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Low
Profile Design, Round Reel Muscle, the Shimano Curado 300DSV
(continued)
 Casting:
Just a few seasons back we were often complaining about the casting ability
of mid sized saltwater reels. Sure, casting accuracy and distance were not as
important with saltwater tackle as it is with finesse freshwater gear, but the
technology existed and it was a shame it wasn’t integrated into all the
saltwater reels.
We officially reach the guts
All changed with the
release of the recent generation of saltwater reels. Today almost all the top
selling small to mid size saltwater reels feature some execution of a cast
control system. The Curado 300DSV brings the familiar VBS system with it, and is
as easy to cast as the 200 versions. The deep spool doesn’t start up as fast as
the other Curado Magnumlite spools, but it doesn’t need to with the much larger
saltwater lures most anglers will be tossing.
The handle-side sideplate is aluminum for
rigidity
Anglers that
want to use the Curado 300DSV as a straight freshwater reel will find that the
spool is best used for heavier lures like cranks and larger wire baits rather
than plastics. We found the Curado 300DSV exceptional for ripping big jerkbaits
or topwater frog fishing. In fact when frog fishing we didn’t even need to
switch out the braided line, making this an easy choice for a crossover reel.
The reel has a large opening for superior
spool access
When casting saltwater
lures the Curado 300DSV is as good as the best round reel, and certainly easier
to hold when casting. I was able to cast the entire rig similarly to the way I
would cast lures on a freshwater setup. Edge: When it comes to casting the Curado 300DSV is excellent, the reel benefits from both Shimano SF (Super Free)
and reliable VBS cast controls, making it easy to cast far without fear of
backlashes.
Zander tests the Curado's quick
retrieves
Retrieving (surface):
How many round reels do you know of that are capable of burning back lures?
The Curado 300DSV is capable of bringing in 28 inches of line per handle turn,
and for many aggressive species this opens the door for some really thrilling
lure fishing. We found that we were able to bring subsurface jerkbaits and
topwater lures back in amazing fashion with the Curado 300DSV, and could leave
round reels in the dust every time.
A look at the wide open top
When we were targeting
stripers we were able to get fish to aggressively strike plugs at sunset, and
when fishing topwater for largemouth we were able to muscle fish in with ease.
It really doesn’t matter how big of a bait you tie on, the Curado 300DSV will
bring it back to you at a brisk pace. The gearing is really optimized for speed,
but the surprising thing is how little the bait retrieve or a fish on the end of
the line taxes the stout gearing. Edge: The Curado 300DSV tops the competition
here, this reel makes fishing big baits as easy as ripping a freshwater jerkbait
with a baitcaster.
Cranking down quickly there is amazingly
little resistance, the gearing on this reel is robust
Next Section: So what about deep
retrieves?
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