I don't hate Shimano reels. As a matter of fact, I love Shimano's classic reels that made their name in fishing -- Stellas, Conquests, and the older Curados. One of these Curados is the Curado 100/101D. The old legend for American bass anglers.
I got this reel from another angler-Shimano-fan. He had this reel stored for god knows how long. The reel doesn't have a handle, a clicker assembly, the main gear is stripped, the oscillating gear and idler gear are torn to bits and pieces, the bearings are rusted, and there were missing springs and etc. The spool doesn't have a VBS (Variable Brake System) assembly. The thumb rest (face plate) is also cracked and torn. Basically, a junker that's ready to be thrown out. I think he gave it to me as a challenge to see if I can give it a new life.
Curado 101D Schematic
The problem with a 10-year-old-under-$200-reel from Shimano is that parts are really hard to come by. This is specially true for American-market reels. If you check US-based reel parts supplier's sites, you will normally see "Discontinued" labels on important reel parts. To find replacements, you have to really dig deeper and go through different articles, blog posts, and online forum discussions to know what parts can be used as alternatives.
For the handle assembly, I posted an ad in an FB fishing buy-and-sell page. Luckily, Edmar Chua, one of the nicest anglers around sent me one for free complete with the awesome Septon paddles and bearings. Some of the parts like all the springs, idler and oscillating gear, clicker assembly, I ordered from Plat.com. They are parts for the Shimano Scorpion 1001. If you look at the Curado 101D, it is basically the same reel as a Scorpion 1001. The only difference is the color and the internals. The latter has better parts which explains why it is more expensive. If I recall it correctly, Scorpions sells for over $200 when they first came out.
The old Curado 101D has aluminum main gears, which explains why it stripped. I have read a lot of posts about the reel's gears stripping after a few years. I also found out that you can replace the gear with a brass gear from Chronarch. The Chronarch part # is BNT1514. It is no longer available from any part seller but you can get this from eBay. I then added a new set of Carbontex drag washers which was originally from a Curado E. It was a bit big so I had to trim it using a Dremel. After that, I splashed it with some Cal's drag grease and it was ready to go.
I have some old bearings from stock Shimano reels -- the Japan versions, and to be honest, they are way better than the Malaysian versions. They are smooth and spin like crazy. When buying reels, I always prefer Japanese-made reels. You can be assured that the internals are of high quality. I have nothing against reels made from other countries. I just believe that I get the best bang for the buck if I get the components that are going to last.
One of the main challenges that I encountered with this reel is the VBS assembly. It is not available for sale by itself--- you have to buy the entire Spool with brakes if ever you find one. That makes the reel so expensive. It's like buying a great condition Scorpion 1001. After much digging, I found Avail's microcast spools and they have this 4-pin brake assembly for Scorpions. When I asked the seller, they say it does not fit the old Curado D or Scorpion 1001 spools. It's only for the newer reels like Curado E and Scorpion XT and it will only fit Microcast spools. Their advise is to buy the spool and the brake assembly. Unfortunately, the spool is more expensive than a brand new reel so buying one is out of the question.
Not believing what they said, I did some more research and found Chinese knock-offs from Aliexpress. I saw a post from Tackletour which mentioned it. It's called Ray's Studio DIY Brakes or something like that.
Not really a fan of Chinese online shops because it is always a hit-or-miss when I buy stuff from them. But because the brake assembly will cost me around P300 only, I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, it fits perfectly. The stock brake blocks from another Shimano reel that I got from another angler was a perfect fit.
After installing everything, I tested the reel and I am convinced that it could be one of the best casting reels I have tried so far. Almost at par with my custom color TDZ. I think the DIY brake assembly for Microcast spools works perfectly with a stock spool. The spools spins really fast and the DIY brake assembly creates a very subtle braking during cast. You just need to have a trained thumb to slow the spool. The brass gear and the Japanese bearings made the reel very smooth and very powerful. Perfect for heavy cover fishing. I paired it with my Scorpion EV casting rod which I also customized. I intend to have this combo as loaner rod and reel when needed. Total cost to revive the reel, around P800.
13 years ago, Daiwa released an iconic overhead jigging reel called Saltiga Z for the Japanese market. It came in three sizes, 20, 30, and 40. The smallest, Z20 and Z20L, could be the most popular among the three, and for good reason. It is build like a tank, it is all metal, water resistant using rubber seals all around areas that could let in saltwater, and absolutely easy to maintain. The parts are few, simple, and very tough. I figure, Daiwa might have made a mistake of making the reel too tough as they never had the chance to release a newer version. Angler's can't fault the reel and see no reason to get a replacement. These days, the reel is a rarity. You can still find a few in great condition but the price still hasn't changed much. Perhaps anglers are reluctant to sell theirs as there is no reason to. That's how reliable the reel is.
Unknown to many, there were custom reels that were released based on the old Saltiga Z series and one of the rarest is the Saltiga Z20 by I'ZE Factory. It has an etching from I'ZE Factory on the side plate and a custom jigging handle with a gold power knob made of aluminum. The handle can be tightened and loosened by cranking it backwards or forward.
Last week, a local tackle connoisseur and jigger asked me for help in upgrading his I'ZE Saltiga. A local tackle shop refused to upgrade the reel because they are not familiar with the internals.
Anyway, I gladly accepted and performed the upgrade on the drag, bearings, and etc.
Upon opening, the first thing I noticed were the rubber seals that are well positioned in the possible areas where saltwater will get it. One of these seals is located in the spool. I noticed that the seal appeared distorted. Upon close inspection, there were leftover braid tangled in the shaft and coiled up the rubber seal. Because of this, saltwater got in and reached the bearing near the pinion and it already had some signs of corrosion on the outside but the internal balls are still ok. Probably the user left the spool tension knob too loose and jigged. The line got caught in between the spool and the reel frame and probably snapped. The original owner probably thought that that was it and just ignored what happened not knowing that there were still leftover lines inside the spool shaft. After I removed the line and re-applying lube on the seal, it again looked like new.
I removed the bearing from the sideplate and the one under the drag star. I was asked to replace them with these orange seals (probably from Boca). To be honest, I am not a fan of these orange seals. For freshwater reels, they are ok. But for saltwater jigging reels, these bearings will not last. I installed them after soaking them with Corrosion X but I advised the owner to get the stock bearings from Daiwa. They are CRBB (Corrosion Resistant Ball Bearings) and they are built for saltwater.
The old drag washer was the stock plastic-composite washer from Daiwa. They are still ok but they no longer deliver the drag force that was advertised (10kg) and the increment when adjusting the drag was not there anymore. You have to tighten the star to get the drag to take effect. I replaced them with carbon fiber drag washer which I think came from Smoothdrag. I removed the old washers, cleaned the metal washers, applied a generous amount of Cal's Drag Grease, wiped the excess, and reinstalled the drag stack.
When I was about to reassemble the reel, I noticed that the spacing sleeve -- the one pressing the drag plate into the main gear is not the original Saltiga part (Part 55). The one installed in reel doesn't have a notch that fits the main washer. Aside from that, the rubber o-ring is torn to pieces. I replaced the o-ring and reinstalled it. I advised the owner to get a stock part 55 and see if it will cure the drag increment issue.
I re-assembled the reel and checked the drag. It has improved significantly due to the new drag washer but I wonder if the adjustments will improve if the stock part is installed. I guess I have to wait until the parts arrive.
My impression of the reel? It is a beast and the I'ZE Factory refinements made it even better. For a 13-year old reel, it showed no handle and anti-reverse play whatsoever. It is rock solid yet extremely smooth when cranking. A true high-quality reel unlike those new reels with just bells and whistles but lacks durability.
I sure hope I will be to one who gets to buy it when the owner finally decides to sell it. Or maybe I will just keep it. Lol!
I was introduced to Snakehead fishing around the first half of 2008 by none other than Bong Chua -- our Snakehead expert and the man who started snakehead fishing using lures in PH,. It was during that time when I started lurking a fishing forum called FilipinoAnglers.org and that's where I first learned that you can actually catch snakeheads using lures. The most famous lure back then was Bong's hand-made spinner-bait. The lure caught snakeheads of all sizes. Heck, it even caught other species such as Barramundi, tilapia, and threadfin herring. Wanting to learn about snakehead fishing on lures from no other than the best, I pm'd Bong to buy some of his lures. I didn't realize that he's my neighbor and he lives just a block away. That's when I started hanging out with him and learned about the snakehead fishing techniques and lures.
Back then, I mostly caught snakeheads in open water using Bong's spinners. Bong on the other hand, was also able to catch them using solid body frogs. I wanted to try them but he had no spares and not a single tackle shop in the country sells snakehead lures let alone frogs. The frogs he used were a couple of really old Harrison Hoge Superior Frogs. I think they are now called Panther Martin Superior frogs. From the looks of the lures he was using, (the legs had been glued, replaced, and repaired for god knows how long) they were probably at least 30 years old. Although old and tattered, the snakeheads loved them. The topwater explosion when a snakehead lunges at them was unforgettable. Because the frogs were not available anywhere in the country, my obsession about these lures became worse. Ordering overseas was a pain at that time.
Harrison Hoge Superior Frog (pic borrowed from Bassmaster.com)
Sometime a bit later, online lure shops started offering International shipping and that changed everything. We found what frogs that were available online and how to order them. I believe I ordered and tried whatever was available online at that time.
Whenever a new set of frogs arrive, Bong and I would meet in our secret-but-not-so-secret spot called 'kangkungan". It's a stinky swampland near our village. Although it was full of vegetation in very little water, it has lots of snakeheads. The only game to be had there was topwater fishing using weedless frogs. After months of testing different frogs, I was convinced that were only 2 that really delivered -- Boze Sumo frogs and Spro Bronzeye frogs. The rest were pretty much inferior compared to these 2. To be honest, I stopped buying other brands. I got a few other brands but they rarely catch anything.
October 2008, snakeheads from the Kangkungan
Aside from learning what I can about the new frogs, I tried some of the the rods, reels, lines, and leaders that were perfect for that type of fishing. From the lowly kangkungan, we tried other spots nearby. Because of the new frogs, we were able to fish the heaviest swamps that you can find and we were able to catch the snakeheads. With the the help of FilipinoAnglers online forum, dalag fishing became popular. A lot of people would fish for snakeheads using spinners and frogs all over the country. Different groups even organized a few tournaments in honor of the sport. It was a blast and a lot of people were into it.
Around three or four years ago, snakehead fishing lost it popularity. Perhaps when saltwater shore fishing and UL fishing became a big trend. I think it also coincided with the rise of Facebook and the slow downfall of online forums in the country. Because of that, I sold most of my snakehead rods and reels and lures.
Last year, the game became a hit once again thanks to our friends from HCG Pampanga. It is now called Heavy Cover Game, inspired by Japanese Heavy Cover anglers for Northern Snakeheads. Almost a decade after, more young anglers are taking a liking to fishing for snakeheads. Fishing tournaments were held and more are being planned in the future. I am so happy that more angler are picking up the game and I even started joining a couple tournaments (with great success if I may add ;-)) and started buying rods and lures once again. I hope the trend continues and we keep on catching and releasing them so we can still enjoy them in the future.
After 9 years of fishing for snakeheads, here are some of the gear that would I recommend if you want to get started.
Rods - 6'6" up to 8' Heavy baitcasting rods. Longer if you frequently fish relatively open spaces. Shorter for tight spaces. My preference is at least 7' rods with 12-30lb rating. Why heavy? Heavy rods will make sure that those big hooks from frogs will penetrate the tough haw of snakeheads -- specially the big ones. It is also needed to deliver the muscle to pull the snakeheads out of the weeds when hooked. This won't force you to wade into the water when you hook a big one. Trust me, I have had a few close calls when wading -- I didn't realize that the water was deep or the mud was really thick. Drowning is always a possibility when fishing swamps/marshes. Make sure the rod is light enough -- 130g-150g if you can find one. Lighter rods allow you to fish longer and cast more frequently. I prefer a rod with Fuji ECS reel seat when using low profile reels or Fuji ACS if using round reels.
After wading in neck deep water, I was able to land this beast. If I had a heavier setup, I probably would be able to land it without wading.
Reel - Baitcasting setup is what I recommend. It allows you to cast accurately and has more power when pulling out those snakeheads from heavy cover. Low profile or round reels in the 100 size is enough. 200 size is also ok but the smaller and lighter the better. You don't need a lot of line anyway. Lighter means more time casting. A reel with a speed is 6.3:1 up to 7.9:1 is recommended. Too fast and it loses torque. Too slow and it will take a lot of cranking to get the frog back for the next cast.
Ryoga 2020HL on a 7'6" Daiwa Flippin Stick
Line - Definitely braid! X8 (8-strand) is nice but not necessary. X4 (4-strand) should be adequate. The problem with braid in heavy cover is that it frays easily because of the smaller strands. This means you need to trim the braid every so often to remove the frayed sections. Otherwise, you will lose those precious frogs. One solution to minimize the length of frayed braid is to use longer shock leaders. A meter to meter and a half is ok. Tip: The make sure that the knot between the leader and main line does not reach the reel's line guide when in casting position. This will prevent backlash during casting.
Leaders - I recommend mono shock leaders. 30lbs for regular vegetation such as kangkong (water spinach), lilies, or lotus. Use 40lbs if there are sharp grasses and sticks. Flouro is ok but they are expensive. Besides, there is no need to hide the leader from the fish when your lures are on top water. For Philippine-based anglers -- check out Goodcatch Fishing's bulk Sufix Superior Shock leaders. They are in rolls (not in spools) and they come in 100m lengths. The spool are making the line more expensive. Just buy the unspooled line and spool them on used spools. Anyway, Sufix Superior shock leaders in bulk are cheap and reliable. I have been using them for god knows how long and they never failed me. In Japan, they don't use leaders. They tie their frogs directly to the braid main line. Probably because braid is cheap in Japan. :-).
Lures - Spro Bronzeye 65. Buy a Spro if you don't mind spending the extra coin and select the size 65 if you are only after the big ones and don't want the small snakeheads to bite. Get a Spro Bronzeye 60 if you don't care what size of snakehead bites. Boze Sumo frog if you want a cheap frog that performs like a Spro. It only has one size and weight-- same as a Spro 65. You are lucky if you can find a Boze Sumo frog somewhere. I think they are out of the market already. (Dear Boze Sumo manufacturers, I hope you are reading this. Please continue to make them and sell them in Asia. PLEASE! Forget BASS, they are candies for Snakeheads!). Hard bodied frogs from Thailand are also ok but in my experience, they are more suited in light cover or open water. They snag often and then hookup ratio is not that great. A snakehead needs to hit exactly the hook to get a solid hookup unlike hollow-bodied frogs. When you do get a hookup, the weed-guard would open up and snag more weeds making it hard to land the fish.
Others - I stopped using Snap Swivels or other swivels. I just tie the leader directly to the lure using enhanced Uni-knot or clinch knot. I have had occasions when snaps would give way when the snakehead rolls after they are hooked. When a snap gets twisted, it will eventually fail. In addition to that, snaps will snag on vegetation. When they snag on a tough grass or stick, they will fail. Get a decent waders. Hip waders with rubber boots will do. It protects your leg from creepy crawlies (bugs, snails, snakes, and worms) and keep your feet dry. Also, don't forget a decent polarized eyewear. It protects you eyes from the sun and roque lures. Happened to me once or twice. When setting the hook, the snakehead spits out the frog and it came flying back to my face. The eyeglass saved my eyes from a lot of pain. Knots? main line to leader -- try to learn how to tie an Aussie FG knot. It is faster to make and does not snag on vegetation. Lure to leader: enhanced Uni or Clinch.
The 60lb snap gave way when the snakehead rolled after hook up.
Basic Techniques -- Learn to fan-cast! It will allow you to cover more water. Fan-cast at least thrice before moving to another spot. When there is a strike, I always count 1-2 seconds before I set the hook. Faster and you will not be able to set the hook properly. Slower and you will allow the snakehead to dive in deep cover. Tip: Snakeheads seems to start feeding when the sun is up and the temp is a bit higher. This means it is not necessary to fish really early. (This does not apply to Tomans). Also, monster snakeheads seem to feed just before dark. :-)
My goal right now is to find the perfect replacement for my last 2 Boze Sumo frogs and my last Spro frog that I lost during the last tournament a couple of weeks ago. If you have something in mind, let me know! So, go out there! Fish and release!
I bought a Curado 201E7 a few years back. I got one myself because at that time it was a big hit in the US. The reel was made in Japan and was intended for the US bass anglers. I am pretty sure that Shimano made tons of money out of that reel. A lot of anglers bought tons and tons of this reel. But for some reason, everytime I use them, I somehow end up selling them. Could be the feel, the build quality, or possibly personal bias.
Anyway, because of the success of that reel, they made variations of it to capture more budget conscious bass anglers from North America. -- Citica, etc etc. I think that move was the big mistake that Shimano made, Instead of releasing an improved Curado following year, they just made copies of that platform and released a reel with a different name/model. If I remember it correctly, they called it Chronarch 201E7. It was pretty obvious that it was the old Curado and the fans were not amused. What was even mind blowing was that they used the old Chronarch platform and released it as the Curado.
It was pretty obvious that Shimano was trying to save money by not building machinery/tooling to build new reels. They opted to just use the same tools to build rebranded reels with a new paint scheme and cheaper materials. To save cost even further, they were no longer made in Japan. Instead, the new reels were made in Malaysia.
A few weeks ago, I got my hands on a "Curado" 201HG (actually a Chronarch) . A fellow angler needed help because the reel was rough and did not cast as far as before. He was hesitant to dismantle the reel so he decided to contact me.
After holding the reel the first time, it is hard not to like the ergonomics of the reel. That frame was borrowed from the more expensive Chronarchs which are actually a couple of tiers higher than the Curado. It's more palmable and I believe it was supposed to be lighter (the Chronarchs).
I think the Curado HG internals are almost the same as actual Chronarchs except perhaps the former has cheaper kinds of bearings. This probably explains why this reel's former owner replaced the stock bearings on the spool and handle with an orange seal. I also think that the gear and pinion material is different than that of the Chronarchs.
Personally, I am no a fan of Orange Seals. They are expensive and they don't last long in salt water. Bass, yeah they are fine but after a while, the seals collect dirt and mud and slows down the spin of the bearing. This is was what happened with this reel. Upon opening, it was pretty obvious that it has not been serviced for a long time. The oil and grease was replaced with caked dirt and grime.
I had to completely dismantle everything and brush and rinse the parts and use an ultrasonic cleaner on metal parts including bearings. I had to remove the orange seals to get rid of the dirt.
One of the complaints by the owner was that the reel was no longer smooth when cranking. It was rough and sounded like it grinding teeth when you turn the handle. I noticed that a couple of bearings were rusted one under the spool adjustment knob and the big bearing that holds the pinion. The bearings are regular steel bearings and not the SARB type that you see from higher-end Shimanos. I had to replace both.better bearings.
After removing the worm gear and pawl. I found one more rusted bearing. The stock reel doesn't have a bearing in the worm gear. It only has a nylon bushing. This bearing was an upgrade made by the original owner. Personally, if you don't maintain your reel regularly, I suggest that you keep the bushing. You will be spared from rust. This is specially true for saltwater anglers. Don't replace the bushing with bearings (rollers, knobs, and worm gear). They will eventually rust if you fail to maintain them.
After replacing the bearings, cleaning the rest of the parts, I greased, oiled, and put them back together. I also cleaned the carbontex washers and re-greased them with Cal's grease.
After the cleaning, repair, and reassembly. IT was relatively smooth again. But not so smooth as a Chronarchs or Conquest.
My thought on this Curado 201HG? Well, it has a Chronarch body and I like the size of it compared to the old green Curado. But somehow, Shimano's habit of cutting corners was at the expense of refinement. Because the build quality is unlike the Made in Japan Chronarchs, it has that Shimano signature clackity-clack and handle play which I don't like. For the price, I am sure you can find an old school all aluminum Made in Japan reel from Shimano (Conquest, Aldebaran, etc) or a Daiwa Millionaire, Alphas, TDZ, etc. from year 2000-2006. They are cheaper, more refined, and more durable in the long run.
I don't hate Shimano reels. As a matter of fact, I love Shimano's classic reels that made their name in fishing -- Stellas, Conquests, and the older Curados. One of these Curados is the Curado 100/101D. The old legend for American bass anglers.
