Ideas for new setup

I did alittle searching and i found threads that asked the same question as mine "what is the best all around muskie reel?" but they all turned into...what reel is the best for burning 10s all day long. Currently i have a 7'6" Shimano Compre with a abu ambassador reel. I feel the need to upgrade to coincide with my improved skill level. I am not 100% stuck on any one particular rod but im leaning towards a 8' TI XH rod or another shimano compre. The reels im looking at are (of course) Abu Revo Toro winch 60 or the Shimano Curado 300EJ...my price range is $200 MAX (give or take a few bucks for shipping or whatever) Id like to be into a new setup for no more than $350. The madison fishing expo is coming up and id like to pick something up there on sale next weekend so time is sort of critical. So having said that here is my needs...I like to throw a wide variety of baits, from suicks, to dawgs and of course some buck tails. But i dont want a reel that that only works for one purpose. If i have to adjust my retrieve alittle that is fine, if it means i can throw a variety and not break my reel. I suppose i could use my old setup for throwing dawgs and jerk baits and use the new one for 10's but for the sake of argument id like to stick to the best all around reel/rod combo for $350(and under) Sorry to beat the same topic to death even further but i need an answer and i didnt get a straight one. I dont want this to turn into a slug match.

esox there is the revo toro winch i would recommend this if you are looking to go low profile other wise penn 965 (made in the USA) or a shimano calcutta are good choices for reels i own at least one of each

So after discussion at the expo I'm still stuck scratching my head wondering if the revo winch is just a bass reel. I've been told yes and no by even different Abu reps. Its gearing (on the revo winch) is 5.4:1 and it has 10 bearing and less line. Capacity. The revo toro has 8 bearing higher line capacity and two different gear options. I don't want to purchase the revo winch if its inferior in strength to the revo toro. 2 different Abu reps told e different things one said its a bass reel the other said its the same as a toro just less line capacity

I would stay away from the cardiff. Its a decent reel @$100, but waaay to many plastic parts and ALOT of bad reviews online. Like i said, not bad for the price but for longevity its not so good. Go with the Revo Toro winch, unless you dont mind losing alittle bit of line capacity, then go with the revo winch.

Go with a Tackle Industries rod with a Shimano cardiff 400 Reel! You can get the whole set-up for $200 if you shop around! Brian

Line capacity the revo winch has a 12/175 and the revo toro winch has a 14/250

Besides speed, what is the difference between a revo toro winch and a revo winch?? Based on specs it looks like only the speed is different. Obviously the slower reels have more power, but is there any real difference? Most sites list the revo winch @199 and the revo toro winch @269. I must be missing something.

It is all about the gear ratio man. That Toro Winch does not pick up much line, which is great for casting double 10's or 12's. Not so good for anything else in my opinion. I have a Revo Toro with a 5.4 gear ratio and it pulls 10's just fine and it pulls all other lures just fine. Out of the box, that regular speed Toro is the best musky reel I've ever used. I've used the 400B's, TE's, Luna's, 6500C4's...etc. If you like the low profile reel like the Revo, scour the net and find a 5.4 gear ratio and put that on the Legend. If you can live with the bigger size reel, it is tough to beat the 400B.

Ok so i looked into the exact specs and this is what i got.. Revo Toro - Incher per turn = 22 Curado 300ej - Inches per turn = 32 Curado 300e - Inches per turn = 28 Calcutta TE - Inches per turn = 25 Based on that info the toro is still stuck in my head, plus its cheaper than the calcutta and only marginally slower. I dont like the bulky feel of the round baitcasters when casting all day so the low profile reel is also appealing to me. After the madison fishing expo ill have a decision made and possibly a new reel to discuss I picked up a 9' St. croix legend for the rod as well as a 8' shimano compre. I felt the need to get a bigger compre because the old one is only a 7'6" rod. The st.croix i got for a hell of a deal which is why i splurged and picked that up.

I don't know your particular skill level. But if you are a beginner who is improving, I'd recommend a 8.5 extra heavy Okuma rod. You can pick one up for around $120 or so from Smokey's Muskie Shop in Pewaukee and have a lifetime warranty on it. I picked up one of these rods for my wife last year and she loves it. As far as reels go, the 400B is a good all-around choice, and it is the reel that my wife has on that pole. It works great for her. I'm sure this may rub some people the wrong way, but I've tried multiple times to like Tooth Tamer rods...and it hasn't worked. To me those rods are heavy to hold and a have far too little action in the end of the rod.

The Curado will not work for double 10's. The problem with the Revo Toro's is: that the Revo Toro Winch is very powerfull but slow, it pulls 10's easy but doesn't pick up much line. The Revo Toro HS is not going to pull the Dbl 10's (like biking up a hill in 10th gear) but picks up slack line fast when jerk bait fishing or with smaller bucktails. The best option in My humble opinion for your guidelines would be a Shimano Calcutta B 400 ($220) works good as an all purpose reel. Not slow/not fast, but has the power and durability to pull big baits. Lots of good Rod options to go with the Calcutta for around $75-$125 (Shimano, Tooth Tamer, Tackle Industries, Black River Rods, Old School Tackle. --Just my 2 cents, hope it helps some. -Jon

Keeping the rod a completely aside i want to focus on the reel. This is how i thought it worked (but i think im wrong) Curado 300EJ or 300E - Best for double 10's or fast moving baits Winch 50 or 60 - Better for slower moving baits because they hold the power. But I forgot to mention the winch also comes in HS style giving it more speed, which is the one i meant to ask about. I guess i figured i could pick up either the winch hs or curado 300E or EJ and still fish multiple baits with them just using common sense and slowing my retrieve when using slower style baits. I figured if they can handle double 10s then throwing rubber or jerk baits shouldnt be an issue IF i slow my retrieve.

Your choice of a TI rod is the perfect decision.

On your budget you should look at the Tooth Tamer rods. I do not own one but I almost bought one at the Milwaukee Musky expo but decided on a Musky Innovations split grip. For $150, I think the Tooth Tamers seemed like a great rods. As for reels, you are talking two very different reels as far as line pick up goes. The EJ is more of a high speed reel and the Winch is a lower line pickup reel. I have a Winch and love it (eBay $200 new). I was looking at an EJ this year but think I will go with a 60hs instead. I love the Winch enough to stick with the Abu. I think either way you go your in good shape. Just make sure you get a reel that is geared for what you want.