|
|
| there's been more interest in the use of small round and low-profile reels for muskie fishing applications the last couple of years.
coastal inshore fishing demands have driven companies to produce small reels with improved capabilities. what used to be "bass" reels can now do the job of casting heavy muskie lures and fighting strong fish
since i have pretty small hands, this has been a particular area of interest for me. i still pull out the monster size reels for burning hard-pulling double bucktails, but for most other applications i've found that small or low-profile inshore style reels work quite well throwing muskie baits.
with the Shimano Curado gaining a lot of fans, and the new Abu Revo generating a lot of buzz this year, i thought it might be worth comparing some of the stats on these small reels.
(all line capacities are for 14lb mono size line)
Shimano:
their reputation for quality reels is well-deserved. most people like equipment that they can rely on when they need it to work. the TEs and Curados that i've used have never had a single mechanical failure.
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewcuradociticapreview09.html
Shimano Curado 300E: 6.2:1 28"/crank 190yds $249
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanocalcutta300te.html
Shimano Calcutta 300TE: 5.1:1 25"/crank 190yds $359
Daiwa:
the new Pluton is a small round reel, with slightly less line capacity than comparable small round or low-profile reels, but with great line pickup speed.
it looks to be very high quality construction but it's unproven at this point.
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwaplutonpreview.html
Daiwa Pluton 200H: 5.1:1 23.6"/crank 155yds $369
Daiwa Pluton 200SH: 6.2:1 28.7"/crank 155yds $369
Abu Garcia:
people have an emotional attachment to Abu reels, probably because a C3 was the first muskie reel most of us owned. that means that when they come out with something new, there's always a lot of buzz about it. the Revo Toro has great line capacity for a low-profile reel. the higher price point on this reel is a bit of a departure from Abu's trend towards lower costs in recent years, does it also reflect higher quality to match?
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewabugarcia2009reelspre.html
Abu Revo Toro 60: 5.4:1 26"/crank 250yds $279
Abu Revo Toro 60HS: 6.4:1 30.9"/crank 250yds $279
Okuma:
they've earned a pretty loyal and growing following with attractive pricing and quality customer service. is this a capable alternative to the high-priced reels?
Okuma Induron 250: 5.1:1 22"/crank 170yds $129
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | Lambeau, what about the Abu Revo Toro 50 5:4:1 and 50 HS 6:4:1. They are indentical to the 60's except for the spool capacity, which obviously makes them a little bit smaller. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 375
| i can't speak for the "newer" models you mentioned but i used the shimano smaller curado 201dhsv (left-handed version) with a 7:1 ratio with 65lb ultracast invisibraid this past season on a croix legend swimbait rod from keith @ proedge for one of my three combinations that was simply fantastic with 3/4 to 1 oz or so whatevers. i would only guess that some of the newer model small profile reels are even better...if so, how? i have the same "issue" concerning reel (real) comfort but i have gotten used to my daiwa luna 300L's for the bigger stuff and have had absolutley no problems with the two of them for 3 years now and love the combo with the 201dhsv for a "break" whenever throughout the year. another thought...the 201dhsv "only" has a 11-12 lb drag pressure rating compared to higher true "musky" reel drag ratings. i had no problem with fish on this 201dhsv drag rating. how important do others feel the drag rating is?
stan
Edited by STUSHSKY 12/13/2008 3:19 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Pat at Thorne Bros. suggested the super low-profile Shimano Chronarch BSV to me, matched with an inshore or medium action Musky rod (fast tip) for fishing small swim baits, rattle traps, small cranks, and spinner baits. The reel retails for $270 and is a joy to fish with.
http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/reels/shimano/chronarch.html
I find it's nice to downsize a few times during a long day of fishing. For me it really cuts down on fatigue.
Edited by cjrich 12/13/2008 4:01 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 375
| cjrich,
what rod did you match that reel with...you were very general on that part...
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Primarily 2 rods:
Shimano Inshore Crucial 7'11" model
St. Croix Tournament Legend 7'3" model "The Downsizer"
The Crucial rod was never shown on Thorne Bros. web site, but Pat suggeted it ... and they had it in stock.
Call them and speak with Pat. He's been invaluable to me when it comes to matching rods with reels.
Edited by cjrich 12/13/2008 4:44 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 375
| cjrich,
sounds like you have both rods matched up with both of the same reels...what do you use each of the combinations for...?
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I use the St. Croix rod mentioned for lots of things, but with that reel specifically for small cranks and spinners.
The St. Croix Trounament Legend Downsizer rod is also an excellent jerkbait rod for Suicks, Burts, and Sledges (all lightweight).
I use the Shimano Crucial rod with Chronarch reel (spooled with 50lb braid) for rattle traps in spring and smaller inline spinner baits once the water starts to heat up (75 degrees or so) ... and really burn the baits (fast retrieve) over emerging weed beds.
Edited by cjrich 12/13/2008 4:50 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 717
Location: Grand Rapids, MI | The only small reel I've used was actually a bass reel, but it worked great fro smaller lures. 6.4:1 ratio, and I could burn a bucktail noticeably faster than my calcutta 400. I'd like to think that's what turned some of the fish on. |
|
| |
|
Location: New Albany, Ind. | I have 2 Pete Maina low profile reels from bass pro. 5.4:1 drag 16.5 lbs line 12lb 230yds retail for 99, buy combo for 150. Nice outfits used them for last 2 yrs.
Ron |
|
| |
