sorry for another topic....

I am looking for a left handed bait casting reel for a 9ft steelie rod I am working on. What do you recommend?


Rich

I do a lot fo steelhead fishing here in Oregon. The best reel I have found is the Shimano Curado. They run around $120.00 but are well worth it. You will not be disapointed.

David Banaka

Make the $ 20 uphill leap and get the Shimana Curado 200 BSF. Fine Fine Fine - wiffle spool and really is Super Free! Or mortgage your house and car ($ 499) then buy the model with the computer chip that is totally back lash free - if you can keep your thumb off the spool it really works!

Gon Fishn

The St. Croix Avid round baitcaster is nicely apportioned and very nice operating baitcasting reel. It recently had high reviews in the outdoor magazines. I have use it on musky rods (the larger model) and it performs great. The tolerances and construction remind me of the Morrum ABU reel. I think also it is a reel that should last quite a long time and feels solid. I have these in the store and have had some excellent remarks about them from choosy anglers.

For a low profile reel, the Curado is a good pick. So is the Tica Sculptor.

Rich Garbowski
Richard's Rod & Reel email: info@rodreel.com

The Shimano Curado 200 BSF is one of the most popular bait casters on the Texas Gulf Coast. It has held up really well in saltwater use. If I had the money I would also buy the Shimano Chronarch in gold but that reel is out of my league.

The left handed reel would be the Curado 201, in a round reel the Calcutta 251 is a fine reel. If you are staying out of saltwater the Diawa TD-Z103HL or 100ML for more capacity are super smooth and lightweight with their magnesium frames and ceramic spools. The shape is different than other reels and super comfortable to palm all day.

I am very pleased with the Shimano Conquest 401. It is the Japanse souped up version of the Calcutta TE 401. For about $350 they are much less than that amazing digital reel. It's light, 12.3oz, built to last with great fit and finish. Drilled body and spool and loaded with great bearings. With 300 yds of 30# Power Pro on it still feels light. Building a Perigee 8'3" Steelie Rod for it. This should make a very sweet outfit.

DANG!! some very nice reels!!!! now I feel bad for looking at an ABU Ambassadeur 6000
I also have a Quantum AC500PT - isnt that style of reel a bit small??? or is that the "style" reel I should be considering? when comparing to tha ABU i was looking at above?

Thanks for the ideas!

Rich,
For steelhead your usually using 8 to 12 lb line usually, and they usually stay in the same pool you catch them in.
If I was fishing Canada or the WA peninsula in March for the big natives, I'd use a mag taper medium like Dave suggested, or med heavy moderate action rod with 15 to 20 lb line and a 5601 Abu depending on the gear and water conditions I was put in. Heavy/cold water and the fish of a life time is the time to break out the heavier stuff. Plunking heavy lead also needs a heavier outfit.
The Abu 5000/5601 and 6000/6501 have caught thousands of steelhead, the 5000 with 12 lb line was the most popular combo I saw on the rivers as a boy and I still see them. If Shimano came out with an improved version of the old Shimano Bantam 201 we'd be in high cotton.

HI Spencer.

We normally fish for cats, striper & bass... I like the steeelie rods because to me they are great overal nice & sensitive and strong. Ultimately it will be up to Larry to decided how he wants ot use it. I have a 8'6" Rainshadow steelie blank (my 1st build) yesterday I went to the Pier and caught a small shark with it, which was a total hoot!! What really stinks is I'm thinking of breaking it down to re-wrap it.

I will be looking into those shimano's some more :D


-Rich

Hi Rich, All the reels mentioned above are good and I have used many of them.I have never fished steelhead, but I do fish Northern Pike and Muskie in the midwest and Canada. I use Ambassaduers in 4601, 5501, 6501. And find them great reels, But my favorites are a Shimano Calcutta 201 or a Shimano Calias 201. If you are going to be getting into fish over about 25# you might consider the 6501 first because of capacity and line size. Although I do have a 40# muskie replica on the wall that the Calcutta handled with no problem. I'm sure that if you stay with good equipment you'll have no problems, just match the reel for the type and size fish you will be fighting.

Wayne