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| Hey all, Coming in from northern Illinois. I head up north a few times a year with the boys for long weekends of musky fishing. I always borrow my friends stuff, but need to finally get my own rig. I do have a decent 7' rod, just need a new reel for it. I mainly throw topraiders, double 8's, phantoms, dawgs, etc. Is a new c3 fine for my needs? I'd rather spend under $100 than $200+ for a CalcuttaB or Toro. Since I only musky fish a few times yearly, I don't think I need an expensive reel, do I? Thanks in advance.
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Posts: 210
| Don't know about current run c3's but I held onto 8 of 'em for 20 years and they did me well. They'll do you just fine. |
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| I'd do the higher C4 for those baits you mentioned. For more comfort I'd also put on a power handle. |
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Posts: 177
| X2 on the c4 |
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Posts: 501
Location: S.Wisconsin | I have a c4 that i modified a calcutta 400b handle to fit on and would say it is a great reel. It is what i use on my jerkbait rod. The abus will hold up just fine and 3-4 times a year is nothing, just make sure to keep the reel clean an it should last years. For a nice cheaper rod that you can grab at gander I would look into the gander series rods or st.croix triumph series both can be had for about 100 or less. Other than that there are plenty of rods out there that you can order in the same price range |
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| It is almost always the case that you get what you pay for. But I have an Abu 6500C3 and have no complaints about it. If I was only going out 3 or 4 times per year, I wouldn't spend for more than that and a Gander Mountain Guide Series Muskie rod. |
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Posts: 1504
Location: Oregon | You might consider watching for a good used musky reel..........something a bit heavier. I have a half dozen or so of the C3's that I use for salmon and I tried them a couple times for throwing musky lures and it really put some strain on them. There is huge difference between some of the heavier reels and a C3. I'm not saying a C3 would not work but it's kind of like towing a heavy boat with a light SUV versus a Dodge with a Cummins Diesel. My larger Okuma reels with power handles are vastly superior to the C3's I have, particularly with large baits.
There is nothing worse than getting to the fishing spot and having a reel fail. Good luck to you.
RM |
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | I would look into finding a used Saltist 20 swith the levelwind.
They are a tough reel. It will handle your double 8's and bulldogs better that the others and it has a better drag. you should be able to find one for $120 bucks loaded with 80 or 100 lb test line. Don't try to fish the reel with a full spool of line 1/8" of exposed spool will significantly cut down on your backlashes.
Get it cleaned and lubed- before each season or better yet learn how to do it yourself.
They had some early spring failures- They have improved the springs now. Take along an extra spring and possibly a levelwind gear and you should be good for a long time. Those are the only probelms I have ever heard about on these reels.
The parts are less than $5.00 for both of them.
Good Luck
Steve |
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Posts: 458
| Get the reel that you can afford and spend any extra money on good braid and some good (Stealth) leaders. You can always borrow a buddies reel in case your reel fails. Good luck! |
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Posts: 115
| C4 its got a thumbar |
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Posts: 1289
Location: WI | C3 or C4's are decent, especially if you're not fishing all the time. I'm not sure I'd use them for Dawgs, but everything else would be fine. I don't like the Abu's with thumbars, try and find an older one without that. If you ever need work on an Abu, send it to Jenk's Bait near Hayward, he does great work for a low price! |
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| Thanks for all of the replies. I had mentioned the C3 simply because of the gear ratio for pulling slightly heavier stuff. I like the feel of the c4, but the higher gear ratio kind of sways me. Believe me, I'd like the thumb bar of the c4, it's the ratio that I need to pass on. Any other suggestions around the $100 mark would be welcomed. I am open to all brands. Thanks again. On my way to Lake Michigan at Waukegan Harbor this morning to see if anything is cooking there. No ice + 50 degrees = first time out for the season =) I'm on the hunt for smallmouth this morning. Thanks, fellas. |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | Stick with the 6500 C3, Abu makes a good reel that won't let you down and you can find parts for them anywhere, not so with some of the other makes. Just make sure you stop the spool with your thumb before you start reeling or you will wear out the clutch arm and the button to release the spool will stick. Then you will be another internet guy saying how the Abus are junk, lol.
I like the C4 series too but not for your application. I use mine exclusively for jerkbaits/gliders to reel up the slack line quickly. They are geared too high for heavier lures. The Calcutta 400b is an excellent reel but out of your price range, I don't know what they cost now but I paid $200 for mine probably 10 years ago.
Bass Pro used to make a Pete Maina rod/reel combo for around $150 years ago. That was a pretty nice reel also but I think they quit making them. I used one exclusively for 3 or 4 years and never had a problem with it, still use if from time to time. I think I heard that it was a Pfleuger reel, might be another option if you like the one piece aluminum frame like the Calcutta. Not sure on the cost of those though.
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| If you can go $120 retail you can get a 400 Cardiff. It doesn't get much credit, but I think it's the best $100 range option available. The Maina reels (now Muskie Angler) are alright, but the Cardiff is much smoother. They will throw everything you mentioned above. |
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Posts: 1716
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | If you are looking for a C3 with a thumb bar, try to find a SSC3. They have the 5.3 ratio as well as a thumb bar. I have more than enough of them. They are burgundy in color if that helps you sort things out on auction websites. |
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Posts: 582
| the answer is "yes". Many of us fished with them for years before all the new cool "had to have" stuff came out. |
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Posts: 944
| Yes, they are fine. I have them on alot of my rods.
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
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Posts: 7039
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Yes, C3. No on the C4. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Guest - 3/11/2012 8:38 AM Any other suggestions around the $100 mark would be welcomed. I am open to all brands. The durability of the Okuma Akena has really surprised me and it sounds like exactly what you are looking for. Inexpensive, able to handle a variety of lures and able to provide years of service for someone that isn't fishing everyday. |
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| Yes C3 and No C4 ... and get a power handle. You'll do fine. |
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Posts: 43
| For the same price I would choose a Shimano Corvalus. I've beaten and abused mine over the years and it has yet to fail me. |
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Posts: 5
| Yes to the C3. I know guys that can burn one of them out in a single year but they're on the water more than they're off of it during a season. Using it as little as you say you will it should last you a lifetime. |
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Posts: 339
Location: Denmark | Yes!, if you prefer thumbar release and 5.3:1 get a SSC3 on Ebay. |
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Posts: 8782
| Easy to service, parts are cheap, and it's nothing at all to swap out gears or worm gears/pawls if they should wear out. I still use my C4. It lasted 2 seasons before I had to change the pawl, and 4 seasons before I needed to replace the gears. I believe it was around $15 total for the parts. Every year, new reels come out, and everybody just has to have them. That's great if you're rich, or you're guiding, or even if you're fishing 100 days a season. But for the weekend warrior? That's a lot of money to have tied up in gear that just sits there. You'll do fine with a C3. 6-7 years ago, that's all anybody had. Muskies were still caught. |
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Posts: 360
| Check out the bass pro shop Pete Maina musky reel |
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Posts: 2361
| The C4 is going to be much shorter lived than the C3 unless you can find some special edition with the lower gearing.
The high speed pick up is nice for some applications, but you don't need it, and the higher gearing just goes into the crapper much faster. The C4 is really unsuitable for any long term investment as a reel that has to do any kind of heavy pulling.
Also the 6500 and 5500 are basically the same reel with the 65oo having a bigger spool, which you don't really need for any applications I can think of, except to eat more line when you respool. Both reels are fine. |
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I musky fish 3-4 times a year. Will a 6500c3 suffice?