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Old 10-19-2004, 12:33 PM   #6
Mike P
Jiggin' Leper Lawyer
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: 61° 30′ 0″ N, 23° 46′ 0″ E
Posts: 8,158
Abu 7000 is the best all-around choice. Look for a version that says "Made in Sweden" on the side plate, not one that reads "Assembled in Sweden" (from parts machined from cheap-assed metal in China or Taiwan ).

The Calcutta 700 is another choice. Many anglers find the width to be cumbersome on the rod, but it's well-built and smooth.

The Penn 975 has its fans (I'm not one of them). It eats level wind pawls like M&Ms, and the free spool button has a nasty habit of popping up on the cast.

That pretty much covers the bigger level-wind market.

The smaller Calcutta 400 is a damn good reel. For the Canal, it holds enough line if you run 50# braid, but I find the slow retrieve coupled with the smaller spool diameter a problem when I have to hump jigs over the face of the drop-off without the jig hanging. It's probably my favorite reel to throw eels with, tho.
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