Curado K 300???

[michael1]

A buddy of mine said he heard something about a new Curado K 300 coming out? Has anyone heard anything about this?

[mrpao]

Shimano already has the tranx 300.

It would be very similar to the tranx if one was to come out.

[Tywithay]

There's a thread on TT. Turns out it wasn't supposed to be shown until August, I guess. It's basically a Tranx frame with Curado K colors. 

[Ogandrews]

Idk I don’t really see the point, the tranx is such an outstanding reel that if you need something that size I don’t really see the point of getting anything else. I guess it is cheaper, but I’d definitely pay the extra $80 for a reel that can tow a truck out of the ditch and do it smoother than 90% of baitcasters on the market.

[TBAG]

It popped up on TW but has since been removed.

 

I'm a little upset if it's just a repainted Tranx but I'll probably grab one for my Dobyns 806 to throw bigger swimbaits.

[West Fishigan]

Seems like the Tranx 300s all have 18-22 lbs of drag, while the K 200's drag is 11 lbs. Would this K 300 have drag similar to the Tranx 300, or just a larger line capacity?

[michael1]

I'd like to know what gear ratio they'll be offered in.

[matbellon3]

1 hour ago, BaitFinesse said:

It is also 30 grams lighter than the Tranx 300

Possible that it uses Ci4 side plates like the Curado K.

[Ogandrews]

On 7/16/2020 at 10:41 PM, BaitFinesse said:

What makes you think this reel will be any different?  It appears to be the same reel.  

Based on weight and price difference I would assume there will be similar differences to the 200k and the 200 tranx. The curado is a solid reel but I have never felt a reel that has the same feeling of a tranx. I have owned lexas, toro beasts, Calcutta D B and TE, and okuma Komodos and nothing has as solid and smooth of a feel as a tranx especially the 500. I know feel isn’t a specific feature, but it is one of the most important things about a reel in my opinion.

[jimmyjoe]

  

6 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

nothing has as solid and smooth of a feel as a tranx

 

   I agree. And that's something I had to find out the hard way. In no way do pictures help you understand the difference between the Curado and the Tranx. It's the difference between playing ball versus reading playing cards.       jj

[DomQ]

Why spend extra money on a salt water reel if you will never fish salt. Why not get the same reel that we already know is  great without the added protection from salt for less. 

[jimmyjoe]

4 minutes ago, DomQ said:

Why not get the same reel

 

    You're correct ..... if it truly is the same reel. Personally, I don't believe it is.

  

 

 

   jj

[michael1]

I am a big Shimano BC fan but for some reason I have never been a fan of the Tranx when I have held it. I'm looking for something to throw 5 XDs and 6 XDs on, but would like to at least have the ability to bump up to an 8 or bigger if I liked. Anyway, I was sort of considering a 6.2 Curado K but maybe I should consider this 300K?

[michael1]

1 hour ago, BaitFinesse said:

If you didn't like the Tranx 300 then I wouldn't think you would like the Tranx 300 based Curado.

So I should not look at this as a bigger, beefed up with wider spool and line capacity Curado K?

[Tywithay]

1 hour ago, michael1 said:

So I should not look at this as a bigger, beefed up with wider spool and line capacity Curado K?

It's pretty much identical to the Tranx. Same frame, just a different color. That's why, if you didn't like the Tranx for whatever reason, you're probably not going to enjoy this reel.

[Ogandrews]

14 hours ago, DomQ said:

Why spend extra money on a salt water reel if you will never fish salt. Why not get the same reel that we already know is  great without the added protection from salt for less. 

It’s not the same reel. There mechanically are differences with the bigger tranx but just pick up a 300 400 or 500, make a cast and engage the spool and you will feel the difference. I own 5 different tranx of various sizes as well as 7 curados and DC’s, and all of my tranx 3 and 4’s are smoother then any of the curados 

[garroyo130]

Plastic worm gear?

 

... this is just a personal dislike as I haven't experienced or heard of issues with the k worm gear 

[Ogandrews]

9 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

This new Curado K 300 appears to be a Curado in name only.  It is a cheaper and lighter weight Tranx 300.  I would expect very Tranx like behavior from it despite the Curado name 

I hope I’m wrong and it feels just like the tranx 300. Really odd why they would make it a lower gear ratio than the low gear 300 which already feels like a winch. The high gear is so much more versatile, if i was strictly using the reel for bass fishing I can’t think of a situation when swim baiting where the 5.8 is better than the 7. Really doesn’t matter how big the swimbait is, there isn’t a whole lot of resistance in the water so I don’t see the point of a 4.X. In a much larger reel like the tranx 500 a 4.8 ratio still gets you 30 inches per crank so it picks up line but will pull the highest resistance baits, like double bladed musky spinners for example, with very little effort and still keep the bait moving fast. With a smaller 300 sized reel your going to probably be in the low 20’s for inches per crank with a 4.x which is way too little for how I like to fight fish. If the have an option for a higher ratio one like a tranx hg I hope the keep the power handle on the curado, it is such a nice feature for fighting hard fighting fish.

 

The other thing I am a little bit hesitant about is how much lighter the curado version is. Part of the hesitation is that if your buying a 300 reel your probably putting it on a swimbait rod or some other sort of big rod for big fish. Most of these rods are designed to balance with big heavy all metal reels like a tranx or Calcutta, I know my loomis swimbait rod with a tranx 300 balances perfectly but with a reel that’s 30g less I bet it would feel tip heavy. The other thing I would be worried about is the curado vs tranx being similar to the Daiwa lexa wn vs Lexa HD. The lexa HD is a great big bait reel, super solid tough well built ect. The lexa wn on paper looks like the same reel just a bit lighter with some slight differences. I have owned both and there is a very big difference in reality. While I didn’t like the HD as much as a tranx it was still an awesome reel and felt great after a season of heavy musky fishing. The WN on the other hand felt like I was fishing with a can opener after a couple months of throwing double 8’s and 10’s. Now granted musky fishing is a lot harder on reels than bass fishing is, but I really hope that it isn’t the same situation with the curado as it was with the lexa wn.

[ghost]

I'd be interested. I've always liked the Curado line and I have the Curado 301E. I would t mind an upgraded version, as long as there are a faster gear ratio with at least 27-30'ish IPT. And no round knobs...ick

[Hulkster]

Im curious as to how this plays out. I have the Tranx 400A that I use for musky casting and i have to say it is amazing. super smooth, powerful with a super strong beefy drag. 

 

Hopefully this new curado 300 won't be a watered down version. If it is, it won't be worth the money, anglers might just spend the extra and opt for the Tranx 300 instead. 

[brophog]

I totally agree with the comment about the Lexa Wn/HD. The Wn version is definitely cheaper but it’s a backup/occasional use version of that reel.

 

As someone who has too often pushed gear way past its intended usage, once you start needing to get into 300/400 sized gear territory, don’t skimp. The money you thought you were saving is just going to the next reel.

[rk123]

On 7/16/2020 at 6:35 PM, michael1 said:

A buddy of mine said he heard something about a new Curado K 300 coming out? Has anyone heard anything about this?

They already released it for the brazilian market I think. They announced it on the brazil instagram page

[LuS]

Here it is:

https://www.meltontackle.com/shimano-curado-k-300-baitcasting-reels.html#

 

release date Oct 22 2020. Regular and HG model coming, 10.6 oz, 22 lb max drag on regular gear model. 

[DomQ]

Been waiting to get one!! Already got a nice power handle picked out for it!