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Shimano's new Citica 200E -
Completely Redefined (continued)
 Ergonomics
cont'd: While I
have always liked the smaller grips for fishing plastics the larger grips are
definitely more comfortable when fishing lures like deep diving crank baits. On
the trip to Dream Lake while I was fishing my strengths, plastics and crank
baits, Cal turned to his strength, swimbaits. While he wasn’t sure of the larger
PV power grips at first by the end of the trip Cal was only fishing the Curado
E, and remarked that when it came to fishing swimbaits he really liked the extra
comfort provided by the larger more ergonomic paddles. At the end of the day it
will come to personal preference, but if anglers want the larger grips they will
have to opt for the higher end Curado E over the Citica E which will only come
in one version. The good news is that that reel comes in both left and right
hand retrieves, but to get that very useful slow cranking version anglers will
also have to go Curado E.
The Citica's grips are rubber, for
the enlarged Septon grips anglers will have to go for the Curado E
Durability: We
have only been fishing the Citica E for a little over month so we cannot make
any long term statements about durability but thus far the reel has not
exhibited any problem areas. The Citica E certainly held up well during fishing
and we examined a number of the reels that the dealers fished with over a seven
day span on Dream Lake. Some of the reels were abused and had obviously been
dropped on the deck, but none of them had any damage other than cosmetic
scratches. We will continue to fish the Citica E and stay tuned for another
update in an upcoming review of the Curado E.
Zander uses the Citica to fish
finesse worms in underwater structure
Price & Applications:
It is in the price category that the Citica E really shines. Not only did the
company improve the reel significantly, they did so without increasing the
price. At $119.00 the Citica E is an absolutely fantastic deal. So good that we
think it is a better value than the Curado E. While it may not be as refined the
reel offers performance that is far from no-frills when it comes to features,
and comes in at a happy medium of performance versus price.
Another Alabama largemouth landed
on the Citica E
Is the Citica E good enough
to warrant some attention normally only reserved for the Curado E? Absolutely,
but will it take sales away from the Curado E? Unlikely to any major extent, as
we find most consumers at this price point are likely to pay the extra 60
dollars to get the added refinement and features as well as the Curado brand
name. But will the Citica E take sales away from the competition at the 120
dollar price point and above? Without a doubt, as this reel offers a whole lot
of performance at a price at or below that of the competition.
The Citica E is made in Japan
alongside the Curado E
The Curado E and Citica E are
more siblings than they are distinct series with this latest iteration. Whereas
the previous version were more like a Porsche 911 versus the Cayman, the new
reels are more like a Porsche 911S versus the standard 911. The Citica E has the
same body just less features, and only comes in one slightly lower powered
“engine.” If you want all the features and options than the Curado E will still
be your best choice. Nonetheless we can’t deny the overall package that is now
the Citica E. While I used to treat the Citica as a pure workhorse utilitarian
reel the new Citica E is something I actually enjoy fishing with.
After being abused we inspected
the following reels for damage, and the Citica's held up well. We will continue
to fish the Citica E alongside our test Curado E reels for long term durability
results
The Citica E can be used for
the complete range of low profile baitcasting applications, and with a retrieve
ratio of 6.3:1 it can be employed for bringing topwater lures quickly on plane
or slow dragging plastic contact baits. The aluminum construction and
respectable line capacity make this a good inshore reel for fishing lures, and
thanks to the powerful HEG gearing the reel will not feel outmatched for hard
hitting or deeper running species.
Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Shimano
Citica
200E
Ratings (?/10)
|
| Construction/Quality |
Good
overall
build
quality,
the
construction
is top
notch
but
graphite
sideplates
are used
on both
sides of
the
aluminum
frame.
Surprisingly
the
graphite
sideplates
hold up
nicely
on the
new
smaller
reel but
some
anglers
will no
doubt
still
desire
aluminum |
8 |
| Performance |
Performance
was
surprisingly
good. We
expected
a much
bigger
delta in
performance
between
the
Citica E
and
Curado E
but the
Citica E
held its
own
nicely.
The
biggest
difference
is fluid
feel
during
retrieve
and
casting
weightless
rigs |
9 |
| Price |
Shimano
got this
one spot
on. It
is hard
to
complain
about a
reel
that
performs
this
well and
only
costs
120
dollars |
9.5 |
| Features |
The
Citica E
has a
lot of
new
features
including
the new
lighter
weight,
more
ergonomic
profile,
and
improved
construction.
The
Curado
does
better
in this
category,
but
overall
the
Citica
has all
the
features
necessary
in a
quality
mainstream
reel |
8 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
The
Citica
scored
great in
this
category
thanks
to the
new
smaller,
lighter,
and more
comfortable
to palm
design.
Ergonomically
the
Citica E
is near
identical
to the
Curado E |
8 |
| Application |
The
Citica E
may not
be as
refined
as the
Curado E
but it
is real
close.
This
reel can
be used
for a
wide
range of
species
thanks
to the
respectable
line
capacity
and the
ability
to
handle
saltwater
for
inshore
applications |
8 |
|
Total Score
|
8.41 |
Ratings Key:
1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus Minus
|
| J
Improved
ergonomics
and
weight
reduction |
L
Graphite
sideplates
instead
of
aluminum |
| J
Major
improvement
over
previous
generation
reel |
L
Only one
gear
ratio
available,
want a
slow
cranking
version?
Go
Curado E |
| J
Small
but
powerful
thanks
to HEG
gearing |
|
| J
So good
it comes
close to
the more
expensive
Curado
in
numerous
performance
areas |
|
| J
Exceptional
price |
|
Conclusion:
From the California
Delta to Dream Lake
Alabama the Citica
delivered when it
came to both
performance and
improved ergonomics.
The Citica E
leapfrogs the
previous model in
just about every
category, and is so
good that it will
have anglers
thinking twice about
whether the Citica E
is already enough
reel for their
application versus
the Curado E. There
is no doubt that the
Curado E is the more
refined reel but for
only 119 dollars the
Citica E is a
downright great
deal. The fact that
Shimano was able to
build a reel that
was so much better
than the previous
version and still
not raise the price
a single penny to
consumers is
admirable. The lower
profile of the new
reel will likely
find homes among
anglers that were
lured away by the
smaller Abu Garcia
Revo reels in the
last few seasons.
The sun sets on Dream Lake Alabama
but the Citica E continues to shine when it comes to surprisingly good
performance and value
We had contemplated awarding
the Citica E a “Best Value” award but the more we compared our ratings in each
category the Citica E simply didn’t deserve it, it did however deserve something
more, and is what a “Editors Choice” is all about. This award is often given to
the highest performing product, which usually is priced in the premium category
but
the Citica E manages to buck that trend by delivering
a product that
surprised us in terms of performance regardless of price, and yet it is
positioned squarely at the mainstream market. Shimano accomplishes what they
sought out to do with the major redesign of the series, and if you are looking
for a good all-round baitcaster near the 100 dollar price point the Citica E
should definitely be on your short list.
Looking for a Shimano Citica 200E?
Try
Tackle Warehouse and
MonsterBassTackle
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