Looks like I'm biting the bullet but I have questions...

Fishaholic · July 09, 2005, 10:35:26 AM

Looks like I don't have much choice, I'm cashing in my retirement fund to get a new reel

OK the reel I'm looking at is the Curado SF.

I need to be able to have a wide spool, those narrow spools drive me bonkers...

I'm a little concerned about the plastic star drag wheel...is that susceptible to breakage?

Has anyone had any strange problems with this model that I should know about?

Betsy (my old faithful partner for 20+ years) could cast a weightless Tiki worm further than a 1/2 oz. Johnson Silver Minnow...will I still have this long distance casting ability?

How easy is the maintenance ritual for this model?

How well does it stand up to abuse (not that I abuse my reels, but I'm a fishing klutz)?

BIG PAPA · July 09, 2005, 10:56:39 AM

Fish the super free is a great choice. No issues at all with any of mine, they cast light weights a mile and I have so far had no mechenical problems.The plastic star drag is not an issue. All in all I would say that this is about the best deal around.
papa

Warpath · July 09, 2005, 10:58:48 AM

Fish,

I have a host of Curado reels. I have a super free, a 6.2, and a 5.0 ratio standard Curado reel.....

I love each of them to death, they each have their value. I do not however use my Super Free to cast long distance with. From my understanding, that's not what is was designed for. It was mainly designed for pitching and flipping. I also have a Castiac that I use on heavier jigs and weights when I'm pitching and flipping. The other two reels are what I use for casting cranks and so on. One just happens to be a slower gear ratio, so I can slow the lures down. Just my opinion.....

Eric

Mike Cork · July 09, 2005, 11:58:22 AM

The Curado, in all it's models is a great real. I bought my first one about 6 years ago and have not had the first lick of trouble with it. I know own 11 and use them for just about every application. Rough on equipment $:-\$ I am the master at this, I have tore up everything from reels to lower units and repeatedly do it. Never has a curado failed me

very dependable reel

Fishaholic · July 09, 2005, 07:37:35 PM

yeah Mike I hear ya...just imagine what it'd be like with the 2 of us fishing together...

it'd be like the Bill Dance Brothers Bloopers Show

Sc Bassin · July 09, 2005, 07:51:57 PM

I have 9 or 10 Curado's but none of the super free models. Instead I am using the Pflueger President, I now have 4. These are excellent reels, it has 10 bearings & a wiffle spool & sells for $130. It has a wide spool WLP or WLPL(right or left handed). Tackle Tour .com has a good review on this reel, it's also on the Pflueger web site. Check it out.

earthworm77 · July 09, 2005, 10:21:10 PM

Fish, if you trust my opinion on anything.....get a Scorpion rather than the Curado .It is an SF and a souped up version of the Curado, for the extra 20 to 25 bucks it will cost, it is absolutely worth it and you'll likely want to name a child after me for suggesting it. lol

Pferox · July 10, 2005, 06:43:11 AM

Where the heck do you find these great Scorpions, are they available anywhere other then online, we don't have a Dick's down here so I'm stuck, I was thinking of tradin in the boat on one.

earthworm77 · July 10, 2005, 09:11:01 PM

They are Japan only reels but you can find them on ebay, Japan Tackle or Bass Fishing Home Page.

Mike Cork · July 11, 2005, 07:57:07 PM

Earthworm, is the scorpion a redish purple in color?

Pferox · July 13, 2005, 03:37:28 AM

Yea Mike, I saw pics of one, it is almost like a maroon color from the pics I saw.
Looks like a nice reel from what I saw.

Mike Cork · July 13, 2005, 09:42:31 PM

I have had a chance to play with them from a local rep and they sure are sweet. I didn't get the name on them but I am sure that is what they were.

OHbassaholic · July 15, 2005, 04:13:39 PM

The Curado SF is a fantastic reel, but I agree with Warpath in that it is engineered more for pitching than casting. I would tighten the tensioner up a bit before an overhead cast. If you were only going to have one baitcaster, this would be the one in my opinion to cover all techniques with a little adjusting.
Just to give you something a little different to compare the Curado SF to, check out the Castaic SF. You might be inclined to pay the extra $ to have the special mechanism in the Castaic. I sold the Curado SF's I had and do all of my pitching with Castaic SF's and Chronarch SFs. My overhead work is handled by Bantam models of Curado, Castaic and Chronarchs.

blake711 · July 18, 2005, 10:06:29 AM

I used to be a stickly Team Diawa Guy. My reals were all atleast 5 years old as I took a break from fishing. I needed to replace a couple reels this season when I started fishing again.. A buddy sugested a Curado.. I called a couple old fishing buddies and asked.. Do you know anything about shimano reels.. They both said Get a Curado its teh best real they ever used. One was a die hard Diawa fan and the other a Qauntum fan.. they both have replaced all their reals with curados. I have changed all my baitcasters but one to shimano curados and I LOVE THEM. Light Smooth and Will cast anything a mile ..

Fishaholic · July 18, 2005, 10:19:36 AM

between you and earthworm, I'm sold

Pferox · July 26, 2005, 05:13:00 PM

So Fish, what reel ya gonna get, orrrrrrrrrr did you get?

Fishaholic · July 26, 2005, 05:21:44 PM

still up between the curado and the scorpion...waiting for some money to materialize...it's a minor inconvenience that slows me down sometimes.

Pferox · July 26, 2005, 05:24:33 PM

Yea too bad ya can't buy stuff on good looks, then we would all be rich.

Fishaholic · July 26, 2005, 05:26:41 PM

with business being slow, I kinda put my charge cards in a state of moratorium.

Sc Bassin · July 26, 2005, 05:28:09 PM

I saw where Shimano is coming out with a new reel. The Curado D It's a 10 bearing reel @ $199. list price. They introduced at the IMAX show in Las Vegas.

Pferox · July 26, 2005, 05:34:45 PM

Yea I understand that, I am kind of a cash only kind of guy myself, except for the big purchases.

Man I tell ya 200 bucks for a reel is really steep for me, I think I will keep with my 80 dollar Penns and 40 dollar Mitchells, heck even a Garcia is only 80 bucks.

But then, most of my baitcaster stuff is either heavy salt or catfishin, so the weight of a garcia isn't that important, and they are pretty slow reels.

blake711 · July 26, 2005, 10:14:22 PM

Quote from: Sc Bassin on July 26, 2005, 05:28:09 PM
I saw where Shimano is coming out with a new reel. The Curado D It's a 10 bearing reel @ $199. list price. They introduced at the IMAX show in Las Vegas.

SC that is interesting I hadn't heard about that. I will have to check that out. I have replaced all my Diawas and Qauntums with Curados but one and I was thinking about tring out a scorpion. I was affraid if I got a scorpion I would be selling all my curados though and they aren't even 4 months old on the oldest one. I don't think the wife would be to happy.. This way I can wait to see what the new 10 bearing curado looks like and check out some reviews on it..

Fishaholic · July 26, 2005, 10:17:10 PM

199 is getting too steep for me, I'm gonna stick with the Curado or the Scorpion...leaning towards the Scorpion, but don't hold me to that .

blake711 · July 26, 2005, 10:46:15 PM

Well when ever anyone sees and info about a this new curado please let us know.. I did some googling and only found a couple threads on other places.. Its supposed to be 7.1:1 but thats about the only info I could find. I sure hope Shimano dosen't screw it up like people have complainined aboud the Chronarch..