hello
i'm lookin for a recomendation for a conventional reel.
will be fishing RI breachways
2oz bucktails,6" storms, wood
9' rod glass
65# braid
levelwind
$100-150

so any suggestions?
looked at the 7000c3 but no longer swedish.
looked at the calcutta but pricey.

still leaning on an abu. 6500 or 7000? I know most favor the 6500 for plugs but I'm leaning on the 7000 for durability and winching power in heavy current with heavy line.

As of now I' m looking at an older 7000 and converting from bushings to bearings and a soothie drag.
thx

i just switched from a 7000 to a calcutta and will not go back.just my 1 cent

65#? Are you planning on bringing up a busload of schoolchildren on it? No, I'm kidding. But if you downsize line a bit, you could swing a smaller reel, like the Shimano Corsair -- apparently the best drag ever, and I tend to agree. Also good for the fisherman on a budget. I recently got a new Abu about the same size, but can't comment, as I haven't used it enough.

65#? Are you planning on bringing up a busload of schoolchildren on it? No, I'm kidding. But if you downsize line a bit, you could swing a smaller reel, like the Shimano Corsair -- apparently the best drag ever, and I tend to agree. Also good for the fisherman on a budget. I recently got a new Abu about the same size, but can't comment, as I haven't used it enough.

heheh I know its heavy but I'm still debating on 65 or 50. I wanted to go w/ a 60 leader and 65lb braid that way I could break the leader and get my braid back if I got snagged.

Calcutta.

Take the $150 you have and save your lunch money until you can afford a Calcutta 400.

My 2 cents ,
I have a 6500 Sweedish and 7000c3 Taiwan , I love both , in fact I'm looking buy another 7000c3 this spring .

ditto the calcutta 400...it's worth it.

i have quite a few reels in that size class including avet sx's, progear 500's, and accurate 270's. our calcutta 400 are our favorites for casting out of all of those.

oh, and my sx's and the progear are magged for casting. the accurate is strictly a bottom fishing trolling reel.

the only downside to the calcutta...it doesnt like sand. we surf fish from ri to nc and are often on the beach. the sx's and the progear don't mind sand so much. the calcutta is more finicky with the sand. good thing about the calcutta though is quick take down with just a coin.

also, cant stand the tiny handle, we change them out to the larger live bait handle, which looks like the calcutta 700 handle.

the calcutta 400 is also almost impossible to blow up.

heheh I know its heavy but I'm still debating on 65 or 50. I wanted to go w/ a 60 leader and 65lb braid that way I could break the leader and get my braid back if I got snagged.

I've been nothing less then abused by the breachways and the fish in them when using 50# braid, especially on rough nights. On a conventional, I wouldn't think twice about packing 65# Power Pro on there if not 80#. 60# mono for your leader if not 80#. Plug rock is not your friend. Expect to lose fish if you go too light.

Because of that, just keep in mind that a calcutta 400 really doesn't hold that much line. A Calcutta 700 is closer to a Abu 7000 series.

oh, i guess if you are looking at the abu 7000 or 6500, you should look at the calcutta 700 instead of the 400. either way, still worth the price.

yeah, and i dunno if you need 65 lb braid. our 400's are spooled with 50 lb powerpro. have taken sbft to about 20 lbs.

a calcutta 700 with 65 lb braid could land a big big fish.

Just filled a Calcutta 400:

With 15 yards of 20# mono for a base, I was able to put 160 yards of 50# Power Pro on the reel filled nearly to the top. I'd guess 125 yards tops if you went to 65# on a 400, probably less.

The thing with sBFT is they don't typically run into the rocks OR run in fast current.

Just filled a Calcutta 400:
The thing with sBFT is they don't typically run into the rocks OR run in fast current.

that's true, rocks lose a lot of fish....but then again, i've never seen a 20 lb. bass smoke 200 yards of line in a few seconds. tuna need no current to put the hurt on you.

:hf1:

yeah, if i was fishing alot of rocks in ri, i would go calcutta 700 and big braid or big mono. although i dont think you gain much comparing 50 # braid to 65 # braid. if it ends up in the rocks, the 65 will get cut pretty much as fast as the 50. a tough 20 # mono is prolly more abrasion resistant than even heavy braid.

Calcutta 400, I have caught literely thousands of bass on that reel up to 50lbs with 20lb mono, I never ran out of line, Block Island, all the breachways, and everywhere in between..The Calcutta is the van stall of convench...Get one! The best there is and it is perfect for the fishing you descibe......

to be different, penn 525 mag. like it. a lot.

I would disagree about the calcutta being the van staals of conventional. Like JoeyM said they do not like sand at all. I have seen some horror stories with them completly freezing up and crapping the bed while fighting a fish on the beach. I don't think there is any conventional you compare to a van staal, the closest probably being a squidder or even an abu.

I would disagree about the calcutta being the van staals of conventional. Like JoeyM said they do not like sand at all. I have seen some horror stories with them completly freezing up and crapping the bed while fighting a fish on the beach. I don't think there is any conventional you compare to a van staal, the closest probably being a squidder or even an abu.

I guess your reel performance all depends on how you take care of it. If you're getting sandy, then rinse, re-grease, re-oil, repeat, and anything you own will work fine. You just gotta get anal about your equipment...don't set it down in the sand.

I use 35 LB Cortland Spectron on my Calcutta 400. Holds plenty of yards and the line is tough. I would agree with #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& on the Calcutta. If I really was concerned primarily with distance , I'd use an Abu BG 6500 but for all around , especially the drag , the calcutta is great.

I have no comments on VS except to say I own none.