Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Baitcaster Reels?

I'm an old stick in the mud, I guess, I still like a baitcaster reel.

If you prefer a side winder, that's fine with me, I've fished with folks using those that pulled in their share, or more of the fish.

What baitcasters do the "fire members like, and why?

Shimano Calcutta 400 is my favorite. But I bought an Abu Garcia Black Maxx in the bargain bin at Cabelas and I have to say I've been impressed. It is a smooth and long casting little bass reel and the high gear ratio makes it worlds easier to fish some things like crank or buzz baits in comparison to my old Diawa MagForce reels that I have a bunch of.

The little old Diawas are about unkillable, all steel gears inside and an aluminum case on a steel frame. But they are rather low tech compared to the newer low profile baitcasters on the market now.

My surfcasting rod I now use for catfish has a Penn 320GT mounted on it spooled with about a mile of 80# Fireline. I use a 4' mono shock leader and if the reel is oiled up good and I'm slinging a 6oz weight it'll cast around 75 or more yards with me on it. I used to use it for halibut and lings on a short rod when I lived in Alaska.

Lew's...

Always been a shimano guy but want to get my hands on a 13 fishing reel.

They have a saltwater, low profile...
http://www.13fishing.com/concept-tx-special-edition/

YIKES! Pricie! But, if you like it, go for it, what do you work for?

"You don't want to be the richest guy in the cemetery."

Flipping = revo

Catfishing = Abu C7000

Shimano Curado.

mixture of, just like the hunting stuff.

a couple of old original lew's speed spools
with the speed stick rods

mostly ambassadeurs, older and newer various
red ones, a couple of green 5000D's on 7 1/2
foot heavy rods for bait use for cats or reds

a few bantam BMag1000 on misc rods
a few bantam 100 on misc rods

not counting any spinning from U/L to surf
and penn boat rigs or zebco rigs(yes i do use them)

i should add i have some unused rigs
i bought a decade or so ago sitting in
a corner. i don't even remember what the
reels are, the rods are some of the last
eagle claw i remember seeing. do they
even sell rods now ?

At Wabigoon you should have opportunity for lake trout. Try the Shimano Tekota Line Counter [300LC]......the only accurate line counter I've found.

Match your jig depth to the fish finder and hang on.

I have used the Red and Black Ambassadors for 50 years, and just tried the Shimano Calcutta for the first time. Smoothest reel I have ever picked up. I got up a nice used one,a 151 left handed, and looking for another.

I'm right handed, and have always made the cast with my right arm, then switched hands, to wind right handed. Not anymore!

Tough to beat a Shimano.....

X2
I've bought many other brands that turned out not to be as good.

Shimano is the Toyota of fishing reels.

Shimano Chronarch 100

I own a Calcutta, a cheaper Shimano and an Ambassador.
The cheap Shimano's are much nicer than the Ambassador, no contest.

Shimano Curado now. Used Ambassadors for years. The Ambassadors you buy now don't compare to what they sold in the 60s and 70s.

I have several Shimano Calcutta reels.I bought all of them used for around $75 each.They are 250's and the smaller 150's.Those things are built to last and mine are used for saltwater fishing.Lots of stainless and brass in those reels and just two screws to break the reel down for general cleaning and maintenance.About all you have to do to them for maintenance is,occasionally clean and lube the spool bearings with one drop of oil,a little on the spool shafts,but not too much,just a small amount of grease on the worm gear and main drive gear and a drop or two on a few other moving parts and your done quick and simple.I'm sure they will be around long after I'm gone.

I mostly use level wind bait casters for catfishing. I have a couple of ABU Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 Record reels and a couple of Shimano Calcutta's in 400B and 400D models. I prefer the Calcutta's.