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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | What are the main differences here? Will the Shimano do the job as far as pulling double 10's? Which is the better 'all around' Muskie reel? My main concern is durability. I don't care if I have to work a little harder with the 400B. I'm really trying to stay closer to the 200.00 price range.
Thanks
BTW - I'm Muskie fishing only about 6 - 8 times a season. Realistically, I might be throwing double tens a couple hours each outing. Of course, this is always subject to change. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | My opinion only, and you'll get plenty others here or can read all the various threads on the subject. We are comparing a couple different things here. The 400B is a great all around reel for the money. If you added a power handle it would handle 10's pretty well, as it is 5.1:1 gear ratio, and would be great for many other all around presentations. But it may not hold up as well for regular or constant big blade retrieve. However, these are easy to work on and those can be replaced rather inexpensively. The Revo Toro Winch is 4.6 or 4.7 or whatever it is, handles big blades more easily, and combined with its large diameter gear will hold up well, but is not not as versatile for some other baits or retrieve speeds. So maybe you then look at the Toro with 5.4, which would work better for all around but not as well as the winch for big blades. Lots of personal preference involved here, especially because of the low profile vs round preference. For all around my vote would be for the Calcutta, within the very narrow parameters you give. |
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Posts: 209
| Another reel you could look at is the Daiwa Saltist 20 LW. It's not quite as luxurious as the other two considering that it doens't have a thumbbar, but its a great reel. I absolutely love mine for double 10's (and even 13's), but it's still quite comfortable to throw other baits with. I honestly think it fits the hand better than a 400B personally. Another bonus is that you seem pretty adament about staying around the 200 dollar range, and the Saltist 20 only costs 170. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | MuskieMark01 - 4/10/2011 3:59 PM
that you seem pretty adament about staying around the 200 dollar range, and the Saltist 20 only costs 170.
No, not stubbornly unyielding about the 200 buck range but I would say I'm adament about a thumb bar. |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | If you're adamant about durability and a thumbar , I would stick with Shimano's Calcutta. Especially before considering two other unproven reels. Both the Toro's and Saltist's seem like great reels, but neither have been out long enough to prove prolonged durability. Just my opinion. As of right now I would not consider anything but Shimano. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | 5th lake Brad - 4/10/2011 5:06 PM
If you're adamant about durability and a thumbar , I would stick with Shimano's Calcutta. Especially before considering two other unproven reels. Both the Toro's and Saltist's seem like great reels, but neither have been out long enough to prove prolonged durability. Just my opinion. As of right now I would not consider anything but Shimano.
The Toro has been out for over 2 years, the Toro is a total different reel then the 400B, The 400B is a good all around reel the Toro with 2 different sizes and 3 different gears ratio can do it all. Toro hands down for me. |
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | I have had both reels and both can have issues...however, if I had to choose I would get the Toro winch hands down...it is much more comfortable to fish all day and brings in big baits easily...not good for jerkbaits/walk the dog baits though...for that get the HS version...also, watch ebay I got mine for 179 shipped! |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | I thought the winch has a season under it's belt, available to the masses anyway. Regardless, 1-2 years is not what I would consider prolonged durability proven. Again , just my amateur opinion. Remember the guy's looking for one reel. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | We have ran alot of different reels in the past few years, incuding the Calcutta B's. Between that and the Toro 60 5:3 the Toro has won that battle after a couple seasons of use. We have all 3 Toros but if I could have just 1 for everything it would be the 5:3. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | Well I have 2 Abu 6600C5's that are ok for jerk baits. They are 5.3:1. I'd prefer something in the 6's for WTD baits. I don't know, maybe I'm starting to lean towards the Winch. I found 1 place on line that I could get it to my door for under $250.00 |
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Posts: 209
| gregk9 - 4/10/2011 4:48 PM
MuskieMark01 - 4/10/2011 3:59 PM
that you seem pretty adament about staying around the 200 dollar range, and the Saltist 20 only costs 170.
No, not stubbornly unyielding about the 200 buck range but I would say I'm adament about a thumb bar.
Well in that case I gotta vote 400b. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | For WTD baits ( gliders, Weagles ect) I prefer the 5:3 over the HS, for me the HS is a bit to fast and throws my cadence off. I use my HS for jerkbaits and small to 10 blades. Again just my personal preference. I also use the 5:3 for DCG's and prefer that most the time for bigger blades. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | So the Toro 60 HS is a decent reel for burning Double Cowgirls? |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | None of the Toros will "burn" blades for more than a few casts, unless they are smaller, DCG's and up they won't. I use my HS on Show Girls and Baby Girls or similar and for working dive/rise baits mostly and on prop baits. My 5:3 is used on DCG's, Bulldawgs/Curlies, gliders, wtd topwater. |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | I have the smaller Saltist 20 conventional, its fast 6:1:1 and has the large power handle for pulling the big blades. The saltist is a great reel for pulling but I quickly started hearing noise from the casting. Not as smooth as the start of the season but still a great reel for a fairly good price. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | 5th lake Brad - 4/10/2011 5:06 PM
If you're adamant about durability and a thumbar , I would stick with Shimano's Calcutta.
Ok, I upped my price range.
I'm throwing the Daiwa Luna & Shimano Curado E 300 into the mix.
Thoughts?? |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | From the reels you have listed I would choose the Shimano Calcutta 400b as the best all around musky reel. |
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Posts: 209
| The Luna would be a good option if you're not planning to throw a ton of hard tugging jerkbaits. The anti-reverse bearings are known to go out. The Curado is honestly my favorite reel for general muskie fishing. I've fished with 400B's, 400TE's, Trinidad's, C3's, and Daiwa Saltists, but the Curado is my favorite for everything but hard pulling baits. It's definitely not the ideal if you're gonna throw 10's with it, but I love them for everything else.
If I had to recommend one reel for everything (keep in mind that my opinion is biased by the fact that I throw a lot of blades), I'd give the vote to a 400B. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Are we talking about "burning" DCG's? Or are we just talking about a reel capable of handling them? If it's the latter, I'm voting for the Revo Toros. I absolutely love mine. I've got all (3) model of Toros right now and plan on adding another 5.4:1 gear ratio Toro to my arsenal later this season.
I've casted my buddy's Daiwa Saltist 20 & 30's and also an Abu 6600. Hated them. They just felt awkward and bulky and heavy. Now that I've gotten used to the lower profile of my Toros... I'm not throwing anything else. If that means I can't "burn" a Cowgirl, so be it. Burning a DCG is a pretty tiny niche as far as musky fishing goes. That's just my two pennies...
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | PSYS - 5/3/2011 6:39 PM
Are we talking about "burning" DCG's?
No, just a good durable reel to fish these baits.
Ok, so the Curado is a great all around reel for everything but 10's.
The 400b will do alright with the 10's and great with everything else?
I was all set to get a Toro winch but now I'm seeing reports of people blowing them up after one season. My understanding is that they have plastic anti-reverse bearing couplers. |
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Posts: 32
Location: Janesville, Wi | Not a fair vote from me because I do not have a 60 Winch yet. Should be here by Friday ($220 on ebay or trade in your old Ambassaduer). I am anxious to give it a try. I want to use mine strictly for Dominatrix's. I have 3 400B's & love them. They handle everything you can cast & retrieve. They handle 10's easily w/ a power handle but is pretty hard to burn them. Why burn them though? If you want to burn bucktails down size. You will catch just as many fish. I say start w/ the 400B |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | Why burn them though? If you want to burn bucktails down size. You will catch just as many fish. I say start w/ the 400B
Yeah, I'm not really looking for a burner reel.
I'd prefer the low profile Curado but I can't see the 6.2:1 being good for double 10's. |
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Posts: 582
| 2 different reels. I have a toro winch for pulling big blades which it does very well with ease. But i use it for little else due to the slow retrieve. My 400b gets work on just about everything else and is a great general purpose reel. If i could only have one, i would go 400b because it can be used for more. The winch although a great reel is really a one trip pony to me. But it does that trick better than any reel i have. |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | I haven't owned a Shimano so I can't comment on theirs. However with the Revo's. If you are looking for a all round reel for many application I would suggest the 5:4 gears. The whinch is nice for pulling dbl 10's but wished I had not spent the money on 2 of them (1-50 and 1-60). I have the 60 series in the 5:4 gears and love it for all round. The whinch is mainly for dbl 10's. The 5:4 Revo's handle the dbl 10's just fine. The feel and comfort of the low profile reel is very nice. I have 2 seasons with them and haven't had a issue with them at all. A little lube here and there but just normal maintinance with any reel and they should last a long time. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | I ended up with a Toro 50. It was on clearance @ Gander Mountain (unadvertised) for 25% off. So it was $209.00 Couldn't pass it up!! Looking forward to using it tomorrow. Gonna spool it with 65lb Power Pro and put it on my brand new 8ft Reaction Strike Spence Petros signature series rod. Can't wait to try it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to all that contributed to this thread! |
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Posts: 159
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I was all set buy a Calcutta 400 B when a post like this appeared about a year or so ago.
Steve Herbeck from Andy Meyers Lodge chimed in and said they have tried all the different reels up there including both models of Calcuttas and he said all the guides up there himself included voted for the Revo Torro. He cited durability as the deciding factor---saying they were the most dependable reels in camp.
Last year about this time Musky Hunter Magazine had an article by Joe Bucher who said his vote was for the Torro 4.6 for Cowgirls.
Like the others have said the Torro 5.4:1 is better for all around use but they are both great, smooth reels, that cause less fatigue with the low profile.
Used both Torros for the first time last summer and loved them both---now have 3. |
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Posts: 791
Location: North Central IL USA | The reel worked great! Glad I got the 50 as I like to palm my bait casters although with the Muskie tackle I switch from palming to gripping the front of the handle.]
I could definitely see getting another one!!! I don't know that'll ever get a 400B now. I'm really liking the low profile style!!
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | i have a power handle on my 400b and you can throw 10's but its not gonna be comfortable to do that all day. Its a good all around reel as said before though.. i can throw rubber, i can walk the dog, propbaits, spinnerbaits and double 8 bucktails, gliders.. it throws them all well. |
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Shimano Calcutta 400 B VS Revo Toro Winch