I'm circling in for a landing on buying a baitcaster...and I'm down to Penn 975, Abu 7500,
Abu 6500c3

Probably 90 % of my fishing is from an 18' CC along the Elizabeth islands & the south side of the Cape in general...drifting or tossing live eels. The rest of it is "opportunity" fishing with plugs from jetty, beach, etc...I don't feel the need to reach the horizon with a cast, will likely mount reel on something under 8 feet, glass more than likely...I think smooth, reliable drag is my main consideration, next is ease of maintenance & minimal maintenance, and, of course, Overall Reliability...
any comments?

A lot depends pn the type and weight of line you'll be using. The 6500 size will work for you if you use 20# mono or a thin 50# braid, like Whiplash or Power Pro, or 35# Spectron braid. If you're going to use 25# or heavier mono, 50# Spectron (not recommended for a reel without a level wind) or a Dacron braid, the 7500 and the 975 are more suited.

Personally, I like the Abu reels. The 975 is not as bulletproof as you would expect a Penn to be. Two recurring problems that I and others have had is the free-spool button not fully engaging, which causes it to pop up and the reel to go into gear on the cast, and premature wearing of the level wind pawl. I also think they have a lever drag version and a star drag without a level wind. The 975 has a much better drag than either of the Abus. It's also a little trickier to work on yourself.

If you go with the Abus, two things I would do is swap the double handle on the 6500C3 for a power handle, and install the Smoothie aftermarket drag washers. Both are available on-line from www.hatterasoutfitters.com and if you prefer to shop locally and support a board sponsor, I'm sure Mike T can obtain them for you. He may still have the Trophy version of the 6500 which comes with the power handle standard. On the 7500, all you have to do is swap the stock drag for the Smoothies---the stock one is better than the 6500's but still not up to par with some other reels.

One last suggestion--if you are going to spend about $220 on the 975, it's only another $30 or so to get the Shimano Calcutta 700, which is a much better reel. You can even put 40# mono on the big Calcutta. Best drag in the class, right out of the box.

Thanks, Mike...I appreciate your comments on the choices & your thoughts on the various reels. If I elect to go with one of the Abu models, I'll definitely add power handle & smoothy washers...I've been reading some comentary in the forums about the Abu drag system (achilles heel, it seems) and I'd already concluded changes were necessary.
I don't know the Shimano at all but the price range for the Penn 975 was a stretch to start with, the Calcutta might snap the pocket book strings...but I'll take a look at it on the Shimano web page...
Thanks again,

I agree with Ditch
If you go with the 975 it holds beter line capcity than the 6500 and also has a better drag than the stock ABU reels.draw back on the 975 is it has a cheeper quality bearings which will require more mantenance.cost about $190.
If you chose the Abu I would go with the 6500 BG Big Game it is a little heavier than the regular reel comes with the power handle but I would still up grade the drag washers to smoothies costs about $140 or the 6500TCST it comes with the power handle also and a 4th bearing in the levelwind which will increase your cast.
cost after washer up date is about$95.
As far as Calcutta stay away form the 700 size for now. on the current batch we had to ship every 700 size back to shimano . They were all defects.
you can't tell current from old models other than spinning the handle and presing the cast buton down the reels are jamming and trashing the entire inside of the reel.
The 400 calcuta is a great reel. But I would still match it with a power handle. there is no upgrade on the drag need on this reel.costs about $205

The new site we will be stocking Smoothie
Drag Washers and lots of parts for Abu & Penn reels the additional parts will be up in about 1 week

Mike

Mike,
Thanks for the rundown on the reels...if it's Abu, the smoothies & power handle are for-sure items in my mind...you quoted prices on the reels, do you have a shop, and can I buy from you? If so, do you carry both Penn/Abu?
Thanks again,
jerry

Hi Jerry,

Mike is CapeCodTackle.com, also known as M&D Bait and Tackle in Wareham. In addition to having excellent prices, he is a sponsor of the site...

I have the 6500&7000 Abu Big Games and everything said up top is true. The addition of the Smoothies will improve the Abu and are well worth it. I also have the Calcutta 400 and it is really sweet, but pricey. I'm glad I got my two before my son was born because It's going to be a long time before I drop two bills on a reel... I don't own the Penns so I can't comment on them...

Good Luck

With braids line capacity isn't the issue it is with mono and a 6500 holds more 30/6 spiderwire (which I fish) than I will ever need, unless a 100lb bluefin wanders in close to minot ledge...lol.

Every year I keep going lighter and smaller capacity on both my spinning and casting gear. This year I'm using the Shimano Stradic 4000 for my spinning and those look to be great reels. Previously, I'd been using the Baitrunner 3500's, which will still see some action when I'm working a live eel.

On the casting, I picked up a Calcutta CT200A and with the 30/6 spiderwire and just enough mono backing to prevent spinning, I'm easily getting 200+ yards of line. My 6500 will be collecting dust in the dugout for a while I'm afraid. On the boat 200 yards is more than I will ever need and the outfitt is so light on the Lami 7'6" Titanium I built, it will be a joy to fling eels, plugs, poppers and lead/shad heads this year.

[img="http://www.rgsiroisco.com/fisherman.gif"]
Tight lins.

Hey, guys, great thread. I, too, am in the process of setting up a casting rig. I'm looking at the Shimano CTE-200 and CTE-200GT and the CT-200A and 400. It seems that by the time I got an Abu 6500 set up with handle, 4th bearing, and smoothies, the cost would be about the same.

I want the most efficient (read "longest") casting machine I can get, and will be using it for surfing and for jetty/wall/shore, and some occasional boat, fishing.

I really like the new CTE-200 and GT (although I don't yet know what the GT model offers over the non-GT). Shimano's website is rather unspecific about these models even though they cost an arm and a leg.

With a casting reel, what rods do you prefer for surf fishing later in the season when lures get weighty? What rods do you like for early, light lure, fishing?

I'm going to end up with a setup for each week at the rate I'm going!!!

BTW, I took a chance on the new Penn Prion spinning reel for my light Fenwick S/S 9-footer. A little on the pricey side, but a GREAT little spinning reel.

John,
Thanks for clueing me in on Mike's connection to M&D.

Mike...where are you located? I've dropped in at Red Top, Maco's and Cape Cod Charlie's at different times but I've never seen where M&D's is although I've heard good things about the place...
Directions anyone...?
Thanks,

Hey Jerry,

He has a map on his website; http://www.capecodtackle.com which has directions to the shop

Bob - for best casting efficiency at a reasonable price, your still looking at the Abus. Probably the cheapest distance caster is the 6500C4 plus upgrades like power handle and smoothies or the 6500TCST + smoothies. Other options are the Big Game and Mag Elite. I use my Calcutta 400 for eeling as I get bigger fish on eels and like the drags better (Note to pluggers :P , this is not to say that plugging gets small fish but just that I personally spend more time with eels come nightfishing). I honestly have never compared the 400 to a 6500 in a distance contest. With eels, extra casting efficiency might get you an extra three feet.

For plugging and eeling, I use a 9 foot Sabre rod and on occasion my 10 XRA1205 (Blem :) )Lami . For anything lighter I'll use my 965SUR conventional Loomis, currently with a 5500C3 but soon with a C4 which has a little higher gearing that I'll use for Albies and Bones... As far as lures getting more "weighty" late in the season, I'm using similarly weighted plugs throughout the season. Not too much different. Some of the Canal guys may be more specialized or some location specific types but not me...

Bob---most of the Rhody guys use 9-10 foot rods for conventional. I have some longer ones that I use in other locations, like the Canal, the open beach on the Vineyard and the LI beaches. I like a little extra length in big surf to keep the line out of the curl of the waves.

Both the sabre 1088 and the All Star 1088 are good values in 9' rods for conventional. The only Sabres around these days have a different, faster taper than the older ones from a few years ago. I would suggest cutting an inch or an inch and a half from the tip for big plugs, without really limiting the ability to cast stuff in the one ounce range. The All Star is fine at full length, it has a taper more along the lines of the original Sabre 1088. Mike T has some Batson blanks that are built in the same factory, on the same mandrels, as today's Sabres, at a slight savings over the brand name Sabre. Might be worth a drive to Wareham to pick one up. He also stocks the All Star 1088.

The factory Lamiglas 9 and 10 footers are also good rods. The 10 footers come in both one and two piece models.

I own an abu 6500cs pro rocket , an abu 7000c3 and an abu 7000cl big game . All have smoothies except the big game for now . I changed out my paddle handles to power handle and added 6.1 gears to my 6500 . My opinion is for the price you cant beat abu and they are very reliable as long as you clean them with freshwater after every trip and add oil to the bearings when needed . I have had no problem casting eels or plugs . They cast beautiful every time I ask them too other than user errors I have had no problems YET !

I'd Go with an ABU Big Game 6500CL or 7000CL.They are both levelwinds and come with the power handles. For the 6500CL use 35 LB Cortland Spectron. For the 7000CL , use 50 LB Spectron. Hard to beat these setups for good all around use. Mike T carries everything. The 6500CL is a great size real. With the 35 lb Spectron you have very tough strong line and the reel will hold about 290 yards of it. The reel also fits in you hand nice with your finger around the trigger grip.

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments, re: choosing a baitcaster...gives me plenty to mull over.