New Cumara A Casting Rod - Initial And On-The-Water Reviews - Updated

[Goose52]

Today I received a new Cumara A casting rod - CUC-72MA - 7'2" medium-fast. This is in the worm & jig series and will be used as a light t-rig rod.

The color of the blank is...interesting; a sorta maroon color but a bit lighter than maroon. I'm no color expert so I guess I don't really know what to call it. I can't say it floats my boat...but then it doesn't bother me too much either. The brown truck came after dark tonight so I haven't seen it in the daylight yet - perhaps the color will "pop" in sunlight... On the earlier thread about the Cumara A, one board member said the color reminded him of a BPS Bionic Blade. As the photo below shows, they are not the same color (and I prefer the color of the Blade actually!).



Also mentioned in the other thread was a concern being expressed by some about the truncation of the grip behind the reel seat. Well, it's true, it's a short little bugger - only 1 3/4" in length. Not a problem during retrieve - with my palming method (one finger behind the trigger), my entire hand fits on the grip. However, with my casting grip (one finger in front of the trigger), one finger and most of the heel of my hand are off the grip and on the blank. I'm not liking that at all right now but will reserve judgement on that until I get it on the water and make a number of casts.

The reel seat is the new Shimano seat with rear locking. This works great for me and gives me three fingers on the blank during a retrieve.



The power of the rod feels (here in the house) lighter than most mediums, perhaps a bit heavier than a medium-light. Shimano recommends the fast action for worms, extra-fast for jigs. Had I handled this rod in a store, I think I would have bought the medium extra-fast, or an MH fast. I have a whole bunch of medium-light rods now and this rod seems a bit too close to them in power and action. Still, have to get on the water to see how it feels.

The rod is fairly light - 103.6 grams / 3.65 ounces. With a Core 50 mounted, the combo weighs 261.4 grams / 9.2 ounces (without line). The rod has micro-guides, so this will be a fair-weather rod for me - no fishing in sub-freezing temps in the winter.

Tomorrow, I'll spool up some line and get it wet. Catching is poor here right now, but at least I've got soft water so I can make some casts with it.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

A Berkley Cherrywood rod color to me. I have a LTB and think the handle on that is a bit too small this Cumara grip does looks short. If the edge isnt all that firm hard might be ok.

[Crappiebasser]

Thanks for the review. I can't wait to hear how it performs. I have added one to my TW cart twice but haven't pulled the trigger waiting for a review.

[The one that got away]

Nice initial review, Goose. Looks like a nice rod.

Out of curiosity, I measured the handle of my new Crucial that Shimano sent me (I broke an older cork Crucial late this season, sent it to them, and they sent me one of the newer models).

The foam grip behind the reel is about 3 ". I usually have two fingers ahead of the trigger while casting and retrieving. On the Crucial, my hand is in contact with the foam grip the entire time.

[Goose52]

Yeah - the 3" grip length used on the new Crucial and Compre would have been a better length (for me) than this little grip on the Cumara. Shimano's web site is even wrong - they even say the Cumara A has a 3" grip....'taint so at all...

Since it's a worm rod, you would typically not be making as many casts as a rod used for a fast moving bait, but still, I think this short grip might be bugging me for a while...

[kickerfish1]

Thanks for the feedback! Would love to hear your thoughts once you fish it. I know it is cold there but if you log any time on the water I would be interested to hear your thoughts. The only minor issue I would potentially have is how comfortable a handle like that would be over a few hours of usage.

Great looking outfit!!!

[LgMouthGambler]

looks good with that Core on it.

[21farms]

good post goose. thanks...i'm very interested in the new cumaras. it cracks me up that you say it is only "fairly light" at 3.65 ounces...my goodness man, what would you consider "very light" for a 7'2" rod?

the color is okay with me...what i don't like so far is the bottom placement of the hook hanger.

[Goose52]

I guess I should have said "pretty dang light" ! I was somewhat reserved on the weight since I have a 7' M-F BPS Carbonlite that is only .8 grams heavier than this Cumara (it weighs 3.68oz)...

I like the open hook-keeper (and prefer that design), and haven't personally had any problems with the bottom placement on my other rods with the keeper at that location. It seems that at times I can foul my line on the keeper no matter where it's located.

I just got back from fishing the Cumara and will type-up my on-the-water impressions report.

[bass1980]

Sweet combo there. I am currently saving up for that exact combo but medium heavy.

[Goose52]

OK, it rained this morning but we had some clearing at mid-day so I hit the water with the Cumara and two other rods for comparison - a St.Croix LTB 6'9" ML-XF and a Loomis GLX MBR842C 7' M-F (my current all-around "worm rod"). I did some side-by-side comparisons, then fished the Cumara for over an hour.

Ergonomics: As mentioned in the first post, the grip behind the reel seat is short - really short. During casting, half of my right hand is off the grip and on the blank. That's the bad news. The good news is that I didn't really notice it. Two reasons: (1) this is a light rod casting light baits so you don't have to put a lot of effort to get the rod to load and complete the cast, and (2) my hand placement on the bottom grip was bugging me more than the top grip That brings me to my second grip issue: the entire grip length seems too long for the length and power rating of the rod. The grip length on this rod (measured from the trigger to the back of the butt) is 1 3/4" longer than the LTB, and 1" longer than the GLX. If I had my druthers, I would prefer it to be the GLX length. This is one reason why I have been resisting going to split-grip rods - you are stuck with the length dimension that the rod company CHOSE for you...rather than having the opportunity, with a solid rear grip, to place your hand where you want. I do have to say that as it is, the rod is pretty well balanced - if they shortened the overall grip length, you'd end up moving the balance point farther forward and perhaps start to feel a little tip-heavy. So, perhaps it's just better to learn to live with the longer grip length.

If this was a deep-cranking rod, or their umbrella rig rod, where you're trying to chuck out heavy baits during repetitive casts, I think this short grip could be a problem for lots of folks. I don't know why they shortened the grip so much but I'd rather have the rod weigh the tenth or couple tenths of an ounce heavier and have a longer grip. Whoever they had field testing these things must have small hands, or perhaps this is only a problem for me?

Anyway, for this particular rod - I don't think the short grip will be an issue. The overall grip length and where to put your off-hand is just a matter of muscle memory. After fishing it for an hour, I was getting my off-hand where it needed to be on the rear grip without any thought - but it will make going back and forth between two or more rods interesting. Indeed, after I fished the Cumara for an hour, I picked up my trusty lipless crank rod (a 7' MF St. Croix Premier with full cork grip) and the grip on it felt very fat and I was placing my hand too far back on the grip (like in the air... ).

Construction: Can't say much here - no problems, looks good, guides are aligned, windings and finish are good. I like the reel seat. A nice rod. It's my first rod with micro-guides - as I mentioned earlier, I do fish in sub-freezing weather in the winter so I won't be fishing this when it gets down near freezing.

Sensitivity: I can't give any definitive report on this. Sensitivity is subjective, not easily measured, and means different things to different folks. I'm one of those people with somewhat "dead" hands - after I go north of something like an Avid, I have a hard time feeling the increased sensitivity. I can say that the blank feels "crisp" - what bumps I did feel today were sharp - that could be a combination of both the blank and micro-guides I guess (and this was with YZ copoly line). I can also say that the Cumara felt as sensitive as the LTB and GLX - in my hands. I don't have the earlier generation Cumara so I can't compare the new to the old. Unfortunately, the two lakes that I fished today both have leaf/muck bottoms, thus limiting the opportunity to feel the bait bump over structure or cover, so I didn't have a good opportunity to get a really good feel for the relative sensitivity of the rod.

For a good report on sensitivity, I think we will have to wait until someone like Hooligan, and others, who have extensive experience with the earlier Cumara, to come along with a report.

Power / Action: I switched back and forth between the three rods, all of which were rigged with identical baits: Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craws with 3/16 oz bullet weights for a total weight of .42 ounce (just over 3/8 oz). As I suspected by playing with it last night, the Cumara is a "light" medium. The lure weight rating (1/8 to 1/4) gives a hint of this and the rod fishes "light." It had no problems casting the 3/8+ ounce bait used today and I'm sure would handle 1/2 ounce OK as well. But it's definately not a mainstream "medium." The rod fishes heavier than the LTB ML-XF, but is noticeably less stout than the GLX which, while only a 2-power, has a lot of backbone.

I'm still thinking that perhaps I should have got the M-XF instead of the M-F - BUT, this rod loads really well at 3/8 oz and casts well - so maybe I'm good with the M-F. Since I didn't catch anything on it today, I can't comment on hook-setting or fish-fighting ability. I am in the habit of doing a mongo-hookset so I don't think I will have a problem with that. Nearly all my water is open so the lighter power is not a problem there either. I guess my only issue with the rod power is that the rod is probably going to fish too close to a number of other rods that I already have. That's not a problem with the rod, just with my purchasing decision.

I will fish this rod on the light end of the range - lighter creature baits and plastic worms up to 7.5" which accounts for the bulk of my T-rig fishing. 10" plastic worms and larger creature baits and I'll move up to an MH-XF. I used to cover that entire range - from light to 10" worms on the MBR842C, but it wasn't really happy at the heavier end of the range. Now, I'll split the weight range between two rods. If I'm in the boat, and rod-space limited, the Loomis might be used again to cover the entire range.

Summary:

This is a quality rod - with features, build quality, and (probably) performance commensurate with it's price. I will fish it as my primary light T-rig rod next season. The color of the blank is a non-issue with me. It will be interesting to see if the grip issues become non-issues, or whether they continue to bug me throughout next season. For now, I won't be buying another Cumara until I get more time on the water with this one.

For a good report regarding on-the-water performance, and fish-catching ability, of the new Cumara...we'll have to wait for someone else that still has both soft water, and a good bite, to check in!

Today's players:

[shootermcbob]

Excellent report Goose. I always enjoy reading your reports. Thanks for taking the time.

[Goose52]

Excellent report Goose. I always enjoy reading your reports. Thanks for taking the time.

Thanks. I knew there was interest in the new Cumara, thus the lengthy report. I'm usually not the first kid on the block to get newly introduced tackle; normally, everybody and their brother has new tackle before me and other folks do the reporting...

[Dwight Hottle]

Well done Goose.

[tracker01]

Now that is a review. Well done and thank you.

[0119]

I thought the grip on my LTB was short! Soon the manufacturers will be selling rods with no grips and proclaiming the wonders of total sensitivity. Wonder how many millions they saved by avoiding the use of 1.5" of foam on each rod they made?

[kickerfish1]

Outstanding review! Thanks for taking the time to post this.

[Hooligan]

I'll add my thoughts at a point when I have the time to sit and compose them. Thus far I'm very impressed with the rods. One thing that I will say: Do not underestimate the power in the blanks. They're definitely more powerful than they initially feel. I'll try to get back in here today and be a little more concise and expand on what Goose has said.

[ChiCityBasser]

Nice report yet again Goose and rod looks to be close in color to the KVD tour rods.

[Goose52]

I intitially started this thread about the Cumara A in the middle of the winter, with limited opportunities to actually catch anything with the rod. With the new season well underway, I've been able to fish, and catch, with the rod.  A reminder that this is the 7'2" mf rod in the jig and worm series (recommended by Shimano as a worm rod).  Here's my thoughts after having it on the water for a while.

 

Color:  Controversial, but basically a non-issue with me.  I can see where some color reels would look just awful on this rod however...

 

Construction:  No issues - top quality. 

 

Guides:  Interesting is that while the rod uses microguides, there are still only 9 guides plus the tip-top. Many 7' microguide rods have 10 to 12 guides. So, while Shimano did go microguide, it didn't increase the number. The line DOES rub on the blank when the rod is under load.  I'm not sure why Shimano designed the rod like this - other than perhaps going after the last fraction of a gram in weight reduction.

 

Grip:  I like the reel seat - lots of finger contact on the blank.  As I mentioned previously, the grip surface behind the reel seat is absurdly short.  It's something you can get used to...but why should you have to? How much extra weight would another 1.5 inches of  EVA weigh?  Length/span from the front grip to rear grip - too long for me - longer  than any of my other rods in this power/action class.  Perhaps this span was chosen for balance purposes - but I would personally prefer it to be an inch shorter and live with the balance shifting a tiny bit toward the tip.  I'm hearing that many other anglers are also complaining about this grip.  This grip is not a deal breaker for me...but it sure doesn't float my boat.  I have a feeling this issue might be causing Shimano to lose a lot of sales on this rod series.

 

Sensitivity:  I think it's pretty dang good for this price class.  I've now had a chance to fish this more and bounce baits off cover and structure and I'm feeling more than what I'm using as my worm rod right now - a Loomis GLX MBR842C.  As I mentioned before, I'll defer to other, more experienced anglers than myself, regarding comparing the Cumara A to other rods in its class. 

 

Power/Action:  I was wrong in my initial impression on this particular rod - thinking that it felt like a medium-light. As Hooligan said above, there is a lot of power in this blank. The tip is soft enough to load well with lighter baits but under load you get to the backbone part of the rod in short order. 

 

Summary:  Performance-wise, this is a great rod and it will become my primary light t-rig rod, bumping the MBR842C to other duty. Ergonomically, however, the whole grip issue, while you learn to live with it, is just a thorn that will most likely preclude me from looking at any other Cumaras.  If one could live with the grip, this would be a terrific rod series to build a top-notch arsenal around.

 

At the end of the day, the most important review comment that I can make is that "it works, catches fish" ...

 

[Silas]

Thanks for the review, Goose, and you have confirmed my thoughts exactly.

 

I tried this out at the store and found the rear of the grip absurdidly short..  That's why it was  a deal breaker for me.  I looked around to find  a new discontinued Cumulus and bought it instead ($249j)  and the part behind the reel is 3 1/16 inches......much longer and FAR more comfortable than the 1 3/4 on the new Cumara.   I also have 2 old Cumara spinning rods in 7'2" and love the grip on those also.

     Like you, I have a St. Croix LTB with the short truncated grip and have NEVER gotten used to it.....in fact, I'm going to SELL the rod.  I tried it with maybe 6 different reels.  It simply doesn't work.

     Same goes for the well touted *** 13 Black.  Short, truncated section behind the reel seat.    Too short for me.....sold it.

 

Your assessment is right on.  When RETREIVING a bait, it is no problem since you are PALMING the reel and don't need much grip, but when you are CASTING, it's a different matter.  And as you said.....you'd better cast very LIGHT baits or else you will feel the TORQUEING of the rod in your hand and will fatigue rapidly. 

 

  You mentioned you COULD get used to it.......for a rod of that caliber and price, I don't feel I have to compromise in ANY way. 

 

The Cumara is a fantastic bottom contact rod......I love the old models, and will continue to buy them. 

 

Instead of the new Cumaras, I bought a Megabass......absolutely NO compromises. 

[Hooligan]

In terms of sensitivity, I have every bit as much faith in my A series rods as I do my GLX. I'm extremely happy with them.

[kickerfish1]

Thanks for the follow up goose! I will likely pick one up sooner than later...

[thehooligan]

I have my eyes on the 6'10 spinnerbait rod, we will see.....

[Blues19]

Goose, as an art teacher, I would call the color Maroon as you said. Its a bright maroon.  I also like the dark color of the bionic blade, but the brighter colors are more eye catching, so all these rods and reels will be bright for a while.  The color is the thing that does not bother me, but the flat paint on reels is what kills me.  I can not stand the feeling on my hands.  I need a glossy paint.  Great review of the rod!