As I dropped my trolling motor, I scanned the water and noticed a few dead shad floating to my right. I quickly picked up my rod paired with the Shimano Curado 150M, and chucked an A-rig into the ball of baitfish. With two cranks of the reel, I felt a thump and set the hook.
The bass immediately turned, shooting for the nearest brush pile, and the reel’s drag smoothly engaged. Knowing that there was high potential for the fish to tangle my rig in submerged limbs and shake loose, I swept my rod to the right and forced him away from the structure. I started horsing on the rod and reel, and was boat flipping him in short order.
It was my first cast, and it was a great start to one of those magical days on the water. Over the course of the next 8 hours, I landed more bass than I can count. And throughout all of it, I never once noticed the reel, which, in my opinion, is the highest praise you can give a casting reel.
In short: The Shimano Curado 150M ($235) is the perfect option for a bass angler looking for one casting reel to do it all. It’s capable of chucking giant, long-distance casts with all manner of lures. Perhaps most impressively, the reel is problem-free. Thanks to a litany of Shimano tech, the silky smooth reel doesn’t overrun or backlash. It’s a lot of reel for the money, and due to that fact, it will be awarded the “Best Casting Reel” award in this year’s update of the Best Bass Fishing Reels buyer’s guide.
Editor’s Note: Bass Pro Shops has the reel listed as the 150MGL; however, it is the newest version, the 150M.
Shimano Curado 150M Casting Reel
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Size tested:
150 -
Weight:
6.7 oz. -
Bearings:
6+1 -
Material:
Hagane -
Gear ratio:
6.2/1, 7.4/1, 8.1/1 -
Max drag:
13 lbs. -
Line capacity (Mono):
10-120, 12-110, 14-90 -
Inches per turn:
24, 29, 32
Pros
-
Casting distance
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Almost no overrun or backlashes
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Durable build
-
Size
Cons
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Fine-tune adjustment stiff out of the box
-
Not as much line capacity as some other reels
What Is the Curado 150M?
At ICAST 2025, Shimano announced a new reel, the Shimano Curado 150M. However, calling it an entire new reel is a bit of a stretch. It’s more of an upgrade.
The Curado Lineup and Sizes
It’s replacing the Curado 150MGL, which has been a staple for bass anglers since its launch in 2021. That particular reel was a huge success. It was created to offer a perfect, “do-it-all” reel size between the Curado 200M and Curado 70M, both of which are excellent reels. One could argue that the 150MGL was the most versatile reel in the lineup. Now it’s better.
In hand, I love the size of the Shimano Curado 150M. It’s perfect for palming, and it’s easy to operate one-handed by flipping the reel handle with the fingers on my rod hand. It weighs a scant 6.7 ounces, which is pretty dang lightweight for a reel of its size at the sub-$250 price point.
Curado 150MGL vs. Curado 150M
So, how do you improve on what many consider to be one of the best bass fishing reels ever created? You only make minor tweaks. You don’t want to mess up something that’s already great.
The functional difference between the 150MGL and the 150M comes down to the spool. In the latest version, Shimano replaced the MGL II spool with the upgraded MGL III spool.
According to Shimano, “The MGL III thoroughly pursues low inertia and features a narrow shape design with a width of 19 mm that reduces inertia by about 15% compared to the second generation MGL spool.”
Less startup equals more casting distance. It will also make the reel a bit more dynamic and better at throwing lighter lures. Performance-wise, that’s what you’re gaining.
Aside from that, the two reels are identical, though the color scheme has changed slightly. I think the new colors look better, but that doesn’t really matter.
On-the-Water Performance of the Shimano Curado 150M
Adjustability
There are three ways to adjust the Shimano Curado 150M: the SVS Infinity break system, an external micro adjust, and the tension knob.
I’ve messed with the adjustments a bunch over the last few months and have been impressed at how versatile it makes the reel. It comes standard with three brakes turned on. You can adjust that by popping open the cover and engaging more or less.
The fine-tune wheel lets you set the reel up perfectly and avoid backlash. You can get it absolutely dialed for headache-free use with just about any lure size.
Casting the Shimano Curado 150M
I wasn’t able to cast the 150M next to the older 150MGL, so I can’t speak to whether the upgraded version casts farther than its predecessor. But I can tell you that compared to other casting reels I own, the Curado 150M can absolutely bomb casts. It just goes.
I’ve thrown a huge range of lures on this reel. Most recently, I had a day where I used it to throw massive A-rigs, and then switched to throwing small ½-ounce football jigs. It cast both extremely well, and I was impressed at the distance I could achieve while fishing lighter lures. From big rigs to finesse gear, it’s a great reel for any technique you need it to tackle.
I have to give a nod to Shimano’s claim that the MGLIII spool casts lighter lures more efficiently. It certainly does so better than the other casting reels on my boat deck.
What’s most impressive, though, is just how unproblematic the reel is. Even if I don’t readjust the brakes, the fine-tune dial, or tension knob when switching between different lures, the Curado 150M simply does not want to backlash.
I could count on one hand the number of times this reel has tangled on me. I even tested it by loosening all of the brakes and running it wide open. Obviously, I had to be more “Johnny on the spot” thumbing the spool, but it performed surprisingly well. The reel would overrun a little bit in the middle of the cast, but thanks to the ridiculous distance it can cast, the overrun would work itself out before my lure even landed.
For not being a DC reel, I’m shocked by its tangle-proof performance. If you want no-hassle casting distance, it’s tough to beat the 150M.
Smooth Retrieve
In addition to its impressive castability, the reel is silky-smooth. The Curado uses Shimano’s “Micromodule” gears to attain that smoothness.
Micromodule is a feature left out of some of Shimano’s lower-priced reels, and it absolutely makes a difference. Essentially, the gears inside the reel have more teeth and a larger overall surface area. Finer teeth allow for a silkier operation.
Compared to my Shimano SLX (which does not have a Micromodule), the Curado 150 M is noticeably vibration-free. There’s a slight hum in my hand when I reel with the SLX, but that sensation is nonexistent with the Curado. In my opinion, it’s well worth paying the extra money for the finer gears, silky retrieve, and the resulting increase in sensitivity.
Is There Anything Not to Like?
The Shimano Curado 150M is such a hassle-free, high-performing reel that it’s tough to find any faults with it. After a day of fishing, I find myself perfectly happy with its performance, and can’t think of any complaints off the top of my head.
But when I stop and think about it, there are two areas for improvement, but they’re honestly pretty negligible. The first is the fine-tune dial. Out of the package, it’s pretty stiff and tough to turn. It’s loosened up over the last few months, but it was annoying at first.
Second, when compared with similar-sized reels, the Curado 150M has lower line capacity. I’m talking about the difference of 10-20 yards, but it is noticeable.
I didn’t notice the line capacity as much when I spooled it with 12-pound line, but I did notice it when I spooled it with 17-pound line. Since the reel casts so stinking far, when bombing jigs across main lake points, I started getting pretty close to spooling the thing.
It’s not a huge deal, but if you’re looking for a reel to spool heavy braid on, this one ain’t it.
Final Thoughts on the Shimano Curado 150M
Shimano sets up its product line in a unique way. It puts the same features and technology in its lowest-priced reels as it does in its high-end reels. The only difference is how many of said features and technologies are included. As you step up in prices, you get more features and benefits, but the baseline features remain unchanged.
In my opinion, the Shimano Curado 150M is the perfect balance of price-to-performance in the Shimano casting reel lineup. You get all of the tech and performance any bass angler could ask for at a pretty dang good price.
Sure, you could jump up to something like the Anteras, which I’ve also fished, but I don’t know that the increase in tech is worth the jump in price for most anglers. There is a difference, but whether or not there’s a multi-hundred-dollar difference between the Curado and Anteras is highly debatable.
On the flip side, there are cheaper Shimano reels. But those reels lack many of the tech upgrades, and the step down in smoothness, casting distance, and durability is striking. I own some of those cheaper reels and do notice the difference on the water. The jump up in price to get into a Curado is worth it, in my opinion.
The Curado 150M is the sweet spot in the lineup. Is it better than the old version? I don’t know, but it’s certainly not worse. The Curado 150M is smooth, capable of bombing giant casts, and has a tough, durable build that will keep it trucking for decades.
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