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I just got a new Shimano Curado with 6:3:1 ratio with a BPS Extreme 7' Medium Heavy rod. I find it good for throwing medium to small baits but I cannot use small rapalas (when I say small I mean the original repalas that are about 1 and a half inch long) for when I would like to catch small bass and bluegill. I would like to know what is a good setup (i.e. reel ratio, rod length/ action) for this type of fishing.

Curado,

I'm just wondering why you want to use a baitcaster to fish with ultra-light lures? I know that Shimano put out a smaller version of the Curado that holds 8lb test, but I never got around to purchasing one... I'm interested to hear about the ultra-light baitcasting though. Look forward to hearing back from you.

BC

I didn't know if they made baitcasters that were suited for ultra light tackle or not. Should I just use spinning gear?

Dont shy away from spinning tackle when it comes to tossing small, light baits. A 6'6 spinning rod matched up with a 2000 series Shimano spinning reel and 8lb test is dymanite for this situation. You can easily get the distance you desire, yet still maintain control.

If you are dead-set on using a baitcaster, check out the Shimano Scorpion 1000 - its the Japanese version of the Curado, and is excellent (and famous) for tossing light baits.

A couple of years ago I wrote an article on fishing light lures with baitcasting equipment. You need the right reel, but the rod has a lot to do with it.

My set up at this time is a light action, 6', 2-piece LR-10 or SF-10 casting rod, with a Garcia C4 reel, and 10 or 12 pound test line.

The rods are both Berkley's that are no longer manufactured. I can't really say I've found any others like them. While I would prefer a one-piece these models are only available in two-piece. A friend did see some of these being cleared out for around $20, so evidently there are still a few around.

As for the size of lures I've used - they have worked for an 1/8 oz. Norman Deep Tiny N, 1/8 oz. Gripper Hair-Rubber jig, Larew Floating Finesse Craw with Texas rig or leadhead in 1/8 oz., and a 4-inch finesse worm rigged on a 1/16 oz. bullet head jig.

Hope this may help, but sorry about mentioning the outdated products.
Dan

I am a big UL guy. I prefer to use spinning gear but in the recent past got into light casting outfits. I use a Scorpion 1001 which is a souped up version of the Curado 101. It is good with 6 or 8lb test. Your problem is the rod. I have several extremes but the MH model you have is way to stiff for the light rapalas. I know that there is a ML 6-6 Extreme and it could be a good choice. I felt it at BPS last week. I bought a Rick Clunn 6-6 Medium rod that had a bit of a whippy tip to it. It was lighter feeling than the Extreme. The best thing I can recomend is to get a custom made baitcast rod with a light action. I have two Scorpion 1001's and two Calcutta 51's that I use for light purposes. I made two rods myself. One a 5-6 light and the other a 6" light action rod. Both have flipping handles and Sic guides and tips. I used spinning blanks which are lighter and thinner in diameter than baitcasting blanks. These are IM7 which is middle of the road in sensativity and price. I mainly use these for light spinnerbaits and buzzers and soft jerkbaits like a 4" fluke. Tons of fun and strong enough to handle a large bass.