Favorite Rod/Reel

[sbro73]

Want to know there favorite rod/reel combo, and why ?

[cliffy]

For muskie fishing????

I have a bunch of rod/reels but I always find myself picking up my 8ft st.croix with the Abu C3 7000 reel. I love the longer rod as it makes casting long distance a breeze....and is easy to do 8s at boat side. I also like its action and speed...just seems to be perfect for me.

I like the 7000 as it can easily pull in the big baits or baits with heavy drag without much effort and I can “burn” bucktails without having to crank like a mad man on meth. It also seems to be a pretty well made reel as I have not had any problems with it....and didnt break the penny bank when I bought it.

Just my two cents.

[Random guy]

Thorne Bros Daimondback 8'6" with a Calcutta 350TE. It's like a bucktail rocket launcher. I really like the Daimondback rods from Thornes Bros. Light, good action, custom grips to fit my small paws.

[cjac]

Mine is the one with 50 inches of muskie on the other end of it!!!

Fitting the budget, I love the 8ft St Croix Premier and the Abu 6500. Sure, there are lighter and smoother products, but at least I know that with this equipment I mainly need to worry about operator error (me!), and not my gear. Calcuttas are amazing reels, but they run pretty deep into the wallet!

Jon: How much do the Diamondback sticks go for?

[cliffy]

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Jon: How much do the Diamondback sticks go for?

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Answer: an arm and a leg. Or first born child.

Seriously though, I hear they are worth every penny.

[Random guy]

They don't give em away. I consider it an investment. The last set up I had made was about $700 for the rod and I think the reel was around $230? That is probaly on the top end, I go all out with blue wraps,gold trim, rubberized reel seats, the best guides, custom grips and even a customized hook holder for my split rings since I don't use snaps. Yes alot of money but once you have used one it's hard to go back to other brands. I don't have a gal around or kids, heck I don't even have a goldfish so I can justify spending big coin on rods, they're family.

[cliffy]

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They don't give em away. I consider it an investment.

The last set up I had made was about $700 for the rod and I think the reel was around $230?

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Oh my lord...that is even higer than I thought. ...but if you can afford it, why not. Got me thinking of getting rid of the wife..... .. ...ah dump, cant do that either..she buys most of my stuff

[SteveWilson]

My favorite are the two Muskie rod's I built this year. One is 7'6" and handles lures from 5/8 oz to 2oz, the other is 7' and made on a Lamiglass blank and made to handle 1 1/2oz to 8oz lures. Both rods have top end Fuji components, handles turned to fit my hands, and fairly distinctive wraps. Both have Diawa Millionaire CVZ 300A reels with 80lb PowerPro. I'm very satisfied with both setups, just wish I had more time to use them

[cableguy031]

Shimano 6' 6" medium action and Shimano Curado is my favorite. Got a sweet deal. Rod went for $250 originally, went out of business sale for 60% off, plus 30% clearance. Got a $250 Shimano rod for $43 plus tax. Reel got as birthday present from wife, gotta love her.

[Steve Foss]

I haven't experimented enough to have a favorite rod. I use the 6500s on all three of them. One's a standard 6500c3, one's a trophy series and the other a 6500UC. The UC is the highest-end of the three (cost a bit over $100), with the oversize handle on the Trophy the easiest to crank economically. I'll be getting oversized handles on the others. The c3 and trophy each cost less than $70 on sale. For the money, the 6500s and 7000s are the way to go.

I've got two 7-foot Berkley graphite composite Lightnin Rods in heavy action. They only ran $50 to $60 each, and have served me well. My third rod . . . brace yourselves . . . is a Berkley E-Cat No. 3. The series was made several years ago for, as you'd guess, catfish anglers, and is composed of E-glass. This E-glass rod, at 8 feet, is a bit heavier in the hands than the prime 8-foot graphite musky sticks, but will push heavy lures out there a half mile. It's got a slower action than most graphite rods, as you'd expect, but not as slow as some, and has tremendous backbone and power. Makes an excellent big-lure trolling rod as well, and when your lure gets to bouncing on its lip in the rocks, the rod can easily handle the shocks.

Unfortunately for the late fall musky trollers out there, Berkley discontinued the E-cat series a few years back.

By the way, fished with a Calcutta last month and loved it, but, again, it's a budget buster. Rather spend the $300 on lures. Should be able to get four or five lures for that money.

[Random guy]

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Unfortunately for the late fall musky trollers out there, Berkley discontinued the E-cat series a few years back.

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I really wished they wouldn't have done that, I really like my Ecats. Nice thing about those rods is they are multi-purpose, you can troll with them, go catfishing with them or use them to push the boat to shore if the motor dies.

[Steve Foss]

They make good walls studs, too.

Berkley dropped the line because they apparently believed at the time that catfish anglers wouldn't shell out $70 for a rod, and their Reflex series, if I remember right, used the same type of blanks but had foam handles and was a lot less expensive ($30 about five years ago).

[cjac]

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I don't have a gal around or kids, heck I don't even have a goldfish so I can justify spending big coin on rods, they're family.

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I'm headed the direction of a wife that come with 2 kids already, so I had best get all my toys in line !!! If I was on the water as much as you, I can see how that much for a stick can be justified. Looking at a Calcutta as an early Xmas present to myself. You reccmmend the 350TE? Not sure I can pony up $700 for the Diamondback, but it would feel pretty good on a nice 8 ft Avid.

Jon: Somewhat off the subject: Do you know how big is this Libby Make a Wish tourney on Tonka tomorrow is? I was going to head out there and throw the west end (Cook's) but if it's a ton of boats am I better on East Metro waters?

Thanks!

[Random guy]

No I don't. I dropped the ball on that whole deal. I need to talk with Libby on some of these functions that she does for the kids. Good cause and I understand she does an awsome job at it. As far as size I would guess by the time you put Libby's deal out there, guys prefishing the PMTT and the fellows just going out for some fishing it will probaly get pretty crowded would be my guess.

[radm]

Libby's tourney is set at 30 teams (boats).

[DTro]

Quote:

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They don't give em away. I consider it an investment.

The last set up I had made was about $700 for the rod and I think the reel was around $230? That is probaly on the top end, I go all out with blue wraps,gold trim, rubberized reel seats, the best guides, custom grips and even a customized hook holder for my split rings since I don't use snaps. Yes alot of money but once you have used one it's hard to go back to other brands. I don't have a gal around or kids, heck I don't even have a goldfish so I can justify spending big coin on rods, they're family.

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After I win the powerball tomorrow, I'll still have a hard time justifying A THOUSAND DOLLARS for a rod an reel. Each to his own and I'm glad you like it and can afford it, but I just about fell off my couch when I read that. Guess I'm in the wrong line of work

[sbro73]

Am wondering where to find a Calcutta 350TE, sounds perfect as I've small mitts ,too. Thanks all for the output !!!

[Jim Hudson]

If you guys haven't checked out the Pete Mania Signature Line of Rods/Reels from Bass Pro shop, your missing out. I own three of these combos and all are top notch for anyones musky arsenal. And the biggest plus... They have a reasonable price tag for anyone in this game.

The rods come in varying lengths for varying applications where the reels come in two speeds, 5:2:1 and 4:2:1. Also, each rod comes with a weight balancing kit that makes throwing baits a little bit easier!!! This is essential for those 15 hour days chuggins big baits. Your back and arms really like any help they can get during days like these.

[cjac]

Ended up heading out on 'tonka, despite the nice weather, a.k.a. traffic, and it paid off. Set a new personal best with a 48, and she was fat! Hit the west end out of Cook's Bay, looking to get away from the craziness. Pretty classic situation, windswept point, top side of it casting across it...and kaboom! I've had a few low/mid 40's fish...amazing how much bigger they are with a couple more inches in length/girth!

I'm in my 2nd year of chasing muskies seriously, and I love it! I've learned a lot from this site, and MOST importantly being prepared is key. Had the proper net and necessary tools/camera/measuring tape readliy accessible once she was hooked, and knowledge of how to handle a creature like that. Made for a couple good pics and a quick release of a beautiful and healthy fish.

Jon P: I might have to flip a coin between east and west metro now!!!

Thnkas to all for the shared knowledge to assist me in a day like today!!

cjac