Curado rod

[Down4ttown]

Bit the bullet today and grabbed one with my Xmas gift cards. Feels nice. Got the 7'2" cranking to compliment my 704CB.

Will post some pics when I get home.


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[Mike Cork]

Shimano makes some good rods, should be a nice fit to your arsenal.

[fishballer06]

I was checking out the Curado and Exage rods at my local F&S earlier this week. They seem like decent rods for the money. Let us know what you think out on the water.

[cport]

I was checking out the Curado and Exage rods at my local F&S earlier this week. They seem like decent rods for the money. Let us know what you think out on the water.

Here's some great info at Tactical Bassin's website...

Curado
https://www.tacticalbassin.com/blog/shimano-curado-rod-review-worth-the-money

Exage
https://www.tacticalbassin.com/blog/holiday-buyers-guide-best-combos-under-200?rq=shimano%20exage

Expride
https://www.tacticalbassin.com/blog/buyers-guide-high-end-rods-reels?rq=expride

[SFL BassHunter]

Make sure you give us a good review on the curado rod.i like the clean simple look it has.


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[SteelHorseCowboy]

Beautiful!
I love a clean, simple, and minimalist look myself. That's just part of what I like about my two Abu Vigilante rods (one light spinning, and a medium casting), and the three Shimano rods Connie and I have between us.

I can't help but wonder, how many different rods out there are basically the same, but with the more expensive models simply being prettier.
Abu Vengeance vs Abu Vigilante 2 for example. I'm not near as experienced as others here, but I've handled both in stores, comparable lengths and actions, and I can't tell the difference. Except in price tags and looks.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I got real excited over this rod, showed it to Connie and told her all about it, said "It even matches my new favorite reel!"

She got her tax return yesterday. Guess what she brought by the office before taking me out to lunch?
Not the best pic, sorry.

7'2", MH/F. I asked her how she knew which one I wanted. Back when I told her about it, she took a pic of the label on my Vigilante.
Just one of many reasons I'm marryin' this chick.

[SFL BassHunter]

I got real excited over this rod, showed it to Connie and told her all about it, said "It even matches my new favorite reel!"

She got her tax return yesterday. Guess what she brought by the office before taking me out to lunch?
Not the best pic, sorry.

7'2", MH/F. I asked her how she knew which one I wanted. Back when I told her about it, she took a pic of the label on my Vigilante.
Just one of many reasons I'm marryin' this chick.

She's a keeper for sure!

[cbburke]

Awesome Keeper you got there !

Congrats on your new "toy".

[LgMouthGambler]

That's a helluva girl there. Enjoy that rod. Was eying one of them, let us know what you think.

<")))>{

[SteelHorseCowboy]

That's a helluva girl there. Enjoy that rod. Was eying one of them, let us know what you think.

<")))>{

I tried it out yesterday evening, and I love it!
But, my thoughts should be taken with a grain of salt, this is the only rod I've owned that cost more than 40-50 bucks.

It's very light, but I know I've handled lighter rods in stores. BUT, of all the lighter rods I've handled, I don't recall any of them feeling nearly as well balanced, and it's balance really shines with the Curado reel on it. Connie said she wishes she could use a bait caster just so she'd have a reason to get one too!

The epoxy job on the line guides, just being honest, isn't quite as nice as I'd expected of a $160 rod. Those sub-$50 rods I've got, all six of them plus some old clunkers in the corner, plus Connie's rods, have epoxy that looks like someone put a bit more care into it. I'll try to take a pic in a few minutes of what I'm talking about.
But that's purely aesthetic. I did swing by Academy after getting off work yesterday just to see if maybe mine was an exception, but I saw the same little flaws on all of them and mine actually looks better than what's left on their shelves.
On a side note, I FREAKING HATE IT when I find rods in stores that someone has mishandled and damaged and then put back on the rack. So many of them had bent guides and one had the tip broken off.
I did also notice on one rod, one of the double foot guides nearer the handle seemed crooked. Like the feet weren't properly aligned along the rod. Mine doesn't have this flaw, nor do any of my cheap rods, and I only found one example on the shelf like that. Then I found out from our oldest son that Connie spent nearly an hour examining each rod from butt to tip and picked out the best one she could.

The guides are Fuji K series in a matte stainless finish, giving more of a nice but minimalist contrast. I'm not sure what all pros and cons come from different makes and models of guides, but I know durability and sensitivity are on the list. I've no clue how these stack up against others, but google leads me to believe they're pretty well appreciated by other folks.

The cork handle. On the aesthetic side, that very light color throws a good looking contrast against the rest of the rod and the reel.
Functionally, looking at it, I could tell the cork had a very smooth finish and I was scared it'd be slippery. Once I removed the plastic, I was pleasantly surprised to find it had plenty of grip to suit me. Put together with the soft-touch reel seat, it feels like it clings to my hand on it's own. A great thing for someone who's had to go swimming after a rod and reel on several occasions. It never got slippery yesterday, not even after the reel seat and grip were wetted by spray coming off my spool.

The blank is exposed under the reel, and that bad boy is pretty sensitive. Telling the difference between grass, rocks, sticks or a bite was effortless, didn't even have to think about it.
Only reason I didn't catch anything yesterday was my own dang fault. I had three blow ups on a toad and tried to set the hook too quick. I just couldn't get bit again after that. Then Connie came along and caught one almost literally right under my feet as I was wading, then a second on the very next cast.
That's cool though, I'm just as excited when she or one of the kids catch one as I am when I catch one myself. And the first was extra cool, the fish swam past me no more than two feet away, hauling azz to go attack her plastic worm, then bumped my foot as she was reeling it in! Just two little dinks, but every catch is fun!

The only thing I'm finding to really whine about is the size of the hook keeper. It's TINY. Of course no one wants a friggin horse shoe sticking off their rod to get hung on everything, but it's actually a bit of a hat trick to slip a t-rigged hook under it. When I first tried to use it, I actually had to look around to find it, it's on the bottom side just in front of the fore grip.

Overall, like I said, I love it! But, I don't think it's a rod I'd order. I believe I'd do what Connie did, go to the store and examine each one before picking one to take home. The flaws in the epoxy and line guide alignments, I couldn't even find that in the cheaper Shimano rods at Academy. Also to bear in mind, FOUR of the rods we already have are Shimano spinning rods and they don't show the same flaws.
It does need saying, the most common flaws were in the epoxy and purely cosmetic, you'd never notice if you weren't looking for it. The rest were all damage likely caused by careless azzhat customers, and the one with misaligned guide feet was likely simply a fluke.
Thanks to a damn good woman, I just so happened to get the best one they had.

If you want to know anything else, feel free to ask and I'll answer the best I can.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Here's pics of the epoxy work. Hard to tell it because of lighting and focus, but it just seems a bit sloppy for $160, and it looks even a touch sloppier under the little hook keeper.
Purely cosmetic, but if Shimano and other manufacturers can do prettier work on rods that cost a third the price, then what gives?

[cport]

Looks like you got you a great girl who cares about what you care about. I have been thinking about a curado rod for my K. you might have put that over the top.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

For sure, I'd be more than happy to have another one. Even considering the minor cosmetic flaws and the tiny hook keeper. A couple of selling points for me are the way it sticks to my hand so well, the sensitivity, balance, and the one piece grip. Something all my rods have in common are one piece grips. I can't say why, but I just prefer them over split grips. They somehow just seem more comfortable, but when I look at the shape of the split grip rods I've had, I can't figure out why. Doesn't seem like it should make a difference.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

As far as the girl goes, I don't think a better one's been made and no one can convince me otherwise!