I am going to by a new reel. for 8-12lb test and abaut1/4 to1/2 oz luers ,what is beter a curado or a catala.

Curado. No question. Only exception would be for saltwater in which case the better drags of the catala may prove useful.
-Brian

Neither. Get a Cardiff 200 or 300. It's basically a souped up Catala, and they run $109. My Cardiff 100 on a 5'6" rod will outcast my Curado 200 on a 7'6". It's my favorite reel at this time.

Amish Ed

Cardiff??? 5'6"??? What's goin on here??? LMAO. Somebody got a new ultralight calico rod...
-Brian

Nah, I bought this combo when I started fishing those ponds. I love the rod, it's a Phenix Doodling stick(sp?), very very sensitive. Tried it once on the salty bass. Hated it, not enough backbone, and I didn't like bouncing even the small bass. The Cardiff currently resides on the mystery rod I wrapped. It works great for everything. I filled the spool about 3/4 full with 20# Tiger Braid. That way I only have to change out a little line, instead of the whole thing every other week. Now I'm looking to get rid of my Curado and replace it with a Cardiff 300.

Amish Ed

Yeah, those seabass pretty well thrashed my curado... Even those shorts made quick work of it. I didn't catch than many fish on it, and it's hurtin. Drag's fried, bearings need lovin, makes noises etc. It's all fixable, but I have to crack it open. I think I'll stick with the calcutta 200 for the saltwater. Great bass reel, but IMO those curados can't take the thrashing of saltwater fish (besides calicos, sandies, spots, etc.) especially with the amount of exposure to saltwater resulting from a float tube.
-Brian

Curado all the way! I have 5 myself. Get the 200 not the 100 size as you'll be able to get your thumb on the spool better (also easier to pick out backlashes). The Catala sucks in my opinion. I thought it would be a good reel as a couple friends who fish hard have one (they have had good luck). I have gone thru two of them. The rachet wouldn't release into freespool so that an ugly whirr/grind would occur during casts. Shimano couldn't fix what was wrong so they gave me a second one in exchange. It had the same problem and also had a drag washer tweak inside so that it wouldn't back off. Now I have a Calcutta that has replaced the Catalas.

To to show you what I really think....I sold my Curado Friday night, then last night I bought a Cardiff 300. Can't wait to try it.

Amish Ed

...his original request--I believe he's using this for freshwater as opposed to salt/live bait. If so this means frequent casts and holding the reel on a lighter than salt rod--i.e. bassing: worming, spinnerbaits, etc. Because of that, I would rather hold a compact reel like the Curado all day. The Cardiff is a nice reel but a lot larger in size and somewhat in weight as well. Freshwater/bay casting: Curado. Saltwater: Cardiff.

I concur.

I don't exactly concur. I bought my first Cardiff for freshwater. And the second will be used for it too. He asked about Curado versus Catala. The Cardiff is lighter than the Catala, and I also remembered this afternoon that the base on the Cardiff sits lower than the Catala. The bottoms of the sideplates actually sit on either side of the handle, rather than above like the Catala.

So I guess all I'm saying is that the Cardiff is between the other two. In the end, Abe has to try both on the rod to be used and see which feels better. I've become used to the round reels, so the Curado feels a bit weird to my hand. Now He needs to figure out what fits him best.

Amish Ed

I've never used a catela but can tell you that I really like my Curado. Hope this helps in your decision.