This is an interesting comparison in similar reels. While the Tranx is SW-intended and the brandy-new Curado 300K is pointed squarely at the FW HD baits crowd - like for Muskie and trophy LM Bass fishing, with huge swim baits (up to 12oz lures in FW, think about THAT for a moment!), there are some good points for considering the Curado 300K for our inshore work - and I'm thinking deep fluking here.
Everybody knows that the smaller Curado 200 reels were always good in SW (I'm talking all the letter series, going waaay back to the original little green 200B of the early '80s - anybody remember those?). Given proper lube and maintenance they all held up quite nicely. So what would be so different about the Curado 300K? Let me give you more info on this comparo. . .
The Tranx 300 is a drop-dead gorgeous and soundly-engineered reel, no doubt about it. Shimano got it right. It is a heavier-duty SW-intended reel, vs the the Curado 300K. It offers a stainless steel main shaft vs aluminum in the Curado, an aluminum side plate vs the Ci4+ of the Curado, a slightly different handle and a supplementary anti-reverse assist stopper, in case of anti-reverse bearing failure. Also, it carries a few extra seals, some with a delicate "hydrophobic" coating - which to me is kind of a waste, as its known to easily rub off the seals, should you get clumsy during breakdown/assembly. And I am clumsy.
The way I see it, the Curado has two important "ups" over the Tranx. First - it weighs over an ounce less, due to the lighter-weight aluminum drive shaft and side plate. Second - and more importantly (to me), the Curado can be had in a very powerful 4.7:1 gear ratio. The lowest ratio the Tranx offers is 5.8:1. Might not seem like much of a difference, but hang a big doormat, or retrieve an 8oz sinker to the boat all day, and the Curado will be far friendlier to your cranking wrist.
So, to my way of thinking - if you are gonna blackfish with a small-ish bait caster, you'd be better off with the Tranx. Even with the higher gear ratio, its plainly the stronger reel. If you are planning to buy a reel for fluke fishing, especially deep fluking, the Curado is the better. Less weight and its slower gear ratio make for a more comfortable fluke jigging experience. In my opinion, anyway.
One other point - the Curado 300K carries a list price of $200, while Shimano is asking $80 more for the Tranx. So, its an interesting choice that Shimano has presented. Both reels have their strong points, and the price is sufficiently spread that it might become an important consideration in the evaluation of the two reels, one against the other.
Oh, and don't forget, there are several other really nice reels in this category to choose from - and I would single out the Abu-Garcia Toro Beast 50 and the very new Daiwa Tatula 300 as possible candidates. Okuma has their Komodo line to look at as well, but I don't see many of those in my tackle-shop "Ho-ing" travels, so I can't comment on them. Specs are pretty darn good though.
I don't think there's a bad choice in the lot, every reel mentioned here has some solid points going for it, and all have good provenience, going back a long ways.
i would probably go Curado 300K - but again, that's to my way of thinking - and for my intended purposes.
Tranx 300 (obviously!):
New Curado 300K:
Abu Revo Toro Beast 50:
Daiwa Tatula TW300:
Everybody knows that the smaller Curado 200 reels were always good in SW (I'm talking all the letter series, going waaay back to the original little green 200B of the early '80s - anybody remember those?). Given proper lube and maintenance they all held up quite nicely. So what would be so different about the Curado 300K? Let me give you more info on this comparo. . .
The Tranx 300 is a drop-dead gorgeous and soundly-engineered reel, no doubt about it. Shimano got it right. It is a heavier-duty SW-intended reel, vs the the Curado 300K. It offers a stainless steel main shaft vs aluminum in the Curado, an aluminum side plate vs the Ci4+ of the Curado, a slightly different handle and a supplementary anti-reverse assist stopper, in case of anti-reverse bearing failure. Also, it carries a few extra seals, some with a delicate "hydrophobic" coating - which to me is kind of a waste, as its known to easily rub off the seals, should you get clumsy during breakdown/assembly. And I am clumsy.
The way I see it, the Curado has two important "ups" over the Tranx. First - it weighs over an ounce less, due to the lighter-weight aluminum drive shaft and side plate. Second - and more importantly (to me), the Curado can be had in a very powerful 4.7:1 gear ratio. The lowest ratio the Tranx offers is 5.8:1. Might not seem like much of a difference, but hang a big doormat, or retrieve an 8oz sinker to the boat all day, and the Curado will be far friendlier to your cranking wrist.
So, to my way of thinking - if you are gonna blackfish with a small-ish bait caster, you'd be better off with the Tranx. Even with the higher gear ratio, its plainly the stronger reel. If you are planning to buy a reel for fluke fishing, especially deep fluking, the Curado is the better. Less weight and its slower gear ratio make for a more comfortable fluke jigging experience. In my opinion, anyway.
One other point - the Curado 300K carries a list price of $200, while Shimano is asking $80 more for the Tranx. So, its an interesting choice that Shimano has presented. Both reels have their strong points, and the price is sufficiently spread that it might become an important consideration in the evaluation of the two reels, one against the other.
Oh, and don't forget, there are several other really nice reels in this category to choose from - and I would single out the Abu-Garcia Toro Beast 50 and the very new Daiwa Tatula 300 as possible candidates. Okuma has their Komodo line to look at as well, but I don't see many of those in my tackle-shop "Ho-ing" travels, so I can't comment on them. Specs are pretty darn good though.
I don't think there's a bad choice in the lot, every reel mentioned here has some solid points going for it, and all have good provenience, going back a long ways.
i would probably go Curado 300K - but again, that's to my way of thinking - and for my intended purposes.
Tranx 300 (obviously!):
New Curado 300K:
Abu Revo Toro Beast 50:
Daiwa Tatula TW300:
