Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on choosing a new baitcasting reel and would appreciate your opinions.

I’m currently deciding between the Shimano Curado 151HG 2025 and the Daiwa Salamandura SV TW 150. Based on your experience, which one do you think is better, and which would be more suitable for the type of fishing I do?

I fish in the Paraná River in Argentina, mainly targeting dorado, chafalote, san-pedro, and occasionally some tarariras. The lures I use typically range from 8 to 42 grams, with most of them falling between 10 and 40 grams.

The fish I usually catch are between 2 and 5 kg, most commonly 3–4 kg. Sometimes I may hook into one around 7 kg, and in very rare cases up to 10 kg — but nothing bigger than that.

Given this context, which reel would you recommend between the Curado and the Salamandura? I’m also open to other suggestions if you think there’s a better option for this type of fishing.

Thanks in advance!

On which frame is this salamandura made on? If its the zillion or the alphas, i would get that over the curada any day. If its made on the older Tatula frame, i would get the new Tatutal 100 instead.

The curado and SLX cannot compete with the new Tat100, so if you want cheap, but still geat, and lasting smoothness, the new Tat100 is the way to go.

7 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

On which frame is this salamandura made on? If its the zillion or the alphas, i would get that over the curada any day. If its made on the older Tatula frame, i would get the new Tatutal 100 instead.

The curado and SLX cannot compete with the new Tat100, so if you want cheap, but still geat, and lasting smoothness, the new Tat100 is the way to go.

It's a Tatula 100 with the deep SV spool from the Coastal, Salamadura 150 SV, Tatula 150 VS but in boost form.  It's one of those Daiwa China reels that is unique to that market like the Fuego SV.  Daiwa US doesn't get cool things like that.  Aliexpress ships to the US and sell Daiwa China products so you they can be found there.  

 

https://www.daiwachina.com/

24 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

On which frame is this salamandura made on? If its the zillion or the alphas, i would get that over the curada any day. If its made on the older Tatula frame, i would get the new Tatutal 100 instead.

The curado and SLX cannot compete with the new Tat100, so if you want cheap, but still geat, and lasting smoothness, the new Tat100 is the way to go.

I honestly don't know what frame it's built on. What I do know is that it uses the hyper structure (HYPERDRIVE DESIGN, HYPERDRIVE DIGIGEAR, HYPER ARMED HOUSING, HYPER TOUGH CLUTCH).

As for the Tatula 100, I really think it's too small to cast 40-gram lures, and it will also have little capacity for PE 2 (0.2mm).

17 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

It's a Tatula 100 with the deep SV spool from the Coastal, Salamadura 150 SV, Tatula 150 VS but in boost form.  It's one of those Daiwa China reels that is unique to that market like the Fuego SV.  Daiwa US doesn't get cool things like that.  Aliexpress ships to the US and sell Daiwa China products so you they can be found there.  

 

https://www.daiwachina.com/

Do you think the Salamandura will be better than the new Curado 150M from 2025?

I have the Salamandura sv150 spool in my Tatula CT, one of my favorite reels now.

 

@Micro Module Police is right about the new tat100 feeling absolutely incredible, especially if you can find a deal on it.

 

I have a zillion from when they were under $200, and it gets equal or less attention than the other 2 reels I just mentioned. 

 

I'm not familiar with that river, but if you're throwing in tight quarters with short quick casts the SV spools can't be beat in terms of control with just about any weight.

Threads like this go both ways.

 

I am a Shimano fan all the way. If someone gave me a daiwa I'd sell it and go buy another Curado HG. I do not use Daiwa baitcast reels simply because not my flavor. I do use Daiwa spinning reels though.

 

I'm not going to try and say one is better than another. Its more like what flavor do you like better? I've tried daiwa baitcasters and just not fond of magnets. I much prefer centrifugal brakes. Curado HG is my choice for durable reliable reels.

 

Get one of each and try them and decide for yourself.

 

Another point I would like to make is that on this forum you can find numerous threads on broken daiwa baitcast reels:

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268581-line-guide-sticking-on-daiwa-reel/#comment-3195337

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268201-anyone-had-bad-experiences-with-the-release-button-on-daiwa-casting-reels-sticking-or-generally-not-lasting-long-in-between-cleanings/page/2/#comment-3195267

 

Both threads are recent.

 

I have used Shimano Curado HG series reels for years with zero failures. Great reels that keep on working.

 

I have yet to see just one thread about the HG Curados failing on this forum. So I just did a forum search on broke curado and the last thread I could find was dated 2015. So next I did a search for "daiwa part" and a search for "curado part" trying to find forum threads for each reel and see which is failing more.

 

From what I found there are more threads on Daiwa failing than Curado. It could be more people use Daiwa on this forum than curado and simply a numbers game. I can't be sure. All I can do is report the findings of the searches showing more Daiwa failures than Shimano.

 

So my point would be to judge reels based on durability and reliability as well as function and which one suits you and your needs best.

 

My opinion is that Shimano is the best and top dog brand of reels in the world today and Daiwa comes in second as I see it. Others may switch them around. Both are great. But different. Don't take our word for it. Do your own research and you will get responses going both ways. It boils down to what do you want or like or prefer?

3 hours ago, Andrés Milano said:

I honestly don't know what frame it's built on. What I do know is that it uses the hyper structure (HYPERDRIVE DESIGN, HYPERDRIVE DIGIGEAR, HYPER ARMED HOUSING, HYPER TOUGH CLUTCH).

As for the Tatula 100, I really think it's too small to cast 40-gram lures, and it will also have little capacity for PE 2 (0.2mm).

I mean, if the new Tat100 is too small, get a Tat200. People are using it to chunk 4oz+ baits without any issues, and i haven't heard any complaints at all as of yet.

Unless you go into the used market, there's nothing available that is better than the new Tat100 and the Tat200 if you want more power/capacity. Like, the new Tat feels pretty much like a zillion, and a zillion is a universe superior to the likes of a Curado or an SLX, so there really are no competition anymore. Low end Shimano offerings are far inferior to what Daiwa has, so i would never suggest you to waste your money on a Curado when much better options are available, and can be had for cheaper.

4 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Threads like this go both ways.

 

I am a Shimano fan all the way. If someone gave me a daiwa I'd sell it and go buy another Curado HG. I do not use Daiwa baitcast reels simply because not my flavor. I do use Daiwa spinning reels though.

 

I'm not going to try and say one is better than another. Its more like what flavor do you like better? I've tried daiwa baitcasters and just not fond of magnets. I much prefer centrifugal brakes. Curado HG is my choice for durable reliable reels.

 

Get one of each and try them and decide for yourself.

 

Another point I would like to make is that on this forum you can find numerous threads on broken daiwa baitcast reels:

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268581-line-guide-sticking-on-daiwa-reel/#comment-3195337

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268201-anyone-had-bad-experiences-with-the-release-button-on-daiwa-casting-reels-sticking-or-generally-not-lasting-long-in-between-cleanings/page/2/#comment-3195267

 

Both threads are recent.

 

I have used Shimano Curado HG series reels for years with zero failures. Great reels that keep on working.

 

I have yet to see just one thread about the HG Curados failing on this forum. So I just did a forum search on broke curado and the last thread I could find was dated 2015. So next I did a search for "daiwa part" and a search for "curado part" trying to find forum threads for each reel and see which is failing more.

 

From what I found there are more threads on Daiwa failing than Curado. It could be more people use Daiwa on this forum than curado and simply a numbers game. I can't be sure. All I can do is report the findings of the searches showing more Daiwa failures than Shimano.

 

So my point would be to judge reels based on durability and reliability as well as function and which one suits you and your needs best.

 

My opinion is that Shimano is the best and top dog brand of reels in the world today and Daiwa comes in second as I see it. Others may switch them around. Both are great. But different. Don't take our word for it. Do your own research and you will get responses going both ways. It boils down to what do you want or like or prefer?

Limited posts on a single forum don’t equate to long term durability. I’ve owned both Shimano and Daiwa over the last 10 years and the only ones which failed were Shimano. Doesn’t mean Shimano makes a bad real. I still love my Bantams. 

@Andrés Milano

Are you using a baitcaster now? If you are, please tell us what you're using.

6 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Hilos como este se dan en ambas direcciones.

 

Soy fanático de Shimano. Si me regalaran un Daiwa, lo vendería y me compraría otro Curado HG. No uso carretes de baitcast Daiwa simplemente porque no son lo mío. Sin embargo, sí uso carretes de spinning Daiwa.

 

No voy a intentar decir que uno es mejor que otro. La pregunta es, ¿qué sabor te gusta más? He probado carretes Daiwa Baitcasters y no me gustan los imanes. Prefiero los frenos centrífugos. Curado HG es mi elección para carretes duraderos y fiables.

 

Consigue uno de cada uno y pruébalos y decide por ti mismo.

 

Otro punto que me gustaría señalar es que en este foro puedes encontrar numerosos hilos sobre carretes de baitcast Daiwa rotos:

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268581-line-guide-sticking-on-daiwa-reel/#comment-3195337

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268201-anyone-had-bad-experiences-with-the-release-button-on-Daiwa-casting-reels-sticking-or-generally-not-lasting-long-in-between-cleanings/page/2/#comment-3195267

 

Ambos hilos son recientes.

 

Llevo años usando carretes Shimano Curado de la serie HG sin ningún fallo. Son carretes excelentes que siguen funcionando.

 

Todavía no he visto ni un solo hilo sobre el fallo de los HG Curados en este foro. Así que busqué información sobre "curados rotos" y el último hilo que encontré data de 2015. Después, busqué "piezas Daiwa" y "piezas Curado" para encontrar hilos de cada carrete y ver cuál fallaba más.

 

Por lo que he encontrado, hay más hilos sobre fallas de Daiwa que de Curado. Podría ser que en este foro haya más gente que use Daiwa que Curado, y simplemente es cuestión de números. No estoy seguro. Solo puedo informar de los resultados de las búsquedas, que muestran más fallas de Daiwa que de Shimano.

 

Entonces, mi punto sería juzgar los carretes en función de su durabilidad y confiabilidad, así como de su función, y cuál se adapta mejor a usted y a sus necesidades.

 

En mi opinión, Shimano es la mejor marca de carretes del mundo hoy en día, y Daiwa ocupa el segundo lugar, según mi opinión. Puede que otros los cambien. Ambos son geniales, pero diferentes. No te fíes solo de nuestra palabra. Investiga por tu cuenta y encontrarás respuestas en ambos sentidos. Todo se reduce a lo que quieres, te gusta o prefieres.

Hey friend! Good evening, what you say is absolutely true, I should try them myself. Unfortunately, they're too expensive in my country and I can't afford to buy both. Furthermore, since they are so expensive, I don't know anyone who has them so I can borrow them; my only option is to read (as I have been doing for the last 2 months) and ask those who have them. I currently know people who prefer one or the other, with no clear winner, which unfortunately confuses me even more. 

10 minutes ago, little giant said:

@Andrés Milán

¿Usas un baitcaster ahora? Si es así, dinos cuál usas.

Yes, I currently use a baitcaster, but it's just a Chinese brand that exists in my country (Argentina). The important thing is that it's made in China and you put your stamp on it. That's why I decided to invest in a good baitcaster, but I'll only have enough money for one, so I'm trying to choose the right one and not make a mistake. 

6 hours ago, Banned User said:

Tengo el carrete Salamandura sv150 en mi Tatula CT, uno de mis carretes favoritos ahora.

 

@Micro Módulo Policía tiene razón al decir que el nuevo tat100 se siente absolutamente increíble, especialmente si puedes encontrar una oferta.

 

Tengo un montón de ellos de cuando costaban menos de 200 dólares y recibe la misma o menos atención que los otros dos carretes que acabo de mencionar. 

 

No estoy familiarizado con ese río, pero si estás pescando en espacios reducidos con lances cortos y rápidos, los carretes SV son inmejorables en términos de control con casi cualquier peso.

In the river where I fish, the distances are not so short; that is, I cast 20-30 meters, sometimes a little further, other times a little closer. It's true that the distance of the SV Boost is so bad?

@Andrés Milano

So, reading your first post, average is 3-4 kg, 6- 8 lbs, some bigger. Nice size fish! Honestly, my opinion would be neither of your choices. A better fit would be a Zillion HD. Deep cut brass gears and excellent brake. (I own 2)

I know, not cheap,  but will definitely be more durable.

If learning towards Shimano, Bantam probably better than Curado.

Hola Andrés, es bueno tener otro argentino por acá, ahora sigo en inglés:  
I have daiwa (old tatula and tatula ct) and couple shimano (bantam, metanium, scorpion, chronarch). Both are the best brands. Besides what you choose, keep in mind that shimano have official service in the country, and you can find replacement for any model, something that can not happen with Daiwa, at least for now. 

11 minutes ago, little giant said:

@Andrés Milán

Entonces, leyendo tu primera publicación, el promedio es de 3-4 kg, 6-8 lbs, algunos más grandes. ¡Un pez de buen tamaño! Sinceramente, no opino lo mismo que ninguna de tus opciones. Un Zillion HD sería más adecuado. Engranajes de latón de corte profundo y un freno excelente. (Tengo dos).

Lo sé, no es barato, pero definitivamente será más duradero.

Si está aprendiendo hacia Shimano, Bantam probablemente sea mejor que Curado.

I understand. Do you think I should save up for a Zillon HD then? Or should I go for a specific Shimano model?If that's the case, which one?

On the other hand, the Zillion HD doesn't have the SV Boost coil, which is a bad thing? What disadvantages would it have over an SV Boost coil? 

8 minutes ago, AbelG said:

Hola Andrés, es bueno tener otro argentino por aquí, ahora sigo en inglés:  
Tengo Daiwa (Tatula antigua y Tatula CT) y un par de Shimano (Bantam, Metanium, Scorpion, Chronarch). Ambas son las mejores marcas. Independientemente de lo que elijas, ten en cuenta que Shimano tiene servicio técnico oficial en el país y puedes encontrar repuestos para cualquier modelo, algo que no puede pasar con Daiwa, al menos por ahora. 

What a joy to have a fellow countryman on the forum! Besides feeling more comfortable here, you can also help me because you understand our fishing and our species! I will continue in English so that everyone understands and doesn't have to translate the posts.

If you could give me some advice, or better yet, if you were in my situation, which specific model would you choose? Either Daiwa or Shimano

Seems that Shimano has service in your country and that should probably be your choice. I do recommend you get a strong, well built reel. Bantam or Tranx. Hopefully some other members will reply. 

3 minutes ago, Andrés Milano said:

What a joy to have a fellow countryman on the forum! Besides feeling more comfortable here, you can also help me because you understand our fishing and our species! I will continue in English so that everyone understands and doesn't have to translate the posts.

If you could give me some advice, or better yet, if you were in my situation, which specific model would you choose? Either Daiwa or Shimano

Well, the first question is what's your budget?
Now, the Curado M has mgl III spool. I would say its an advantage to throw light weights (rubbers, frogs). The cons, in my humble opinion, is the micromodule. I dont trust in those gears for bigger dorados. 

In the other hand, I dont know the salamandura, but for their specs, it seem a well all around reel for any kind of fishing here in argentina

5 minutes ago, AbelG said:

Bueno, la primera pregunta es: ¿cuál es tu presupuesto?
El Curado M tiene un carrete mgl III. Diría que es una ventaja para lanzar pesos ligeros (gomas, ranas). La desventaja, en mi humilde opinión, es el micromódulo. No confío en esos engranajes para dorados más grandes. 

Por otro lado, no conozco el Salamandura, pero por sus características me parece un buen carrete todoterreno para cualquier tipo de pesca aquí en Argentina.

My budget is around $200, which means getting it through AliExpress helps me access many models that would be more expensive on other websites.

To add to that, many have told me the same thing as you about Shimano's micro module, especially our neighbors from Brazil. So you think the Salamandura is the best option? We often use baits that are sometimes large, like 40 grams, or even have to make long casts. 

15 minutes ago, little giant said:

Seems that Shimano has service in your country and that should probably be your choice. I do recommend you get a strong, well built reel. Bantam or Tranx. Hopefully some other members will reply. 

Yes the Tranx 201 is a good option, its a has the regular gear -not micromodule- a really workhorse reel. 

 

 

You don't have to buy new reels. You can purchase used reels and save some money.

 

The HG Curado reels are like $269 new and have improved centrifugal brakes over magnets that other brand uses, but you can buy them used on ebay for around $100 in like new condition.

 

As I said before its not about which is better or worse, though someone did call their choice "cheaper" which is true for a reason, but it is about what is a best fit for you. And it will revolve around the castability of each reel.

 

Magnets never turn off. So daiwa had to come up with a centrifugal operated inductor plate to compensate for this fact that magnets never turn off so they had to create a way for the reel to kind of adjust to the cast to minimize the effect of the always on magnets. This technology has been around for decades and has not changed much. It would be awesome if daiwa would create eletronic magnetic designs, but as yet have not stepped up to the plate to offer anything new really. If you purchase a $20 baitcast reel guess what type of braking 99% of the real cheapo reels has? Almost always they have the same old same old magnets. Daiwa simply changed their shape and tossed in a centrifugal moving inductor plate on some spools to give slight appearance of magnetic flux density variation.

 

Shimano however has some awesome engineers who advanced their technology far beyond magnets which Shimano left behind in the dust bins of history about 30+ years ago and went full tilt into centrifugal brakes which has no magnets, and so the braking operation of centrifugal brakes works the most at the top of the cast at high speed spin out, and reduces the braking effect as the spool slows down in the cast which is just about perfect and ideal and works well with thumb muscle memory training.

 

When Shimano engineers created the DC microprocessor controlled reels, they incorporated the same centrifugal braking mechanism to now include computer controlled application for a far more refined braking idealism that is simply not possible and not available in that other brand. Light years apart.

 

So it boils down to what works best for you. Don't listen to us. We just offer opinions. Some good. Some problematic. But what you need to find out is what type of casting works best for you. Do you want old unimproved same old same old magnets repeated in just about every reel? Or, ever evolving improving engineering in centrifugal braking? This is the primary difference between these two brands or reels. Magnets versus centrifugal.

 

Its about what works best for you. And I hope you don't "waste" your money as well on one you don't like. Reading is one thing, but hands on experience is best.

 

Take a read from a Louisiana based article:

 

https://www.lafishblog.com/daiwas-air-brake-system/

 

"...you must first understand that there are two main types of casting brakes: centrifugal and magnetic.

In fact, I've detailed the differences between the two inside this article (inshore anglers use it to make good purchasing decisions) and always found that centrifugal brakes tend to perform the best."

 

So don't take my word for it! But I agree. Centrifugal brakes do perform better because their physical operation is actual braking from a physical perspective as well from a linear application through cast perspective meaning the physical braking of the centrifugal brakes more accurately follows the cast spool speed changes. It more linear. The always on magnets cannot do this. It can only roughly try and follow spool speed changes with less adjustment or control since its not a physical braking mechanism. All it does is reach for more or less magnetic flux based on rotation speed and tends to be heavier on tail end of cast while Shimano brakes are backing off more.

 

Daiwa is more or less theory in looks and less in practice while Shimano is more theory in practice, hence the quote from article "...centrifugal brakes tend to perform the best."

 

And this brings me to another point. With the Curado, you can turn off all the brakes and achieve a true free spinning spool with nothing to slow it down- other than your thumb of course. But with the always on magnets of daiwa those reels can never achieve a true free spinning spool because the always on magnets are always affecting the spool. You can't turn them off.

 

Shimano used to use magnets for braking. But they made a switch to all centrifugal braking and have never turned back. This means Shimano made the correct decision. And then hired awesome engineers to advance the technology. DC reels are taking it to a whole 'nother level daiwa can only dream about right now. It leaves one wonder just what the heck does daiwa engineers do other change their reels shape and color every year?

 

This is why I place Shimano as the number 1 reel company in all the world. Daiwa is runner up, but KastKing a recent startup has already surpassed daiwa with their new offerings of computer controlled reels. Only Shimano and Kastking have them. Daiwa? Still making the same old thing in different shapes and colors really.

 

This is how I see it today. Just how it is in my opinion.

 

So if you can afford it, I'd recommend your entry level at Curado DC and you can't go wrong with that. Non-DC at the least. I just looked up a review of the Curado DC and found this:

 

"The Shimano Curado DC is praised for its revolutionary I-DC4 digital control technology, which dramatically reduces backlashes, allows for longer, more accurate casts with various lures (light to heavy), and offers great versatility for all-around bass fishing."

 

The non-DC HG reels I use exclusively has these brakes:

 

 

I love them! I have worked myself down to using just one brake out of 4. Cast amazing and super smooth and never have any problems with my reels in years of use.

 

And here is the Daiwa always on magnetic brakes. No physical braking here. All done with magnetic flux and an attempt at centrifugal variation of flux density application. It looks nifty, but still no physical braking.

 

 

This is what it is going to come down to when choosing between these two brands. Just a matter of preference. Not that one is better than the other, but maybe the technology differences are. Sometimes cheaper is not always better. So wasting one's money is most definitely a matter of choice and perspective. For me, there is a clear winner. I followed Shimano from magnets to centrifugal and have never looked back. To each their own!

 

4 minutes ago, Andrés Milano said:

My budget is around $200, which means getting it through AliExpress helps me access many models that would be more expensive on other websites.

To add to that, many have told me the same thing as you about Shimano's micro module, especially our neighbors from Brazil. So you think the Salamandura is the best option? We often use baits that are sometimes large, like 40 grams, or even have to make long casts. 

Yes, the issue with the micromodule is that with regular use (like 1 trip per month) a cleaning and maintenance at the end of the season its ok. Now, if you fish more time, and catch too many bigger fish, i would recommend a service every 6 monts. The micromodule loses the grease to fast. In brazil, i know they burn the micromodule. 

So yes, thinking in our fishes, for me the salamandura is the best option against the curado M
 

4 minutes ago, AbelG said:

Sí, el problema con el micromódulo es que, con un uso regular (como una salida al mes), una limpieza y mantenimiento al final de la temporada es suficiente. Ahora bien, si pescas durante más tiempo y capturas muchos peces grandes, recomendaría un mantenimiento cada 6 meses. El micromódulo pierde la grasa muy rápido. Sé que en Brasil lo queman. 

Así que sí, pensando en nuestros peces, para mí la salamandra es la mejor opción frente al curado M.
 

My fishing trips are mostly occasional, meaning I go out 4 times a year to fish for dorado, and they're not even huge. I also use it for Tarariras, add 3 more outings a year hahaha, so the use is very little. In that case, is Salamandura still justified over Curado?

2 minutes ago, Andrés Milano said:

My fishing trips are mostly occasional, meaning I go out 4 times a year to fish for dorado, and they're not even huge. I also use it for Tarariras, add 3 more outings a year hahaha, so the use is very little. In that case, is Salamandura still justified over Curado?

If the price is the same, i would go for the Salamandura (other option to think: tatula ct).