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

Ergonomics: The longer I fished with the Curado MGL70K the more I appreciated just how well this new reel feels in hand, simply put it just feels natural in hand. Not only does the new Curado palm beautifully, the 6.9oz. weight makes it easy to balance out with lighter rods.

The Curado MGL70K is a lot smaller than the 200K and is very comfortable to palm. It is so small that it is easy to palm and simultaneously place your finger on the line coming out of the spool for additional sensitivity

After fishing with the Curado MGL70K for a while it is easy to forget just how small, and lightweight, this new reel is. Switch between this reel and the original Curado and suddenly the 200K reels seem large in comparison. Even though the SLX MGL is also a compact reel it also feels larger than the Curado due to the spool and profile design. The SLX 70 MGL is essentially a shallow MGL spool version of an SLX XT while the Curado MGL70K is more of a true 70 size, and the entire tooling set is built around the smaller spool diameter, resulting in the a smaller overall footprint in your hand. 

Though both are marketed as 70 size reels notice how much smaller the Curado MGL70K is than the SLX MGL 70 due to the compact spool design

In terms of weight the SLX MGL weighs in at 7.1 ounces, and while a .2oz. difference between the SLX and Curado 70 reels may not seem like a lot, the delta is noticeable. The new Curado reel and is the most palmable K Series reel introduced to date, and a big improvement ergonomically over the last version.

The Curado MGL70K's more compact body makes it easy to finesse fish with lightweight rigs, jigs, and weightless rigged plastics and still know exactly what is happening on the end of the line. Even the slightest vibrations transfer through the reel's metal body, and the small frame makes it easy to palm and simultaneously extend your index finger to make contact with the line.

Though designed for baitfinesse the Curado MGL70K can handle more applications when needed

Price & Applications: The new Shimano Curado MGL70K performed well throughout our tests, and as expected, delivered better finesse performance than any of the other K-Series reels to date thanks to the MGL and SVS combination. Where the reel surprised us was how well it also performed on the opposite end of the spectrum.

While the Curado MGL70K would not be my first choice for high power techniques like deep cranking or throwing larger paddletails, it is good to know that the reel's gearing and drag are up to the challenge when the applications demand it.

I really enjoyed fishing with the Curado MGL70K all day long thanks to the excellent ergonomics and casting performance

Shimano really is building a Curado for every application, and since introducing the MGL70K the company has also made the larger 300 size reel available, targeting both swimbait and inshore applications that require larger line capacity, more powerful gearing, and increased drag pressure.

The MGL70K adds to the "K Series" reputation as arguably the best Curado reels to date

The Curado MGL70K checks all the boxes when it comes to performance and handling, but all of this comes at a price. Retailing for $229 dollars the Curado MGL70K is also the most expensive Curado, and even costs $30 dollars more than the new larger 300K, and only $20 dollars less than the digitally equipped Curado 150 DC. At this price I still recommend the standard 200K reel for the majority of applications, but if you are looking for a baitfinesse reel, or simply prefer a smaller baitcaster, the Curado MGL70K fits the bill nicely.

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):

Pluses and Minuses: