Shimano Curado is what I like to use. Those low profile reels are very nice to fish with for many hours.

 

Watch out for the new Ambassadeurs.
Many, if not all are made in China now.
I use a 1st generation (green) Curado.
I think it's a 1993...they don't die.

 

This.

I've serviced my Abus for years myself and they are bulletproof. Upgrade to the carbon washers. Cheap way to make a great reel greater. Also picked up an original green Curado here last year and I love it so far.

 

Shimano Bantam Mag Plus 251 SG. Probably around 45 years old. One thing nice about your reel, they’re probably the easiest of all reels to service. I still have and use my first 5001C.

 

In the past, the Curado was my mainstay. I've been using Daiwa Tatula which is superior to the Curado in my opinion. Buttery smooth casting light baits with an equally buttery smooth drag.

 

Yea, the current 6501C3’s and 6501C4’s and the like are junk. Don’t know where they’re made?

I have some 5001C’s and 6001C’s plus 251SG’s I’d sell for a reasonable price.

 

Abys 5000s and 5500s. Service your reel. Go out and find some older Abus as well.

 

Shimano Chronarch

 

@steelheadslayer i was going to try the Tatula next. I have been recently buying Daiwa reels and I am super impressed with them. I've traditionally been a shimano fan boy, but I'm going to buy more Daiwa reels in the future.

@jagosh the chronarch is the other one I like. I couldn't remember the name, though. Jury duty has fried my brain the last 2 days.

 

@steelheadslayer i was going to try the Tatula next. I have been recently buying Daiwa reels and I am super impressed with them. I've traditionally been a shimano fan boy, but I'm going to buy more Daiwa reels in the future.

@jagosh the chronarch is the other one I like. I couldn't remember the name, though. Jury duty has fried my brain the last 2 days.

Daiwa is good.
One thing I like about them is that they don't make model changes as often as Shimano and they keep service parts available longer.

 

Curado DC love it. Buy from digitaka and save some money.

 

Curados I own three. Easy and cheap to rebuild. And very comfy in my hands. They will hold up to a few unexpected sturgeon too

 

Calcutta

 

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Daiwa Zillion

 

shimano curado and pflueger presidential for all my uses

 

Big fan of the new Curado DC, but also like my older E series Curado.

They both are fantastic reels, but the new ones are easier (faster) to make adjustments.

More budget friendly, the SLX DC is a fine little reel.

 

for Salmon, Curado K 200 or 300 depending on your line cap needs.

For Steelies I love my Curado 150MGL.

 

 

Nuff said 🤣

 

I think this thread is a wrap, now that the sexy lady chart has been posted. 🤣

 

Shimano Curado and old 5001 C Ambassadeurs. Old round reels. Probably some of the very best reels ever made. I still have all of my original boxes that the reels came in. Couple have Leather cases. They are serious money now.🇺🇸

 

Dennis at Tillamook bait has an awesome selection of old reels and I’m pretty sure he also he works on reels. Worth a trip to check that shop out. Very cool old place.🇺🇸

 

Daiwa Lexas have been my go to's. Love them.

 

Thanks for all the info. It looks like a quick summary would be a Curado with enough capacity/power for a good Chinook run and freight train pull (ya gotta love that). Are the new Curados still any good? I see folks saying the new Ambassadors aren't like the old ones because of where they're being made.

Where do folks get their reels serviced? I pulled my 5501 apart today, which consisted of just pulling the end cap and seeing that the whole mechanical unit is encapsulated. There were a couple of screws on the front cover that I didn't pull and presume would let the assemble come apart. I oiled it for now which seems to have taken care of my immediate needs. I don't want to mess it up in the middle of salmon season, so will either take another look or send it off once things settle down.

 

Thanks for all the info. It looks like a quick summary would be a Curado with enough capacity/power for a good Chinook run and freight train pull (ya gotta love that). Are the new Curados still any good?

If you’re looking for a “Chinook-sized” Curado built to stop a freight train, you’re probably gonna want to look at the 300K. That said, I fish my 200K all the time for Chinook. Just depends on how much line you want on there and how much drag you need.

Whether you go with the 200 or 300, I recommend the K model Curado. That’s the current model for the 300 size, but they just released an M version in the 200 size. I’d stick with the K in whichever size you choose - they’ve been workhorses for me. I like the K better than the old E, which is saying a lot because the E was an amazing reel.

 

The new Curado DCs are fantastic. I reluctantly replaced my favorite Curado 200E7, after almost 14 years of use it was time. I like the DC better than my 200E7. I can't speak to other newer Curado models.