strewth

Curados are going very cheap in the US at the moment, due to the fact that they have been replaced by new models. The 50E was recently available for US$110 plus shipping (about US$30). Plenty of places in the US are selling the 200E for around US$140. A$270 for a Curado 200E is overpriced, especially when the Assie dollar has appreciated hugely against the US dollar..... The Curados are mid-level reels that are robust and cast great. Also easy to service.

+1 on that....Dawn is great to deal with

Excellent info available on the US Shimano site http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.html Also on Youtube and very detailed. Doesn't help much with Daiwa though.

Ted Donelan's leader knot. Looks like an Albright, but only has one tag end as you must weave the leader under and over through the bimini. I use it on everything from 6 lb to 60 lb and it's very compact and strong. Takes about 30 secs to tie. Google it or look in Geoff Wilon's knot book.

I would get a Curado 200E7 - from the US shipped it will cost ~ $170-190.

I forgot to mention that some suppliers allow you to order the bearings "pre-greased" or "dry". Boca has this option.

I remove all my Daiwa roller bearings before use and pack them with Daiwa blue grease (squeeze it in using your thumb and forefinger). This stops the water getting in which is the chief cause of your problems. Roller bearings can be greased since they are load bearing and only need to turn under the load of the line. My roller bearings typically last 4 or 5 years before needing replacement. If you have a rough bearing, remove it and soak it in a small jar of Shellite or acetone for an hour or so (with a few shakes) and then dry with a hairdyer or compressed air. Will often remedy the problem if the bearing is not too corroded.

Jumbo tackle in Tokyo (Shibuya station, west exit, up and over footbridge and turn left)has three floors of tackle. Loads of softies, hardbodies, reels and rods to choose from. Prices for hardbodies (and some reels) are cheaper than here - esp the top end. I spent a bundle there last week and would focus on lures.

Good stuff Slink....are the others all on there too?

And don't leave your tank unfilled - this stops condensation.

I seriously doubt it, as the questions always arises "what knot?". One braid, Fireline XDS, gives both knot strength and line strength but this was always impossible to interpret. IGFA rated braids must break close to their stated strength and this is mostly measured in simple tension at a specified rate of loading. Using appropriate knots and due care it is possible to get close to 100% strength in braids.

If some manufacturers can advertise correct (or close to correct ) breaking strains (eg Sufix, Sunline, etc) then they all can (and should). Five or ten percent accuracy is good enough for me, but factors of two or more are absurd. IGFA braids get very close to the true rated load capacity. The current situation, where the angler often has no idea of the true load capacity of the braid, is ridiculous. And the terminlogy "equivalent to xlb mono" is next to useless, and should be done away with. Just give us an estimate of the true diameter, averaged for non-circular braids, and be done with it. ps: "breaking strain" , although universal, is the wrong term for measuring the strengths of lines. Strain is a dimensionless measure of deformation, not load.

Have used TufLine XP, Fins PRT, and Sufix Performance Braid, and Sunline Castaway in 30 lb on baitcasters with no drama. Tufline and Fins do the job, but SPB and Castaway are thinner. Suspect the SPB might be better on eggbeaters, as it is not a limp as the others.

I had the same problem on a 60HP 4 stroke Yammie. Fixed it by inserting a small diameter drill bit in the hole and rotating by hand. Removed a lot of crud. I would not use compressed air, as that blows the crud in not out.

Interesting information fin101. It appears that not all gel cells are the same. I have been using a HAZE 100AH gel cell which costs about half of your "gel techs" and had very good performance (fingers crossed). It is wll known that AGM batteries will tolerate larger amps in the recharge phase and are thus good for applications where the level of discharge is high. Thanks for the update on the MK chargers Geoff. This is important information which is not widely known. Strewth