Shimano Cardiff vs. Abu C3/C4...suggestions

[tserra12]

Hey guys, with the musky opener a couple sleeps away I'm looking to upgrade my reel for my musky combo. These reels are in my price range, not looking to go much higher but looking for a good quality reel. If any one has any advice/experience with these reels to offer it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Taylor

[TheMaverick]

Send Butch420 a PM, he'll gladly steer you in the right direction when it comes to Musky reels.

[Chevy Champagne]

had a cardiff for a while and loved it, wish i never got rid of it may have to pick up another one

[StarTzar]

If I was into Musky fishing, I'd be getting an Abu C4 5600

http://www.abugarcia.com/products/reels ... aitcast/c4

[jona38]

I've used both the Cardiff and the C3 and prefer the Cardiff. If you cast a lot the C3 has no thumbbar which I found really annoying. I haven't used a C4 but wouldn't hesitate to buy one. IMO I would stroke the C3 off the list and decide between the Cardiff and the C4. Jon

[avidangler]

I had a Cardiff 400a for my musky reel and I loved it. With that said it broke within a few months of purchasing it so rather than change manufacturers entirely I upgraded to the Calcutta B. Its a bit more expensive but a much better quality reel IMO. So if you like the Cardiff round reel style I suggest the Calcutta.

[Fishoholic]

I agree with avid angler. Have both a Calcutta and Cardiff for my Muskie set ups and both are great. The Cardiff after a couple years makes a squeeling noise and does not cast far anymore. I am guessing there is a piece of dirt or something in the bearings but I have never cleaned either reel. I guess it's time to learn how to. Both are/were easy to get use to and use (I never used a bait caster before these). I can't comment on the other reel as I have only used shimano bait casters but like em both. Good luck for opener!

[PriorMike]

I have an Abu 4601 C3 mounted to a MH Fenwick HMG. I use it for heavier lures and trolling.

No complaints with the reel at all. The 460x C3's have the thumb bar, so they are easy to cast. FYI, 4601/5501/6501 are all left hand reels; the C4 doesn't have a 4601 lefty, although it's possible to buy a C3 and convert it to the faster gearing which is the main difference between the C3/4.

The C3/HMG combo is my favorite right now. The 4601 is lightweight(as round reels go) and it's smaller size makes it comfortable to palm. If you're the type that likes to 'tune' your reels there is a plethora of parts out there.

Edited to add: As opposed to the 550x/650x C3's that use the button instead of a thumb bar, the new C4's appear to have a thumb bar. Didn't notice that before.

[MUSKY HUNTER]

Abu c4 is the way to go I fish with it all the time love it... That and just bought a new NACL Abu revo!!! Beauty reel I wouldn't buy anything but Abu for musky always had good luck and the reels hold up to the Abu name and quality!! Plus parts are always easily accessible if needed!!

[smitty55]

I have some questions on the Sweden side of things here for the Musky crowd. My first thought for Musky would be to go to at least 5500 like was said, or even 6500 size reel maybe if a deal comes up. I wouldn't associate the smallest reel in the series with Musky fishing as much but obviously it does the job fine. So here are my questions.

For guys that like to cast a lot does the 4600 cast better that the larger reels and that's why you use them?
What are the main advantages of the larger reels other than line capacity?
Why the C4 over the C3? Does it cast better? With large fish like Musky and for reeling in heavy lures wouldn't the lower gear ratio of the C3 be more appropriate? . This from Abu " For high resistance baits such as the 2 oz spinner bait , large crankbaits or schooling rigs, you will want to use a lower gear ratio so that you don't feel the resistance that you describe." So do you guys with a C4 still find the power adequate but appreciate the faster retrieve speed? It's only 4.5" more per turn.

The reason I'm asking is that I have a 4600C3 on order, but I would consider changing that to a C4 as it's only about $20 more. Thanks for your input.

Cheers

[reefhawg]

You're fine with the C3. It's probably a better overall muskie reel as the 6.3:1 ratio of the C4 is not great for cranking large baits for extended periods of time. The C4 would make a nice jerk bait reel as it would pick up slack line faster.