If you consider yourself a bass angler, you’ve probably caught your share of either largemouths or smallmouths. But what about the Suwannee or spotted bass? Have you hooked into a Guadalupe bass – or a shoal or redeye bass? It doesn't matter if you bass fish in Alabama or California, in Pennsylvania, Maine or Wisconsin, and don’t forget Florida, Texas and Oregon. All these states – and every other one outside of Alaska, are home to at least one of the nine species in the black bass family.
Some may be thinking that catching so many different species must require all kinds of different tackle and setups. With Shimano’s introduction of the newest models in its iconic Curado baitcasting series, the tackle manufacturer has issued the Curado Bass Slam Challenge, kicking off this past week. The first target is a northern-strain largemouth.
Shimano’s Kurt Mazurek and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs will be towing a boat carrying Curado reels matched up with Shimano’s new Curado rods, along with a few Expride flipping and Zodias cranking rods, starting on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin.
“Our mission, and we were happy to accept it, is to travel from Wisconsin down to Texas, then east to Alabama and Florida, and then head up the East Coast to the Chesapeake Bay,” said Mazurek. “Between Keith’s fishing skills and my abilities in the finding the right lakes and rivers, we’ll try to complete the ‘Bass Slam Challenge’ in just under two weeks, showing anglers the versatility of our new Curado K series reels. And yes, we do have a free afternoon built into the schedule to visit a laundromat, plus we’ll be stopping in to visit some Shimano tackle dealers along the way.”
During the Challenge travels and when on the water fishing, Mazurek and Combs will post daily live coverage on Shimano’s social media pages (www.Facebook.com/FishShimano/, www.Instagram.com/ShimanoFish/, www.YouTube.com/user/FishWithShimano) and those following the fun will have the opportunity to win prizes. The duo will also be creating a YouTube mini-documentary airing on the Shimano channel once their mission is complete.
After this initial adventure, Shimano is issuing a challenge to any and all anglers who want to attempt the Curado Bass Slam Challenge. Those who complete the entire slam by Dec. 1 – and that includes a northern largemouth, smallmouth, Florida largemouth, Guadalupe, redeye, shoal, spotted, Alabama spot and Suwannee bass – will receive a new Curado K reel and a Shimano prize pack including hats, stickers and more swag.
“Plus we completely realize that a good number of anglers will find it impossible to do all the needed travel, so we also have the Curado 3-Bass Combo challenge,” Mazurek said. “We have a great package of Shimano hats and swag for any angler who can qualify before Dec. 1.”
All who complete the Curado Bass Slam Challenge are eligible for the event's grand prize – a fishing trip with a Shimano pro. Details on entering the Challenge and prizes can be found on the Shimano Facebook page and website.
The Curado 200 K series – winner of the ICAST 2017 Best Freshwater Reel award – consists of six modes offering both left- and right-hand retrieve. Gear ratios range from 6.2:1 to 8.5:1.
