Hi,new member here! Currently Im using a Daiwa 253Z (5.1:1) on a 8' heavy Calico Special(Allstar)rod.It holds about 110-115 yards of 20lb Maxima and works really well.Id like to get another swimbait rod but this time Im thinking about getting a lighter more palmable reel to use.What are you guys using if you are?




Thanks Chris

i dont think many ppl here use low profiles for swimbaits, maybe on 5" hammers, but for the 7" plugs and bigger, you gonna need at least a 300 catala or something. i learned this the hard way...my quantum energy PT exploded because of using overweight lures. hope you have better luck than i did!
-patrick

Patrick,What was it that destroyed that reel? Was it the gears from cranking big baits? I have a Quantum E600cx 6.1:1 reel and I agree a deep diving Risto Rap is too much for that reel.I see now Quantum makes a 640 PT 4.39:1 and a 650 pt 5.8:1 I wonder if these would handle a swimbait.


Thanks, Chris

I was using a chronarch for throwin ospreys. Didnt catch any thing on it though which was probably a good thing since you only end up having 20 yards of line on your reel after a long cast. now i use a calcutte 300te and its a sweet reel.

For about 2 years(before I got my Calcutta 300 TE)I was using a Shimano Curado 200 Super Free to wing big baits on 20 lb. The Super Free reels from Shimano are the only low profile reels that are fast enough, right as you cast, to keep up with a big heavy bait flying through the air. This speed of free-spool is important so that you can get maximum casting distance, and the reel responds right away to your cast, so you won't backlash as easily.

The reason for the Curado over the Chronarch for me was that the Curado has a spool that is just a bit wider, so you can hold a little more line and cast that heavier line better. Plus the Curado reels are bullet proof, there have been plenty discussions on this forum about their quality and that of the Shimano service. Remember "Curado 200 Super Free", the regular Curado won't do you much good.

I agree, I use a Curado Super Free as well, many will tell you a round reel is better, like a 250 or 200, this is in fact a myth, they hold the same amount of line! Have you ever had a Bass pull out continous line, that you could not turn, yeah if you bomb a huge cast, you are short on line, but with 20 lb. test, you aint gonna brake a fish from pressure. Haul them in with the 20-30 lb stick you will be using!
The CTE300 is great as well, just BIG, I much prefer having a little more palmability!
Dane

I've tried using my curados both super free and regular for big bait with 20lb. Does it work? Absolutely. Is it ideal? I don't feel like it is, and here is why.

When you look at the spool on any of the shimano reels size 300 to 400, it is much thicker than on a low profile. Meaning that if you pulled the spool out with the line on and pinched it bewteen your thumb and forefinger, it would be further across than on a low profile reel. The fact that the spool is thicker means that there is more line per revolution of the spool. Therefore, when you cast, the spool has to make less revolutions to lay out the line. Where a CTE400 might revolve 50 times to cast 100 feet of line, a curado 200 might revolve 60 or 70 times. Those numbers aren't exact, but you get the point. The further down the spool you go on the curado, the narrower the coils of line are and the faster the spool has to spin to keep up. Yeah, the super free has awesome freespool, but when you dump almost all of the line off of the reel on a long cast, it gets squirrely toward the base of the spool. I'd take a CTE400 in a casting contest any day with a big swimbait vs. a curado and I'd bet I would win because at the end of the cast I'd let it just keep flying where the curado spool would be speeding up and at the same time releasing less line.

The other thing to consider is winching power. The handle and gearing on the CTE as the name implies is for Total Efficiency. The curado is geared for speed and for lighter baits. For me it gets tiring twirling the handle on the curado on a big bait. If I was a rich guy, I would own only TE's but as it is I have one and a couple cardiffs. The cardiffs are so-so but at least they have the larger spool and handle.

And one last thing to consider ... You can take an ABU 6500 and lube is up with light oil in the right spots and you can really bomb a bait with that reel. It may even cast further than a TE ( I know that's sacrelige :) ) but it's true. But when you start cranking in with the 6500, it feels like a little toy comapred to the TE because the gearing is direct and the handle is very small.

So like all things, there are tradeoffs, but in swimbait land, I always put a vote for going big and taking the advantage over the fish.

One low-pro that I throw swimbaits on is the Castaic SF, only because I have a couple with 65 lb. PowerPro that I flip with, and I like to throw some of the big baits with the braid. My favorite is the CTE300, but the Castaic works well.

Sorry for the late reply, I have been out of town.It looks like I'll have to put some 20# line on and try the small reel.Handle size was mentioned above and that is another thing to factor in that I didnt think of. My cvz is probably a good half inch longer in the handle than my quantum giving it that much more torque regardless of gearing.




Chris