Casting rod newbie experience, Curado DC

[DanielG]

Addendum: I'm the original poster of this topic on the Curado DC. I'm into my third season now. I have yet to have to untangle the line on my reel. And, for some reason, over time it seems to have become better at being forgiving of lure weight changes. Sometimes I forget to adjust the tension knob when going from a lighter to heavier lure. It still seems to work good either way. And I only use my thumb if I want to stop the lure short during a cast. I've finally trained it to stay off the spool. Wasn't easy to do.

[Jaderose]

My thumb basically IS my brake and I can't imagine that would ever change even if I did buy a DC reel.  Glad you're enjoying yours!

[DanielG]

17 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

My thumb basically IS my brake and I can't imagine that would ever change even if I did buy a DC reel.  Glad you're enjoying yours!

I hear ya, hard habit to break. Ever miss the release trigger timing and a lure smacks the water right in front of you and the reel keeps going because your thumb didn't expect that to happen and a nest forms? Happens to me on occasion. A DC reel actually, somehow, senses that and the reel comes to a quick enough stop so that the line fuzzes up but that's about it. Pretty cool how it does that I think. DC reels, autonomous self driving cars... what's next?

 

[DanielG]

So, I'm the original poster of in this thread. I was out casting on the dock today and realized that in three years I haven't used my thumb on my Curado reel once in that time unless I just wanted stop it short during a cast. I've yet to get a nest. When I posted, it was my first casting reel. Digital reels weren't that big a deal yet. So many people here and other places told me that I needed to cut my teeth on a non digital reel first then use the digital one if I wanted because not getting good at using a casting reel would not be wise. I'm here to say that I still love this reel, I can drive a stick shift but I don't want to, I use a digital watch and don't feel I need to use an analog one, and I like paying for stuff with my Apple watch; I haven't carried money in a few years. I still recommend a digital reel for anyone who would like to have one. Have fun fishing and literally forget birds nests.

[DanielG]

...

[Tatulatard]

An sv spool reel will do the same thing for cheaper.

[padlin]

Looks like the same prices to me unless I missed a lower cost reel, both the SLX dc and the Tatula sv are $199.

[Tatulatard]

9 hours ago, padlin said:

Looks like the same prices to me unless I missed a lower cost reel, both the SLX dc and the Tatula sv are $199.

Fuego SVs run about $100.  

[Deleted account]

I learned to drive and drove on a stick for years. I haven't driven a stick in decades (other than in Africa), and I still reach down to touch the knob on the center console when I come to a red light, my thumb does the same thing on a BC reel.

[Darth-Baiter]

great post.  

 

I only have an SLX DC.  I bought it on a whim after a huge birdnest of my doing.  I was looking for a silver bullet.  nope.  

 

the silver bullet is time.  I'll still nest to my own amusement.  less funny when the fish are biting, but hey.  I am totally human. 

[Big Hands]

I've owned probably 50 baitcasters and conventional reels since I bought my first Ambassadeur 5000 in the early 80's. I think of my thumb hovering over the spool like security at the door of a nightclub. Most of the time just their gentle presence is all that is required to maintain order.

 

I have a Curado 150 DC and an SLX 150 DC that I bought at used prices ($200 and $90. . . . with new line), but were essentially new. I have no regrets, I actually like them a lot (even more than I thought I would TBH), and have never felt like they were particularly limiting for what I have used them for. Mostly crankbaits, spinnerbaits and bottom contact plastics like texas rig worms and shakeyheads. Stuff that 150 size reels are made for. I have an SLX 70 MGL and a couple of Curado BFS reels for lighter weight baits like weightless Senkos and other smaller BFS-adjacent baits.