Editor’s Note: This story is part of a larger package on Shimano gear. Click here to see more.
If gold is the standard for which our economic health is based, then in the world of fishing reels the standard is green, specifically the green reel known as Curado.
“The Shimano Curado has been the namesake reel of the industry for almost 20 years now,’’ said Marc Mills, a Shimano regional sales manager.
Mills based that statement on a recurring fact that he has seen over the course several years, one that Dave Mercer has seen countless times as well.
“You go to any tournament circuit there is out there, whether it’s Tuesday night tournaments or the Bassmaster Classic, and if you get all those pros and pull them aside and say, ‘Be honest, when you were buying reels, when you’re going to the store pulling your wallet out and spending cold hard cash, what reel were you buying?’
“The answer is Curado,’’ Mercer said.
“Almost every single tournament pro before they ever got into any sponsorship deal with whatever company they signed with, they were throwing Curados.”
The standard of Curado is built through the multitude of casts made from anglers all over the world with a reel that has come to exemplify long-lasting performance, reliability and quality.
“It’s not the most expensive reel in the lineup, but it is a strong reel,’’ said Dave Mercer. “With all the different gear ratios, whether you’re slow cranking or you’re burning a spinnerbait, you know that it has got the perfect set up for you. It’s small, it fits in your hand, you are not going to get tired using it.”
“It’s basically the reel of champions.”