Shimano, Abu Garcia, Or What?

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Going pro with my big cat rigs. Tired of shitty reels and shitty rods.

Any suggestions? Shimano Calcutta? Abu Garcia Ambassadeur?

I want something I can fish in hell with and that can bring in 50+ lb cats.

[g5jamz]

Shimano makes good stuff. Saltwater or fresh only?

Saltwater...the Calcutta's are awesome and are durable, but are pricey. Budget has a lot to say what you buy.

But here's the thing...the lever drag systems nowadays are awesome providing a quicker/variable adjustment, but you're getting into big bucks then...as if Calcuttas aren't expensive. I cringe thinking of dropping 300-500 on a reel that I might accidently drop into the ocean or get ripped out of my hand.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

i'll be freshwater fishing for big cats only. the reason i'm going baitcaster to begin with is because of the light tension on the bait clicker and the casting distance you can get, plus the amount of line on the spool

i don't mind paying more for a reel that's going to last me the rest of my life since i only need two, and i'll probably be going used on ebay or craigslist anyway

i know the shimanos are the best, but are they 2-300$ better than the abu garcia 6000s?

[Epistaxis]

I LOVE my Shimanos.

You get what you pay for.

10+ years of heavy duty usage, not a single issue.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

i'm pretty sure shimano would survive a nuclear holocaust. i'm thinking the abus might too though.

i read the 7000s are made in mexico now, and not sweden, so its best to stick with the 6000s

[g5jamz]

Probably not...but where things pay off is the return policy/warranty repairs, repair facilities near you, parts availability, durability.

I'm about durability and fire and forget...which is why I've had my Penn spinners forever. I gave my bil a Calcutta probably 14 years ago and he still uses it a lot. It's a nice reel and you won't regret it. I have a strange view of reel buying...I'm all about durability but cheap. I personally own an Abu reel (can't remember model off top of my head) and it's pretty hefty for cats. How much they run now?

[Porn Shop Clerk]

the abu 6000s are around 100$ and the comparable shimanos are 300$

if i'm going used i can get something that was made when they were made well. sometimes used is better than new, like with coleman gas lanterns.

[Epistaxis]

My uncle swears by Abu, and thinks Shimano is overpriced.

I can't speak to Abu Garcia, but my uncle knows fishing.

I can only report that my experience with Shimano has been fantastic.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

shimano is "overpriced" but usually there's a good reason for that, ie mercedes

abu garcia isn't what it used to be, but then again what is

[Johnny Rockets]

ZEBCO!!!!!

Shimano is all I have ever owned. Still have the same reels from 20 years ago and they work like a charm.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

heh if you can find some pre-90s zebco reels at a yard sale then they're some pretty damn good reels for what they are

except those goddamn 202s

i'd expect shimano and abu and penns to be lifetime reels, but from what i've read penn are really difficult to use and have various issues associated with them

[mmmbeans]

i mean... zebco makes van staal right?

not tryin to threadjack as i know nothing about conventionals.

[g5jamz]

heh if you can find some pre-90s zebco reels at a yard sale then they're some pretty damn good reels for what they are

except those goddamn 202s

i'd expect shimano and abu and penns to be lifetime reels, but from what i've read penn are really difficult to use and have various issues associated with them

Yeah...the Penns have a couple of problems, but they are easy to fix. Spinning that is.

No clue on baitcasters. Plus...I know of a couple places on the way down to the beach that repair them pretty cheap. Penn got bought out by a company which is why you see more composite bodies/cheaper stuff/etc. But the oldies are still worth keeping...you can throw them in a tackle box and they're solid and will last for decades.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

i almost snapped up some used penn 209 combos for 45$ but then i did some research. better to at least look for some ambassadeurs or shimanos