St Croix or Shimano?

[SKIHUNTER]

Looking for a new set up this year. Going to get an 8' rod which will be a St Croix Avid/Premier med hvy fast or Shimano Compre with same specs. The question of what reel to put on it is the bigger problem. I went through 3 Abu-Garcia 5600 Mag-x reels last season. They seem to work great for the first thousand or so casts, but have little durability and at $80 each I'd rather purchase a more expensive reel that will last several years than stick with more of these. The choices seem to be between St Croix Avid, Shimano Calcutta 400B, and Shimano Curado 200D. The Shimano Cardiff looks nice, but I am now afraid of a cheaper reels. Don't want the same trouble as last year. Going to LOW for 8 days and would like to have worry-free equipment. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

You really can't go wrong (IMO) with a Diawa Luna, Calcutta 400B, or Abu Record. All really good reels. As far as the rod goes do the Shimano, they are great rods and the walk in lifetime warranty is unbeatable. If it breaks take it back for a new one.

Dan

[bassNspear]

ither way you go, your not going to go wrong. I have Abu for reel and st.croix for rod and i love them both.

[10,000 Casts]

what is the rods primary use? what line do you want to use?

8'mh, so I am guessing Bucktails?

As far as the rods go, the primere and the Compre are both equivilent to IM 8 and are good rods, to me it comes down to how they feel in my hands. Both have a good action. The primere is a lifetime warranty now but it might cost you $50 and a couple of weeks to get it replaced. Shimano does have an over the counter warranty but I am not sure if the compre qualifies. The Avid has a tighter action and is more sensitive but also more money.

As for reels

The avid series is made over seas and just has the st croix named stamped on it. I am not sure who makes it. I haven't heard of too many problems though. The Curado 200? You need a barral style for that size rod. The cardiff isn't bad but I don't know if it is meant for a serious fisherman, it's more for the weekend once a month angler. The Calcutta is a very solid choice and no one here will disagree. It's smooth and solid and will take a beating. The only downside is that it has a 5.2-1 gear ratio. which is great for all around use but I like a little faster for bucktails. (6.3-1) Although a faster gear ratio will burn out quicker. Don't over look teh ABU Record, it is alot of reel for the money ($140). Very solid and it seems to be a workhorse. And if you want, you can put the high speed crank on it to increase the gear ratio.

Hope that helps,

John

[SKIHUNTER]

Diawa Luna seems to get a lot of mention on other posts. Anyone know how they stand up.

[Lals]

I have a Luna and Shimano reels. The Luna is nice and I have a little issue with it but other friends are not seeing that at all. It seems to be a very good reel

One reason I am a Shimano Fan is the service. I send a few reels in each year for cleaning and they replace all warn parts they find at the same cost. Last year, I sent in 5 reels (3spinning and 2 Musky reels) and they sent back 3 new ones. Unbelievable.

[cjac]

I like the Lunas, both the 253 and the 300 sizes. The 253 holds 150+ yards of 65lb Suffix, and is really smooth. Lighter and not so darn wide.

Regarding the rods, the 8 foot compres only come in H and Ex Heavy, I don't think there's a MH. Regardless, good sticks, I have a 7'6" heavy but it's not really that stiff, loads up on mid-size baits quite well. I think Shimano rates their rods a little heavier than they really are....

All kinds of options; buy what you can afford but keep in mind you do get what you pay for, like the service. Shimano does have an exceptional reputation in that area.

Chris

[sbro73]

I have a Luna 253,Shimano 300TE,and a Shimano Curado 300DSV, all great reels. The 300DSV might be what your looking for with a 6:3:1 and designed for big fish, about the same price as a Luna.