Musky Baitcasters

[fangmbr]

Can you buy a decent baitcaster for less than $100? If so, does anyone have any recomendations? I have a renewed interest in Musky fishing after losing a 40"+ while jigging for walleyes on the TFF.

Thanks,

Brian

[catchandrelease]

There really isn't anything under $100, unless you're getting it off craigslist or ebay or something like that. If you're buying one at a store, Shimano Cardiffs are pretty nice for the money. I've been using one the last two years and I have no complaints. The 400s are $120. They also offer left hand models. I would look on craigslist to see if anyone is selling any in your area. That's probably you're best bet of picking one up under $100.

[catchandrelease]

Actually, there are a couple under $100. One is the Musky Angler reel from Bass Pro (formerly the Pete Maina Signature Series) for $99.99. It's not the best reel in the world, but I'm sure it would be a good starter reel. Lots of people use Abu Garcias C3s and C4s. However, the Cardiff is a much nicer reel, with much better components, and it is big enough to handle most musky lures, and it is only $20 over your budget. I've used all of these and I recommend the Cardiff.

[ToddM]

This is a great reel for an even greater price:
http://www.ffo-tackle.com/detail.cfm?PassProdId=4051

[msklng10]

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur- got my first used 5000C for $15 when I was 17, which was 27 years ago. Bought a double handle and high-speed gear converter. It's still a great #2 reel. I also have a 6500 C4 which is my favorite, as well as a 6600 C5 mag, which can idiot-proof casting for newbies you may fish with. The newest one is over 10 years old. Nowdays, you need to find someone that still has old school springs, etc if there are problems. An article in the June/July Musky Hunter magazine called "Reel Maxims" describes something very similar to a situation I've encountered. All of these reels were under $100.00.

[catchandrelease]

C4s are pretty good. I still have a 5600 that works pretty well. But I'll take my Cardiff over my C4 any day. It's ten times the reel for only $20 more.

[The Frog caster]

Hi, I have a beautiful St. Croix rod w/ an ambassadeur (abu-garcia reel) .......... I used a St. Croix reel (borrowed from a friend) the other day and what a difference !!!! The St. Croix reels are expensive but you get what you pay for. I had only two backlashes in five hrs. thowing against the wind, with my Abu-garcia I'de have three times that amount............ so bite the bullet and get the Dodge Viper and not the Yugo !!!! Those big Musky lures are just to much for sub-par reels...... A St. Croix reel will be on my X-mas list this year.......... don't make the same mistake I made. Regards, Larry

[fangmbr]

OK...so I bought a Cardiff for $92 and mounted it to my 40 year old musky rod. Next spring I'll update the rod. I stopped at R&H on the way up for line, leader, Boga Gripper, one "must have" lure, and a tee shirt. I had R&H load the line. They were great and offered lots of advice. After a few hours of short casts w/o any backlashes I started throwing harder. I was able to cast relatively well with only one minor backlash. At the end of the week I was satisfied with the distance that I reached. Next spring I'll work on a little more distance. I didn't see a musky all week, but was satisfied with what I bought and the distance that I was able to cast. So....how long is your average cast with a medium weight lure?

[The Frog caster]

Hello Fang, Bait casting can be difficult as we all know. Backlashes, distance etc. Here are a few simple theories I have: When the spool is spinning faster than the lure is traveling.......guess what ??? a scenario for backlashes......hmmmm. "Thumb control" is key here. As stated by previous posts, drag, line weight, length of rod, wind etc. play into casting distance and the "dreaded" backlash. A previous post used the word "sling" when casting heavy muskie
lures. I have found in essence that's what it is..... a sling!!! Throwing a top water lure is the easiest. One can throw them a country mile with little difficulty. Lures like the double cowgirl, magnum dogs etc. are a different story. I've found that an 8ft. rod with medium stiffness works best. I've tried different types of line, mono, braided and line weight, and it didn't seem to make a monumental difference. Throwing with the wind, and a somewhat "line drive" delivery vs. trying to hit the clouds works best. Setting the drag on the tight side helps cure backlashes, but will shorten casting distance. Don't be consumed with distance, as I've been with better fishermen than me who have landed Muskies with casts less than 75 feet. Also just watch other guys on the lake you fish, and you'll see that no one is setting any distance records !!!! The bottom line is you'll find your own way, and your own techniques as time passes. It's not rocket science, as there's only so much you can do !!! ........ Best regards, The frog caster.