Shimano
Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel
Predator tackle · Baitcasting reels · Our take
Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel
Left-hand retrieve · HG or XG
Compact, light and properly quick, the Curado 71 MGL is a cracking little casting reel for lure anglers who want control, speed and less faff on the bank.
- 195 g compact size 71 baitcaster with a lightweight CI4+ body reinforced with carbon fibre.
- MGL MagnumLite spool and SVS Infinity braking are aimed at lively, controlled casting.
- Available as HG 7.4:1 with 74 cm retrieve or XG 8.1:1 with 81 cm retrieve.
- Maximum drag is 5.5 kg, with line capacity suited to lighter and medium predator work.
Make sure it’s the right one. This review covers the left-hand Shimano Curado 71 MGL, model CUMGL71HGK in 7.4:1 HG trim or CUMGL71XGK in 8.1:1 XG trim.
Tackle Index Score
Tackle Index score
A high-quality compact predator reel with excellent casting-focused features, held back slightly by capacity, left-hand-only handling and its premium price bracket.
Desk-research score from specs, price and fishing fit · How we score
- Product Quality9.7/10
- Performance9.6/10
- Impact on Fish Catching9/10
- Ease of Use8.8/10
- Value for Money8.5/10
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Who it suits
Is it right for you?
Great for
- Lure anglers fishing for perch, zander and smaller pike. The compact frame, light spool and quick retrieve options make it a neat match for casting and working predator lures.
- Anglers who like crisp, controlled baitcasting gear. SVS Infinity braking and the MGL spool give you plenty to work with when tuning casts and managing lure speed.
Maybe skip if
- Big-bait pike anglers. The size 71 format and stated line capacities are better suited to lighter and medium work than chucking huge rubber or deep-running monsters.
- Right-hand retrieve users. This version is left-hand retrieve only, so it’s a non-starter if you need the handle on the other side.
The lowdown
Introducing the Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel
Compact, light and properly quick, the Curado 71 MGL is a cracking little casting reel for lure anglers who want control, speed and less faff on the bank.
- 195 g compact size 71 baitcaster with a lightweight CI4+ body reinforced with carbon fibre.
- MGL MagnumLite spool and SVS Infinity braking are aimed at lively, controlled casting.
- Available as HG 7.4:1 with 74 cm retrieve or XG 8.1:1 with 81 cm retrieve.
- Maximum drag is 5.5 kg, with line capacity suited to lighter and medium predator work.
Quick verdict
Verdict
The Curado 71 MGL is a compact, high-quality baitcaster with a light spool, useful braking system and proper predator-friendly speed. It looks bang on for lure work where casting control and quick line pickup matter.
The main catch is capacity. This is a finesse-to-medium lure reel rather than a big-bait winch, and the left-hand-only layout won’t suit everyone. Get your line, lure weight and retrieve speed right, though, and it’s a very tasty bit of kit.
A high-quality compact predator reel with excellent casting-focused features, held back slightly by capacity, left-hand-only handling and its premium price bracket.
Desk-research score from specs, price and fishing fit · How we score
- Product Quality
- 9.7/10
- Performance
- 9.6/10
- Impact on Fish Catching
- 9/10
- Ease of Use
- 8.8/10
- Value for Money
- 8.5/10
CI4+ construction, MicroModule Gear, X-Ship and a Cross Carbon Drag make this a properly well-equipped reel.
The MGL spool, SVS Infinity braking and fast retrieve options are well suited to active lure casting.
Light handling, quick line pickup and controlled casting can help you fish more efficiently and cover a swim properly.
It’s compact and tunable, though baitcaster technique and brake adjustment still need a little practice.
You’re paying for a refined, lightweight platform, so it offers strong value if you’ll use those features regularly.
Head to head
How it stacks up
Side by side with the closest kit we've reviewed. This updates as we add more reviews.
Shimano
Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel (this one)
Top scorer
Top scorer
Scores are our own, out of 10. Best in each row is in green. Prices change, so check the latest before you buy.
The full rundown
Everything you'll want to know about the Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel
The Shimano Curado 71 MGL is the sort of baitcaster that makes a lot of sense once you’ve spent a few hours flicking lures from a cramped predator swim. It’s small, light and properly quick. No great lump of a reel hanging off the rod. Just a compact bit of kit that should sit nicely in the hand while you work a lure, pick apart the margins or bosh casts under cover.
At 195 g, it’s a featherweight by baitcaster standards. That matters more than some folk reckon. When you’re casting all day for perch, zander or pike, a reel that doesn’t make the outfit feel nose-heavy is a proper bonus. Your wrist gets less of a battering, and you can keep putting the lure in the money spots instead of packing up after an hour because your arm’s had enough.
The 71 size also tells you where this reel fits. It’s a compact predator reel for lighter and medium lure work, not a giant spool designed for hauling enormous rubber all day. The listed capacities cover familiar predator line sizes, but you’ll want to think about your lure range and snaggy water before spooling it up. There’s no point forcing a small reel into a job better suited to a bigger workhorse.
The headline feature is Shimano’s MGL MagnumLite spool. In plain English, the reduced inertia is intended to help the spool start spinning readily. That’s handy when you’re casting lighter lures, pitching into the margins or trying to sneak a bait beneath an overhanging branch. You still need a decent thumb and a properly balanced rod, mind. No spool design removes all the laws of physics, mate.
Braking comes from SVS Infinity, Shimano’s centrifugal system. Once you’ve got the settings matched to your lure and conditions, it should give you a useful balance of distance and control. That’s especially welcome when the wind gets cheeky or you’re changing from a compact hardbait to something with a different flight. A little tuning beats constantly picking out a bird’s nest.
There are two retrieve choices. The HG runs at 7.4:1 and pulls in 74 cm per crank, while the XG runs at 8.1:1 and brings back 81 cm. Both are brisk enough for active lure work. The XG is the one for quickly gathering slack, burning a lure back or staying tight when a fish turns towards you. The HG feels the safer all-round choice if you want speed without going fully rapid.
Under the bonnet, Shimano has brought in MicroModule Gear and X-Ship, alongside a Cross Carbon Drag. Those features point towards a reel that’s designed to feel smooth and positive rather than vague and agricultural. The maximum drag is 5.5 kg, which is plenty on paper for sensible predator tackle. Just remember that drag power isn’t a free pass to use wildly heavy line on a compact reel.
The body uses lightweight CI4+ resin reinforced with carbon fibre, helping keep the weight down without making the reel feel like a flimsy bit of tackle-box tat. Add the 8+1 bearings and you’ve got a nicely equipped package. It’s the sort of reel that should appeal if you enjoy gear that feels refined, but you’re still more interested in a screaming take than admiring the machining.
There are a couple of catches. This model is left-hand retrieve only, so check that before getting carried away. The capacity also puts a sensible ceiling on its workload. For perch and zander, or moderate pike lure fishing, it looks bob on. For huge lures, thick leaders and serious snag pulling, you’ll probably want something beefier. Used in its proper lane, though, the Curado 71 MGL is a cracking little predator reel with very few daft ideas attached.
Specifications
The nuts and bolts
- Model options
- CUMGL71HGK, 7.4:1; CUMGL71XGK, 8.1:1
- Weight
- 195 g / 6.9 oz
- Maximum drag
- 5.5 kg / 12 lb
- Line capacity
- 10 lb/105 yd, 12 lb/85 yd, 14 lb/70 yd; metric options include 12 lb/100 m, 14 lb/90 m, 16 lb/80 m and 20 lb/65 m
- Retrieve per crank
- 74 cm HG or 81 cm XG
- Construction and bearings
- CI4+ carbon-fibre-reinforced resin body; 8+1 bearings
Specs checked with Shimano, Oct 2026.
Spot a model or spec change?
Our take
Why this reel stands out
The Curado 71 MGL’s biggest appeal is how much useful baitcasting performance Shimano has packed into a small, 195 g frame. The MGL spool is designed to reduce start-up inertia, so the reel should feel lively with lighter predator lures and controlled when you’re feathering a cast into a tight margin.
It’s not just a lightweight toy, either. MicroModule Gear, X-Ship, a Cross Carbon Drag and SVS Infinity braking give it the sort of feature set you’d expect from a reel aimed at anglers who care about smooth mechanics and repeatable casting. Proper tackle-room stuff, without turning the bank into a science project.
The reel itself
Compact, quick and built around controlled casting
The Curado 71 MGL combines a 195 g CI4+ body with a lightweight MGL MagnumLite spool. That makes the package easy to palm and gives the spool less inertia to overcome at the start of a cast. For lure anglers, that’s useful when pitching, skipping or casting compact baits rather than only launching heavy offerings.
SVS Infinity provides centrifugal braking, while MicroModule Gear, X-Ship and the Cross Carbon Drag bring a more refined mechanical package. The HG gives 74 cm per turn; the XG gives 81 cm. Both are quick, with the XG especially handy when a lure needs bringing back fast or a fish rushes towards you.
Worth knowing. The spool and body make this a light-to-medium predator reel, not a big-bait brute. Match it with a suitable casting rod, sensible line and lure range. That’ll keep the outfit feeling sharp instead of asking a small reel to do a heavy reel’s job.
On the bank
A smart choice for active lure fishing
This is a strong fit for anglers who spend sessions moving between swims and picking apart features. The low weight helps during repeated casting, while the quick retrieve options suit hardbaits, soft lures, spinnerbaits and other active presentations. It should feel at home around margins, weed edges and tight cover.
Perch and zander anglers will likely get the most obvious benefit from the compact format. Pike anglers can use it too, provided the lure size, line and trace setup stay within the reel’s sensible working range. If your usual plan involves enormous lures and brutal snag fishing, look at a larger model instead.
Choose HG if you want a versatile, fast-but-not-silly retrieve. Choose XG if speed is central to your fishing, whether that means burning a lure, clearing line before another cast or staying connected when a fish changes direction.
Quick answers
The bits you’ll want clear before buying
It can be, especially with the braking set sensibly and a suitable lure on the end. Like any baitcaster, it rewards smooth casting rather than trying to smash every cast into the next county. Start with a manageable lure and let your thumb learn the job.
Retrieve speed. HG is 7.4:1 and recovers 74 cm per crank; XG is 8.1:1 and recovers 81 cm. HG is the more rounded option, while XG favours fast presentations and rapid slack recovery.
Its listed line capacities cover common predator line choices, including braided setups, but the exact fill should follow your lure weight and fishing situation. Avoid choosing line purely because the drag can handle it; capacity and casting behaviour matter too.
Worth knowing. The left-hand retrieve is fixed for this model. Double-check your preferred handle side before buying, especially if you normally swap between spinning and baitcasting outfits.
On paper
Pros & cons
What we like
- Very light and compact at 195 g.
- MGL spool helps make lighter lure casting feel more manageable.
- Fast HG and XG retrieve options suit lure work and moving baits.
- Strong feature set, including MicroModule Gear, X-Ship and Cross Carbon Drag.
- SVS Infinity braking offers useful cast control without loads of faff.
Worth knowing
- The size 71 spool isn’t aimed at heavy line or very large lures.
- Left-hand retrieve only limits who it suits.
- Premium reel money, so it may be overkill for occasional baitcasting.
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Your questions answered
What anglers want to know
The stuff you’d ask your mate on the next peg. Straight answers, no waffle.
01Which Curado 71 MGL should I choose: HG or XG?
Which Curado 71 MGL should I choose: HG or XG?
The HG gives a 7.4:1 ratio and 74 cm per crank, while the XG is quicker at 8.1:1 and 81 cm. Pick HG for a more all-round feel; go XG if you like ripping lures back quickly, taking up slack fast or fishing moving baits.
02What line suits the Curado 71 MGL?
What line suits the Curado 71 MGL?
Its listed capacities cover common predator lines from lighter braid and nylon upwards, but this remains a compact reel. Match the line to the lure, snag level and target rather than filling it with unnecessarily heavy stuff.
03Is the Curado 71 MGL suitable for pike?
Is the Curado 71 MGL suitable for pike?
Yes, for appropriately sized pike lures and sensible tackle matching. It’s not the obvious choice for constant big-bait work, where more capacity and a heavier-duty reel make life easier.
What anglers say
The word from the bank
Our read: verdict. The strongest reasons to choose it are very light and compact at 195 g. and mgl spool helps make lighter lure casting feel more manageable.; the main trade-off is the size 71 spool isn’t aimed at heavy line or very large lures..
Our take on the feedback
Why it appeals
Checked Sept '26 — “Very light and compact at 195 g.”
Best fit
Checked Sept '26 — “Lure anglers fishing for perch, zander and smaller pike: The compact frame, light spool and quick retrieve options make it a neat match for casting and working predator lures.”
Worth knowing
Checked Sept '26 — “The size 71 spool isn’t aimed at heavy line or very large lures.”
Tackle Index’s take from the product details and fishing fit we checked. We haven’t found enough independent public feedback to call this an angler consensus yet.
Angler score
What our readers rate Shimano Curado 71 MGL Baitcasting Reel
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