my bearings will be more robust against corrosion.
JGBassinAL reply :
Ok guys I just want to clarify something. I have a Curado E5 with ABEC 9 ceramics and one with ABEC5 ceramics. I have them both on the exact same model rod, and when throwing the exact same bait with the exact same line the E5 with ABEC 9 ceramics throws a good bit farther than the one with ABEC5s. I just thought the ABEC7s were a friendly suggestion to get him a little better casting. There might not be much of a difference in the ABEC7s and ABEC5s but there is a good bit of difference in ABEC5s and ABEC9s for I have seen it first hand.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
There's a good amount of funny business in the bearing market. I'm skeptical that what you were sold are true ABEC9 bearings, the cost would be prohibitive. The only way to get a real comparison is to swap bearings in the same reel on the same rod, line and bait. A dry ABEC5 bearing in a clean quality reel will spin a very long time. A bait of a given weight and profile is only capable of flying just so far no matter how the bearings spin or the rod loads. An easy start up for accurate casts are what will put fish in the boat.
JGBassinAL reply :
I bought these from Dan at ReelEx who has serviced Shimano reels for no telling how long so I am sure they are ABEC9s...
Capt.Bob reply :
I don't know Dan but I would be suspicious of anyone telling people abec 9's would be worth any significant increase over an abec 7 in any fishing reel application. I also do know the difference in a baitcast reel going from abec7 to abec 9 ceramics, is even less difference than going from abec 5 stainless properly lubed to abec 7 ceramics,,,,,,, there are many that think there is something magical about spending money uselessly, and many more that have been there and know better!!!
I agree with Mike and .RM., if the guy can't throw over 20 yards with properly lubed factory bearings he is not going to throw 25 yards by throwing money at bearings. Far to many people are told bad advice, and to suggest abec 9 bearings to any of my customers would be taking advantage of them in my book. There are many that throw money madlessly at there equipment and become delusional at the results,,,,, I would do some research on abec bearing classifications and the application requirements to benefit from them. Hopefully this guy listens to Mike and realizes his educated opinion and doesn't get more screwed up than he already is!!! 
frantzracing0 reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 10:53 PM, JGBassinAL said:I bought these from Dan at ReelEx who has serviced Shimano reels for no telling how long so I am sure they are ABEC9s...
If you did some research into abec standards, you would understand that the differences between 5,7,9 are tolerance for VERY high RPH. Im sorry but our reels are not spinning at even 1/50th of that rph load. In my old chronarch I had I first put in abec 5's and swore I noticed a gain. Then I measured, about 40-45 yards on average. Then I upgraded to abec 7 ceramics, and again swore I noticed the gain......until I measured. about 40-45 yards. The only thing I gained was a loud cast and lost 40 bucks.
The only true gain I experienced was in pitching. And then maybe only a few yards max and I see no need to pitch a bait that far. I atribute this to being able to run the ceramics dry
JGBassinAL reply :
On 5/21/2014 at 1:17 AM, frantzracing0 said:If you did some research into abec standards, you would understand that the differences between 5,7,9 are tolerance for VERY high RPH. Im sorry but our reels are not spinning at even 1/50th of that rph load. In my old chronarch I had I first put in abec 5's and swore I noticed a gain. Then I measured, about 40-45 yards on average. Then I upgraded to abec 7 ceramics, and again swore I noticed the gain......until I measured. about 40-45 yards. The only thing I gained was a loud cast and lost 40 bucks.
The only true gain I experienced was in pitching. And then maybe only a few yards max and I see no need to pitch a bait that far. I atribute this to being able to run the ceramics dry
Maybe it is in my head, as I did not measure the casts. It sure did seem like I was casting farther, maybe it was just me wanting it to cast farther. But his ABEC 9 ceramics are only $20, which are cheaper than ABEC 7 Orange Seals so I'm not complaining.
frantzracing0 reply :
I would use abec 7 ceramics again in a heartbeat if I could afford a dedicated pitching setup. The startup for the pitch is improved a good bit in my opinion. But for overall casting, I saw no real world gains. Im down to 3 setups these days simply due to cost restraints. (I used to have 7) and and making the most out of every investment these days is very important. To a beginner or someone like me whos broke lol I would never recommend them honestly. Hell a stock bearing, once flushed and clean is a major improvement over stock
Cgrinder reply :
My gut tells me that if they cost $20 for a pair, they aren't ABEC 9.
JGBassinAL reply :
My gut tells me that a guy who has cleaned and supertuned Shimano reels for 20 years with a spotless reputation is not going to lie about ABEC 9 bearings. The $20 price is with a service on your reel as well, so they might be more expensive if you just bought them straight up.
Cgrinder reply :
Well then you're either getting the best deal in the history of the world, or they aren't truly ABEC 9. I don't really have a dog in this fight, so you keep on doin' whatever you like.
iabass8 reply :
On 5/21/2014 at 5:01 AM, Cgrinder said:Well then you're either getting the best deal in the history of the world, or they aren't truly ABEC 9. I don't really have a dog in this fight, so you keep on doin' whatever you like.
Dan offers great prices on products if you get your reel cleaned by him. He's a very reputable person in the reel servicing industry. I wouldn't hesitate to believe that he sold him legitimate abec9's for 20$ on top of service.
with that said, the casting distance between abec 9s and 7s is most likely in your head.
Cgrinder reply :
On 5/21/2014 at 5:06 AM, iabass8 said:Dan offers great prices on products if you get your reel cleaned by him. He's a very reputable person in the reel servicing industry. I wouldn't hesitate to believe that he sold him legitimate abec9's for 20$ on top of service.
with that said, the casting distance between abec 9s and 7s is most likely in your head.
That's good to know.
JGBassinAL reply :
On 5/21/2014 at 5:06 AM, iabass8 said:
Dan offers great prices on products if you get your reel cleaned by him. He's a very reputable person in the reel servicing industry. I wouldn't hesitate to believe that he sold him legitimate abec9's for 20$ on top of service.
with that said, the casting distance between abec 9s and 7s is most likely in your head.
Thank you iabass8. I talked to Dan after this whole thread started to get out of hand and he assured me that they are ABEC 9 bearings. Side by side with ABEC 5s they blow them out of the water. I may be naive, but I will listen to Dan on this one. Instead of knocking them everyone should give them a try and see for themselves.
frantzracing0 reply :
been there, done that. Im not knocking them, but in my opinion anything over an abec 5 is a novelty item. Cool to have but no real use
Preytorien reply :
Just a quick update (and momentary diversion from the ABEC discussion)....
I cleaned the bearings by soaking them in acetone for 24 hours, then let them dry several hours. I used a very high-quality bearing oil - very light but the same kind of oil we use in competitive bicycle wheel bearings.
Additionally I downsized my braid from 65lb to 40lb.
Summed up.....it's a world different. I don't know which one made the most difference, but likely it's a compilation of the two, but the casting difference is significant.
Thanks for the help.
As for bearings, I don't use ceramics - for a number of reasons but I won't get into that. But I do use them on the bearings in my wheels, crankset, and pulley wheels on my competitive bicycle. While the higher ABEC ratings are significantly more expensive, lab testing has only shown marginal gains at extremely high speeds for ABEC ratings over 7. What that translates to for reel bearings I'm not sure. I just know that it means for us, ABEC 5's do just as good as ABEC 9's. But hey, if the 9's weren't twice as expensive (and for bike components that equates to about $400-500 for a total bike bearing switchout) I'd probably run 9's just to ensure I've got the best. Additionally, I'm not sure what kinds are available for reels, but we use almost exclusively silicon nitride bearings. But for us, the majority of the advantage lies in just simply how tough they are against wearing out (causing inefficiency). I can imagine ceramic would be at an advantage for very specific applications, like a reel, where any problem with a bearing can translate to significant performance degredation.
As for me, I keep toying with the idea of upgrading to ceramics, my problem mostly lies in hearing stories of how they're more noisy. Maybe it's my bike background or something, but I hate my components to make too much noise....I enjoy silence!
As for the type of oil I used, it's definitely NOT a reel oil, so I'm sure that violates some kind of fisherman's code, but this stuff is more expensive and used for very very high quality applications for bearings and other lubrication needs, so I'm sure its fine. If you're interested it's called Boeshield - has a lot of applications, particularly ones where water exposure is a consideration.
http://boeshield.com/
Preytorien reply :
Another update.....
So I bit the bullet, and for my birthday, treated myself to some Hawgtech ABEC 7 bearings.
Noisy? Yes. I used a very very slight amount of oil - as in not even a drop, less than that. Which did quiet them down a bit more, a lot more to my liking.
Casting distance? Marginally better when using a standard (for me) 3/8-1/2 lure, but where it really shines is when I use weightless soft plastics, which I use quite a bit. I use a weightless Caffeine Shad or Senko that complements my frogging rig (as a follow up bait on a missed blowup), and it absolutely makes a difference casting very light lures. I'm sure it's due to lower rolling resistance making it easier for the spool to spin up.
My overall thoughts? The Hawgtechs were an upgrade I hesitated to do initially, but I'm VERY glad I decided to go that route.
Thanks Hawgtech!
iceintheveins reply :
My Curado E outcasts all my other baitcasters. Yet I only have three other models, a Shimano Cardiff for swimbaits and catfish, four bps pqs, and a Lew's Tournament MG speed spool in which so far I am disappointed with the distance in.
Catt reply :
Great read guys!
Saved me some research 
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