Tackletour Curado I Review

[robster80]

TT review up now

http://tackletour.com/reviewshimanocuradoibaitcaster.html

[A-Jay]

Nice Review - TT always does it right.

 

That type of appraisal is not going to help availability much.

 

A-Jay

[bootytrain]

I wonder why their test models weren't smooth? Mine was buttery smooth out of the box, and when I swapped the handle and added 4 bearings to the knobs it became churned butter smooth.

[F14A-B]

The smoothness factor is quite nice on mine, hummm, I don't know, I guess it's like the whole Rod Debate on Sensitivity thing, Feel and Smooth I guess are both subjective.

[robster80]

mines silky smooth now. out of the box was way overgreased. i was scared i got a lemon. just gotta break it in. im definitely picking up another one when i get another rod

[John G]

There is smooth.............................................and then there is Antares HG smooth! Just sayin

[TNBassin']

As I've said, the I feels geary to me after fishing Chronarch Es for awhile. It's still a darn nice reel. You can feel the quality.

[Dwight Hottle]

There is smooth.............................................and then there is Antares HG smooth! Just sayin

 

I have one & I agree with you but you buy three curado I reels for the price of one Antares HG & still have $50 left over for line.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

"Smooth" is subjective just as "sensitive" and "Med-Hvy"..... it means different things to different people. The two extremes I run across are those who prefer a super free effortless reeling feel and then the fluid feel like stirring warm syrup. Many times either feel can be acquired from the same reel. What I would classify as "not smooth" in a new reel would be grinding, rattling, tight or loose spots, excessive back play etc. The TT review just pretty much conforms what users here and else where are saying. I have yet to see anything enlightening there but look at them just 'cause I'm a junky for all things fishing.lol

[John G]

I have one & I agree with you but you buy three curado I reels for the price of one Antares HG & still have $50 left over for line.

I agree. That was a bad attempt on my part at humor. I wasn't meant to be a put down at all.

[Raul]

I used to own a Calais 100A reel, it had that very nice buttery smooth feel when you reeled in, then I got my first TDZ, has the same ammount of bearings but I didn´t get that buttery smooth feel, oh yeas it´s smooth but doesn´t feel "rock solid" like the Calais, the catch is the TDZ is magnesium while the Calais is aluminum,

 

In this case the Antares has bearings on the knobs where the Curado has bushings.

[Goose52]

As was extensively discussed in the recent thread on the TT PQ review - they are indeed usually comparing the test reel to high end models - at least as far as subjective considerations like "smoothness" are concerned.  Here's the TT section on smoothness:

 

The Curado I delivers the level of smoothness that you might expect out of a sub 200 dollar reel, and while it may not be the smoothest baitcaster it is superbly consistent. Over the span of the last few months we have fished the Curado I reels aggressively and they are still as smooth as the day we took them out of the box.

 

I think when he said "it may not be the smoothest baitcaster" that was indeed as compared to something like an Antares - or Raul's Calais 100.  Otherwise, nothing in the TT review dinged the Curoda I on smoothness in it's pricerange...

 

I still wonder, however, why Shimano 84mm handles score 4 points, and the PQ with the same length handle scores 3 points.............

 

[John G]

I used to own a Calais 100A reel, it had that very nice buttery smooth feel when you reeled in, then I got my first TDZ, has the same ammount of bearings but I didn´t get that buttery smooth feel, oh yeas it´s smooth but doesn´t feel "rock solid" like the Calais, the catch is the TDZ is magnesium while the Calais is aluminum,

 

In this case the Antares has bearings on the knobs where the Curado has bushings.

The Antares HG is also magnesium. It's has more to do with the gearing than the bearing in the knobs. Personally, I don't think that bushings in the knobs are a bad deal. My Scorpion XT1500's have 1 bearing only and no bushing and it's not near as smooth as my Calcutta 100 was with 4 bushings.

[bootytrain]

As was extensively discussed in the recent thread on the TT PQ review - they are indeed usually comparing the test reel to high end models - at least as far as subjective considerations like "smoothness" are concerned.  Here's the TT section on smoothness:

 

The Curado I delivers the level of smoothness that you might expect out of a sub 200 dollar reel, and while it may not be the smoothest baitcaster it is superbly consistent. Over the span of the last few months we have fished the Curado I reels aggressively and they are still as smooth as the day we took them out of the box.

 

I think when he said "it may not be the smoothest baitcaster" that was indeed as compared to something like an Antares - or Raul's Calais 100.  Otherwise, nothing in the TT review dinged the Curoda I on smoothness in it's pricerange...

 

I still wonder, however, why Shimano 84mm handles score 4 points, and the PQ with the same length handle scores 3 points.............

2 different reviewers.

[Tywithay]

As was extensively discussed in the recent thread on the TT PQ review - they are indeed usually comparing the test reel to high end models - at least as far as subjective considerations like "smoothness" are concerned. Here's the TT section on smoothness:

The Curado I delivers the level of smoothness that you might expect out of a sub 200 dollar reel, and while it may not be the smoothest baitcaster it is superbly consistent. Over the span of the last few months we have fished the Curado I reels aggressively and they are still as smooth as the day we took them out of the box.

I think when he said "it may not be the smoothest baitcaster" that was indeed as compared to something like an Antares - or Raul's Calais 100. Otherwise, nothing in the TT review dinged the Curoda I on smoothness in it's pricerange...

I still wonder, however, why Shimano 84mm handles score 4 points, and the PQ with the same length handle scores 3 points.............

Craftsmanship. The Curado handle is machined more nicely.

[Goose52]

2 different reviewers.

 

If you're talking about the handle length, I do indeed know it's two different reviewers. The point is that if TT has decided that long(er) handles are "good" - then the scoring should be consistent. 

 

Craftsmanship. The Curado handle is machined more nicely.

 

Except that the scoring category is "handle length" - fit/finish is scored in another category. Length is length...

[bootytrain]

If you're talking about the handle length, I do indeed know it's two different reviewers. The point is that if TT has decided that long(er) handles are "good" - then the scoring should be consistent. 

 

 

Except that the scoring category is "handle length" - fit/finish is scored in another category. Length is length...

I think its still rated from the preference of the reviewer, it seems that wolbugger is much taller than cal or zander.

[*Hootie]

I think its still rated from the preference of the reviewer, it seems that wolbugger is much taller than cal or zander.

Yeah, that's it....lol.

Hootie

[bootytrain]

Yeah, that's it....lol.

Hootie

Well I can tell you that after using a 100mm handle and going down to a 90 or even 85 mm handle, it feels more natural to me.

[*Hootie]

I have a lot of fun on this forum. I hope no one takes my sarcasm seriously.

Hootie

[Raul]

I have a lot of fun on this forum. I hope no one takes my sarcasm seriously.

Hootie

 

It´s part of your charm.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don't. TT begs for sarcasm.

[TNBassin']

So the noise the brakes makes out of the box pretty much means that you should put a drop of oil on the brake pipe right out of the box. Some reels may come with it already lubed and some not, and reading the yellow insert that comes in the box, you have to clean it after every outing.

[*Hootie]

It´s part of your charm.

Now THAT'S sarcasm,...I think,...was it,...I don't know...lol.

Hootie

[Tywithay]

So the noise the brakes makes out of the box pretty much means that you should put a drop of oil on the brake pipe right out of the box. Some reels may come with it already lubed and some not, and reading the yellow insert that comes in the box, you have to clean it after every outing.

It doesn't have to be lubed every outing. There was something lost in translation from Japan. There's no set time frame. When the brakes squeal, oil them. I used my Chronarch for a few months and it never needed oiled.