Women's Reel

[Ray Perry]

Rachel or Ty,

I'm looking to get a new reel next year for my girlfriend to use. I was looking at the Bass Proshops Pete Mania low profile reel.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_98443_100001000_100000000_100001000_100-1-0

Have you or anyone else tried this reel out? Otherwise what would you suggest trying?

Ray

[Keith M]

I'm sure that is a good reel . My wife uses the curado 300 by shimano and loves it. Thats my two cents.

[twells]

ray,
You may want to look at the Revo reels also. Low profile plus the power handles with them and light weight.

[FatBoy]

I purchased the round style for my wife last year. She likes it, casts really well, and doesn't wear here out on the retrieve. She hasn't hooked into anything yet, so can't say anything about how well the drag works. For the price I think it is a very good value. Luckily, my wife likes the sport, so I can get her higher quality equipment. Or, after writing this reply, why don't you buy what you want and hand her down your rod and reel. Looks like a win win situation.

[Ty Sennett]

I guess it depends on how much you like this girl Ray. Knowing you, I would spend the extra money and get a Curado 300E. That way you get to keep the girl and for you just having a girlfriend is quite the accomplishment.

This is really something. you just don't hear Ray and girlfriend in the same sentence too often. Our Ray is growing up right in front of us. Your making my eyes water a little Ray. Fidler and I are so proud!

Seriously buy her a Curado300E. It's the best reel on the market right now. I threw Mag Bulldawgs all fall with mine and it holds up better than any reel I've tried. I wore the thumb bar down on mine and that's it. All the other reels I've tried have broke down in less than half the time including the ones that cost twice as much. Don't make her throw Cowgirls with it though. She'll break up with you for sure. It's just not made for that.

[deantre]

My Kathy has smaller hands and the low profile of the revo toro 60 worked well. The 6500/5500 abu's were too big. The toro cast farther than them and I got one for myself. Like the thumb bar, have only used two good weeks so can't say much yet about the durability, seem pretty well made. Dean

[Ty Sennett]

Ray,

I guess it depends if she palms the reel or holds the foregrip of the rod. If she palms the reel, then the Curado 300 is an excellent choice. I love the one Ty got me. I tried the Revo on my rod, but it was just a little too wide for me to palm comfortably. It stuck out on the sides a little too far from the rod. I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem for anyone with larger hands than me. If she doesn't palm the reel I had always used a Phlueger before (the smaller model) and really liked that reel too.

Rachel

[Ray Perry]

Thank you everyone for the input. I know I should have listened to some of you, but I went with the Pflueger low profile trion. Don't know much about this reel. Have used the round Trion and liked it, so decided to give this a try. Plus the price was right at only $50.

If anyone has used this reel or heard anything about it please let me know what you think of it.

If it doesn't work out then I guess I'll have to get the curado 300E.

Thanks,
Ray

[Snizz]

is this reel made of silver and gold...why so expensive? but i want it!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0041531121551a&navCount=1&podId=0041531&parentId=cat20331&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat20331_TGP&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20331&hasJS=true

I am lookin for a baitcaster for some bassin down in FL for a week...prolly just go to walmart when i get there...

Do and of you guys know of a good top water bass lure?

[Trav]

For bass and topwater, nothing is more fun than a simple buzz bait when they explode on it.

Poppers and frogs are fun too, but I have had less success, but I think thats more my technique as I've seen others kill them with the same lure on the same day as me.

trav

[Ty Sennett]

I have that reel Ray. It works really good and holds up well. The spool isn't big enough for 80# line but you can put some 65# on in and have her throw small bucktails with it just fine. She'll like it.

[Ray Perry]

Glad to hear that.

She's from Ladysmith so with that extra money I saved from not getting a curado we can maybe book you for a half day when we head over there this coming summer.

Ray

[lil man tait]

Snizz, it depends on the time of year you're fishing bass. At least in Wisconsin and Illinois, early spring is good with a torpedo. Just reel slowly straight in so the blades spin steady over the tops of the weeds. Later in the spring and summer, try big buzzbaits over open water and small moss bosses reeled slow over the lilypads and weeds. You can also try plastics like frogs, rats, and weed demons, but your hooking percentage goes way down.

One thing I have found is NOT to choose a topwater that is white. Black seems to work the best. In torpedos, the dark frog pattern is good.

Buzzbaits, the more metal whiny the sound the better. That's why I use the big ones. also, simple 2 edge-blade style buzzbaits outproduce the 3-edge and grooved blades. One pro on T.V. talked about a bubble trail from your buzzbaits....I couldn't tell you if that is a must.


MOST IMPORTANT: a separate rod rigged with a dark color plastic worm!! Weedless rig without a weight. Cast after a missed fish and you should get 'em 75% of the time. sometimes you have to land right on them directly after a strike. good worms are the purple Culprit and black/red Gulp. 6-7"


I think I told you everthing I know about topwater bassin'.

good luck
Tait

[Snizz]

thanks! good info right there...I will bring out that extra rod for the worm cast back...great idea!

Yea I am only bassin down in FL for a week, in a few weeks...Visiting the parents down in ol' folks country...they live right next to a golf course pond that is chalk full of monster bass...there are probably upper 20's in there...

[Paul Schueller]

I realize the bass talk is a digression for the original post, but of great interest to me nonetheless. I must disagree with tait about buzzbaits a bit. I prefer three bladed buzzbaits because I can fish them slower and still get proper action out of them. Other top waters to try are storm chug bugs and zara spooks. I like clear plastic topwaters.

Back to reels. Does Plfueger no longer make round Trions? I can only find them in obscure places now. Ty, I am interested that you said the Curado 300E isn't cut out to throw cowgirls. I was thinking a getting one for a bucktail rod because it has a higher gear ratio than most reels. But if it can't hack it with cowgirls maybe I should stick with my C4.

[Ty Sennett]

Paul, if you are using your C4 for Cowgirls, all I can say is you will be much happier with any other reel than that one for bucktails. That reel is a nightmare to use Cowgirls with. That gear ratio with that little handle makes for a true workout with Cowgirls. If you want a great reel for Cowgirls get one of the round Pfluegers but buy a Calcutta Te LJV handle from Shimano direct. That handle fits perfectly on the Pflueger 55 and 65. Also, the Curado 300E is more of a small bucktail/topwater/jerkbait reel. Anything with a lot of torque will be hard to reel in. So basically anything but big blades.

Tait, quit giving up all the bass secrets so easily. You gotta make Snizz think for himself sometimes or else his mind gets restless.

[lil man tait]

Sorry Ty, I'll just give away one more secret.

Snizz, try throwing a Pacemaker. I've caught some big bass on those. Plus Ty can sell to those bass fishermen down there after you catch a bigin'.

Tait

[Snizz]

ya, I am bringing a PM with me...i caught a pretty nice size large mouth on Sand last year, thing just smoked the PM right at the turn at the boat...I am also in the process of making an old wood one a little smaller...prolly around the 4-5" range just for bassin...there is nothing out there like a PM for bass...

[IllinoisRip]

Ty...was the 65 replaced by the 66? Also, cannot read you tying above about what exact Calcutta TE handle your recommend? What size TE handle?

[Ty Sennett]

I may have said it wrong. There is the 56 and the 66 model in the Trion. The larger 66 has the line guide moves back and forth on the cast and the smaller 56 does not. The 66 casts a little better because of the line guide movement.

The handle to put on the Pfluegers for Cowgirls is the Calcutta Te LJV handle. You can only get this handle directly from Shimano's website. You honestly will not believe the difference this handle makes. It is hands down better than any handle out there. You will never complain about reeling in Cowgirls again.

One thing I forgot, make sure to have the handle down when you cast or else the handle will engage your reel midair. This is not only embarrassing but is a good way to trash a reel.