Shimano Curado CU300DSV

“Low profile baitcasting reels have long been know as the sports cars of fishing equipment - high speed, excellent castability, with comfort and maneuverability,” said Shimano’s reel product manager Jeremy Sweet. “However, they were never known for their torque or power until the advent of Shimano’s High Efficiency Gearing. With HEG being featured in many of our reels, the way people have thought of low profile reels has changed.”
Once again, the possibilities in a low profile reel are changing with the Curado 300DSV. It offers high peed and power, excellent casting performance, comfort and maneuverability, explains Sweet, along with the large line capacity normally reserved for a large round reel.

Only slightly bigger than a 200-size reel, the unique construction of the CU300DSV maximizes the use of the frame with a deep spool to provide added line capacity. “In addition to the line capacity advantage, the Curado 300DSV is capable of generating a lip-ripping 15 pounds of drag,” explains Sweet. “This all comes together to now provide the benefits and comforts of a low profile reel for anglers who target large freshwater species such as muskie, landlocked stripers, salmon and steelhead, catfish, largemouth bass with the new breed of extra large swimbaits, along with exotic South American species such as peacock bass and golden dorado.”

Sweet notes that saltwater anglers who target species including snook, bull reds, jacks, tarpon, yellowtail, striped bass, calico bass, albacore and other smaller tuna will also benefit from design features of the CU300DSV.

Durability is second to none on the CU300DSV, states Sweet. He joined Shimano pro staff member and ‘Hunt For Big Fish’ adventure angler Larry Dahlberg to field-test the CU300DSV on golden dorado in Argentina. Hundreds of fish up to 60 pounds were landed over four days of intense, shoulder-burning action. Lures from large plugs and bucktails to softheaded marlin chuggers were thrown and wound as fast as possible to incite a violent strike. Sweet said that no other reel held up to the techniques used and power of these fish, no lure survived the sheer jaw power of the golden dorado, but the Curado 300DSV walked away without a scratch.

The reel’s lightweight Magnumlite spool construction results in a spool with low start-up inertia. “The Magnumlite spool provides added strength to the spool while using less material, takes less energy to start the spool spinning for a more manageable cast, and enables anglers to make longer casts and with added accuracy,” explains Sweet. Contributing to the castability and featured on the 300DSV and all Curado reels, Shimano’s Super Free bearing supported pinion gear system eliminates friction between the pinion gear and spool shaft for increased freespool.
Proven features on the CU-300DSV - and on all Curado reels - include Shimano’s Variable Brake System for cast control and more distance, Super Stopper anti-reverse to eliminate handle backplay, Assist Stopper to back-up the anti-reverse system and increase durability, Dartanium drag material, and an aluminum frame and handle side sideplate to keep gears in alignment.

To access and adjust the VBS centrifugal brake weights, the 300DSV is offered with Shimano’s 1/4 Turn Easy Access Sideplate. On all Curado reels, the sideplate remains attached to the reel when opened so it cannot be dropped into the water when making brake adjustments.

Anglers will also notice features including Septon handle grip material that doesn’t get slippery when wet, and a clicking drag adjustment to reduce the chance of drag backing off at light settings.

The second component of the 5 piece Propulsion Line Management System is the SR One-Piece Bail Wire. This feature was first introduced on the Stella FB and allows the line to travel unimpeded to the line roller. Its seamless design reduces friction and reduces the chance of tangles or cuts to the bail arm.

The third component of the Propulsion System is the oversized Power Roller III line roller. This specially grooved line roller is designed to reduce twist caused by repetitive casting and retrieving, and its large diameter assists in reducing friction and line memory.

The fourth component of the Propulsion System is a redesigned bail trip mechanism. This bail trip allows the angler to easily trip the bail by turning the handle, while reducing the chance of the bail closing during the cast prematurely.

The final component of the Propulsion System is the S-Arm Cam. This protruding surface on the bail arm serves to keep the line in contact with the line roller even in slack line fishing such as vertical jigging or drop-shotting. So, once the line gets to the roller, the cam keeps the line in place, rather than allowing it to fall back off onto the bail wire which would increase the risk of knots, loops or tangles.