Calcutta 700B

[Muskiemanzan13]

I'm in the market for a new set up. Looking at the Calcutta 700B put on a St. Croix Mojo Musky 8' Med./Heavy or Heavy action.

Wondering what your guys' thoughts/experiences are with this reel.

Thanks,

Zander

[tolle141]

It's big, bulletproof, and very powerful. Very easy to find parts should you need them. With that said, reels have come a long ways since the 700B was launched. Depending on what you intend to use it for, I'd look long and hard at the Daiwa Lexa 400's, Abu Garcia Revo Toro's, or a calcutta 400D.

Mojo muskies are great rods. I find them to be a bit stiff. I'd take a good look at the Tackle Industries 9' XH. Fantastic action. Better price. And even better customer service (James). I have 2 TI's right now and will definitely be getting more.

[Guest]

I'm liking the looks of the Lexa 400.

Thanks!

-Zander

[mrklean]

I have a Lexa 400 and like it, its a big reel but reels big baits in nicely without to much work

[tolle141]

I should add, my current setups are:

Shimano Tranx PG w/ TI 9' XH single piece

Daiwa Lexa 400 6.3:1 w/TI 9' XH single piece

Shimano Curado 300E on 8'6" SC Mojo Musky XH

Tranx PG is the powerhouse that I would trust with big blades (10's and up). It's a big reel though so I prefer the fit of the Lexa much more (medium sized hands)

Lexa 400 6.3:1 - I throw this probably 90% of the time. Handles buchertails to jr cowgirls just fine.

Curado has been relegated to backup, and in this sport you need backups.

[fishcast]

another fan of lexa 400... i have a abu 6500, abu 7000, calcutta 400 te, one of the gray curado 300s, and a lexa 400 in high speed... All good reels in their own way... but for most muskie applications i find the lexa 400 hard to beat considering the price... the 6something:1 ratio has to be about as good as one gets all around in my opinion, especially for price. Lotsa good reels on the market though!

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestions fellas. I was at Thorne Bros. yesterday and held the Lexa 400 PowerVersion in my hand and fell in love with it. Gonna get that on either an 8' Heavy Mojo Musky or an 8'6" Extra-Heavy Mojo Musky.

Thanks again,

-Zander

[tolle141]

What baits are you typically throwing? I have both Mojo muskies and Tackle Industries rods. I find the mojo's are excellent "pull" rods, but the stiffness can be a problem when casting bucktails and light lures.

If you go on muskie first you'll find the TI rods are strongly recommended. I have another one coming right now and nobody beats James for customer service.

[Guest]

I have 3 rods that'll handle any kind of bucktail from cowgirls and smaller. So this setup will be for cowgirls and bucktails bigger and things like bulldawgs or other bigger jerkbaits.

-Zander

[tolle141]

Gotchya. Go with the 8'6". Longer = wider figure 8's, better pickup, and stronger hook sets

Let us know how it works out for you!

[Guest]

Ended up with a Revo Toro Winch 60 on an 8' Med./Heavy St. Croix Premier. Going to be picking up an 8'6" XH with a Calcutta 400D for big rubber. Thanks for the advice fellas. Helped me big time in making my decision. Going to be fishing the PMTT events this year and getting an early start in Cave Run. Bring on the open water!