reels

looking for a new reel for the season. want something that i can burn big bucktails with, without burning myself or the reel out. any suggestions??

The Daiwa Pluton is excellent all around in the lower gear ratio, but high priced. For a tight budget or to have multiples, the Revo Toros are hard to beat, the lower ratios have the pulling power and the higher ratios will work glide baits and topwaters really well with durability and large line capacities. Also, most ABU reel handles are interchangeable, so getting a Single-knob saltwater cranking handle for the RevoToros is really simple. Check out Fishermans Factory Outlet, they usually have the Revo Toros (factory recon but still under warranty) for less than 200 bills- I have purchased several recon reels from them and have never had an issue. As a side issue, I usually bring along a generic ABU round reel in the 5000 size with a left-hand retrieve- they can usually be picked up for less than 60 new or about 30 used, and it gives me the option of swapping out when I get fatigued using my right-hand retrieves for a 20-30 minute break.

I also am a big Abu fan but last year I went to a Diawa Saltist and absolutly love the way it pulls the big blades. Can burn 10's all day with ease and great with the top water and big rubber as well. JMO.

The winch is okay but a bit slow, I swapped out my 4.6 gears for 5.4 and it is much better. But the 6.4 or the HS is the best but you can't throw it for 14 hours straight. So I have both. Make sure you get a stiff rod too, that is just as important.

There are a few reels out there that are basically made to burn in big bucktails. The way to tell that youre getting what youre looking for is low gear ratio. The revo toro winch from Abu Garcia is the reel I use for that purpose. The low gear ratio allows you to crank in heavy pulling baits without killing your wrists and arms. Think of it kinda like a bike. When youre going uphill, you shift your gears so when youre going, youre slowly making your way up the hill but its easier to pedal. Youre cranking in your bucktail a bit slower, but its way easier to get the lure in. Youll have to reel at a quicker pace to get your bucktail to bulge but itll be way easier to reel it in. Theyre made tough also, so you dont have to worry about burning out your gears in a higher geared reel. Hope this helps.

I bought two reels off ebay for a great price and havent had any problems with them yet. The shimano curado300 and and toro60 winch. The toro is slower than I would like but very smooth and can pull in a boat. I belive I paid around 400 bucks, each brand new in the box and if I would've bought them at a sporting shop the two would of ran me around 700.00 at that time. I kept an eye on reels for about 3 months waiting on a great price and a trusting seller before buying. I'm thinking about picking up another reel this spring if the right deal comes along. I wanted the shimano 400te but never did find it for the price I was looking for. If you ever get the chance to borrow a friends reel first, I would and see if it's what works for you.

I like the Calcutta 400 TE with the power handle. Also, a friend of mine picked up a Daiwa Luna a couple years ago. I fished with it a few times and it is also a very nice reel. Not sure if Daiwa make a power handle for it though. The power handles make a big difference when it comes to pulling big blades through the water.

Check out the new Abu Revo Toro Nacl. Very nice "do it all" reel from what I have been told. I will be buyi one soon.

I love ABUs also and you should check out the 7000i HSN. It isn't much larger than a 6500 and they pull the big stuff with ease. I can bulge double tens effortlessly!!

i'm pretty partial to abu reels...was thinking about the revo stx...i already own a winch and love it for throwing big stuff but it lacks in picking up line for burning 8's above cabbage

shimano 400te, tranx, revo winch 5:4:1, among others. I believe there is a thread sometime back with more information on reels as well. Before purchasing mine I stopped in to a few pro shops and picked up and held a few reels before purchasing them off ebay for a good price, I got a curado 300ej and a winch60 with only a 4:6:1 ratio, I love both reels, but the winch is tough to burn blades fast, it will pull in anything just about, but lacks the speed. The curado is for my stick baits where I'm mainly just pulling with the rod and reeling up the slack which works great for me. Hope this helps.