curado's are $99.99 at Academy. they say $119.99 but when they ring them up they are $99. Have bought many since then, and a few other people as well.

I have 3 curados and I love them. I have 2 100's and 1 200. They are both great, but I like the 100 the better. It just fits so nice in my hand. I've never used a calcutta, so I can't help you there.

I used to work at in the Fishing dept. at Galyan's here in Louisville, KY before Dick's bought Galyan's and RUINED IT!!! We're getting a 280,000 sq. ft Bass Pro Shops (the only bigger one is the Springfield, MO Store) just across the River in Indiana this fall, so my mourn over the loss of Galyan's will be short indeed!

Anywho, They're both great reels. I've got a Calcutta 250. I love it. Silky smooth retrieve, strong, smooth drag, and will cast a mile. Far and away the best baitcaster I've ever owned. My only wish is for a higher gear ratio. I bought mine before they updated the Calcutta line, so mine has the 5.0:1 gear ratio. The new Calcutta 200B series (which replaced the base Calcutta 250) has a 6.0:1 gear ratio, so that would fix my issue. When I'm ready for a new rod/reel to add to the collection this fall, I'll probably get this one.

The Curado is a great reel. Nice feel, smooth, nice casting, and costs less. Getting to the spool Brake is a bit easier, too, on the Curado. So from a functional standpoint, the Curado probably is a little better. However, the Calcutta still gives you easy access to the spool brakes, is a bit smoother, and has more metal parts so I'd bet it will last longer. And the Calcutta sits so low that it fishes just like a low profile reel. It's also prettier than the Curado.