Shimano curado 7’2” ML- anyone have one?

[casts_by_fly]

I certainly don’t need it but for the price tw has them on clearance for I’m tempted. The zodiacs with the same spec gets good reviews here and then new curado that my dad owns fishes nice in the hour or two I was throwing it (medium I think). I’m a falcon user primarily and if this was a falcon I would have bought it already. I’m thinking lighter Texas rigs, weightless senkos, and maybe a finesse jig now and then. 

[Jmurphy87]

I had the zodias 7’2” ml xf bfs casting rod, I used it quite a bit it was a decent rod. More finesse stuff not too light but handled the upper end of the weight range ok, was plenty sensitive. I ran into problems with fish coming undone on different presentations. Single hook presentations was fine and good, mostly treble hooks were the issues most of the time.

[casts_by_fly]

30 minutes ago, Jmurphy87 said:

I had the zodias 7’2” ml xf bfs casting rod, I used it quite a bit it was a decent rod. More finesse stuff not too light but handled the upper end of the weight range ok, was plenty sensitive. I ran into problems with fish coming undone on different presentations. Single hook presentations was fine and good, mostly treble hooks were the issues most of the time.

enough power to reliably set a 1/0 standard wire hook?  Treble hooks are about useless here from the end of may until October due to grass.  

[Jmurphy87]

49 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

enough power to reliably set a 1/0 standard wire hook?  Treble hooks are about useless here from the end of may until October due to grass.  

Yes enough power for that size hook and up to a 3/0 . I use to throw stick baits on mine of the 5” variety and 4” occasionally. It’s a very deceiving powerful little rod.

[casts_by_fly]

Hi all,

 

So I went ahead and ordered the Curado.  The price was too good to pass up if it would do the things I wanted.  I got it yesterday morning and since I was going out for an evening session anyway I threw a reel on it and went.  

 

My hope for the rod was a lighter version of my Falcon Swim jig rod.  The Swim jig is a fast action with a really light tip.  The rating is nonsense (1/8-3/8) as it was rated based on the weight of swim jig plus trailer it was designed for, not the total bait weight.  The practical rating on it should be 1/4-3/4.  The Vertus equivalent is 3/16-3/4 and I'd go with that.  The swim jig is one of falcon's three best blanks IMO but with a 1/8 oz weight and tiny plastic like a boar hogz you're pushing the weight limit a little.  Make that a regular rage bug (or a midi) and 1/8 is fine.  I normally throw 1/4 plus a standard rage bug on it this time of year and that's a great fit.  My hope was to knock 1/8-1/4 bait weight off the lower end of the range for a more finesse texas rig setup while still keeping the same overall action on the rod.

 

The curado is a nice rod.  I fished my dad's current model 6'10" medium last month and he has a stable of IM10 curados that he loves.  This feels a lot like that 6'10" in action and casting feel.  However its not the rod I was looking for.  Its listed as an extra fast but I wouldn't say that at all.  Its on the slower side of fast.  The falcon is listed as a fast and I'd put it on the faster end of fast (maybe even an extra fast).  The curado is listed for 3/16-1/2 oz.  That's probably about right.  I threw a midi rage bug and 1/4 oz for a bit so that would be pushing 1/2 oz.  I wouldn't want to go much more.  A 1/8 oz lil man jig plus 3" rage bug comes in right at 3/8 oz and that was a good weight for the rod, maybe the perfect weight.  I didn't go much lower because I was focused on the spinning rods last night.  I also threw a 1/8 weight plus a swamp crawler which combined comes in around 7/16 oz.  That's also on the upper end, but it fished really well.

 

The curado is 0.1 oz lighter but you wouldn't know it to hold them side by side  I guessed the other way around before I put them on the scale.  I know some people like them but really hate seeing extra weight in the guides on a rod which in this case means double foot guides for the first FOUR guides.  Totally unnecessary.  And then the running guides to the tip must be 6's, maybe 5's.  The rod feels a lot more moderate actioned because of that weight if you do the wiggle test, but if you just static bend the rod you can see that the blank is a fast action.  I think that's the discrepancy here in the rating and the fishing actions.  The falcon has much smaller guides and less tip weight.  Bare rod vs bare rod the curado is heavier up top for a lighter rated rod.  That isn't what I was looking for.

 

What would this be good for?  Despite my own personal preferences and knocks on the rod above, its still a pretty sweet rod and for $129 it would be a good choice to fill out a hole in your lineup for not a lot of money.  I can only carry 5 rods at a time in a kayak and my swim jig does about everything this does that I need to.  That said, do you fish a spinning rod but would prefer a baitcaster?  Stuff on the lighter end of baitcasting but a medium spinning rod?  This is a good rod for that to swap into a baitcaster.  It was pretty perfect for a 3/8 total bait weight finesse jig.  Light texas rigs would be a good choice.  I want my rod a little faster, but this still has plenty of backbone.  This would be a great weightless 5" senko rod (and probably a 4" also, but I don't have any to check).  With a lighter spool reel like an MGL or SV you could split shot rig a 4" finesse worm.  

 

All in, I'm not keeping the rod.  Its not what I am looking for and I don't have enough space in the boat to just add one.  Practically speaking, I think what I really want is a 1/8-5/8 rated ML/XF rod. That said, I'm giving it to my dad for father's day.  This time of year on his home lake he fishes a 1/8 plus swamp crawler a lot but on a spinning rod.  He doesn't like fishing a spinning rod.  This rod has about the same power and feel as his 7' Zodias medium spinning rod and will handle all of the same things he puts on it.  I think it will be perfect for that usage for him.  

[NorthernBasser]

15 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

What would this be good for? 

 

I've not used the rod, but I know this model in the Expride line is Matt Allen's favorite blade bait and tail spin rod. 

[casts_by_fly]

7 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

 

I've not used the rod, but I know this model in the Expride line is Matt Allen's favorite blade bait and tail spin rod. 

 

Interesting.  I could see that. A 1/4 or 3/8 oz blade bait jigged on the bottom.  

[NorthernBasser]

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Interesting.  I could see that. A 1/4 or 3/8 oz blade bait jigged on the bottom.  

Like I said. Matt was talking about the 7'2 ML Expride. But from what I've heard, model powers/actions are the same all throughout the Shimano lineup. He does mention finesse jigs and Senkos, which you have mentioned. Also smaller topwaters. Poppers, smaller walking baits..

[PaulVE64]

Do they have it in a 2pc.?

 

Asking for a friend.

Edited June 15, 2024 by PaulVE64

[casts_by_fly]

8 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

Do they have it in a 2pc.?

 

Asking for a friend.

No