My Curado DC has a mind of its own.

[AmmoGuy]

Ok. So a few months ago, I figured I’d check out the whole DC thing. Picked up a Curado DC, and have been using it as one of my crankbait reels for the last couple of months. 
 

I’ve been fishing baitcast reels since I was 8 years old (I’m 36). Like many of you here, they are just second nature. Back lashing is usually the furthest thing from my mind while I’m fishing. 
 

Anyways…. Long story short, I’ve blown up this DC in the past two months more  than all my other reels combined in the last 5 years. 
Ive watched all the setup videos, dialed it in every possible way, but it will still just randomly blow up on me unless I set it on 4 and kill casting distance. I keep it on 3, and have the spool tension adjusted to just stop any wiggle (although I’ve tried every amount of tension possible). 
 

The thing that messes me up is that it almost seems like the brakes just decide to let go at times. I might cast to the same spot 15 times with the same fluid motion and on the 16th time it will just decide to blow up. Or sometimes I’ll pick it up and make a standard cast and it will just explode…. I pick it out, and make 100 more casts without a single problem, then it will just decide to blow up again. I can’t make sense of it. I’ll fish several other reels on the same day and not have one single over run…. But the DC will blow multiple times a trip. 

 

I am using 12lb flouro, but I’ve had suffix elite on it too, and it didn’t help. 
 

Is there a chance this particular reel is defective? I’ve fished other DCs, but not enough to notice a pattern in behavior like this. 

[LCG]

Out of curiosity, are the blow ups near the begining, middle, or end of the cast or is it random? 

[AmmoGuy]

6 minutes ago, LCG said:

Out of curiosity, are the blow ups near the begining, middle, or end of the cast or is it random? 

 
Kind of random. I’d say it usually starts out fine, then just boom. It lets go at some point in flight. So I guess I’d say middle. 

[Junger]

Tighten the tension knob a lot, so that if you hang the lure off the rod it doesn’t drop when you engage the thumb bar.

[AmmoGuy]

1 minute ago, Junger said:

Tighten the tension knob a lot, so that if you hang the lure off the rod it doesn’t drop when you engage the thumb bar.

If that’s what it takes, then the reel is pointless. You can choke off any reel with spool tension and prevent over-runs, but then it’s casts terribly. 
 

That’s also the exact opposite of what Shimano and other instructionals say?

[RDB]

You know you have to turn on the AI right?   If you can’t find it, just ask another fisherman for help on your next trip.

[JustJames]

That why you rely more on your thumb not just technology. For god sake, you backlash once every 15 or once after 100 cast and you complain. I backlash on the time and I have 30+ years experience, learning casting reel with no brake setup for modified Abu 6500c3 and Newell 225. Just today i backlash at least 10-15 time using Shimano after been using Daiwa SV for awhile. 
 

[LCG]

59 minutes ago, AmmoGuy said:

 
Kind of random. I’d say it usually starts out fine, then just boom. It lets go at some point in flight. So I guess I’d say middle. 

May I ask what lure weight range / type of lure  your using with the Curado DC?

 

While I don't own one personally, a buddy of mine does and he doesn't blow up his reel at all and seems to get good distance. Granted my SLX MGL 71 and Curado MGL 71 were out casting his casts. Niether of us had blow ups during our outings together and both equal of skill or lack of sometimes

[AmmoGuy]

56 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

That why you rely more on your thumb not just technology. For god sake, you backlash once every 15 or once after 100 cast and you complain. I backlash on the time and I have 30+ years experience,
 

When the braking feels inconsistent, your thumb doesn’t do much good. I thumb the DC just like I do every other reel…. But sometimes it’s like it just lets go. 
 

Honestly, If I backlashed all the time, I’d find a new hobby. 

[JustJames]

25 minutes ago, AmmoGuy said:

When the braking feels inconsistent, your thumb doesn’t do much good. I thumb the DC just like I do every other reel…. But sometimes it’s like it just lets go. 
 

Honestly, If I backlashed all the time, I’d find a new hobby. 

That why I say you rely on DC (digital control) technology to do the job while mechanical braking system you more rely on your thumb or your skill.

New hobby, don’t worry I love to live on the edge, my core and SLX only 1 brake on, My alphas and Zillion dial at 4-6 depends on wind situations. Human is not a robot that can do the same exact swing multiple times. There are also many factors come to play, wind, wet fingers or mind slip. At least I except it as operator error not just blaming the equipment. I think your expectation is too high.

[PhishLI]

13 minutes ago, AmmoGuy said:

I thumb the DC just like I do every other reel…. But sometimes it’s like it just lets go. 

If this isn't an issue for you with other reels, eh, then just send it packing. I cast way more than 100 times during a 5-6 hour session with at least half of those being full power bomb casts.  Because I fish at night about the worst thing that happens on a normal cast is a few loose loops if I'm a little slow during splash down. Just a few loops to pull out. If I blew up a spool even once a night I'd go back to spinning reels. 

[GreenPig]

3 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

Ok. So a few months ago, I figured I’d check out the whole DC thing. Picked up a Curado DC, and have been using it as one of my crankbait reels for the last couple of months. 
 

I’ve been fishing baitcast reels since I was 8 years old (I’m 36). Like many of you here, they are just second nature. Back lashing is usually the furthest thing from my mind while I’m fishing. 
 

Anyways…. Long story short, I’ve blown up this DC in the past two months more  than all my other reels combined in the last 5 years. 
Ive watched all the setup videos, dialed it in every possible way, but it will still just randomly blow up on me unless I set it on 4 and kill casting distance. I keep it on 3, and have the spool tension adjusted to just stop any wiggle (although I’ve tried every amount of tension possible). 
 

The thing that messes me up is that it almost seems like the brakes just decide to let go at times. I might cast to the same spot 15 times with the same fluid motion and on the 16th time it will just decide to blow up. Or sometimes I’ll pick it up and make a standard cast and it will just explode…. I pick it out, and make 100 more casts without a single problem, then it will just decide to blow up again. I can’t make sense of it. I’ll fish several other reels on the same day and not have one single over run…. But the DC will blow multiple times a trip. 

 

I am using 12lb flouro, but I’ve had suffix elite on it too, and it didn’t help. 
 

Is there a chance this particular reel is defective? I’ve fished other DCs, but not enough to notice a pattern in behavior like this. 

You're not alone my Curado 150 DC gets squirrelly just out of the blue. I thought I was doing something wrong, but then I thought, I throw 1/10 Ned rigs to 8 oz swimbaits on BCers with a rare overrun. 

[AmmoGuy]

5 hours ago, GreenPig said:

You're not alone my Curado 150 DC gets squirrelly just out of the blue. I thought I was doing something wrong, but then I thought, I throw 1/10 Ned rigs to 8 oz swimbaits on BCers with a rare overrun. 

I’m glad I’m not the only one. 

[Jig Man]

One on my Curado DCs was doing that last time out.  It was at the end of the cast with a buzz bait.  I had to start thumbing it.  That has never happened before.

[Reel]

I use a CURADO DC for jerkbaits and crankbaits and it never does what you describe.  You have to be careful the first cast after putting it down a while because the system needs to build up electricity to feed the DC but otherwise it's great.  I use the same settings you do.  I have other DC reel  (some very old) and they all work well and have been very reliable.  When it happens, do you hear the DC system working ?

[new2BC4bass]

Well...it could be the reel.  Maybe you should have someone with DC experience go through your reel.  My first SV reel was the SV105HSL.  Every post was about how great this reel was.  How trouble free.  Yet mine was backlashing more than any of my reels.  Sent it to a professional well known as a Daiwa expert and now it is a great casting reel.

 

I don't have the number of years experience you have, but I learned how to cast on a Daiwa OG Fuego and have more Daiwa reels than any other brand so it isn't like I wasn't familiar with casting a Daiwa.

 

I have 2 older DC reels.  Both purchased used.  Both Exsence DC.  No such problem with mine.

[DogBone_384]

11 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

Long story short, I’ve blown up this DC in the past two months more  than all my other reels combined in the last 5 years.

I did the same.  I have to pay much more attention to my thumb with it than my non-DC reels.  It casts farther than my other reels, but not enough for me to buy more DC's.

[Huckfinn38]

I had similar issue. Backlashes were random and bad. I either had to throw on 4 or tighten tension knob. Sold and bought two curado 150 Curao mgls. Couldn’t be happier

[Junger]

11 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

If that’s what it takes, then the reel is pointless. You can choke off any reel with spool tension and prevent over-runs, but then it’s casts terribly. 
 

That’s also the exact opposite of what Shimano and other instructionals say?

 

Works for me and I can chuck a spinnerbait pretty far into the wind that way. If you're not happy with it, send it back or sell it I guess. I prefer thumbing most of the time myself.

[AmmoGuy]

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

I did the same.  I have to pay much more attention to my thumb with it than my non-DC reels.  

This is my same situation. Which, is purportedly exactly the opposite of How things should be.

 

But generally speaking I don’t mind being thumb conscious. I usually run the brakes pretty low on all my reels. As long as they are consistent you get a feel for the input they need. However I feel like sometimes the DC will vary the breaking randomly during some casts. And that’s what’s causing the problem. 

[NYWayfarer]

I have the SLX DC and I do not have the issues you describe.

 

I have the tension set so there is no side to side movement of the spool. Brakes set on “2” for monofilament. My reel is full of 10# Berkley Big Game. Literally no overrun or backlash casting a weightless 4” Senko on a 2/0 worm hook. It is truly the most trouble free baitcaster I have ever owned.

 

The only backlashes I have experienced have been catching something on the backswing or when I have dabbled with the “1” setting on the brakes. 
 

I find the only thing I have been able to throw with the brakes on 1 is a 3/4 oz Kastmaster spoon. It was easily the farthest cast I have ever made with a baitcaster.

[AmmoGuy]

54 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

I have the SLX DC and I do not have the issues you describe….

 

…. It is truly the most trouble free baitcaster I have ever owned.

That would be nice. 
If I set my Curado on “2” and throw something like a KVD 1.5 squarebill, it’s extremely difficult to control. If someone isn’t very experienced with a baitcast, they’d blow it up every few casts. 

[new2BC4bass]

6 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

This is my same situation. Which, is purportedly exactly the opposite of How things should be.

 True.  I believe there are videos out there where guys are casting into a garage door with no backlash.  Last time I used my DC was on my last trip to Florida 3 years ago.  Took it because I have to change my casting stroke there due to fishing out of a 14' canoe.  It always takes time to adjust (smooth out) my casting stroke, but I was able to use the DC without adjusting anything.  Even my jerky strokes didn't cause it to backlash.

[Woody B]

I keep my DC on 1 most of the time, 2 when I'm casting into the wind, 4 when I'm skipping.   I adjust the tension just like any other reel.  I can cast light or heavy stuff further with my DC than any other reel.  (but not much).   I use my thumb at the end of the cast.  Normally ,except at night I cast hard enough to go further than I want to, and thumb the lure down on my target.  

 

My Daughter got me a Tatula SV TW for Fathers day.  (I picked it out)   I hate it so far.   Even if I set the control really low I get literally no distance.   It "will" backlash at the first of the cast if I sling the lure really hard, but it cut's off every cast really short.   

 

I do occasionally get backlashes with every reel, but they always happen during the first part of the cast.   

[dodgeguy]

Get rid of it and buy a Lew's tournament pro or a Lew's custom lite