Designed for Sending Big Baits - Shimano’s Curado 200 DC

Total Score: 8.53 - BEST VALUE AWARD

Introduction: The Shimano Curado family has grown once again and the company’s latest baitcaster, the Curado 200 DC, is designed specifically to address applications where thicker lines and larger lures require both casting distance and a robust retrieve. While fishing swimbaits seems like a natural fit for this reel there are other power-oriented applications that are also well suited for this new larger Curado DC baitcaster.

Shimano surprised us this ICAST with the introduction of another Curado, the larger 200 DC

Impressions: Remember the days when there was only one version of the Curado each season? With the introduction of the new 200 DC there are currently a total of eight different Curados to pick from (Curado K, Curado 70, Curado DC, Curado MGL 70 K, Curado 300K, Curado BFS, Curado 200) in the portfolio.

The Curado 200 DC features the same form factor as the JDM Exsence SS but is instantly recognizable as a Curado with the signature green and gold highlights

Gone are the days when a single Curado represented a do-everything workhorse reel, and while the standard K Series reel is designed for everyday use Shimano now offers a Curado for just about every application that you can imagine. Want to throw huge baits? The Curado 300 has you covered, and on the opposite end of the spectrum the Curado BFS is designed specifically for light line finesse presentations.

 
The biggest feature on this reel is the use of the proven I-DC4 cast control system

Over the last decade Shimano has unified much of their global lineup but the Curado has remained an exception. The “green and gold” is designed specifically for North American anglers and continues to be geared more towards power and durability, and power-oriented fishing styles favored by many domestic anglers.

Green anodized handle, spool tension knob, and spool

Leveraging the JDM Exsence SS platform the new Curado 200DC is designed to do three things, offer anglers more capacity, easier casting of larger baits courtesy of the I-DC4 module, and a smooth and powerful retrieve. The question is does the market even need another Curado of this size, and which anglers and applications would even benefit from yet another variant? Let’s find out.

The Curado 200 DC is much lower profile than the Curado 300

Real World Tests: I received a Curado 200 DC from Shimano prior to ICAST this year and have been fishing it over the last six months targeting a combination of largemouth bass and stripers. I have primarily been focusing on power fishing and swimbait applications, putting the larger sized reels to the test with bigger and heavier baits on a assortment of different rods using a variety of lines including braid, monofilament, and fluorocarbon leaders.

One of the rods I fished the Curado 200 DC with frequently was the G.Loomis IMX Pro swimbait stick

Casting: The Curado 200 DC provides anglers with 35 more yards of 10lb. line than the 150 DC reel which is especially good for long casts with big baits or any application requiring longer lines including fishing A-rigs or vertically jigging oversized spoons in deep water during the winter.

This reel is ideal for fishing mid to large swimbaits like the Illude Southpaw Heavyweight