Daily beater Curado

A friend went snakehead hunting sometime back and decided that it's about time to service his super reliable daily beater of Shimano's Curado. This reel hasn't been serviced for a while and only grease top up was done way back too.

The outlook of this reel is a no frills, straight to business type of reel. No fancy trickery, just awesome value. There aren't any issues with this reel, it just keeps going. A quick crank and drag test says that it's very well used, well integrated mechanical functions. Smooth, light and no hiccups. It should be a straight forward service.

Ready to be dissected, cleaned, re-lubed and put together.

1 ball bearing for each handle. Lock nut doubles up as a washer bearing. No rust, just works. Can definitely spin better, creamier and smoother with new packing of marine grease.

1 ball bearing for each handle while the lock nut doubles up as a washer bearing.

Clean exterior, no gunks around external fasterners. Light stains around the body and that's about as dirty this reel gets.

Spool's out, peeking through is RP Custom hybrid ceramic bearings. Main shaft is super clean with no signs of grease too.

Both RP Custom hybrid ceramic bearing looks to be in excellent condition. Spins freely without grit. Best left as it is.

One way bearing's clean too, no rust, no grease. Gearbox is a little dry. Drags too.

Apart from a dry gearbox, the drag system too is a little dry. Needs simple contact cleaning and re-lubed with drag grease to restore its smooth and full stopping power.

The first sign of grease top up, possibly mixed with original factory grease. Ultrasonic cleaning in the cards together with some mixed grease bearings.

Mixed grease combo to spanking clean surfaces in minutes ready for new layer of marine grease.

The crank case and cover's brushed down, contact cleaned and ready for a new coat of marine grease to displace water.

As value reel goes, there aren't many ball bearings installed. Marine grease pack some of them, re-coat all internal surfaces and the reel's ready for reassembly.

Top left, one way bearing's contact cleaned with a new application of one-way bearing oil. Top right, a few bearings to be packed with marine grease. The remainder gears and drag discs awaiting their respective lubrication coating.

Gears are all in excellent condition with no damages. Stock drag discs are also in excellent condition.

A typical rebuild layering lubrication in between parts installation.

Ready for more daily beating with minimal fuss.

This truly is a fire and forget reel. Strong alloy based body, simple mechanical functions, ball bearings loaded where it mattered reducing chances of mechanical failure of premature rust damages.

The difference before and after this service is that it's slightly tighter, smoother and creamier to crank. Drag take is also slightly smoother. It should serve the owner many more years to come.

Say hi to salty pond dwellers

Please say hi to some of the salty pond dwellers we usually meet at our regular pay pond. Disclaimer, this is not the produce of a single session but many trips collected over time. Enjoy.

I introduce this MajorCraft MS-X coupled with a pimped up Shimano Metanium. Grouper liked it so much it swallowed the lure.

Another grouper was very eager to meet this pimped up tackle setup.

Grouper brought to you by APIA's punch line lipless singking pencil worked slow bumping about the bottom.

Over to the next pond, this fatty of a Red drum was intrigued with this set of tackle too.

The Jackall Clone Gill proved to be too juicy to ignore.

Moving on, a smallish grouper decides to take on this tackle again.

Jackall Clone Gill really is proving to be too juicy to ignore.

Another cast, another grouper took on the invite but decided to keep the juicy Jackall's Clone Gill.

A quick switch to hard bodied lure also stirred this little fella.

ZipBait's Rigge Dimly sinking lipless pencil. Dimly lure or dimly grouper?

A friend was looking for some left over MJs using a potent combo of Shimano Calcutta Conquest paired with Evergreen Temujin's Quad Twister. Got this eager barramundi instead.

Easily brought up to say hi using IMA's smallest Koume variant.

This guy's nursing a hard charging fella with his Jackall Nero's ultra light spin rod paired with a Shimano Stella.

Grouper says hi.

Meet & greet brought to you by DUO's Realis Vibe.

A grouper was keen to look at the newly pimped colour coordinated Shimano Metanium with MajorCraft's MS-X.

Grouper photobombed by Jackall's Clone Fry soft plastic.

A grouper got fooled again.

This grouper will remember Jackall Knuckle is not to be messed with.

A red drum was also interested to taste this set of combo after a grouper had a look.

This fella was keen to try out the chewiness of Jackall's Clone Fry.

Switching ponds yielded more groupers.

Grouper got a nice piercing courtesy of Jackall's Clone Fry.

The Jackall Knuckle got deep throat by this Red Drum.

Nursing a harder charger. Jackall Nero rod takes the grunt.

Red drum was causing quite a racket for reel drags.

Red Drum courtesy of IMA's Melty Nymph. Must resist shaky hands.

Another hard charger, deep throated.

Jackall Knuckle sucked in deep.

The Red Drums were having a party.

Red drum came up to greet Jackall Hyd Geck.

Switching lures brought this grouper out of hiding.

Lip piercing made sexy by Jackall's Clone Gill.

Notice the piercing's just skin deep. The fight totally blinded the clone gill.

New Majorcraft MS-X paired with a new Shimano Calcutta Conquest put through its paces with a strong Red Drum runner.

Fatty Red Drum brought to you by Jackall's Sasuteki Craw.

This grouper thrashed about a bit too excited to come up to say hi.

Bassday's bottom twitcher game its blessings.

Another lure switch, another curious grouper.

Grouper courtesy of Jackall's TN vibe.

This grouper was hungry and went all out.

Deep throated Jackall's TN vibe. Grouper still wants it even if it's prickly.

Took a while to dislodge it from the deep.