How To Improve My Curado G Reel 2024
---=Martin=--- reply :
Hi gang! So for my baitcasting reels I have 3: Citica E, Curado G, and Chronarch E. Citica casts the heavy plastic lures fine with a 14# mono on it. Chronarch casts like a dream, i'm still amazed how far that thing will send a fluke flying. But my Curado G, well, ahmmm, underperforms when casting a Booyah Pod Crasher Jr. with a 50# PowerPro braid (yes I know I should have gotten the E :-P they do feel more refined).
So what are my options for improving casting distance? I was fishing with LMG the other weekend and he was throwing the same lure on the same line except from a Chronarch 200 or 50, not sure, and was able to cast TWICE the distance I could with my Curado :-(
I can start with giving the reel a nice clean and lube. I tried going from 3 to 2 breaks but that didn't make any noticeable difference. This leads me to believe that it must all be in bearing and spool. Also releasing the spool tension completely has no effect at all. I can do 2 breaks and no spool tension, or I can do 3 breaks and tension adjusted to slowly drop the lure; same casting distance.
Would dry run ceramic boca bearing help here? What else can I do with this reel?
Thanks!
M.
P.S. Take it easy on me for getting a G please :-D
MrSwimJig reply :
Try soaking and cleaning the stock bearings first and add a drop of bearing oil to them after they dry and see how it works.
If you go the ceramic bearing route I wouldn't run them dry but that is just my opinion.
webertime reply :
It's a bulky, light bait with 50lb braid. It's not going to cast super far unless you have a fairly light/low power rod.
What rod are you using it with?
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/16/2013 at 11:28 PM, Mr Swim Jig said:Try soaking and cleaning the stock bearings first and add a drop of bearing oil to them after they dry and see how it works.
If you go the ceramic bearing route I wouldn't run them dry but that is just my opinion.
soak in what? alcohol to dissolve the old oil first?
i hear dry ceramics spin faster than lubed, but are noisy. is that true?
On 5/16/2013 at 11:36 PM, webertime said:It's a bulky, light bait with 50lb braid. It's not going to cast super far unless you have a fairly light/low power rod.
What rod are you using it with?
6'8" MH/F Compre.
MrSwimJig reply :
Soak them in acetone.
Yes dry they spin faster and are noisy and wear out quicker as well.
MarkH024 reply :
On 5/16/2013 at 11:40 PM, mvorbrodt said:soak in what? alcohol to dissolve the old oil first?
i hear dry ceramics spin faster than lubed, but are noisy. is that true?
Acetone. Yes that is true about the noise. Your stock bearings should be perfectly fine. I have a curado E that I use for my frogging and I can send a hollowbody in orbit.
6'8" MH/F Compre.
IMO.........7' or longer for frogging is better but not completely necessary.
How old is the Curado? You may just need some more break-in time. But if you haven't soaked the bearings, start there.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/16/2013 at 11:44 PM, MarkH024 said:How old is the Curado? You may just need some more break-in time. But if you haven't soaked the bearings, start there.
it's 2, maybe 3 months old. 10-15 outings with it maybe.
MarkH024 reply :
On 5/16/2013 at 11:45 PM, mvorbrodt said:it's 2, maybe 3 months old. 10-15 outings with it maybe.
Yea...she's not broken in completely yet. But you should still soak those bearings and relube with the Shimano oil or comparable. Don't go out and buy bearings if you don't need too. You can do as you wish, I just don't think it's completely necessary. I'd give it a season to decide if you want to make the upgrade, that's just me though.
Hogsticker reply :
Polish the spool lip and loosen up on that spool tension knob
Boogey Man reply :
Have you tried cleaning the brake race? Then put a small drop of oil on a q tip and apply to the brake race.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/17/2013 at 1:46 AM, Boogey Man said:Have you tried cleaning the brake race? Then put a small drop of oil on a q tip and apply to the brake race.
no, that i have not tried.
i'll do all that tonight after fishing. will clean the breaks and flush and oil bearing.
btw, i do not have any reel specific oil, but i do have some thin gun oil that i could easily apply. would that work?
J Francho reply :
http://fish.shimano.com/media/fishing/SAC/techdocs/en/Low_Profile/12CU200G7_v1_m56577569830796519.pdf
Pull the spool tension cap and friction spring to get to bearing part #4343. You should be able to get it off without removing the handle or star drag - just position the points of the star on either side of the cap. Then open the palm side plate, and gently pry off the bearing retainer clip part # 32 to get to the second spool bearing part #4343. I good tip to remove that retainer clip is to do inside a big ziploc bag. They have a tendency to go flying! Soak them in acetone in a small glass jar. Swirl them occasionally, and check for bits of junk in the acetone. Change out the acetone until no more junk floats in the acetone. Pull them, let them dry for ten minutes or so on some paper towel, then give them a ten minute bath in 70% rubbing alcohol. Pull them out, and let them dry again for ten minutes or so. Add one drop of Bantam Oil to the inner edge of the race, and gently spin the bearing on a pencil to distribute the oil. Let them sit on paper towel for another ten minutes to let any excess oil drain. Reinstall the bearings, putting the parts in reverse order that you removed them. Lastly, do not oil the brake drum. It may work great at first, but the oil will degrade in this application, and get a little sticky. I prefer the brake race simply be clean. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, and gently clean the inside race. Do this every couple trips, and you'll have consistent brakes.
Good luck, and let us know if you run into any jams.
*Hootie reply :
J Francho, those are the best detailed instructions I have ever read. Going to copy, paste to word pad and print. Taping them above my work table. Thanks a bunch.
Hootie
J Francho reply :
LOL, every once in a while I share my secrets. 
Just seemed like a shame that he's not getting all he can out of a more than capable reel.
Boogey Man reply :
Another link from Shimano that may be helpful.
http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-0001-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels%20(2%20pages).pdf
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/17/2013 at 5:23 AM, Boogey Man said:Another link from Shimano that may be helpful.
http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-0001-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels%20(2%20pages).pdf
Thanks a bunch!!!
War Eagle 44 reply :
On 5/16/2013 at 11:36 PM, webertime said:It's a bulky, light bait with 50lb braid. It's not going to cast super far unless you have a fairly light/low power rod.
100% incorrect statement. I use a 735C Powell frog rod that has a lot of "backbone" and isn't light powered at all and I have zero problem getting great casting distance. Spooled up with 50# PPS8S brown. My point here is the line on your reel isn't the problem at all, start with J Francho's suggestions and see how it does then. This should improve your reels performance a good bit. In time going down to one brake block will also boost distance.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/17/2013 at 2:32 AM, J Francho said:http://fish.shimano.com/media/fishing/SAC/techdocs/en/Low_Profile/12CU200G7_v1_m56577569830796519.pdf
Pull the spool tension cap and friction spring to get to bearing part #4343. You should be able to get it off without removing the handle or star drag - just position the points of the star on either side of the cap. Then open the palm side plate, and gently pry off the bearing retainer clip part # 32 to get to the second spool bearing part #4343. I good tip to remove that retainer clip is to do inside a big ziploc bag. They have a tendency to go flying! Soak them in acetone in a small glass jar. Swirl them occasionally, and check for bits of junk in the acetone. Change out the acetone until no more junk floats in the acetone. Pull them, let them dry for ten minutes or so on some paper towel, then give them a ten minute bath in 70% rubbing alcohol. Pull them out, and let them dry again for ten minutes or so. Add one drop of Bantam Oil to the inner edge of the race, and gently spin the bearing on a pencil to distribute the oil. Let them sit on paper towel for another ten minutes to let any excess oil drain. Reinstall the bearings, putting the parts in reverse order that you removed them. Lastly, do not oil the brake drum. It may work great at first, but the oil will degrade in this application, and get a little sticky. I prefer the brake race simply be clean. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, and gently clean the inside race. Do this every couple trips, and you'll have consistent brakes.
Good luck, and let us know if you run into any jams.
Thanks for the tip! I just increased my casting distance by 50%-60%! I flushed the bearings in alcohol, and also cleaned a bunch of gunk that was inside the reel. Oiled it using a thin gun oil (that's all I have). I just went out to try it out and it was flying way farther than before! Oh yea, cleaned and oiled the break drum too. Still on 3 breaks and properly set spool tension.
On 5/17/2013 at 2:02 PM, War Eagle 44 said:100% incorrect statement. I use a 735C Powell frog rod that has a lot of "backbone" and isn't light powered at all and I have zero problem getting great casting distance. Spooled up with 50# PPS8S brown. My point here is the line on your reel isn't the problem at all, start with J Francho's suggestions and see how it does then. This should improve your reels performance a good bit. In time going down to one brake block will also boost distance.
I have to agree, read above :-) I'm casting a Jr Pod Crasher frog on a 50# braid and it's flying much better now!
==================================================
One other thing... looks like it's not a good idea to put your reel face down on the grass while taking pics of fish :-) there was a lot of chopped up vegetables inside and all around my reel :-)
War Eagle 44 reply :
Glad to hear your getting better performance now. I still think you should clean the bearings with lighter fluid though, in my experience alcohol doesn't clean them nearly as well. I'm with J Francho on liking my brake race clean and dry. I don't think you gain any performance by lightly oiling it, just MHO though. Also I like to make sure my spool shaft is completely clean of grease, sometimes there is a little that gets on it where it goes through the pinion gear. I also take the cotton off a Q-Tip, add lighter fluid, and place it on a small wooden dowel and run it all the way through the pinion gear a couple of times to get any left over grease out. This also helps to increase free spool.
Like I said earlier just keep practicing until you can get down to one brake block. It took me a while to get there but it's really worth the effort once you master it. My Citica E casts a Bronzeye Jr very well with the rod & line I mentioned earlier using only one block.
On a side note I've fished many many ponds and put my reels down all kinds of ways in the grass and never once found any inside the reel when servicing it. That is very interesting to me how some got into yours. Anyway good luck this season with that frog!
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/19/2013 at 3:38 AM, War Eagle 44 said:Glad to hear your getting better performance now. I still think you should clean the bearings with lighter fluid though, in my experience alcohol doesn't clean them nearly as well. I'm with J Francho on liking my brake race clean and dry. I don't think you gain any performance by lightly oiling it, just MHO though. Also I like to make sure my spool shaft is completely clean of grease, sometimes there is a little that gets on it where it goes through the pinion gear. I also take the cotton off a Q-Tip, add lighter fluid, and place it on a small wooden dowel and run it all the way through the pinion gear a couple of times to get any left over grease out. This also helps to increase free spool.
Like I said earlier just keep practicing until you can get down to one brake block. It took me a while to get there but it's really worth the effort once you master it. My Citica E casts a Bronzeye Jr very well with the rod & line I mentioned earlier using only one block.
On a side note I've fished many many ponds and put my reels down all kinds of ways in the grass and never once found any inside the reel when servicing it. That is very interesting to me how some got into yours. Anyway good luck this season with that frog!
i feel confident that i can cast with 2 breaks on instead of 3 :-) i tried it before and it made no difference, perhaps i'll try it today when i go fishing... any risk of professional overrun now that i tuned the reel?
War Eagle 44 reply :
Yes, the spool is now going to spin faster than before so you'll have to adjust your casting effort. Less is more when dealing with faster spinning spools. You should now be able to get the same distance using 2 brakes and less effort as you were getting with 3 and lots of force. This was the biggest thing I had to learn myself with less braking force & free spinning bearings, not nearly as much force was needed to get the bait out there. It took me a while to learn to let the reel and rod do most of the casting work, all that's needed is a nice fluid easy swing.
---=Martin=--- reply :
So I fished it today for 2 hours, it was casting like a dream! I didn't want to go 2 breaks for now, maybe next time i'll give it a shot. today was all about frogging :-)
J Francho reply :
That's great! Glad we could all help.
rockchalk06 reply :
On 5/20/2013 at 10:54 PM, J Francho said:That's great! Glad we could all help.
I want to thank you too. I just got done with a flushing of my bearings on my 50E and youzers!
I flushed then in WD40 while spinning them, followed by your method. Blew them dry and they spun forever. Added a tiny drop of oil, blew with my air gun and put the reel back together.
I also blew on the spool with my air gun to let it free spool for about 5 minutes straight. It's a completely different reel now. My other 3 Shimanos were slick, but this is a beast. I now know what my days off will consist of
MarkH024 reply :
On 5/19/2013 at 8:53 AM, mvorbrodt said:So I fished it today for 2 hours, it was casting like a dream! I didn't want to go 2 breaks for now, maybe next time i'll give it a shot. today was all about frogging :-)
I use 2 brakes on most of my Shimano reels. I think you'll be fine and gain a little more distance. Just remember, you don't need to swing for the fences to send your bait a long way especially anything over 3/8 oz+. Train your thumb well and you won't have any worries. Glad to hear of your success.
TNBassin' reply :
I'm gonna have to utilize some of these tips for my Chronarch e6 I just bought.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/20/2013 at 11:48 PM, TNBassin said:I'm gonna have to utilize some of these tips for my Chronarch e6 I just bought.
try it first as is. my chronarch e6 casts like a dream right out of the box
TNBassin' reply :
I did for a few hours yesterday. Flushing the bearings straight away is always a good idea, as they are always over lubed. I'm thinking of slapping some Boca Orange seals in it as well.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 5/20/2013 at 11:50 PM, TNBassin said:I did for a few hours yesterday. Flushing the bearings straight away is always a good idea, as they are always over lubed. I'm thinking of slapping some Boca Orange seals in it as well.
so how did you like it? it's your first shimano right?
i think i'll switch my curado to 2 breaks and some spool tension. the flushing and oiling REALLY made a huge difference! also thinking about putting ceramics in mine :-)
TNBassin' reply :
On 5/20/2013 at 11:56 PM, mvorbrodt said:so how did you like it? it's your first shimano right?
i think i'll switch my curado to 2 breaks and some spool tension. the flushing and oiling REALLY made a huge difference! also thinking about putting ceramics in mine :-)
I had a few Shimanos when I was younger, but it's my first in probably 20-25 years. I'm used to Revo centrifugal brakes, so using the ones on the Chronarch took a few minutes to find the sweet spot. I have 3 on and less spool tension. At first I had 2 on and just enough tension to eliminate side to side play in the spool and was fine, then I'd get a random back lash. So that's when I went to 3 on. Casts nice for sure. I think the bearing kit for mine is about $30.
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