Best Musky Reel?

Hi guys,
Really enjoy the wealth of knowledge here and hoped to get some of your opinions on a new reel purchase.
I need a musky reel for throwing junior and baby sized double cowgirls on a 7’6 or 8′ heavy action rod. My last few reels have been Abu 6500’s and I keep burning out the gears in them. I have heard good things about Shimanos and Revos. I dont mind throwing a round vs. low profile shaped reel. I’ve also been thinking it would be nice to have a reel with a higher gear ratio to lessen cranking fatigue on my arm. As per price, $300 is my limit, but to spend that much I need to know I’m getting something that will last more than one season.
What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance for your responses.

Revo Toro Winch has been good so far.

I use a Shimano curado 300 is a good one. I’ve still have 3 Citicas that still work well after 3 years. And a Diawa saltist 20 level wind that is great also

winch

Revo winch

First off… You say you are buying it for small buck tails?? In this case I would go with a Shimano curado 300 EJ or a Daiwa lexa. Both are built primarily for this application.

If you want a reel with big line pick up you will automatically pay $300 plus for quality. On the cheaper side the lexa does well with 32″ of pick up.

And lastly, reveals break every year no matter what you buy! With proper maintenance you can minimize the breakdowns. The strongest reel ever made for musky fishing is the shimanO Calcutta TE or now the D. In most professionals opinion it’s the Cadillac of reels… But even Cadillacs have problems. My te’s got around 150 days of use last year alone and one of them broke down before years end. Get it re built and good as new!

Whatever to do don’t buy a winch! Anybody who suggested it to you didn’t read your ENTIRE post. Winch is super SLOW pickup and is made for 10’s and 13’s… Not small buck tails.

And on a side note it seems u should know by now… Abu Garcia is Abu Garcia! All are 2nd class to Shimano. When I go2 the musky shows the Abu line is chaos and packed with ppl who need their reels fixed… While Shimano is smooth sailing and organized!

I fish with one Curado 300 EJ, two Revo Toro 5.4s and a Diawa Saltist. The Revos are bullet proof, I would recomend the mid range 5.4. You can’t go wrong with the Curado or the Revo but my choice hands down is the Revo. I agree that in the past Abu reels such as the Ambasidor series didn’t hold a candle to the Shimano reels but times have changed.

First off a Revo Winch and Revo Toro Winch are different reels with different gear ratios. Both are decent entery level reels but never peraonally putting them through a season can not voutch for there long term durability but both of them will move small blades but your going to crank way faster they you want to.

For what your talking about I would look at the Shimano Currado 300EJ. Moves small baits at good speed with ease. My Shimanos have been used and abused and with a good cleaning at the end of the season to remove any moisture they don’t miss a beat!

It’s kind of like the ford vs chevy thing IMO. I do agree that the winch is too slow for what the o.p. stated but the Calcutta D is out of his price range. Calling a Revo a entry level reel is a bit bold. I have heard good things about the Revo Toro NaCl and is available in the 5.4:1 gears. Most of the reels mentioned are good reels.

I have a Calcutta, a Revo Toro Winch and a Revo Toro 5.4:1. My Calcutta made it one year before it needed parts, my Revos have made it 4 and 5 years without needing a thing, they also are way more comfortable to palm. I’m not saying the Calcutta is a bad real, but I’ve personally had better luck with the Garcias.

I run a Revo 60 HS for jerkbaits, Revo Nacl 5:4 for general use, Calcutta B 400 for rubber, Trinidad 14 for bucktails, and a Curado 300 DSV for topwater and a loaner for guests/wife/daughter…All but the DSV has needed repairs but then again I use my reels 3-7 days a week during season… Find a 400B Calcutta or a 5:4 Revo Toro 60 both are great all around reels….

In my opinion something that is a bit under rated is how a reel feels to you. IMO you really can’t go wrong with a Toro 60 in either high speed or regular 5.4:1 ratios or the Curado 300 or Calcutta D. Go to a shop that has all of them and see what feels good to you. I agree with all of the other responses that the winch would be too slow for what you are looking to do. I own 2 Toros, but have used other people’s Calcutta’s, Curados, and Tranx.

Thanks for all the great responses everyone. I’m leaning towards the curado 300ej but think before I decide I will testdrive that vs. a higher gear Revo. From looking at specs on a lot of these reels it’s interesting to me that a 6.9:1 Curado has a line pick up of 32″ while a Calcutta 300D with a 5.6:1 gear ratio has a pick up of 30″. Other reels with a gear ratio in the mid 5’s have pick ups of about 25″. Is this due to spool design/size?

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From looking at specs on a lot of these reels it’s interesting to me that a 6.9:1 Curado has a line pick up of 32″ while a Calcutta 300D with a 5.6:1 gear ratio has a pick up of 30″. Other reels with a gear ratio in the mid 5’s have pick ups of about 25″. Is this due to spool design/size?

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Spool diameter plays a big roll on line pickup as well as gear ratio so its a combination of both. Bigger spool picks up more line on one revolution then a smaller spool. Gear ratio just tells you how many times the spool turns for 1 crank of the handle. Sometimes high gear and big spool equals more hand torque. Theres a fine comfort line and most people have different likes.

Don’t throw those busted Abu’s away. The gears can be replaced for next to nothing and changing them out is quick and easy. If you take the time to clean your reel while you’re replacing the gears, it’s a 2 beer job.

Is there a significant advantage between the Shimano Calcutta B versus D series? There certainly is a cost difference.

Abu Garcia 6500C3 Ambassadeur C3 Baitcast Round Reel (3 Ball-Bearing, Gear Ratio 5.3:1, Capacity 14/245)

Calcutta 400b hands down. I have had awesome luck with them. Where I have seen the winch go out in a day, same with the Saltist. I have had one of my calcuttas get a little funky in year 2 I normally get 3 seasons out of one, and that is fishing 100+ days a year. If you want to step up the TE is a great reel also. My vote goes calcutta all the way!

I also have a few fishing buddies who swear by the Curado 300EJ, lower profile and a little easier to handle if that bothers you. Also a good choice. You really get what you pay for with muskie reels IMO. Spend your money on the reel, and pair it with the correct action rod.

Abu Revo’s do last pretty well. Good gears and a solid drag. I have both at the shop and I personally like the little faster gear ratio it will not last as long but if you service just the most basic things it will last a lot longer then a 65XX series Abu.

Shimano’s are top notch as well. 30x’s are very nice.

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From looking at specs on a lot of these reels it’s interesting to me that a 6.9:1 Curado has a line pick up of 32″ while a Calcutta 300D with a 5.6:1 gear ratio has a pick up of 30″. Other reels with a gear ratio in the mid 5’s have pick ups of about 25″. Is this due to spool design/size?

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Spool diameter plays a big roll on line pickup as well as gear ratio so its a combination of both. Bigger spool picks up more line on one revolution then a smaller spool. Gear ratio just tells you how many times the spool turns for 1 crank of the handle. Sometimes high gear and big spool equals more hand torque. Theres a fine comfort line and most people have different likes.

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I just want to point out that Calcutta is a round reel vs. low profile. Another factor in how many inches per handle turn is the fact that you’ll spool up a larger “roll” of line because of the increased capacity. Most round reels are measured by inches per turn with the spool at full capacity. Therefore, a smaller gear ratio is going to show a greater/faster retrieve per turn than your typical low profile model is able to produce.

If money is no object, try the Shimano Tranx. When you do let me know how nice/not nice it is. If you’re a disabled vet on a tight, fixed income: look at the Okuma Komodo KDR-364. 31 inches per crank, and plenty of braking power on the drag. $as little as $160.

Actually I just bought two of the Shimano tranx 400s they were about 275 each, so they are withing your budget. So far I’m liking them but have only been casting a 8 oz lead around my yard. You can tell they are a tank of a reel and are built to take a beating after handling one

We ordered a tranx 400 last weekend at the musky expo for the gf. Fits her better and is geared towards smaller baits that she usually throws.

I’ve owned every reel mention except the 300 size models, and I’ve used the curado 300. For what it’s worth, my advice is to get a Revo Toro 5.4 and and don’t look back. The 50 or 60 size would work with a light setup like yours, but I only have experience with the 60.

Any advice on what line pickup is recommended for different lure types? My gut tells me to go for the larger pickup and just crank slower if I want a slower presentation. With the power handle on many reels it seems like there’s no issue with having the leverage to do the work easily.

Is this reasonable?

Shimano Curado 300’s are on sale at Cabelas in the Bargain Cave.
I bought one a few days ago at $159, today they are at $179.

I love my Abu Garcia revo toro beast. I have a high speed but I can still pull 10s with it all day. It is also able to burn bucktails. It is my number one reel I have two and one winch that I also love. However for smaller bucktails I believe you want to be able to burn them and the winch wouldn’t be my first choice to burn bucks with. Where the winch shines is big bucktails and high resistance baits such as big crank baits.

The tranx of will get you on more fish hands down. You work way less to make things go faster. Which sometimes is the only thing to get a Muskie to eat. You can still slow it down, or work it fast, faster then all the other with much less effort. Which in a full day means less fatigue and more casts.