I was fishing in the pond this morning, and took rods with the Fuego and the Tatula. Both work great, and I really can’t say that the Fuego is less of a reel even though it was about $100 less. But...when I put the Tatula down and grabbed the Fuego, my casts were short. I checked the brake and it was set on the max of 20. Hmmm, I didn’t do that, so I dialed it to 8 And went to fishing with the Fuego, throwing a spinner bait way out there. Nice reel. After a bit, I went back to the barn workshop to get a couple more baits. I put the rod and reel down on my workbench while I dug around in the tackle box. Took everything back to the pond and again was throwing short. Checked the brake and it was again on the max of 20. Either I have a gremlin or accidentally overadjusted the brake somehow when I put it on the workbench. Neither of those seems reasonable, but it was sure on 20. I’ll keep an eye on this reel.

Caught one bass on a double spinner black and yellow H&H. Lost one on a two hook Rapala when he tail walked and threw the bait. Had 3 or 4 more nice strikes, but hooked nothing.

All this while the wife was mowing the yard. She was giving me the evil eye, but I didn’t fold under the pressure.

Haha! You're the man!

I have 4 Tatula SV TW's and on occasion the brake control get turned up. I think its from how I hold it that causes it. Never notice until a cast seems short.

Just bought a Daiwa Fuego CT. Looking forward to trying it. Appears to be a great value! I hope I don't have any issues with the braking system.

You're the man for not folding and continuing to fish while your wife mowed and gave you the evil eye! I read that part of your post to my wife and she rolled her eyes.

UPDATE: I received my new Fuego CT and really like it. It casts and winds very smoothly and looks and feels like a high quality reel. I can't imagine how nice the more expensive reels must feel.

UPDATE: I used my new Fuego CT exclusively this morning for about 4 hours straight. It worked great. I did have to adjust the spool and brakes at first because I was using a lightweight lure but got the hang of it eventually. It feels different than my Lew's Speed Spool reels. I caught 12 black bass this morning on a topwater popper with the reel. I like my luck with it so far!

Since my last post, I have purchased two Daiwa Fuego CTs and a Tatula CT and used them extensively. I have noticed occasionally that the brake setting dial has moved a little. On a recent fishing trip, I actually heard the brake dial click a couple of times when it moved. I am accidentally moving it with my hand while working with the reel. It has not had any serious effects on my casting performance.

I really like the Daiwa reels and consider the design flaw a very minor nuisance. The Fuego CT is a great value when you can find it on sale or eBay. The Tatula CT feels a little heavier and more solid, but the Fuego and Tatula perform equally well in my experience.