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Posts: 75
| Hey guys, back with some more questions about the reel I'm buying for this years Musky fishing. I am going to list the reels I really like, taking into factor the price for all. I'm fishing with a Shimano Sojourn Heavy Rod. Basically I'm looking for a reel that can through 3oz baits but all the way up to 8oz Weagles. Please let me know if any below match the set up I'm looking for. 1.) Bass Pro Shops® Muskie Angler Conventional Reels 2.) Abu Garcia® BCX Baitcast Reels 3.) Abu Garcia® Kalex™ Round Baitcast Reels 4.) Any of your opinions though try to keep it under $115 |
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Posts: 339
Location: Denmark | IMO, go for the Bass Pro Shops round reel, Shimano Cardiff,or the Classic C3. All solid reels under 100$. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | EvErNoOb - 6/7/2011 2:31 PM
Hey guys, back with some more questions about the reel I'm buying for this years Musky fishing. I am going to list the reels I really like, taking into factor the price for all. I'm fishing with a Shimano Sojourn Heavy Rod. Basically I'm looking for a reel that can through 3oz baits but all the way up to 8oz Weagles. Please let me know if any below match the set up I'm looking for. 1.) Bass Pro Shops® Muskie Angler Conventional Reels 2.) Abu Garcia® BCX Baitcast Reels 3.) Abu Garcia® Kalex™ Round Baitcast Reels 4.) Any of your opinions though try to keep it under $115
Go with the Bass Pro Muskie reel, and get the Bass Pro return plan with the reel, so if the reel breaks U can return it to any Bass Pro store and U get a new reel back. The 2 ABU reels are low entry reels and would last a day casting big baits.
The Bass Pro reel comes in 2 gears, a 4.2:1 and a 5.2:1 gears, the 5.2:1 will work for top water and jerks or dawgs and the 4.2:1 would pull in DCG10-13 like butter.
I would change one thing on any Bass Pro Muskie reeel and that is the handle, order U self a Calcutta 300-400TE handle and nut and cap with screw and replace the stock handle on the Pro Bass reel, the Calcutta handle is longer and will give you more power reeling. GOOD LUCK. |
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | I would say at your price range the Cardiff 400 or 401 would best fit your needs. I recently bought one and have been using it now for about 3 weeks. It's extremly smooth and crisp and will cast most any baits without a flaw. It is paired up with an 8'6" mag heavy Old School Tackle rod and is my go to combo. Happy Hunting |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Evernoob, the search function on this site is a very valuable feature. There's several evenings worth of reading about rods, reels, and baits available here.
With that said, the Shimano Cardiff is around $120 and seems to be a nice reel for the money. Any Okuma round reel that you can afford will do a good job, and they all have nice handles on them now. Okuma has phenominal customer service, they have gone above and beyond my expectations.
The Abu Garcia C3 is a classic, but I don't have any. The little bit I used them they didn't impress me that much but the price is reasonable and I am sure they would be serviceable.
I have not used the newest line of Okuma reels, but their Indurons were a $120 reel and I have several pretty hard seasons on them using pretty heavy and hard pulling musky baits.
Tucker |
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | curleytail - 6/7/2011 6:36 PM
Evernoob, the search function on this site is a very valuable feature. There's several evenings worth of reading about rods, reels, and baits available here.
With that said, the Shimano Cardiff is around $120 and seems to be a nice reel for the money. Any Okuma round reel that you can afford will do a good job, and they all have nice handles on them now. Okuma has phenominal customer service, they have gone above and beyond my expectations.
The Abu Garcia C3 is a classic, but I don't have any. The little bit I used them they didn't impress me that much but the price is reasonable and I am sure they would be serviceable.
I have not used the newest line of Okuma reels, but their Indurons were a $120 reel and I have several pretty hard seasons on them using pretty heavy and hard pulling musky baits.
Tucker Adding to what you have just said, I have been through 2 Indurons. They too are great for the money. My first Induron lasted about 6 years of moderate use, but my second only lasted about 6 months of heavy use. I had been using for the past year a Corvalus, (which is even cheeper) and that has with held strong through the extreme conditions and heavy usage I have put it through last year and is still going strong. I just needed to add to my arsenal and that is why I up graded a bit (couldn't afford a TE) to the Cardiff401 w/ the OS rod. To me, it feels like a hugh upgrade. You wont be disapointed in a Cardiff. Just make sure you have a backup with whatever you decide. |
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Posts: 75
| Any one ever use an Abu Garcia Kalex Reel? 5:9:1 Ratio reel 14lbs mono test. Seems like a decent reel, any opinions? |
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | IMO, Abu is bottom of the line. Like I said, It's just my opinion. There are much more quality outfitters out there, and I have only tried a few. Keep us posted on your thoughts. thanks. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I have several Okuma Akenas, and have had great success with those reels; zero problems. You should be able to find them at www.sportsmansguide.com for about $90. |
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Posts: 75
| The problem is, I need a left handed retrieve reel and many of these top companies don't make them.
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | EvErNoOb - 6/8/2011 8:52 AM
The problem is, I need a left handed retrieve reel and many of these top companies don't make them.
Now U tell us, I think Okuma Isis comes in a Left hand $150.00 or ABU C3 6500 are your best bet. |
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Posts: 75
| Sorry, I probably should of mentioned that haha, Not really a fan of those 2 reels PikeMaster, though i like the Abu C3 6500 all but the THUMB BAR, i enjoy having the actual button as I call. Out of the Abu Kalex and Shimano Cardif which one? They both come in Left. I really like the Cardiff though idk which one, the 5:8:1 ratio 14/180 line or the 5:2:1 ratio 17/220 line? Keep in mind I will probably be throwing bigger sized baits such as Weagles and Leviathan's. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | For right around $100 I would seriously look into a Shimano Cardiff, or a Shimano Corvalus |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | EvErNoOb - 6/8/2011 9:08 AM
Sorry, I probably should of mentioned that haha, Not really a fan of those 2 reels PikeMaster, though i like the Abu C3 6500 all but the THUMB BAR, i enjoy having the actual button as I call. Out of the Abu Kalex and Shimano Cardif which one? They both come in Left. I really like the Cardiff though idk which one, the 5:8:1 ratio 14/180 line or the 5:2:1 ratio 17/220 line? Keep in mind I will probably be throwing bigger sized baits such as Weagles and Leviathan's.
Go with the Shimano Cardiff in 5.2 ratio. |
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Posts: 582
| Cardiff.. very good reel for the money. |
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Posts: 152
| Ditto on the abu being a low level pile. Stay away from abu reels at all cost they will stop working unless you never use them. Daiwa, Shimano, Stay with those two brands and you cant go wrong . Its tuff to find a reel thats worth it for 100 bucks but ive heard good things about the bass pro reels. I have had a cardif 200 for 8 years and though it gets used very little its never failed me. |
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Posts: 248
Location: Xenia, Ohio | what model # on the Shimano Cardiff ? 300A? 400A? 401A? 100A? |
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Posts: 582
| 400A, i think the 401A is lefty. |
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | 400A is right hand retrieve, and the 401A is the left hand retrieve. I'm left handed and I use the 401A. |
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Posts: 75
| Yea, I'm also right handed but fish LEFTY. Don't ask me why, its just how I feel the rod and reel baby! So I will probably go with the 401A. I'm still a little confused on the gear ratio? I like faster reels, though will it be a disadvantage when using 8oz Weagles? For instance it's between the 5:8:1 model or 5:2:1 which both come in LEFTY. The 5:2:1 hold more line and is a lot heavier but I feel as if the reel would be to slow for me? ( So 301A or 401A?)
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | EvErNoOb - 6/10/2011 11:30 AM
Yea, I'm also right handed but fish LEFTY. Don't ask me why, its just how I feel the rod and reel baby! So I will probably go with the 401A. I'm still a little confused on the gear ratio? I like faster reels, though will it be a disadvantage when using 8oz Weagles? For instance it's between the 5:8:1 model or 5:2:1 which both come in LEFTY. The 5:2:1 hold more line and is a lot heavier but I feel as if the reel would be to slow for me? ( So 301A or 401A?)
The only real difference between the two (other than size and line capasity) is that the 401A has a bait clicker, which I like when I'm soaking suckers or trolling. |
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Posts: 75
| Wally, what I was asking was about the gear ratio. If i have a higher one, for instance the 5:8:1 will it affect my fishing with big lures? |
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Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | I really can't answer that question as I regularly use the 5.2:1. I cast 8-12" baits all day with my Cardiff and honestly hav no issues, but, I rarely use blades. Sorry but I feel I'm really not quallifyed enough to answer your question. I do hope that someone can clairify this for you. |
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Musky Reels v2