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Living up to the legacy? Shimano’s
Curado G (continued)
  As we already established
many Shimano reels in the past have shared the same design as their
counterparts, and were differentiated through the use of different materials or
souped up specifications. But here is exactly where the issue stems from. The
new Chronarch E Series wasn’t a majorly souped up version of the Chronarch E,
while there are some minor improvements to the drag the biggest thing separating
the new series from the Curado E line is the pearl white finish instead of the
familiar green motif. The concern about the new Curado G was that instead of
sharing the look and feel of a higher end series it suddenly became the twin of
the more affordable Caenan, albeit with an aluminum frame instead of graphite.
Like the
previous version the Chronarch G features an aluminum frame and graphite
sideplates
At ICAST we got a closer
look at the new Curado and while it was easy to see that it shared the same
profile as the Caenan we were fond of the new darker green color which
immediately made the reel visually appear smaller than the two-tone Caenan. The
matte black metal handle also complemented the darker color and gave the reel a
stealthier overall look. The reel looked bigger in profile than the Curado E
version, yet it weighs less. The real question is how well would the Curado G
perform and would it stand up to the legacy of this established series.
The Dartanium
drag system provides reliable and consistent stopping power
Real World Tests:
To test the Curado G5 we purchased a mass production reel directly from Tackle
Warehouse and headed to both the California Delta and Clear Lake to fish a
variety of lures and techniques ranging from tossing plastics to slow rolling
spinnerbaits. All tests were conducted using 10 and 12lb. Berkley Big Game,
Yozuri Hybrid, and Powerpro lines. Throughout the tests we fished the new Curado
G side by side with the two previous generation Curado reels as well as the
newly introduced Chronarch E series.
Time to see
what the Curado G can do in the field
Casting:
The new Curado G has two less bearings than the previous generation reel, and
they both utilize shielded stainless steel bearings, but the Curado E also
incorporated one S-ARB bearing. The reduction in bearing count helps reduce
overall weight but Shimano has done a good job maintaining overall casting and
retrieve feel. When it comes to sheer casting distance the new G model is
comparable to the previous generation reel, dial the VBS system back and let the
Magnumlite spool do the work. The reel’s spool starts up quickly and the tension
knob keeps backlashes well under control on the tail end of casts. One element
that is noticeably missing is the titanium IP line guide that graced the Curado
E models, and while we didn’t see this influence overall casting distance or
accuracy we will continue to monitor how this affects long term durability when
fished with braided lines.
The Curado G
casts well, both long casts and short pitches are easy
Retrieving:
Those of you that read our Caenan review know that we really felt this reel felt
short in a number of areas, but none more so than when it came to sheer
cranking power. The previous generation Curado E delivered outstanding cranking
power and when fishing either the E5 or E7 whenever there was a fish on the line
the reels felt both powerful and stayed smooth. The Caenan on the other hand
felt burdened and lacked the sheer winding power to muscle in big fish with
ease, this is mostly due to the complete graphite construction which doesn’t
provide as much rigidity.
The reel
features a slightly larger profile than the previous Curado E but every reel now
comes with the excellent extra large PV Septon grips which are comfortable and
provide a solid grip to fight big fish and are much better than the round
handles on the Caenan
The Curado G may have the
same form factor as the Caenan but the aluminum frame makes an enormous
difference. The Curado G is smoother due to bearings and the better isolated
gearing but when it comes to sheer winding power the results are like night and
day versus the Caenan. The Curado G delivers a smooth and powerful retrieve and
is really a testament to just what huge difference frame stiffness makes during
retrieves. I’ve taken on both largemouth bass and Pacific run stripers with this
reel and have never felt a lack of winding power or detectable flex.
The Curado G
felt smooth right out for the box but the previous version stayed smoother a
little better over the long term
Next
Section: A familiar drag
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