Your Favorite Baitcaster and Why

[RobGoesFish]

Thanks to GPD for the idea on this one.

I thought I would see what reels people really like. Also what you use it for would also be appreciated ie lures or baits, fresh or saltwater. My favorite baitcaster at the moment is an Abu 6500c4 with an Erskine drag upgrade which makes it smooth as silk with serious stopping power. I mainly use it (when I get a chance) fishing shallow reef fishing with baits

Whats everyone else's favorite?

[cammac]

Hey Rob,

This Forum is being answered in the thread below this one - theres only 2 decent brands out there isnt there ???!::) ;D ;D

[Steve B]

Cam, your right about that:D . We got asked to leave the previous thread for suggesting that maybe another brand was equal to, or heaven forbid, better than Daiwa or shimano!;)

[RobGoesFish]

Yeah this may be true Cam, but I am more interesting in specific models as well. I am from the opinion that not everything from Shimano and Daiwa is good stuff so I want know which reels people are specifically talking about.

Thanks

Rob

[TheSaint]

Daiwa Alphas 103 for me.. Can't beat it!

[Jonli]

Conquest 101DC for me , the ultimate wud be Zillion sized low profile baitcaster with DC technology .

JonLi .

[GPB]

Steve B, you weren't asked to leave the S v D thread [POLL], your post [tops] would be more appreciated by more people [including me] who are interested in all brands of bait-casters, not in a negative Holden v Ford type ramble where a BMW doesn't even get mentioned.:-/
Yours is the second post I've read praising a certain ABU model [not just brand] and that's helpful to everybody as it was done in a positive attitude.;D ;D

[krazyfisher]

still like my now old tdx103hsd daiwa nice to cast all day. but after looking the other day some of the cheaper ones are starting to feel nice

[t4topcat]

G'day all,
for what it's worth here are a range of my favourites that I use, 1. A Curado 200BSF with tricked up Erskine drag washers and running 30lb bionic (have stopped 110cm Barra and 110-115 Spaniards with this reel), 2. Daiwa Luna 253 again running 30lb Bionic (only a recent aquisition but feels fantastic) and is mounted on a T-Curve PowerCast, and my AbuGarcia 5600C4 running 10lb FINS, and my AbuGarcia 6600&5600 EONS both running 20lb Bionic.

Cheers

Chris

[Luke G]

Mine would be the Calcutta 250 TE DC

Brought the first one in the shop a year and abit ago. Caught hundreds of fish on it and it still feels like new.

[woody74]

Shimano Calais, sweetest reel I have ever used, cast for hrs with it.

[Steve B]

GBP,
Sorry mate. my post might have read a bit narky, I actually was trying to be a bit tounge in cheek!:) Your right about Ford Holden BMW thing!!. Reels, sounders, boats all have the same cult followings.

For the record, Favorite reel is my faithfull Chronarch 100B with 30lb fins and erskine drags. Everyone has a lucky reel, I think thats mine. Second was a calcutta 200b silver model I sold recently, equal third is my new Team Diawa advantage (super tuned model) and ABU revo STX. So theres not much brand favouritism in my reel collection!!

:D I like the Idea that someone had about a hybrid DC and Zillion - that would rock.!!! i'd settle for one of each too!!:D

[cammac]

Hey Topcat

What are the EONs like? - nearly bought one a while back.

My Fav so far is my Curado 101D. Ive also got an old ABU Mag2 which i like a lot!

Cam

[davez104]

My fave, without a doubt, Daiwa Millionaire CVZ-253 with erskine drag washers. I've used it for Bass fishing in the fresh, Barra up to a metre in the dams, even out on the reef bottom bashing. Awesome bit of gear and I would buy another one without hesitation.

Dave.

[Noelm]

hhhmmm must be my "old fashioned" thinking, but after using all sorts of brands and models, I find (for the amount I use a baitcaster) that I always go back to my old ABU's, I have a 2500 that I got about 1980 or so and still works like new on bass and stuff, and I have a 10000C 2 speed 'automatic" that I thought would fall to bits for sure, but it too is still as strong as ever (though the handle is a tad loose now) but it has had a beating, off the rocks, on the beach, in the boat with leads too heavy for it, and tortured with 50LB braid on a few trips, so I guess for me there is NO OTHER than ABU, don't care who has what or how technically advanced the "thermo nuclear whatever" is.

[moater]

hhhmmm must be my "old fashioned" thinking, but after using all sorts of brands and models, I find (for the amount I use a baitcaster) that I always go back to my old ABU's, I have a 2500 that I got about 1980 or so and still works like new on bass and stuff, and I have a 10000C 2 speed 'automatic" that I thought would fall to bits for sure, but it too is still as strong as ever (though the handle is a tad loose now) but it has had a beating, off the rocks, on the beach, in the boat with leads too heavy for it, and tortured with 50LB braid on a few trips, so I guess for me there is NO OTHER than ABU, don't care who has what or how technically advanced the "thermo nuclear whatever" is.


Hey Noelm,

Regarding the 10000C,my late friend used to use two for years to catch sharks up to 6 feet or so from the Ninety Mile beach down here in Vic.Never had a problem with them-superb reel for sure!!

I bought one from the US that was part of a deceased estate and had never been on a rod,totally NEW condition and a collector's item.It was bought in 1986 and I offered the seller $US350 which they were happy with.Worth every cent as it's rare as hen's teeth.Would like to actually use it but it's a good investment item.

Regards,Darren 8-)

[Noelm]

yep, kind of strange how the auto system works, but quite simple and it has never given 1 minute of trouble for all the years I have owned it, the only thing sort of wrong with mine is the side plate is all scratched and you can't get a new one, but it still goes great, just looks shabby, and holy crap, I never thought they were worth much at all.

[blaze]

I have one of the ABU 10000 speeds too, old but works well. I have never stripped it as I reckon a normal over head is bad enough with wondering whats in a 2 speed auto reel.
cheers
blaze

[Noelm]

Blaze, the 2 speed reel is realy no different inside than a "standard" reel, very easy to pull to bits and put back together, just seems like it would tricky when in fact it is not.

[Daniel_603]

My favourate Baitcaster would definatly be my shimano curado had it for more then four years and its helped me get some quality wild river Bass:D And its still going strong.

[kevin1987316]

1,calais dc for dc tech. 2 presso for spinning reel- like light lure castability. 3 bay casting sp for a giggas spool on a saltwater reel.
different types of fishing matched with diff types of reels.

[t4topcat]

G'day Cam,
well mate the Eons are not bad, I suppose it comes back to personal preference but I don't mind using them, and having the easy grip drag tensioner is good if you need to give em' a bit of stick. Honestly though they both need an upgrade of their drag washers I think in the next year or so just starting to get a little sticky but still not bad. My favourites though are my 2 Curados and my Daiwa Luna 253..........love em'. By the way I ws thinking of maybe parting with one of the Eons due to an overstocking issue, it seems I have too many damn reels.

Cheeers

Chris

[wheelerdog]

EONS are great,i love the drag on mine,

I like casting the calcutta 200b better though. its a great real and has landed many nasty critters that it probably isn't designed for;)

[nipsta]

i have a abu 5600 ws whiffeled spool and i used it all weekend casting for barra and couldnt fault it its not normally the reel that the bad part its the person using it make it what they wants to make of it also i used a okuma induron 250 idx i just got from the states for a good price and is a really nice reel as well its smoother then the abu and got a real good drag system there worth 220 ish here and i got it for 83 on ebay.com

[wamjam]

Gday
Im another abu fan ,Iv'e got a 5500 pro rocket ,5600 c4,5600d5 and a new 5600 record which I reacon its going to be the best once it loosens up a bit,its only had a few trips. Level winds seem to be the biggest problem with the abu's but Im farely slack when it comes to cleaning and oiling them.Best thing I like is the level wind moves back and foward when casting (apart from the d5)so the line doesn't have to pull from one side of the spool if that is where it happenned to be for that cast.I bought a cvz 253 from the states last year but doesn't cast anywhere nere the distance as the c4 or the 5500.
wamjam

[cammac]

Hey Wam,


thats interesting that the level wind ABUs are outcasting Daiwa. Thought those geared level winds would restrict distance a bit what weight lures you casting/

Cam

[reggy]

Glad to see there is still a lot of ABU fans out there.
I only own 2 baitcasters now, my mag elite which I bought 7 years ago and is probably my favourite because it is so easy to cast and very tuneable.

The other one is a 6500c3 chrome rocket, which I think has chromed brass side plates, instead of the usual anodised aluminium. Very solid reel which I use for floating pillies to school mackeral. It has a Carbontex drag which handled a metre of spanish mackeral on 6kg easily.

If I bought another baitcaster, I would be very tempted by the new Revo.;D

Reggy

[Roo]

zillion......v' nice to use. only thing that worries me with daiwa's is the levelwind.....I'm used to having the levelwind track with the spool when casting or giving line under drag. Haven't caught anything to test it really, catfish don't count and the 1 flathead i got wasn't gonna worry the drag either.
roo

[Reef_fisher]

Hi all, I have ABU 6500 and don't like the damn thing, it feels all clumsy when I use it, I got a shimano coriolis mated with a shimano t curve rod and really like how it sits in my hand, very easy to use too. I have recently got another of these combos as I broke the rod on a steamtrain the other week. I matched the older coriolis reel up with a penn power stick but haven't used the combo yet so can't comment on it. I don't know what it is about the ABU that makes it feel clumsy when I use it, yes I have big hands, but the shimano is even smaller than the ABU, anyway different strokes for different folks, just enjoy the fishing I reckon.

[NormC]

Without a doubt, my favourite is my Shimano Curado 200DSV. Great casting reel. Small and light enough to cast all day and not too expensive. Just bought another one to give to my wife for her birthday next month.
Although the drag on them is great, I'll probably get Jack Erskine to weave his magic on them to make them even better.
I'd love a Calais, but at the moment the budget doesn't stretch that far. One day.......

[wamjam]

Gday cammac
I dont know the weight but they are big heavy lures 100mm-170mm timber cod lures. Big cod are cunning as sh#t and the farther away you can stay the better, so long cast seem to help.

[aadam]

hi,
just for a different suggestion, i use a Penn Erskine signature II and have nothing but absolute praise for it. mathced to a pinpoint BCM it has stopped murray cod up to 109cm in sticks with 40lb braid and still come back for more, tough as nails although admittadly maybe not as smooth as some of the shimano or diawa models on the market. other oppinoins on this model???
aadam