Drag:
The Dartanium drag
on the Citica G is
virtually identical
to that found in the
Curado G and both
reels tested almost
identical in the
lab. We were able to
get 12.1lbs. of drag
pressure out of the
Citica G at full
lockdown, which is
10% more than
Shimano’s rating. As
in the Curado G
tests we found the
drag to be both
smooth and
consistent, much
like we experienced
with the previous E
Series reels.
The Citica's drag
star is constructed
out of a composite
material
The Citica G’s
Dartanium drag was
able to be adjusted
in small increments
and when there was a
fish on the line we
experienced no drag
shudder whatsoever.
In comparison to the
Caenan the Citica
G’s drag system not
only delivered more
pressure but it also
felt smoother when
under pressure. The
drag star on the
Citica G is
constructed out of
composite material
so it is both
lightweight and
corrosion resistant,
but doesn’t look or
feel as refined as
some competing reels
at this price point
which still make use
of an aluminum drag
star.
The Citica G has a
more conservative
finish than the
Caenan and Curado G
but it is less
polarizing and
matches up well with
just about any rod
Ergonomics:
At this point we are
starting to see a
trend. The Citica G
is extremely similar
to the Curado G, and
when it comes to
casting, retrieving,
and even drag
performance the
reels both delivered
very similar
performance results,
albeit the Curado G
was a tad more
refined. In the
ergonomics
department both
reels share the
exact same profile
but the Citica G is
.3oz. heavier even
though it has the
smaller knobs. The
Citica G weighs in
at 7.5oz. and though
the reel is
comfortable to palm
I still have to give
it up to the older E
profile which felt a
little more natural
in hand. Alas if you
still are a fan of
this older profile
you will need to
step up to the
Chronarch 200E.
The reel does palm
reasonably well
Durability:
The one thing you
can count on with
most Shimano reels
is they are built to
last and the Citica
G will hold up well
under normal use.
The reel features a
straightforward
design with no
obvious points of
failure and our test
reel has exhibited
no problems
whatsoever, even the
finish has
successfully warded
off boat rash very
well.
Unlike the Curado G
the Citica G has
more traditional
barrel grips
Price &
Applications:
There is no doubt
that one of the
factors that led
Shimano to the
decision to redesign
the Citica (and
Curado) Series reels
was cost. The
previous reels were
made in Japan and
the new reels are
produced in
Malaysia, but more
importantly Shimano
was able to leverage
the same platform
for three separate
reels. The result
was the ability to
introduce the Citica
G at a price that
was just 10 dollars
over the previous
version, despite the
rising cost of raw
materials. The
Citica G is a very
solid performer, so
good that in many
ways it comes very
close to the Curado
G in a number of
categories.
Retailing for 30
dollars less than
the Curado G Series
the Citica G is a
compelling offering
at the 129 dollar
price point. When
compared to the
Caenan which retails
for 89 dollars the
difference in
performance is night
and day, and when it
comes to sheer
cranking power alone
the Citica G is the
reel I would
recommend hands
down. It is
absolutely worth the
additional money the
very first time you
engage in a tug of
war with any bass
over 4 pounds and
you need that
instant transfer of
power to turn fish.
The Citica G is a
good workhorse reel
and is a competitive
offering at this
highly contested
price point
Thanks to anodizing
on key components
like the spool and
handle, as well as
the use of a
composite drag star,
the Citica G Series
is a great choice
for fishing in
brackish water or in
the inshore. Overall
the Citica G is a
quality reel at a
reasonable price but
it will be facing
increasing pressure
from new competing
offerings like the
new Revo S Gen 3,
Lew’s Tournament MG
Speed Spool which
retail for the exact
same price as well
as the Daiwa Lexa
100 and Quantum
Catalyst which
retail for just 10
dollars more. The
space is becoming
increasingly crowded
and the competition
is fierce but the
Citica G should be
able to hold its own
due to the company’s
proven track record
of long term
reliability.
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 200G7
Ratings
(?/10)
|
Construction/Quality |
Good
overall
build
quality
that is
very
similar
to what
we saw
on the
Curado
G. the
reel
makes
use of
graphite
sideplates
and a
composite
drag
star |
7.5 |
Performance |
The
Citica G
performed
well in
testing,
so well
that in
a number
of
categories
it
performed
just as
well as
the more
expensive
Curado
G. In
every
category
the reel
performed
much
better
than the
Caenan,
especially
when it
came to
cranking
power |
8 |
Price |
The
Citica G
is a
better
value
than the
Curado G
and even
though
the 129
dollar
price
point is
highly
contested
the
Citica G
manages
to hold
its own
well
(for
now) |
9 |
Features |
The
Citica G
has lots
of the
features
that
make
Shimano
baitcasters
so
popular.
There
are a
lot of
traditional
features
here but
the reel
doesn't
have any
really
new or
exciting
features,
but we
expect
that at
a reel
of this
price
point. |
7.5 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The
Citica G
gets the
same
score
here as
the
Curado G
and
while
the new
ergonomics
are
quite
good I
still
prefer
the
leaner
look and
compact
feel of
the
previous
gen (now
found on
the
current
Chronarch
E) |
8 |
Application |
The
Citica G
is a
great
multipurpose
reel and
I like
the fact
it is
available
in
multiple
retrieve
ratios.
Unfortunately
only the
6.5:1
reel is
available
in left
hand
retrieve
but the
series
is good
for
everything
from
bassing
to
fishing
for
inshore
species |
8 |
Total
Score
|
8.00 |
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
|
+
Though
the reel
may not
be the
most
flashy
it
delivers
in all
the key
performance
areas |
-
The E
Series
was so
good the
G Series
doesn't
beat it
in
multiple
areas |
+
Cranking
power is
much
better
than
Caenan |
-
There is
a lot of
competition
at this
price
point
and a
lot of
the new
reels
are
looking
quite
compelling,
can the
Citica
stay in
the
spotlight? |
+
Great
multipurpose
workhorse
reel |
|
+
Smooth
dartanium
drag
system
delivers
smooth
and
consistent
drag
pressure |
|
+
Priced competitively
with
offerings
from
other
brands
at this
price
point |
|
Conclusion:
The Curado may be
the more
recognizable series
but the Citica is
the better value.
When it comes to
mainstream
performance the
Citica G delivers in
all the areas that
really matter. Sure
it may not be the
flashiest reel but
what it lacks in
character it makes
up for with
consistent
performance and long
term reliability.
The Citica G is a
reel that anglers
shouldn’t ignore if
they are looking for
a quality workhorse
reel that does
exactly what it is
designed to do, all
at a very reasonable
price. It will be
interesting to see
how well the Citica
G will stack up to
all the new
competition now
entering the fray,
but something tells
me this seemingly
mild mannered two
toned reel has some
staying power and
will fight to stay
in the spotlight.
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Shimano Citica G? Try
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