I use a Penn Sargus 64LP - it’s a very high quality reel, and less expensive than the Curado. As with the newer Penn products, it’s bulletproof and has a very smooth drag. Comparing the Penn to a Shimano, the release point is a little different, but just takes getting used to. Make sure you set it up right, and you will love it. If not set up right, it can lessen your opinion of the reel or baitcasters in general. I use mine with a Ralph Phillips Trout Special rod (light action, 6 ft) with 10# green power pro tied straight to the jig. I’m almost always throwing a 1/4 oz jig with this setup. It’s hands-down my go-to rig, and I just started throwing a baitcaster early in 2012.
gotcha- sick carrot stix. got the same one. yakman- ive fished bait casters for a long time now. Id have to say save up and spend the money on a quality rig. as long as you dont close the tip in a door todays rods should last a lifetime. as for a reels, i have a shimano curado 201 (3) 301’s all left hand retrieve. i fish them almost exclusively. dont recommend an abu circle for light outfits. if u can find a revo for a decent price theyre not bad. they stopped making their toro musky sized 65’s in left hand retrieve. its baloney but i still have older one that has never failed. I wouldnt jump to a G-loomis just yet but carrot stix makes a great rod. and probably number one mid priced/great quality rod would have to be a st. croix premier. They sell the triumph for pretty cheap but never tried one. back when i was in NY my 3 rigs for bassin were Carrot stix “crankin” 15lb braid. St croix premier md 7ft 8-15lb braid depending on situation. and an 8’ musky/flippin stick st croix premier heavy action 65lb all suffix 832 braid. Whatever you do, dont buy a glass rod. get a high modulus graphite 7+'er. im not against glass in some applications but bassin is deff. not one of them. especially from a yak.
do you plan on using your rig out of a kayak?? Ive done it a lot in skinny water and it took me quite a while to get the hang of it… the motion to cast a bait caster is more pendulum than a ■■■■■ (like with a spinning rig) ive spent many hours picking bird nests and adjusting brakes etc trying to cast while sitting down.
Mister Bobdesalvo has made an important point. From a standing position, a sidearm baitcaster cast is more accurate than an overhand spinner cast. I use several different baitcater outfits and an overhand baitcaster cast can easily fly long and send your jig into the grass. Baitcaster sidearm cast will not normally get you in trouble. I always stand, but I can deifnitely see a sidearm baitcaster cast being difficult from a sitting position on a kayak.
The last time I made an overhand cast with a baitcaster my spook ended up half way up a tree.If you have lots of open water in front of you, overhand cast with baitcaster is good.
Yak , everyones giving you good advice. Go with the round abu garcia ambassadeur 5500 or 6500. They will outlast you if you take care of them. Ive had my 6500 do everything you can imagine from spawning salmon in michigan to catching king mackeral offshore and reds inshore. Theyre great reels and never break, not once!
If you are interested, I have A Plueger Trion 56 baitcaster that is paired up with an All-Star GT2 rod. The combo is 7’ and I use mono on the reel. It is perfect for throwing topwaters, jerkbaits, crankbaits, popping corks, etc. The rod is designed more for reaction strikes rather than the subtle tick of a trout. Both the rod and reel are in great working condition. If you are interested, then I will sell it to you for $80. It’s just sitting around anymore as I’ve made the big circle back to light spinning gear again. So, if you are still looking, shoot me a pm or call me. You can even leave me a deposit and go test it out if you want, but it’s a good deal on a good product.
Andy
843-345-4285
“The problem that infuriates you the most is the one you are meant to solve.”