RHYBAK Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Could I please get some feed back from all the musky experts. I'm in the market for a casting reel and I don't want to spend over 400 on a Shimano Calcutta 400 TE. I am looking at the St. Croix Avid300,The Daiwa LUNA300 and the Calcutta 400CT. Any remarks or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 buy two abu 6500s or 7000s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I've got a CT 400 on one of my musky rods and have nothing but good things to say about it and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. Never tried the St. Croix or Diawa so can't help you there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvette1 Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 i have a st.croix and a calcutta you cant go wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeontroller Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 All three are good choices...Raf's point is valid too, for the money you could get 2 lesser priced reels... Decisions, decisions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyk Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 (edited) Both Lew and Raf have made good points. I can back up what they say. I have a Calcutta 400 and love it. I have used it for one season and have nothing bad to say about it. Towards the end of the year i picked up a abu 6500 C3 and its also a very nice real. You could buy two of those for the price of one calcutta. Edited January 23, 2008 by mattyk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroutnMuskieHunter Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I also use an ABU 6500C3....for $130, it's a GREAT deal!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky or Specks Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 The Abu 6500 iare the best musky reels I own and I have a Calcutta as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHYBAK Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 That's great. Thanks. Funny thing is ,I have a 6500C3 in my arsenal. I guess I'll have check it out tonight....LOL. Haven't used it in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeds Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I too use an abu c3 6501 for musky fishing and really like it. I'm sure that there may be better, pricier reels out there but the abu is good enough that you don't know and don't really care what you are missing. Then again you can never have too many reels.....I did just pick up a Curado and wouldn't mind a Quantum Cabo........Decisions, decisions indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 (edited) The Quantum Cabos are great reels. I've had mine for two seasons and they are still going strong. CBC31PTS is the model I believe. 30 for righties. I think they are a lil more expensive than the 6500s but much less than the Calcutta. My muskie arsenal consists of: 2 6501C3s 1 7001 2 Cabos 1 Okuma Convector Linecounter for trolling All see lots of use and abuse and have stood up. Edited January 23, 2008 by Raf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbo Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Great advice from all! Here's a cool link to check out.. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewcalcutta.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskymatt Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 The curado 300dsv is a great reel and is now on sale and includes a 50 mail in rebate. Great reel casts forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carcham333 Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I have been using 6500 c3's for 20 years now and still do. I would definately buy a 6500 and a 7000 and use the extra bucks to buy baits......... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mepps Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I'd go Cabo PTs CBC31 I have use mine for pike and musky fishing since 2006 and I love it so far. Plus you can even take it into salt water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linweir Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I own Shimano Calcutta 400CT and Abu 6500. Also I have Quantum iron, Shimano Catala 400 and Corsair 400. They're all great reels and fairly cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GbayGiant Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hey Mepps I seen your avatar picture on the WFN commercial today...nice one. I would go with 2 big game abu's 7000 as well. The Luna gets the best reviews from a lot of the big musky boards even better than the Calcutta some would say but I've never tried one and as far as I know the St Croix is the exact same reel as the Luna, made by daiwa it just has a St Croix sticker on it so those are the same. Another reel is the Okuma Induron 400, I've had one for the last two years, it has some plastic but it's cheap and works good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jediangler Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I like the Abu 5600C4 for casting (it has a higher retrieve ratio than the C3) and burning bucktails. It has been problem free for 4 years now. I use the Abu 6500C4 for trolling, 7 years and still going strong. I received a Shimano Corsair CS300A, just after x-mas, from a buddy who is giving up Musky fishing. He hooked his partner in the neck with a giant spinnerbait and is going back to walleye driftin' and jiggin'. He caught a 50" snake musky in Pigeon 3 years ago with it, so it's gotta be lucky. I'm going to use it for large soft plastics on Cobra jigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silveradosheriff Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Some good advice from the Boyz! I have used the c4 5600, calcutta and morrums for casting and they are all good - my personal fav is the morrum though. I find it the smoothest running of the lot. Depending in what you can pick them up for, the c4 can be a great value though. For trolling, I have used the c4 6500 and the Okuma catalina - and it is the catalina hands down. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHYBAK Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Some very great advise . Thank you very much. I'll start researching some of those reels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tybo Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I had a c4 that I was using for salmon and muskie. One day salmon fishing the c4 went off. before I could get to the rod, some thing happened to the reel. I believe the drag seize. It rip the holder out and I kissed the rod and reel good by. Will never buy another one. I also keep my reels in top notch condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 i've got a pete maina combo... and for the amount of musky i've hooked or landed, i could have used an ultra light icefishing rod/reel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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