baitcasting brake

Hello all!

I recently bought a Shimano Catala that I use to fight tarpons (up to
100pounds). At first that the brake (fighting brake) is already not very
strong (impossible to block completely the spool with a 40 pounds braided
line) and the worth is that it become less and less strong over time (3
monthes only). I already had similar problems with baitcasting for bass (Abu
Garcia Ambassadeur C4) but it wasn't as critical as it is when you want to
handle big fishes... I precise that I took a lot of care to never put oil or
any product in the brake system that could make it not efficient and I
unvise the brake when I do not use it...

I have 3 questions:

* Does a technic exist to increase the brake power of such reels?

* Did you had similar problems with Shimano or other brands?

* I expected to switch to a Shimano Calcuta TE, will it be the same brake
system or can I expect something much better at least in relation with the
price) ?


Thank you all to highlight me on this topic,

Phil

With the TE youy'll find that your options for increasing braking
power wil increase-the Catala is a POS.
For instance you can upgrade to Smooth drag washers or use Penn HT100
material
try http://www.mikesreelrepair.com for details.



On Tue, 25 May 2004 09:11:45 -0400, "Philtix" wrote:

Hello all!

I recently bought a Shimano Catala that I use to fight tarpons (up to
100pounds). At first that the brake (fighting brake) is already not very
strong (impossible to block completely the spool with a 40 pounds braided
line) and the worth is that it become less and less strong over time (3
monthes only). I already had similar problems with baitcasting for bass (Abu
Garcia Ambassadeur C4) but it wasn't as critical as it is when you want to
handle big fishes... I precise that I took a lot of care to never put oil or
any product in the brake system that could make it not efficient and I
unvise the brake when I do not use it...

I have 3 questions:

* Does a technic exist to increase the brake power of such reels?

* Did you had similar problems with Shimano or other brands?

* I expected to switch to a Shimano Calcuta TE, will it be the same brake
system or can I expect something much better at least in relation with the
price) ?


Thank you all to highlight me on this topic,

Phil