Built for Finesse. Shimano's
Curado MGL 70 K Baitcasters (continued)

Real World Tests:
To test the Curado
MGL70K I employed
the reel for as many
baitfinesse
applications that I
could squeeze into
my late Summer and
early Fall fishing.
The new reel was a
regular part of my
rotation when
fishing from both
the bass boat and
kayak and I paired
it with a number of
rods from the
company's own
G.Loomis lineup, as
well as some
Megabass Orochi XX
rods. In an effort
to see how the reel
would stand up to
stress I also
utilized it for
applications outside
the reel's normal
range, including
fishing full sized
glide baits.

The Curado MGL70K
features externally
adjustable SVS
Infinity cast
control for quick
adjustments, a big
plus when fishing
lightweight rigs
I was also fortunate
enough to receive
the new SLX MGL 70
from Shimano at the
same time as the
Curado MGL70K, and
was able to fish
both reels side by
side to compare the
differences in feel
and performance
between the two
compact reels.

As with other
Shimano baitcasters
equipped with both
MGL and SVS Infinity
the Curado MGL70K is
a strong caster, and
especially with the
light stuff
Casting:
Shimano's Magnumlite
(MGL) spool is one
of the best spool
designs on the
market today. By
creating a spool
with reduced mass
and keeping it very
balanced Shimano
helps reduce the
amount of inertia
required on every
cast. This, combined
with the reliable
SVS Infinity cast
control, gives reels
armed with these two
systems a very light
and effortless, yet
always predictable,
cast that helps
improve both
distance and
accuracy.
The Curado MGL70K is
very easy to cast
and the inclusion of
these systems
benefits the reel's
performance with
lighter lures, and
helps make this reel
a great choice for
baitfinesse
applications.

A look inside the
SVS Infinity cast
system
It is hard to say
whether or not the
Curado MGL70K
outcasts the
standard K Series
reel. Theoretically
it should with the
MGL spool but in our
tests performance
was very similar.
The Curado MGL70K
was the better
caster when it comes
to the lighter lures
but overall max
distance is nearly
the same.
Interestingly when
we compared the
casting performance
between the new
Curado MGL70K and
SLX MGL the overall
performance across
both short and
accurate pitches and
max casting distance
was also nearly
identical, and
within the margin of
error for varying
wind conditions.
Both of these reels
are excellent
casters.

The thin walled MGL
spool is ported to
reduce mass
Is the new SLX so
good in terms of
casting that it will
actually eat into
Curado sales? We
asked Trey how
Shimano viewed the
two reels in this
particular metric.
He responded "While
I haven’t personally
cast the reels side
by side, I am
willing to bet that
their casting
performance will be
fairly similar for
your average angler
with normal baits.
The Curado is just
going to feel more
refined and will
perform better as
baits get lighter
due to the smaller
spool diameter."
While the standard
Curado 200K really
shines with 15-20lb
fluoro/mono, 40-65lb
PowerPro and baits
from ½-1oz the ideal
applications for the
new smaller Curado
70 are when fishing
10-14lb fluoro/mono,
20-30lb PowerPro,
and baits from
3/16-1/2oz. The reel
is certainly capable
for going wider, but
this seems like the
sweet spot for the
new reel.

The Curado MGL70K
spool weighs 12.7
grams
Retrieving: When
fishing with the
lighter lures the
Curado MGL70K feels
smooth when cranked,
and very similar to
the larger standard
200K models. It is
in this area that I
found the Curado
MGL70K really
separated itself
from the SLX MGL,
and under all
retrieves the Curado
simply feels
smoother, and more
refined. When I put
larger swimbaits on
both reels to test
the gearing under
load the Curado
MGL70K also felt
smoother, and more
solid.

The Curado MGL70K
retrieve is smooth,
but doesn't feel as powerful
as the larger 200K
reels. A lot of this
is due to the fact
that the MGL70K is
only available in
higher speeds (7.4:1
and 8.1:1)
It was under these
heavier loads that
the Curado MGL70K
does feel noticeably
less smooth than the
standard 200K reels
however. The smaller
frame is a smaller
platform in which to
isolate the gearing,
and this slightly
burdened feel is
exacerbated by the
fact that my test
reel was the HGK
model, which sports
a brisk 8.1:1 gear
ratio. If you are
looking for a Curado
reel to primarily
fish crankbaits and
swimbaits the 200K
or 300K models will
be better suited for
these applications.

Even though the
Cross Carbon drag
isn't as strong as
the drag systems found on
many competing reels
it is both smooth and
reliable
Drag: The Curado
MGL70K is rated at
12lbs. of drag
pressure and in our
lab on the "Machine"
reported a max
rating of 12.18lbs.
of pressure. Shimano
typically
under-rates their
drags for a bit of
headroom and this is
the closest we have
seen to date, and
also required full
drag star lockdown
to achieve. The
smaller gearing
reduces the amount
of surface area that
the drag washers
have in smaller
reels, so this
really is no
surprise. For
finesse
applications, and
bass fishing in
general, this is
plenty of pressure
to help protect line
and keep fish pinned
during the battle.
As with other
Shimano baitcasters
what the Curado
MGL70K lacks in
maximum drag
pressure it makes up
with consistent
performance. The
cross carbon drag
does an excellent
job doling out
smooth performance,
and doesn't stutter,
even the under load
of bigger fish and
prolonged runs.