Musky reel

[Rebel9921]

Simply go to Abu's HSOforum and download the PDF rebate form for $15... Yeah what mtreno said any C3's, C4's or Record... and C3's series includes 7000iC3... I filled mine out couple days ago and mailed it in...

[Quackaddict9]

either $10 and $15(c3/c4 and record models) rebate they have both.

[Wallyeyes]

I just today bought my first bait casting combo. I got an Abu Garcia 6600 C3 and paired it with a GM GuideSeries Pro Select IM8 Med-heavy 8 foot rod. I will spool it with 50# spiderwire ultracast. I plan to use this rod for muskies, and hopefully some big northerns up on Lac Seul this summer. Any thoughts on this setup.

[polarsusd81]

The only thing I would say is something other than the spiderwire. I use it for bass and sometimes trolling eyes in the fall, but wouldn't use it for Muskies. I have some power pro on the muskie sticks I have. I just don't like the line to have that thin of a diameter pulling big baits, it is more likely to cut into your guides on your rod and/or bury itself in the spool when you set the hook.

[b1gf1sh1]

i use 30# spiderwire with my calcutta 250 TE/DC, which is a smaller reel than yours, mainly i use it to throw small and medium baits for muskie, and as long as i back it up with a tight wrap of 10 lb. test mono, i get no digging into reel issues. i get better distance with spiderwire than any other superlines on this reel, which the reel is built to do... cast further. on your size and style reel i'd go with something else other than spiderwire. IMO the stren super braid works really nice. it's a little noisy but it stands up to abuse. i river fish and drag alot of sand bars and when line goes through sand and rock when a fish pulls it through it, and you don't have alot of frays, you tend to stand by it. i use green 65# test super braid on my calcutta 400 TE and as long as i can get it i won't change a thing. cast smooth too. and about the selection. cast, catch fish, then decide if you want to upgrade. and have a second one too. i like the rod. i use a shorter one mostly, but hey it's your's. does that have the silver, ceramic tip guide? if so good luck cutting that one. mines been fine for years. and good luck this year.

[Wallyeyes]

Yes it does have the silver guide on the tip. Is that a good thing? I'm not sure if it's ceramic or not. The other guides are black. The tag on the rod says the guides are hard aluminum oxide guides. Also, the reel box says 14# diameter line is optimal, so I can't see why the 50# SpiderWire at, I believe, 15# diameter would be a problem. Though, I have no experience with it, so I really don't know. I have however seen the 30# Power Pro break while casting, so that is why I would tend to shy away from it. Now, this could have happened due to a variety of reasons. I'm not sure why it broke exactly. But thanks for your input. I do appreciate it. I am a novice when it comes to these bigger fish and the equipment used to hunt them, and all the help I can get, I'll take. Thanks again. Keep it comming.

[Esox_Magnum]

I have seen 100# Spiderwire, Fireline, Power Pro broken on a cast. I use 80# Power Pro personaly, and have no problems that aren't human error.

[cjac]

Walleyes...nice set up!!! Very nice actually! I wish I had something similar when I started out. You did quite well.....

Regarding the line: I like Sufix and the Courtland Master Braid a lot. Really, any line can be snapped with the right physics applied on an errant cast. Meaning, you really screw up it'll snap! I'm with a few of the others, I'd encourage you to go P Pro, Sufix, or Courtland in 80lb first, it'll make life a lot easier on you. Just throw some mono backing on first, and you're good to go.

[b1gf1sh1]

if it's a silver tip then it's got the ceramic. it's made to help stop line from cutting into the guide, specifically while trolling. look at the inside of the eye. if it almost looks as though it's painted( it's not paint) kind of a gray it's ceramic. it should almost look oversized also. just be carefull about that tip. if you smack it on hard surfaces you'll crack the ceramic and need to put a new tip on. just be carefull and you'll have zero problem. i broke one and my other two i have now i put one of those blue handballs with a slit in it over the tip when i'm not useing them. no problem now huh? i get the 7'2'' models.mh/f. i was saying ''I'' would not use the spiderwire on your setup. it's smooth, castable, and quiet but just not for my fishing style. i have had such great luck with stren super braid i cant change. and yes anything can be broke in one careless second. just let that lure come out smooth every time and no problems. whipping it out there does nothing for distance with most musky lures anyway. gl again.

[PDXFisher]

I don't think you need to worry about your line. Spiderwire Ultracast is great stuff (I like it far more than regular Spiderwire). I like it in 80lb, though, never tried 50lb. I like it about as much as Cortland and I like the Stren stuff, too. I only get Power Pro when I can't find the others. I started with PP, but had it fray on me too often. I refuse to use Tuff Line anymore for lots of reasons. But there's plenty of threads about line on this here board...

[Rebel9921]

6600C3... Silver, right??? If so, thats the Gander Mountain exclusive... I loved that reel so much I bought three of those... I now only have one left... as two BLEW (one bearing blew out, other gear worn down) out on me last year and Abu replaced both with 6600SSC3...

My suggestion would be to go no heavier than 80lbs... because digging out backlashes can be a heck of a job... and do not use that reel to throw out DB#10 Bucktails... unless you wanna kill your reel in less than 6 months...

Other suggestion, put on a powerhandle... makes the reeling more easier...

I started the season with 80# Power Pro... switched over to Tufline XP midseason on a friend's recommendation... and loved it more, easier to cast, farther casting, easier to dig out bird nests (basically most of the time you just need to pull on it and it comes loose) enough to switch all my reels over to XP... I have a 7000 that is bare... brand new from the Expo, that I plan to spool #80 Cortland Bronzeback on..

[Quackaddict9]

I've heard/read about powerhandles, I have two abu garcia 6500C3 reels and I have had no problems with them, although I am looking at getting a 7000c3i for my next rod to pull in heavier baits. I usually use Courtland braided line anywhere from 65-80#.

whats the deal with mono line backing? I've never done that to my reels before. How do some of you guys attach mono to your muskie line?

[sbro73]

Uni-Knot to Uni-Knot works best.

[b1gf1sh1]

an albright knot is best, but a nail knot works good too. a uni-knot is used to tie on a hook or lure or terminal.

[Rebel9921]

Quack... Basically, the mono is on the spool to prevent the superbraids from slipping like the drag is loose... Superbraids is so smooth it wouldnt really grip the spool... thats why you either tape it or put on mono backing then attach mono to superbraid... You'll be pleased with 7000iC3... I know I havent used mine yet but I did use my brother's old 7000 Syncro and I was amazed at how EASY it was to reel in those double blades compared to 6500/6600's... I use either uni knot or double duncan loop knot...

Actually... having powerhandles on a 6500 and 6600's has its own positives and negatives... Postives are that its lot easier to crank in the line... negative is that when you crank it in, more stress/torque is being applied to the gears n etc... wearing it down more... Its all about comfort level... if it works great for you... stay with it... if you think upgrading to a PH would be benefital, go for it...

[b1gf1sh1]

i don't understand how a uni-knot or a duncan knot( pretty much the same) can be used to join two lines. and why? do you put a figure 8/ surgeons knot in one line first then tie it to that? please explain. these knots are normally used for tying tackle to the line. similar to a trilene knot.

[cjac]

B1g,

Uni to uni to join the mono backing to the braid, works great actually. There's a diagram of it somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.

[Esox_Magnum]

Put a stock handle and a power handle side by side, from center of hole to handle theres little to no difference, the difference is the handle knob itself.

[b1gf1sh1]

just tried a uni to uni. works good. just did'nt see the concept of both lines being the uni-knot. learn something new every day here. thanks guys!!

[Wallyeyes]

Thanks cjac. I'm pretty happy with the rod and reel selection too. I'll probably test more than one line throughout the fishing season this year. Just wanted to get an idea of where to start. Actually the Ultracast was the recomendation of the salesman that helped me at GM. You guys have been a great help, lots of good input. Thanks, and good fishing!

[MUSKY18]

Just to throw in my two cents here on the reel issue as well. When I was looking for a new reel, I asked Dick Pearson, and it took him about 2 seconds to tell me to get the 7000. Don't know how many Dick has or how long he has been throwing them, but I would bet it is something close to RK's. Now that I have used it, I LOVE IT!! My brother thought it was a wasted purchase, however after throwing DCG's for a day, he is now going to buy one as well. The reel takes a litle getting used to, just becasue of its size and weight, but it is not that bad.

[hanson]

If anyones been watching North American Fisherman on TV, they have a segment called 'Knot Wars' where they have been testing knots that join the main line to the leader (or backing to the main line). For weeks, a knot called the 'Leader Knot' was destroying every knot it was tested against, today the 'Uni to Uni Knot' knocked off the 'Leader Knot' as champ.

I use the 'Uni to Uni' to tie all my mainline to the backing. Pretty easy to tie and is a strong knot as well. Sure hope I never get that far back in the spool to test it.

[cjac]

All kinds of good info going around here, thanks to all for the input, reels, lines, knots, good stuff!

I have to say, I like it when Hanson supports something I said with a TV show example! For once, I just may have sounded like I know something!

[b1gf1sh1]

this is funny, i did some testing last night myself and the uni-uni won against the albright and nail hands down. wonder what a constricion knot would do? hmmmm i'm a highrise window cleaner so proper strong knots are live or die every day for me. now i have some fodder for the guys on monday to listen to. i can just see all their eyes riveted to my hands tying that knot. i'll be the most interesting guy they ever met for 5 whole minutes. and i owe it all to fishingmn. cya

[HugoBox]

Next time you're at a store that has fly-fishing stuff go to their clipper section and most of them will have a little tool for helping with the UNI-UNI knot. There are a couple different versions. I'm not a gimmick sort of guy but a fly-fishing buddy turned me on to this several years ago when I was looking for the best way to attach a mono leader to Fireline. In using itto attach directly to a leader and catching many fish I've only have it come out once and I was able to determine it wasn't tied correctly.