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No the Curado along with all but the cheapest Shimano reels, has a centrifugal brake system. Ive never found it a hassle to open while fishing though, theres an easy access latch to open the reels sideplate. I dont think I even bother to change it anyway and keep it on 2 or 3 brake pins 'on'. Any fine tuning can be done by adjusting the cast control knob.

Is Pure Fishing also part of that company or just ABU ?

Made by the same company? Are you saying that ABU is now owned by the conglomerate that owns and makes Ryobi, Shakesphere, Phelueger, Pinnacle, Silstar, Penn and on and on. Or that they now own ABU? I thought it was only Shakespheres fishing line that had been sold, per federal court order......

Yeah the Premier is a proprietary aluminum that seems to rival magnesium in lightness.

I can see the cosmetic differences and understand there's a weight difference. Are there any performance differences?

I agree Muddy it looks like Daiwa from now on :'(

Gee I wonder how Abu and Quantum feel following the rebate train just to find out that Shimano did it to unload whats going to be outdated stock. Cant believe I fell for the car salesmen trick of a rebate to get rid of last years model. The 300 has only been out a year! Shimano's really letting down the inshore market. They have plenty of bass specific models but not much for us. Cant use the mag. models even if it does have a thin protective skin, seen too many disolve. Cant use the Calais, you cant do your own maintenance.

There are a few sites that list the model configurations for all Abu's ever made. I dont have the address's anymore but one place you could start with is the floridasurffishing.com site. There are alot of Abu experts there. The C was replaced by the C3 and C4. The number designates the number of bearings. To tell you the truth, I miss my 4600C3's. So simple, there isnt any repair or replacement you cant do yourself. I have caught Channel Cats up to 13lbs with no trouble on a 4600C3 and a 4500C. I would stick to that size if 90% of your fishing will be for bass.

Yeah thats the clincher. You buy a model thats 2 years on the market. You expect it to be around awhile and not to have to worry about availability of replacement parts. Now they'll change it because everybody cries about 1.8oz of weight. Make it magnesium so it cant be used in brackish water(even if they say it can). Worse make it in Taiwan to make it $20 cheaper because $20 is almost as important to the crowds as 1oz of weight. They might as well be Daiwa.

The 200 size may be too heavy or big or whatever to bass fishermen but there is an entire world out there fishing for more than just bass. Its perfect for snook, baby tarpon, reds and such. A growing market that inshore is. Shimano has never marketed the Curado as a bass or freshwater reel such as Daiwa does with their magnesium reels. It has more of a drag than any Daiwa or Abu save the revo. But many such as myself will never buy a reel made in Sri-lanka, Bangledesh, Taiwan or Korea. As much as all of you have missed the old Curado, I will miss the new one and I felt it worth the $200 just because it is made in Japan. I dont think Shimano ever tauted the newer Curado to be the replacement for the old, thats what the Citica was for.

Well Bantam gave a response on tackletour, but I cant really tell what he is saying...

Yes they were 1st and the others followed. But it would be safer to assume they did it for the same reason, to spur sales in an economy where there is less disposable income being spent on recreational items.

If that rumor is true, then Abu and Quantum are dumping their reels too since they followed Shimano in offering rebates. Why would they down grade the current Curado into what the Citica already is minus everybodies crying about the weight? To offer HEG and the other current features, it would undoubtedly have to me made off shore from Japan. Its amazing how a physical object could become such a cult object and cause such hatred for a company when they change it.

That price makes me wonder if the rumors on tackletour.com, that the Curado line is being discontinued, might be true! This makes me nervous, like when my bank changes its name.

Senkos, creature baits and super flukes. Always in black or natural colors.

Butterflies get fairly big in South America. The other day on an episode of Hunt for Big Fish, he caught a Butterfly that was around 14lbs. Maybe a few more years of warmer weather will help them grow larger in s. florida. After all Snook are starting to venture upwards to Jax. and Bonefish are showing up in Naples.

BPS sells a rod balancer butt cap with 3 weights so you can fine tune the balance. Its not the screw in model for their in house rods. Its a simple fit over butt cap. I found it in the section with the pliers, gloves, reel oil and extra rod guides. It worked for me.

Inshore saltwater where you'll be staying. Your best bet is to trek to Ding Darling in Ft. Myers Beach area. That would be a bit of a drive though. The canal system in the cape does hold fish but in spring, with the hot winter we've had, the Snook will probably be heading out to the passes in prep to spawn on the beaches. You might catch some baby Tarpon or Jack Crevalle in the canals at anytime along with small Snook. Some of the Capes canals are freshwater and if you can drive to spillways where waters flowing, you'll have a chance for bass on one side and Tarpon and Snook on the otherside.

On the SW coast of Fl. construction is at a stand still. My wife made me go back to work last year and Ive ended up managing a paint store. There are at least 10 painters a day walking in looking for work. Residential work is absolutely stopped. Commercial is strictly govermental, rebuilding from the 04 hurricane season. Im a 22 year veteran cop and my wife works for a P.D. as a CSI. All the local county/city agencies are on a hiring freeze for at least the last year. We just voted no on a few tax increases, so I would say a governemt job is as about as unlikely to get as one in construction. You also have to think about crazy inflated prices on homes, even rentals. Buy a house and you will be forced to accept Citizens as your carrier. And our wonderful state senate is o.k.ing that Citizens force us to replace a houseful of new windows w/ultra expensive hurricane proof ones. Not to mention a year old roof that now has to meet entirely new codes. Fl. aint no place to live.

I read somewhere, tackletour, I think, that any discount will disqualify you, we'll see. I sent it in around Jan 17th.

I havent heard yet but I'm suspecting I might. I bought a Curado 100 and got 10% off from Bass Pro when they told me my rewards card was upped to a preferred rewards card. Then I sent in the rebate thinking I was getting a heck of a deal.

Well Im looking at a can of peas. Its 15 oz. I would guess 2.4oz. of peas out of that can would be what, 25 peas? Im fat, sickly and most of all lazy and I cant see how the 2.4oz. is anything. Especially when the positives are HEG gearing and a more solid reel.

Isnt it amazing how todays modern male feels 2.4 ounces is such a major deal! John Wayne and ours Dads would be shocked.

Little baby gators. Constantly chasing my topwaters. Gators to about 3 feet have no fear of man and wont leave lures alone.

Unless your going for trophy size blues and flatheads I think your basic bass casting reel and rods would do in a pinch. I regularly go after channel cats with my Curado, MH 6.5 ft rod and 14lb line and dont feel out gunned. What and where are you going after?