CI201E or CU301E
Which one for the surf?
CI201E or CU301E
Curado 201 E5 for halibut, and 301 if you are specifically targeting calicos.
What would you need all that line capacity for calicos for, bsp? If you are like me, then you use relatively light line for calico fishing, but is it different in the surf? You definitely know a lot more about surf fishing than I do, though.Originally Posted by bsp
Why not the Citica? it seems more affordable for a slightly lower quality reel, but still performs the job.
Here is what I am looking at. Citica 201 E with XCF705R or XCF705 from Lamiglas. I have yet to do research on ripping and cranking rods and they affect surf fishing and casting the LC. However, those two come out to just under $300.00--seems somewhat affordable.
Also, I am trying to stay away from the CU200, because most of them are 7:1 ratio, and there is no such model as the CU201E5--according to the Shimano website. :(
You don't need the line capacity so much as the pure winch. You load them up with 65lb braid, run a 20lb or 25lb fluoro topshot, hammer the drag, and use the huge gears to yank the calicos out of cover. They aren't line shy, so you can get away with it. Calicos near boilers and kelp in the surf fight HARD, so the really heavy line and extra power the larger gearing of the Curado 300 gives you an edge to land them. 12lb line gets busted off like crazy if you hook anything over 5lbs near a kelp bed or boiler rock. You can land them as guys on here have, but it's better to have heavier line as insurance. Plus the line capacity and heavy line gives you some insurance in case Mr. WSB comes along. They eat the same things as calicos will in the surf (again, I've been busted off by them), so it's good to be prepared. I'm not a big calico guy (landed small ones, lost the big ones), but am going to start focusing more on them this year with the hopes of landing one in the 7lb range. Most of this knowledge comes from guys who fish the SWBA, and I'm just adapting it to the surf with a few tweaks to suit my situation.What would you need all that line capacity for calicos for, bsp? If you are like me, then you use relatively light line for calico fishing, but is it different in the surf? You definitely know a lot more about surf fishing than I do, though.
JLR: I mentioned the E5 since lower gear ratio is better. Didn't realize that they didn't make one in lefty. 5:1s are a lot better since they help you get the slow roll going, and that is what gets hit the most. Citicas are good reels too, just remember to slow down your retrieve. As for rods, don't look at ripping rods since they are fast action and you won't be ripping your LC much. Look at crankbait rods. If you want more info, I wrote this article a little while back that covers rod selection pretty well. I'd check out Phenixs while you're at it since I love mine for surf fishing (used them long before I got sponsored), and they are in the same price range as Lamiglas.
The models I looked at were:
XCF705R
XCF705
They are all the same specs, length, and are actually medium action not fast. One of them is a crankbait while the other is a ripping. What are your opinions on my set up based on the crankbait rod and citica?
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/sho...-from-the-surf...
It should work nicely if you like how the combo feels in hand since they should perform well. I'm not a huge fan of the Lamis I have used (XCF705 and the Skeet Reese glass), but a lot of guys really like them. Full rear grip and fore grip is a bit dated on cranking sticks IMO (kind of why I'm not a Loomis fan either). I like split grips and no fore grip (swimbait and saltwater rods aside). If you haven't gone into a tackle shop and put the reel on the rod I recommend doing that first. Definitely try to feel the combo in your hands to see how it balances. If it's comfortable to you, then go for it. If not, look for another rod.
Personally I don't think there is ever a need for a 300 sized Curado for surf fishing. Just too much reel for the application. It won't toss an LC as well as a 200 sized Citica or Curado and is twice the weight. Especially if you're using braid, line capacity will not be an problem and carbontex drags will dispel any drag pressure issues.
I see that an E5 and X-10 is a bit out of your price range, so I would recomend the Citica with a Compre 7' MH. The citica is plenty reel for the inshore species and spooled with 30/8 braid and a short fluoro leader, you will be perfectly set up. For the surf environment, I would recommend the old D series. They are built more ruggedly and robustly and with a little bit of maintenance, will last you a lifetime. You might even be able to find a well taken care of Curado for the price of the new E series Citica. Setup should set you back maybe $230 max, so well within your budget.
Can't comment on the Excel, but I haven't been too pleased with the EXC724. If you want to fill out your budget with a really nice rod, the Cumara 70MH is a great rod for LC's.
Haven't tied into a lot of coastal seabass, but the ones I have at Catalina are pretty stupid sometimes. They'll take off for open water after being hooked. Calicos are a little smarter and will try to bury you in kelp. Braid will handle that pretty well. Yellows of any size near structure will rock you, so good luck lol.
I don't really like braids at all, for bad experiences. I am just going to put 12lb mono on it. The rod you gave me were $200.00+ from various websites I looked at. How out dated is the XCF?
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