20lb reel?

[midgettosser1]

Hey everyone,

I have these cabelas gift cards that Im trying to sell off. But in the case that I cant, I'm going to use them for a 20lb reel from cabelas. I have $230 to spend (I will go up to $300).

I'm looking for something that I can fish up to 20lb on for an upcoming 2.5 day trip. Yet still be good for bass to YT at the local islands, since I dont do many trips over 1.5 days. Its most likely going on a G. Loomis Bucara 933c (12-20lb, 7'9") rod. I'm sure 15lb test will spend a lot of time on the reel once my trip is over.

From what Cabelas has to offer, the choice is between:

Daiwa Luna 300
Shiman Calcutta 400b or BSV (non levelwind)
Abu Revo Toro 50 or 60

I was hoping Cabelas would have the avet SX MC (want to get my gf into fishing more, and figured itd be a reel we both could use), or maybe a saltist 20. But they dont. Not sure how they'd balance on this rod anyways.

I already have a solid line up of rods and reels for the 2.5 day trip, so I was just looking for a decent smaller reel since I have money to waste, and cabelas doesnt have a lot of stuff I want in their saltwater catalog.

Let me know if any of you have had experience with these reels for anything up to school size albies.

THANKS!

[xjdesertfox]

i was looking for a similar multipurpose reel for myself, 15lbs or 20lbs or 65lbs powerpro for throwing freshwater swimbaits.

my choice? I'm on the hunt for a revo toro, it simply kicks the poop out of every other similar reel out there.

14/200 line cap, which comes out to 150-160 yards of 65lbs spectra, it has a levelwind which is i like(you may not), its low pro style which fits better in your hand, AND heres the kicker, 25lbs of drag power.

if it wasnt for you having a cabelas giftcard i'd show you where to get one cheap too.

[Ifishtoolittle]

This is what I would get, the oh so popular Curado 300E. That reel is so badass, I watched my uncle slay two 20lb sheephead and 5 other double digit goats on it on my last 2 dayer. Just put 65lb spectra on the reel and topshot 10yds of 20-30lb fluoro. Curados are truly powerful and reliable, even my 200D slayed a double digit goat and is still working perfectly.

[xjdesertfox]

i have a curado 200e7, the 300e cant hold up to the abu garcia toro, hell the drag power of the 300e is pretty laughable for a reel of its size.

Toro 50 5.4:1 10.3 6HPCR + 1CRRB 14/200 24lbs drag
Toro 50 HS 6.4:1 10.3 6HPCR + 1CRRB 14/200 22lbs drag
Curado 300e 6.2:1 10.5 5SS,1A-RB + 1A-RB 14/190, 20/120 $249.99 15lbs drag

[That Dang Guy]

I can't comment too much about the Toro, I haven't fished it. But 15lb of drag on the 300 is plenty. I'm not sure where you would need anymore than that. Considering he's primarily looking to fish 15-25 lbs, i'd say the 300E is the perfect fit. That being said, the handle is a bit small when you get over 25lbs. If you're fishing straight braid, you'll be dreaming for a power handle (due out in the fall, 300EJ).

I don't like the MCs. Casted it a few times at Fred Hall. I mean- it does make it 99.99999% birdsnest proof, but at the cost of distance. Then once you get used to it, you'll never be able to turn off the magnets completely.

[DarkShadow]

i have a curado 200e7, the 300e cant hold up to the abu garcia toro, hell the drag power of the 300e is pretty laughable for a reel of its size.

Toro 50 5.4:1 10.3 6HPCR + 1CRRB 14/200 24lbs drag
Toro 50 HS 6.4:1 10.3 6HPCR + 1CRRB 14/200 22lbs drag
Curado 300e 6.2:1 10.5 5SS,1A-RB + 1A-RB 14/190, 20/120 $249.99 15lbs drag

If ur fishing 20#, and u normally set ur drag for a percentage of your line rating, why would u need 24 pounds of drag?

[xjdesertfox]

do you guys seriously take drag ratings as simply drag ratings?:Rolls Eyes:

if i have a reel that has 24lbs of drag power, assuming there is no weak point, that means that reel will be able to handle the stress of 24lbs of pressure on the gearset without failure if you buckled down the drag.

however, assuming you have a reel with 15lbs of drag power, your gearset is only built to handle 15lbs of pressure because above that pressure the drag SHOULD simply let line out.

however, what if your drag fails? what if it locks up because you got some sand/salt in it?

higher factory drag power, beefier gearset.

[calico killer kevin]

do you guys seriously take drag ratings as simply drag ratings?:Rolls Eyes:

if i have a reel that has 24lbs of drag power, assuming there is no weak point, that means that reel will be able to handle the stress of 24lbs of pressure on the gearset without failure if you buckled down the drag.

however, assuming you have a reel with 15lbs of drag power, your gearset is only built to handle 15lbs of pressure because above that pressure the drag SHOULD simply let line out.

however, what if your drag fails? what if it locks up because you got some sand/salt in it?

higher factory drag power, beefier gearset.
Higher drag rating does not mean beeier gear set. Just because the drag washers put out 24lbs of drag does not mean that the gear set is made to fish 24lbs of drag. Any fish that makes long runs such as YT or Tuna will destroy your reel in no time if you fish anything above 14 or 15# of drag. Simply put, none of these low-pro reels are meant to be fished for long running fish on tight drags.

Another one caught up in the marketing. Hope the boys behind the 24# of drag are swimming in gold.:Rolls Eyes:

Curado with greased Carbontex drag washers will put out nearly 20lbs of drag pressure as well, though I would never fish one over 12#.

[calico killer kevin]

As for the original topic, I would recommend the Saltist 20. Havent fished the new BG's, but the old Saltists cast very well, smooth under load, and are very durable. No matter what though, I install greased Carbon Fiber drags on all my reels.

[xjdesertfox]

Higher drag rating does not mean beeier gear set. Just because the drag washers put out 24lbs of drag does not mean that the gear set is made to fish 24lbs of drag. Any fish that makes long runs such as YT or Tuna will destroy your reel in no time if you fish anything above 14 or 15# of drag. Simply put, none of these low-pro reels are meant to be fished for long running fish on tight drags.

Another one caught up in the marketing. Hope the boys behind the 24# of drag are swimming in gold.:Rolls Eyes:

Curado with greased Carbontex drag washers will put out nearly 20lbs of drag pressure as well, though I would never fish one over 12#.

actually, if you read up some reviews on the toro like on tackletour, they state that the toro would have no problem taking on YT.

a curado with carbontex drag is just another example of a reel modified by the consumer for something its not manufactured to do. You seriously think some company is going to manufacture a reel with a warranty that they know will not work?

from a manufacturing standpoint you damn well better beef up that gearset if you dont want your tech department flooded with warranty claims taking up your time and money because people buckled down their drag while running spectra.

you must be one of the believers that thinks that just because something looks like your standard lowpro, that it is, a revo toro is NOT your plain old lowpro, this thing is beefier than all the shimano round baitcasters i've seen.

[calico killer kevin]

Actually, the Curado was test fielded during R&D by fishing for Golden Dorado down South. Means nothing to me. I am not comfortable fish a WFO bite on any of my low pros. My Curado can handle the occasional YT, dodo, or tuna without much of a problem, but if I had to choose, I'd fish a conventional. Sh$t, I've landed a 25lb yellow on my E7, but as with any light line fishing for big fish, you've really got to play the fish.

Not once did I state that I installed Carbon Fiber washers so that I could fish 20#'s of drag. I installed the washers to keep my drag smooth on long running fish without the deposit that Darts leave behind. In case you are not aware, the Toro comes with carbon fiber washers.

From a maufacturere's standpoint, the 24#'s of drag is simply marketing hype. Why don't you back up your theory by fishing 65# spectra with 60# leader and a buttoned down drag in a WFO tanker tuna bite and watch your beefed up gearset deteriorate before your eyes.

[xjdesertfox]

Not once did I state that I installed Carbon Fiber washers so that I could fish 20#'s of drag. I installed the washers to keep my drag smooth on long running fish without the deposit that Darts leave behind. In case you are not aware, the Toro comes with carbon fiber washers.

From a maufacturere's standpoint, the 24#'s of drag is simply marketing hype. Why don't you back up your theory by fishing 65# spectra with 60# leader and a buttoned down drag in a WFO tanker tuna bite and watch your beefed up gearset deteriorate before your eyes.

1) never did i say you did it for that reason. I said that carbontex drags on a curado are an example of too much drag power for the durability of the internals.

2) With all this research im doing, why WOULDNT i know the difference between the drags?

3) buy me a toro and take me and i a trip and i gladly would:LOL: but until you buy me a toro, i fish (almost exclusively) shimanos.

So youre telling me, you believe that abu garcia wouldnt even think of the financial repercussions of making that claim with internals not durable enough to handle fishing at 20+lbs of pressure?

The only piece of the internals that i could possibly see failing would be the anti-reverse bearing, and only because its the weak point on any lowpro reel, with that said, the toro's ARB is larger than the 300e's, assuming they source the bearings from a similar/same manufacturers, the 300e anti-reverse will still be weaker than the toros.

but oh well, enough of the abu nut hugging from me. i'm a shimano man anyway.

[bsp]

You're both right in a way. Posted by Alan Tani, reel maintenance guru, on Bloody Decks:

"so here's my take on these small bait casters from shimano, daiwa and ambassaduer.

the shimanos lack a carbon fiber drag washer, but bass guys just lock their reels down anyway. the rest of the reel is bullet proof. it does have a solid spool shaft that rubs against the pinion gear as it passes through. that will slow down freespool a little, but not much once it's polished and lubed.

daiwas have composite drags as well, they also have a small bearing under the jack plate that supports the pinion gear. this is a very nice feature, until the friggin' bearing fails. it is ugly trying to get to it. the disengaging spool is a nice feature and gives the reel great freespool after just cleaning out the two spool bearings.

the ambassaduer has a composite drag washer under the main gear that can stick. why i do not know. they also have dry carbon fiber drag washers inside the main gear. can't they just go with a complete set of carbon fiber drags and add some grease? it has a disengaging spool, so we'll clean out both bearings and it will spin great! and then there is this kick lever. fix this and the playing field can be quickly leveled.

so let's say that we change out the drag washers and grease them. then will clean out the bearings and lube them. then we'll fix the kick lever in the revo and set all of these reels side by side. i'm betting that you would not be able to tell the difference in performance. but you did ask which one i'd recommend. simple, i recommend the reel that you can tear down and rebuild yourself! you can field strip and clean a rifle, right? why should this be any different?"

Basically, these reels are pretty equal. Shimano Curado 300es took on sailfish in their field tests, people have landed big WSB and calicos on Toros, and freshwater bass dudes are Curado 300 junkies. Durability wise, manufacturers spec the components to match the reel, ie a Curado is just as durable as a Toro since they're both spec'd to their components.

[That Dang Guy]

...so let me get this straight Desert, you're pushing the heck out of the Toro and you don't even own one? You're purely going off of internet reviews and manufacturing specs?

Fishing at 20lbs of drag you would ideal have to be fishing 60 or 80lb. Anything less than that and you're going to be breaking off on the hookset. The only thing in that line class would be hardcore calico fishing in the kelp.

If this rod will primarily be used for 15lb locally, i think a low profile reel would be best. It gives you a bit of versatility, you can use it for light bait or plastics. With spectra and 20lb i wouldn't hesitate to pitch at a yellow or yft up to 25lbs. If you're going to use it primarily at 20/25lbs, a standard conventional would work. I'm partial to shimano torium/trinidad but the saltists are nice too. Been seeing alot of the trinidads on sale since the new A version is due out soon.

[xjdesertfox]

...so let me get this straight Desert, you're pushing the heck out of the Toro and you don't even own one? You're purely going off of internet reviews and manufacturing specs?


no i dont own one, i've stripped them down right next to a curado myself though, but i plan on buying one in the near future however, which is my reasoning for the amount of research i'm doing.

i'm going off of internet reviews and being able to fish with a curado 300e and revo inshore in the past.

[ghetto dad]

Hey everyone,

I have these cabelas gift cards that Im trying to sell off. But in the case that I cant, I'm going to use them for a 20lb reel from cabelas. I have $230 to spend (I will go up to $300).

I'm looking for something that I can fish up to 20lb on for an upcoming 2.5 day trip. Yet still be good for bass to YT at the local islands, since I dont do many trips over 1.5 days. Its most likely going on a G. Loomis Bucara 933c (12-20lb, 7'9") rod. I'm sure 15lb test will spend a lot of time on the reel once my trip is over.

From what Cabelas has to offer, the choice is between:

Daiwa Luna 300
Shiman Calcutta 400b or BSV (non levelwind)
Abu Revo Toro 50 or 60

I was hoping Cabelas would have the avet SX MC (want to get my gf into fishing more, and figured itd be a reel we both could use), or maybe a saltist 20. But they dont. Not sure how they'd balance on this rod anyways.

I already have a solid line up of rods and reels for the 2.5 day trip, so I was just looking for a decent smaller reel since I have money to waste, and cabelas doesnt have a lot of stuff I want in their saltwater catalog.

Let me know if any of you have had experience with these reels for anything up to school size albies.

THANKS!

dude cant even ask for a recommendation on a 20 lb reel without people getting fired up...geez..its fishing guys...lol

[ghetto dad]

as for the original question....IMO the money you spend on a single speed Torium you could get a 2 speed avet....I would go for the avet SX or the MXJ for fishing 20.....but like you said, regarding the "balance" on the loomis, idk...but those are my recomendations for a nicer higher end reel...

OR you can always go with Newell....Newell P220 or P229.....the newells are lighter and are much easier to cast smaller baits.....less expensive also...

[midgettosser1]

Thanks for all the opinions (and heated battles). Still debating.

GD, as much as I like the avet sx... I also have a penn torque 100. Although way heavier... I think it will most likely nullify my need for the sx. I wouldnt mind trying a newell... but Im limited to what Cabelas carries.

I do like the idea of the toros, but I don't have any local tackle shops that carry them.. so it will be hard to get a first hand feel for it.

And I do like shimano, especially for their customer service. A trini 12 or Calcutta TE would be great... but a little more than I look to spend.

The daiwa luna sounds good too, and Ive heard, for the price, its fairly comparable to the calcutta TE.

Decisions decisions.

[heydaad]

The best 20# reel I have ever had was a Newell P220, 30#spectra or 20# flouro ... casts like nothing else, more than enough drag for YT on the rocks ... and a killer set-up for big calicos on the wall. I matched mine to a Kencor kayak rod and you could feel everything in the water, touching the bait. Rod under $100, Reel (in purple) $139.
IMHO ... perfect all around local set-up.

[dockboy]

IDK who posted that carbontex will increase you drag pressure. it won't. it makes the drag smoother, increasing the life and relative drag range. a 300E is still going to get 15lbs of drag with carbontex, but it will fish that much more effectively than the dartanium drags provided. and as mr. tani knows said, the toro and the revo benefit from greased carbon fiber drags, not the dry ones provided by abu.
to answer the original question, either would do fine. the revo is a little bite more low profile, but both have enough guts to fish 20 all day long, with proper maintenance. remember, the 300E was marketed for the swimbait chuckers of bassdom, and an average swimbaiter is hard on his gear, even if he only fishes 25lb at most. the revo was made for guys flipping into tules, and all they down is put on braid and abuse the reel its whole life, boat locker slam dunks and all.
i like the shimano calcutta 400 versions a lot. the 400 BSV is pretty damn good to start with, and if you can find a 300TE, that is a damn fine reel. so are the Daiwa Lunna 300s, amazing little workhorses. heck, i've fished tuna with 20 on a cardiff 300B, though i believe a 20lb tuna reel and 20lb finesse/inshore reels have two very different applications. greased carbontex and good maitenance are the key no matter what reel you decide on.