My thoughts on my new Calcutta TE 200 GT baitcaster.

[Mike B.]

Hey all,I've been using baitcasting reels for about 20 years now and I've usually had pretty basic ones till now. The other 2 I use are a Diawa Triforce and a Shimano Crestfire.

Well,after a recent trip to Bass Pro Shops I returned home with my shiny new Shimano Calcutta TE 200GT. Naturally,I just HAD to try it out,so off to the backyard I went,snow and all! After a single cast,I realized the huge difference quality makes in a reel! The casting is absolutely effortless,as the reel has 10 ball bearings and 1 roller bearing.The retrieve is so incredibly SMOOTH and quiet!

It was eye opening to say the least to feel the weight I was using as it came across the surface of the snow...I could feel every single little bump instead of feeling gears turning.The new Power Pro line I chose was equally impressive. It seems to pack onto the spool better than the Spiderwire I have on my other outfits.

The reviews I had read on the reel all raved about the silky retrieve and also the POWER of this reel when you clamp down the drag system. I compared it with my other cheaper Crestfire reel and the Calcutta TE blew it away! The range of drag adjustment is better as is the smoothness.With the Crestfire,I had to crank the drag to the max to try to pull my weight free when it was stuck. With the new Calcutta,it was as easy as a little turn of the star wheel to give me that same power.

I'm a total gear head when it comes to fishing equipment,and I can tell you that this reel is worth it's $499.99 price tag and then some! It makes my other reels seem like toys honestly,and that's no eggageration.

Anyone else out there have a similar experience with a piece of gear? I love reviews,so let's hear from ya!

By the way,a quick kudos to the boys here at Fish Hawk for running a great forum.Nice to get good info without all the bull and idiots that some other forums seem to have. Job VERY well done here lads!!!

[Moosebunk]

I'm a total gear head when it comes to fishing equipment,and I can tell you that this reel is worth it's $499.99 price tag and then some! )

Too much money.

Careful you don't drop it overboard

[Mike B.]

I'm a total gear head when it comes to fishing equipment,and I can tell you that this reel is worth it's $499.99 price tag and then some! )

Too much money.

Careful you don't drop it overboard

I've already run that senario through my head...shudder!

[Mike B.]

Seriously though,the price tag IS very steep,but it also pays for the peace of mind I'm going to get NOT dealing with the little things that bug me about my other reels.

I'm the first to admit that the gear isn't going to get you any more fish in most cases...it's for the sheer pleasure of using the equipment that I bought it for.

I read another thread here regarding rods and wether or not the more expensive ones are really worth the price. I've never fished with a rod costing more than $100, but I know I've had some issues with ALL my rods over the years that perhaps wouldn't be there with a better built rod.
You be the judge. I like my time on the water to be as stress- free as possible,and I enjoy it when my gear does what it should,so I can concentrate on the fishin' !

[Guest]

they are sweet reels aren't they.
I have the 100GT and my fishing partner as everyone knows by now is GamblerSteve, he has the 200GT, all aluminum frame makes for a very strong reel, silky smooth and as reliable as they come. provided it dosen't go swimming it should last you a life time, the same can not be said for the lesser reels, but since you now have one you will soon have another, it's addictive. If you like a low profile reel like the crestfire, may I suggest the new chronarchB or curado super free. Now when you go rod hunting I hope you remember how impressed you were with that first cast of the best round reel on the market and buy a rod of equal quality and proformance. With the strength of the Canadian dollar right now, Ed has a great price on all the St.Croix rods. An Avid or Legend Tournament would be a great match for that reel.

Happy effortless casting

[Mike B.]

As a matter of fact,my next rod purchse is going to be a St Croix to go with my reel.
This set up is my pike/muskie casting rig,and the others are for everything else. I also have a medium action spinning outfit (Rapala) which rounds off my arsenal nicely.

Forgive my ignorance,but who is "Ed"? I'm new to this site,but i'm really impressed with it thus far.

If any of you are planning on fishing in the Muskoa area this season,drop me a "line"!

[Guest]

He is the toobinator, he runs Paddletales tackle.
I just noticed that you are a fare drive away from Ottawa, unless you are coming this way for a fish-hawk get together then you may be better shopping around home. the money you would save at Ed's you would spend in gas, although he has been known to mail an order to just about anywhere.

[Buck]

hey,

my buddy has a calcutta, and well, after trying it out, I had to get some equipment of higher quality. Although the price tag for the calcutta exceeded my budget, I settled for a Shimano Cardiff on a Berkley Series one rod. At first, I loved the rod, but the reel was giving me trouble. I finally figured out I had to looseen the magnets inside the reel! Since then, I've been in love with my gear. Like you said, when you pay lots of money, you expect quality, and well, so far, its been that with Shimano!

Buck

[sparky]

Perhaps my skills aren't refined enough to appreciate such fine gear, but I would never pay $500 for any reel. I borrowed a Calcutta from the skipper on a guided striper trip a few years ago, and while it felt very smooth and solid, it did not meet my inflated expectations.

[Mike B.]

The previous Calcutta reels did not have the new advancements that my reel has.Mainly,it's the larger,more precision gearing and the added bearing support that gives my reel it's liquid smooth performance.

You don't need to have "refined skills" to notice that a lure is much easier to retrieve or that the drag system is much more adjustable. Worth $500? To me...you bet!

By the way,don't make a lot of money working at Canadian tire,so it's a huge investment for me to have such a nice reel. If I didn't feel a huge difference in it's performance,you can bet it would still be sitting on a shelf at Bass Pro Shops.

[Mike B.]

Well,after putting in some serious hours on the water and catching my largest smallmouth and largest pike on it,I can tell you that the reel is FLAWLESS!!! The drag alone makes the price worthwhile...silky smooth and reliable.
Gotta love the precision gearing too,especially retriving big muskie baits all day.No grinding or uneeded resistance.It's the best reel out there in my opinion.I even bought and returned,the more expensive Calais and bought a second Calcutta TE 200GT !!!

By the way,the Pete Maina 8' extra heavy action muskie rod is holding up very nicely, as is the Bass Pro Shops 7'6" med heavy rod on my other outfit.

They were both very reasonably priced and I'm more than pleased with their performances.

As I posted before,it's not neccesary to use top notch gear to catch fish,but the absence of the little annoyances my cheaper gear has sure makes the time spent fishing a lot more stress free!

[M.T. Livewell]

Thanks for the update Mike B.

You must have looked way back through the pages to find that post.

M.T. Livewell

[Mike B.]

OMFG...your AVATAR is sooooo funny!

I figure there must be other gear heads like me out there that want the truth on all this technology available to us.I tell it like it is,good or bad.

You should have seen the look on the salesmans face when I told him I thought the Calais SUCKED!!! Well...it doesn't suck obviously,but I felt that it wasn't as effortless to retrieve as the Calcutta TE 200 GT and I couldn't see why it costs even more.

The Pete Maina reels felt pretty good in the store...anyone have some real on the water experience with them?Might be a good reel for the $.

[GreenBastard]

I just wondered if this is the one?



By the way, the ad is a joke, just wanted to see if you fell over when you seen it,

GB

[Mike B.]

My reel is actually a bass fishing sized model,but it has such a solid feel,that it is great to throw large baits with all day long.
I'm not a big man (5'5") so the smaller profile fits my hands better.

I was going to get the larger Calcutta 300GT but I'm really thrilled with the ones I got.