The Curado has been out for a while now and has had plenty of time to prove itself in the hands of fishermen. This is the advantage of reviewing a product after a season of fishing; you get to see if the features really hold up or not. Want to know more about the Shimano Curado 200HG and Backbone Elite Colt Sniper 20-60g ? Go to the New Zealand Bay Fisher You Tube Channel |
I recently took the Shimano Backbone Elite Colt Sniper rod with matching Shimano Curado 200HG reel up to Coromandel for a fish, to give it a bend and connect to some local snapper. The Backbone Elite rod is a new model designed to be fished with the highly successful Colt Sniper jig range. The specifications printed on the blank state it’s 6’3” (1.87m) long and rated for jigs from 20-60g in weight and fish line strengths from 3-5kg.
I fished jigs up to 80g without it feeling overpowered, and it felt very nice in the hands when lifting and working various these weights. Once hooked up, the power in the blank kicked in just above half way and it tamed good-sized snapper without any problems. It certainly had the graphite feel of sensitivity in the tip and I found it produced power where it counts. As with many modern rod designs, the foam handles are shorter than the rods of yesteryear. I personally like this development as it reduces the overall weight of the rod, and although some ham-fisted fishermen may not appreciate this feature as much as others, for under-the-arm fishing it’s a logical way to construct the foam grips. If you look carefully you will notice the hook keeper has been shifted from above the fore grip to behind the bottom grip. Practically this means a lure attached to the hook keeper isn’t banging against the blank, chipping the varnish or slowly eating into the resin/fibres while swinging around in the rod holder. And the hook keeper doesn’t interfere with handling when playing fish or casting the rod. Being a fisherman who enjoys all kinds of fishing, I like to use gear that’s versatile and can be used across several applications. The Colt Sniper rod performed well when fishing cut baits or working jigs and its line and jig ratings are accurate. The Curado has been out for a while now and has had plenty of time to prove itself in the hands of fishermen. This is the advantage of reviewing a product after a season of fishing; you get to see if the features really hold up or not. This one has certainly lived up to its reputation of being a little powerhouse. When I first saw it had a 7.2:1 retrieve I was a little sceptical that the gearing would handle the torque that would be applied over time but the X-ship technology has been robust enough to deal with this ratio. The casting system performed well. I particularly liked the side plate that could open up and give access to the casting blocks for adjustment if need be. There is a primary casting dial underneath the housing which also enables the angler to adjust the spool speed. Two good features here: (1) that side plate that lifts and swings is attached so that it can’t be accidentally lost over the side during adjustments (I’ve lost parts off reels before into the ocean; it’s not a happy feeling!); and (2) having a sensitive casting system that is well protected from knocks and salt water exposure will improve its durability. The above features combined with a smooth drag means the Curado is worth the money you pay for it. It’s a reel that will handle all the inshore fishing applications New Zealand anglers can throw at it. The combo is well balanced and I would have to give it a solid 8.5/10 TECH SPECS: Rod: 6’3” Long Jigs 20-60g Line 6-15lb Reel: 10lb braid 260yd Max drag 12lb Gear ratio 7.1:1 |