It's been a long time since I've updated my rods and reels, too long. I've always been a Curado 200 kind of guy on my baitcasters and when the D series came out I just didn't like the feel of the reels. Smooth, mechanically wonderful, but didn't have the feel I wanted.

The 200E7's that arrived at my door earlier this week are such a notch up from the D series. They are small, like Chronarch 100 small. The side plate is big with the 7:1 gear but not heavy. Even better it does not interfere with the pointer finger on your casting hand. I haven't been to the lake yet with these but am already in love.

To go with the 200E7's I picked out three of the new Cumara rods. Our own magmaster from the forum had a hand in designing these rods and they look and feel excellent. I got the 6'8" spinning rod (amazing), the 72MH and the X72MH. The 72MH feels like a spoon / texas rig rod. You could throw a fluke on it as well or an underspin. Very lightweight in terms of physical weight on the rod.

The X72MH is an open water jig rod or medium sized texas rig outfit. This could also be a great chatterbait rod Feels perfect with a 1/2oz football head jig. I like the way this rod has some feel in the tip but a stout butt section. You can move a decent sized bass with this rod.

My last purchase was a 7'6" Okuma C3 rod which I picked up for crankbait fishing. I like long crankbait rods with soft tip action. This rod feels so nice with a medium sized crankbait tied on. I feel utterly spoiled with all this new stuff!

Still waiting for my Shimano Stradic C14's to come. Putting one of those on my 6'8" Cumara and one on my 6'10" Megabass Destroyer could actually make me want to use my spinning gear more :)

I finally broke out my 200e7 at the Delta last week. It threw my buzzbait a mile. got it to the surface quick and battled a 6 and a 7 to the boat no problem. (Unfortunaltely those fish were in prefishing). I also got to take a good run at a 20 lb+ striper, pulled drag (smooth) and then the buzzbait actually broke. The wire broke out of the lead. Damn Strippers:P

The 300e is a great real for the 6" huds and 6" tripple trouts! Absolutely a must for smaller swimbaits. and it has all the power you need to turn their heads and get them in the boat!!!!

I was able to use my new 300e a couple times already. I am using it for my Lunker Punker and love it! Now I just need to get a Striper to demolish it, and I'll be in heaven. :P

As for my 200e5, it is still sitting in the box. I think it's been about a month and a half or two months now. I can't wait to try it out though for Stripers this fall. I'm debating what to rod to pair it with at the moment. I think I want to pick up a 200e7 as well. I already feel my wallet getting lighter. :-)

The Curado 300 is an awesome piece of machinery. I have caught yellowfin, yellotail, albacore and white sea bass along with the freshwater species. Then again my opinion is biased :P

TW just got in more of the Cumara lineup


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I have upgraded as well 4 new Shimano Metanium DC's 2 are 7:1 and 2 are 6.2:1. Had 4 new Shimano Aldebarans, essentially Core 51's all 7:1 but when I forgot to use the rod buckle and got on pad 1 flew out taking a Kistler LTX2 7'11" flipping stick with it. I also upgraded to Kistler's LTX 2's, Argon's, and Magnesium's. Then came a nice used 99 TR-21 with a 225 Yamaha.

I am enjoying all the new stuff and can't say enough about the new reals they are awesome. It has been a lot of 10 - 17 day shifts but summer does that to my work schedule and fall is here and I am STOKED!!!

If you can get to Casitas on a tue, wed or thu call Rich @ (805) 407-3331 and I will pick you up at the dock. I almost always have the back seat open as my bro got transferred up north.

Rich

hey rob, it sounds like you have been using the same spinning reels for quite awhile. its usually line twists that bother me with spinning reels. you must not have had these issues with your older spinning reels.
may I ask what spinning reels you have been using?

Line twist comes in two ways. It comes when you spool up your reel and it comes when you reel against the drag while fighting fish (or snags).

When spooling up your reel keep in mind that not all spools of line are spooled in the same way from the line factory. So while some people will tell you to set the spool on the ground with the label up, when spooling a spinning reel, that does not work for all brands of line!

The way to spool your spinning reel is to set the spool on the ground and take 7 turns of the reel handle. Watch the line coming up off the spool. If the coils get narrow, flip the spool over. Take 7 more turns of the handle. If the coils get narrow again you'll need to flip the spool over about every 6 to 8 turns of the handle as you spool up your reel.

If the coils stay large, leave the spool on that side and spool your whole reel. Viola, no line twist.

The other tip is to avoid reeling against the drag when fighting fish. It makes your line twist and makes you look like a barni too :)

The new reels you can stop doing the spool flat on the floor thing. Just wind it on like you would with a baitcast reel.