Curado K vs Bantam

[russ57]

Looking for new frog reel and its down to these two. I can ge the Curado for basically half the bantam which makes it quite tempting.

[Revofisher]

im a huge bantam mgl fan and its one of my favorite reels on the market today from shimano. I have fished mine a lot since they came out and they still perform awesome. One of my bantams is used on a expride 7'2 hvy for smaller frog work around not so hvy cover and it has worked great. Bantams are great on that hard hookset as well you dont feel the reel frame get the wobbly on ya. This being said im not going to sell the curado k short i fish those as well and for the price that they can be had i think its an excellent reel for sure all of mine have held up fine 1 for frogging as well. The bantam is for sure more solid feeling but you save a tad bit a weight with the curado both of them will do a great job.

[russ57]

im a huge bantam mgl fan and its one of my favorite reels on the market today from shimano. I have fished mine a lot since they came out and they still perform awesome. One of my bantams is used on a expride 7'2 hvy for smaller frog work around not so hvy cover and it has worked great. Bantams are great on that hard hookset as well you dont feel the reel frame get the wobbly on ya. This being said im not going to sell the curado k short i fish those as well and for the price that they can be had i think its an excellent reel for sure all of mine have held up fine 1 for frogging as well. The bantam is for sure more solid feeling but you save a tad bit a weight with the curado both of them will do a great job.

Bantam is much smaller which would make it a more comfortable frog reel. I've thought about getting that model Expride before for frogging, in my next of the woods the 72H would have enough power.

Have you used the 76H Expride?

[Revofisher]

russ has a good point i forgot to mention the bantam is smaller than the curado k even with my big hands i like the way the bantam palms better.

Russ i have used the 7'6 expride i dont like walking frogs on longer rods but have used it for just pulling them on top of grass mats before. the 7'6 expride is more of a utility rod for me i like it for heavy swimbaits on jigs heads 3/4 - 1 oz range carolina rigs and lighter flipping into wood cover . its a great rod and seems to have a bit more tip to it than the 7'2 does because it is longer.

[russ57]

russ has a good point i forgot to mention the bantam is smaller than the curado k even with my big hands i like the way the bantam palms better.

Russ i have used the 7'6 expride i dont like walking frogs on longer rods but have used it for just pulling them on top of grass mats before. the 7'6 expride is more of a utility rod for me i like it for heavy swimbaits on jigs heads 3/4 - 1 oz range carolina rigs and lighter flipping into wood cover . its a great rod and seems to have a bit more tip to it than the 7'2 does because it is longer.

Does the 76 have the tip to handle 1/2 ounce frogs effectively?

[Revofisher]

for sure 1/2 is in the wheelhouse so is 3/4

[russ57]

for sure 1/2 is in the wheelhouse so is 3/4

Sweet I will likely be picking up that model paired with a Bantam. Thanks for the info, I've been looking for feedback on that 76H for a while.

[scooterb]

I have a few of each. For what ever reason, I feel my K's will outcast my Bantums. The advantages of the Bantum, though, are their rigidity, size, and ease to adjust. It doesn't take much fiddling to get the Bantum to cast as needed. The K's can sometimes need slightly a little more messing with (sometimes). On the other side, the Bantum feels slightly heavier in hand although they're specs show to be about the same weight. It could just be related to how solid they feel. Over all, if money was no issue, I'd probably get the Bantum. It's a sweet reel. But if you're on the fence, even if money was not the issue, the K is a fantastic reel as well.

[russ57]

I have a few of each. For what ever reason, I feel my K's will outcast my Bantums. The advantages of the Bantum, though, are their rigidity, size, and ease to adjust. It doesn't take much fiddling to get the Bantum to cast as needed. The K's can sometimes need slightly a little more messing with (sometimes). On the other side, the Bantum feels slightly heavier in hand although they're specs show to be about the same weight. It could just be related to how solid they feel. Over all, if money was no issue, I'd probably get the Bantum. It's a sweet reel. But if you're on the fence, even if money was not the issue, the K is a fantastic reel as well.

Yea it’s because of the positioning of the line guide in the bantam, from what I’ve heard.

[russ57]

forgot to mention the Scorpion MGL as a contender

[accodn2ryan]

Has anyone used either reel for punching/flipping heavy cover?

I already have the bantam, but looking to purchase another reel.

[bwjay]

Has anyone used either reel for punching/flipping heavy cover?

I already have the bantam, but looking to purchase another reel.

We get some thick junk here in Minnesota in the summer. I used my Bantam for frogging and flipping mats last year and intend to do so this year. What do you want to know? It's the same story. Super rigid body, unlimited cranking power, buttery smooth. The Bantam feels like it was made for heavy loads.

[surge]

I have actually measured casting distance Curado K vs Bantam and Bantam outcasted K by up to 4 meters. Plus, Bantam made less noise during cast.

I have a few of each. For what ever reason, I feel my K's will outcast my Bantums. The advantages of the Bantum, though, are their rigidity, size, and ease to adjust. It doesn't take much fiddling to get the Bantum to cast as needed. The K's can sometimes need slightly a little more messing with (sometimes). On the other side, the Bantum feels slightly heavier in hand although they're specs show to be about the same weight. It could just be related to how solid they feel. Over all, if money was no issue, I'd probably get the Bantum. It's a sweet reel. But if you're on the fence, even if money was not the issue, the K is a fantastic reel as well.

[russ57]

I already have 3 reels from the K platform, so I am gonna go Bantam. Based on the rave reviews for power fishing techniques, not gonna go wrong.

[accodn2ryan]

Has anyone used either reel for punching/flipping heavy cover?

I already have the bantam, but looking to purchase another reel.

We get some thick junk here in Minnesota in the summer. I used my Bantam for frogging and flipping mats last year and intend to do so this year. What do you want to know? It's the same story. Super rigid body, unlimited cranking power, buttery smooth. The Bantam feels like it was made for heavy loads.

Thanks! It looks like I'll be picking up another Bantam then. I currently have the Bantam that I use for froggin, but wanted to pick up another reel specifically for flipping/punching, just felt uneasy punching with a $300 reel and see if it could withstand the abuse.