The tough task of revamping a legend...the Shimano Curado
redefined (continued)
Retrieve:
Fish on! Within the first
five minutes on the water a fish had locked onto a two-tone senko I had on the
end of the line. Was the Curado putting out some good karma? Whatever it
was….the reel continued to land fish after fish over the course of the last
season. This reel retrieves like a dream, and much smoother than the previous
generation Curado. What’s the formula for the silkier retrieve? A purposeful mix
of improved gearing, a sampling of improved shielded stainless steel bearings,
and a tighter designed all aluminum frame. The old Curado was reliable, but
never the most refined reel. I love the use of all metal components on the 100D,
from the drag star to the guts, every corner of this reel is made with superior
aluminum components.
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Thumb away
with the wide elongated spool access |
The 100D feels smooth
and refined and yet delivers plenty of power for retrieving deep diving lures.
Like the Chronarch 50Mg the Curado 100D feels more subtle and refined rather
than ultra smooth like a traditional Shimano. While the Chronarch B emphasizes
smooth retrieve and power the Curado and Chronarch Mg reels seem to deliver a
very “linked” feel to the lure, and as a result is excellent for meticulous
plastics work. In addition, the diminutive size of the reel makes you want to
employ it for finesse fishing plastics, but don’t be deceived, this pint sized
performer has what it takes to fish everything from plugs to mammoth swimbaits…..just
watch that line cap!
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A peek at
the underside |
For those seeking even more
power the 200 sized reels come with HEG (High Efficiency Gearing) which
basically equates to larger more powerful gears. The 100D is ideal for a great
many applications ranging from retrieving jigs, plastic worms, weightless rigs,
crankbaits, and jerkbaits. But if you are looking for a reel optimized for
topwater lures the CU200DHSV with the 7:1 ratio is going to help motor buzzbaits
quite a bit easier.
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The
Curado is easy to palm...no surprise there |
On the other hand if you are
seeking a crossover reel that can target both bass and some smaller inshore
species the CU200DPV with the slower more powerful 5:1 ratio ought to be your
weapon of choice.
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The reel has
just a tint of green, for the most part it now looks silver |
Drag:
The Curado makes use of Shimano’s consistent Dartanium drag material, and the
result is smooth constant counter pressure unlike any other. In our lab the
Curado put out 9.4lbs of drag pressure, which is pretty close to the published
10lb spec. When you get close to double
digit drag pressure with any baitcaster, you have more than enough to deal with
just about any bass. Sure there are some lunkers that make you wish you had a
Calcutta 300TE mounted on the reel seat, but the vast majority of the time fish
don’t really tap into the upper range of the drag, save for very short bursts
or runs put out by the most insistent fish
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A quality
metal clicking drag star is a welcome change from plastic |
I was very pleased to hear
and feel the reassuring “click, click” when rotating the drag star.
This
allows for more precise adjustments of the drag settings, and provides for added
assurance your drag setting will stay exactly where you want while battling any
potential catch.
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Even the
spool tension knob is now aluminum |
Durability:
The Curado is armored with
a thick clear coat to mitigate against boat rash or wear from your hands. All of the reel’s key components are constructed
out of metal and interior components like the dartanium drag and shielded
bearings are designed to endure the long haul.
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Halfway
through our tests we couldn't believe how well this reel balanced out our
Powell test rod |
What I liked about Shimano
America’s implementation of the series was a division of the series. Reels are
more likely to wear out if you stress them to the max in one particular area.
For example, if I bought the old Curado and fished it insistently with bulky
plugs all season the gearing would see a shorter lifespan than if I used it for
finesse worming. Now anglers that know what they want to do beforehand can pick
the right reel for their exacting application, and not only have a better
solution for their unique requirements, but also have a longer lasting one as
well.
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The
Septon ergonomic power grips feel great, and offer up a lot of adhesiveness |
Ergonomics: Over
the course of the tests the Curado felt right at home in the palm of my hand.
The small profile is identical to that of the Chronarch 50Mg, and while a bit
heavier it doesn’t really feel that way unless fishing plastics. In fact it
balanced out perfectly with our Powell test rod since it had less rear weight
due to the split grip. The takedown plate on the VBS is the traditional screw
off and release on the 100D, and like most other Shimano reels the plate swings
down and remains attached on a pinion. Septon grips are used on the handles, and
as usual they provide a sublime gripping surface. The Septon seems to wear down
after time, but interestingly even though the pads look and feel smoother they
still feature the same level of adhesiveness. No real surprises when it comes to
ergonomics overall, those anglers that are fans of the Chronarch 50Mg may find
it puzzling that the Curado 100D is in fact identical in size, but will still
appreciate the fact that the Curado is so alike the Chronarch 50Mg in all
ergonomic aspects other than sheer weight.
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To access
the VBS adjustment flip the switch and turn... |
Next Section: so what's the deal
with the price?...
