My Curado DC has a mind of its own.

[AmmoGuy]

2 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

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

Are you on commission or something? 

[softwateronly]

It's also my most fickle reel, but does bomb when it's in it's sweet spot.  They've all moved to rods that throw heavier things to help alleviate but I don't like using them at night because of this.  The external adjustable mgl spools, Cur 71, Bantam, and Met are all way better shimano casters in my hands.  You're not alone. 

 

scott

[Yuddzy]

If you've been fishing casting reels for 28 years, why bother with the DC at all? Your thumb is way more than enough by this point with that much practice. 

 

If it ain't working, I'd move on from it and put the money towards an upper end reel. (Call back to the thread where you mentioned that mid-range doesn't quite entice you)

[dodgeguy]

6 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

Are you on commission or something? 

No just making suggestions for a better reel IMHO.

[AmmoGuy]

6 hours ago, Yuddzy said:

If you've been fishing casting reels for 28 years, why bother with the DC at all? Your thumb is way more than enough by this point with that much practice. 

Same reason most of us have boat loads of fishing gear we don’t really “need”.  It intrigued me. 

[AmmoGuy]

9 hours ago, softwateronly said:

It's also my most fickle reel, but does bomb when it's in it's sweet spot.  They've all moved to rods that throw heavier things to help alleviate but I don't like using them at night because of this.  The external adjustable mgl spools, Cur 71, Bantam, and Met are all way better shimano casters in my hands.  You're not alone. 

 

scott

I agree that when it’s working, the distance is very good. 

[RDB]

2 hours ago, AmmoGuy said:

Same reason most of us have boat loads of fishing gear we don’t really “need”.  It intrigued me. 

I do the same thing with new gear…it’s my addiction.  I just paid $11 for imitation poop.

[AmmoGuy]

12 minutes ago, RDB said:

I do the same thing with new gear…it’s my addiction.  I just paid $11 for imitation poop.

 

I feel like you could have gotten the genuine article for a lot less. 

[FishTank]

I haven't had any real issues with mine.  It casts well and feels as good as the day I got it. I do still get an occasional backlash though.  Nothing major, it just seems like I get one when I am testing the limits of what it's capable of. 

[Derek1]

Mine has also been problem free. Put it on number two for braid, then a little spool tension. That was three years ago, no problems since. 

[AmmoGuy]

Yesterday while fishing the reel something else dawned on me. I never get just a little loose line, or a few loose coils like you do on other reels from time to time. When it goes, it really goes. It's like the spool either stays dead perfect, or goes really haywire. 

[newapti5]

On 6/19/2022 at 1:12 AM, AmmoGuy said:

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

 

I NEVER thumbed my Scorpion DC, except to stop the spool when the lure hits the water, and I almost never backlashed with it, except that one time the lure hit a tree. It's not that I don't know how to thumb a reel, but I figure, what's the fun/point to thumb a DC reel? It kind of defeats its purpose. 

 

Try that, and trust the DC brake to do its work. Don't interfere, and see how that goes.

 

[AmmoGuy]

5 minutes ago, newapti5 said:

 

I NEVER thumbed my Scorpion DC, except to stop the spool when the lure hits the water, and I almost never backlashed with it, except that one time the lure hit a tree. It's not that I don't know how to thumb a reel, but I figure, what's the fun/point to thumb a DC reel? It kind of defeats its purpose. 

 

Try that, and trust the DC brake to do its work. Don't interfere, and see how that goes.

 

 

I agree with the portion I emphasized whole heartedly. 

 

And oh, believe me, I've tried it all. 

When I say "I thumb the DC like any other reel".... I mean I apply some thumb when necessary, and no thumb when not. 

 

On the casts when it seems like the DC is doing it's job, I really don't touch the spool during flight. Just like my SV reels, it feels like the brakes are doing their job and you really don't need to give input (during flight). But a few identical casts later, it seems like the spool may just decide to "let go" mid flight. I can't anticipate it like I can with other reels, because the cast will "feel" perfect. In the split second it takes to intervein, the damage is done. 

 

It was terrible yesterday throwing a Bandit 200 into a light wind. So much so that I put it down and swapped to one of my Revo SX's, and had no issues. 

[newapti5]

6 minutes ago, AmmoGuy said:

 

I agree with the portion I emphasized whole heartedly. 

 

And oh, believe me, I've tried it all. 

When I say "I thumb the DC like any other reel".... I mean I apply some thumb when necessary, and no thumb when not. 

 

On the casts when it seems like the DC is doing it's job, I really don't touch the spool during flight. Just like my SV reels, it feels like the brakes are doing their job and you really don't need to give input (during flight). But a few identical casts later, it seems like the spool may just decide to "let go" mid flight. I can't anticipate it like I can with other reels, because the cast will "feel" perfect. In the split second it takes to intervein, the damage is done. 

 

It was terrible yesterday throwing a Bandit 200 into a light wind. So much so that I put it down and swapped to one of my Revo SX's, and had no issues. 

 

In that case, I'd think that reel might be defective, or its sensor needs cleaning? I don't know the detail of a DC braking mechanism, but there should be a sensor monitoring the rotation speed of the spool. When it detects any sign of backlash, it'll apply more brake force to slow down the spool. If that sensor is not working properly, in theory it could cause the brake force to disappear suddenly. 

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, newapti5 said:

 

In that case, I'd think that reel might be defective, or its sensor needs cleaning? I don't know the detail of a DC braking mechanism, but there should be a sensor monitoring the rotation speed of the spool. When it detects any sign of backlash, it'll apply more brake force to slow down the spool. If that sensor is not working properly, in theory it could cause the brake force to disappear suddenly. 

Like a wheel speed sensor on a car with abs.

[Jig Man]

Mine are set on 1.  I took them out today with a 1/2 oz casting plug.  It took a little spool knob tightening but in a few minutes they were flawless.  I tied on 1/2 oz War Eagle spinnerbaits and will use them in the morning.

[AmmoGuy]

53 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Mine are set on 1.  I took them out today with a 1/2 oz casting plug.  It took a little spool knob tightening but in a few minutes they were flawless.  I tied on 1/2 oz War Eagle spinnerbaits and will use them in the morning.

 

If I set my Curado DC on "1" and threw a 1/2oz spinner, it would take constant thumb dragging or excessive spool knob pressure to keep the spool halfway manageable. Both of which are detrimental to casting distance, and completely negate the modern braking system that is "DC". 

 

I was a spool tension knob wizard when I fished bunch of Abu 5500s.... However on all my modern reels I don't touch the spool knob once initially set.  I just make slight adjustments to the braking system for various lures/conditions. Per Shimano, that's how the DC should be as well.