Thanks Perry, I've been searching for the lowest price! NIB price! Can't seem to get below $185 + shipping! Financewise, I may just have to get another Newell. They gave the Curado 300 dsv a very strong and complete review at this link! Piqued my interest. I'd read about this reel on the TKF board.
Shimano Curado 300DSV review
Here's the conclusion of the review!
Conclusion: When it comes to advanced engineering nobody does it like Shimano, while a larger Curado may not seem as interesting on paper as an entirely new-fangled reel like the Calais 4x8 DC, the reel absolutely makes sense. The Curado 300DSV was born out of necessity for a more ergonomic reel that blends excellent casting performance, high line capacity, and high speed retrieve without sacrificing power into one complete package. Shimano didn’t just throw Curado 200 guts into a slightly bigger frame coupled with a high capacity spool. They looked at the application itself, asking anglers what they wanted most from a high capacity baitcaster, and the answer they received was…”no compromises.” Shimano doesn’t ask crossover anglers or saltwater fishermen to make any sacrifices as they implemented oversized drive and pinion gears, seriously souped up the Dartanium drag, and tweaked the overall ergonomics to appeal to both types of anglers. Could this series get any better? Perhaps further application specific design. If they offered the Curado 300DSV in a lower speed 5.0:1 gear ratio the reel would also excel at deep applications (of course some of our editors are waiting for the left handed model as well), but for now no other reel offers the best of both worlds like the new Curado can. The Curado 300DSV completes a sweep of awards for the lineup, and is the only reel series in TT history to win an award in every size, simply because the 100, 200, and 300 size reels are all unique and capable of standing on their own merit. If you pursue big freshwater species, or are a saltwater angler looking for the sleekest combination of speed and power ever found in a high capacity casting reel….your search is officially over.
My big boy has beeen killing the halis from the beach, but you need a reel that will throw a light crankbait. He's a C/R guy. My halis aren't so fortunate! He has the older Curado, Newells ,and Calcuttas. Newells cast great, also. I think the Curado 300 dsv will do this better! Most surf hali fisherman use a heavier spectra(15-20 lb. test) because it 's soft, very small diameter, and very strong! I don't wanna leave a $16.95 crankbait hooked on one of those sandbags off Cherry Beach! I've been fishing with 15 lb. spectra on my Corvalus 200. I got my last legal hali(28") off Oscar's Whaler on that Corvalus on a plastic swimbait and it kinda felt good knowing that I wasn't gonna get broken off! That hali swam right up to my fillet knife! I thought it was magnified by the water it came in so easy. Oscar said "nice one." When I got it aboard I realized Oscar was right, no measurements required! The reviews I read recommend a small monofilament backup. Some people wrap a piece of duct tape around the spool! Does this help the casting? Prolly just gets rid of the warts! Thanks, Jerry.
BTW< I watched a party boat captain throwing from a Daiwa for catfish at a local lake, and he could FLY that lure! It was just short of incredible! There's an island about 500-600 feet out and he was stopping his bait right next to it!
