Reel Opinions

[Anzomcik]

I maybe beating a dead horse here...

My reel i just for glide baits has been giving me alot of trouble the past season or so, i will not name brand or model. I am lookin to replace it so i dont have to figth with it.

I like round reels for its purpose, they feel better when i palm them. I have curado's 300 (i do not own any toros but they look to be the same lack of crossbar also) that do not feel correct when i palm them they lack the cross bar on top of the reels to rest the thumb. I use and love the curados on other rods because on those i hold the foregrip, but my glide bait rod i palm to use my wrist to put action on the bait.

So i have narrowed my search but not exclusive to these three reels

Cardif 300 cheapest, i like the 300 size class. I question long term reliability

calcutta B 400, i hear they are good reels, do not like the 400 size class, mid price

Calcutta te 300, like the size, bullet proof, do not like price

any thoughts, or personal experence. I am truely on the fence, because the reel i use now is two years old and retail is a close to 200$, so i am gun shy of cheaper reels, but donot want to drop 400$ on a reel that might get beat up from bushwackin

[MtAiryEd]

calcutta B 400, i hear they are good reels, do not like the 400 size class, mid price

I like the 400-B. But I haven't tried a lot of other reels besides the Abu Garcia 6500.

[muskie24/7]

Andy, I have a 300 Cardiff thats pretty much brand new that I would be willing to Swap! Email me at youghstalker@hotmail.com

Brian

[allegheny river kid]

I have a few cardiff 400s and calcutta 400bs. The current 400 cardiffs have over 4 years on them, i've had to replace a few things on them that was more my fault then the reels. I have power handles on them and slipped and fell in the early spring with one in hand and ripped the threads off the shaft so i had to replace that and stripped another one maintancing it. The calcuttas are solid no problems at all and they are a little older. Before this i used other reels that lasted very short periods of time for musky fishing. Pretty much dont use anything but shimanos now for any species other then trolling reels. The key with the cardiffs is to keep them lubed and oiled, they seem to need hit a few times a season, for the money they have been well worth it IMO.

[stushsky]

unless the daiwa luna is the one you had problems with, i used two 300's for five years and never had a single problem with them. they also make a bit smaller sized 253 model i believe. i tried a couple of the curado 300's last season and my lunas just collected dust and i sold them, but they are great reels imo. i simply found that the low profile curados were so much more comfortable for me...