Michigan Muskie Alliance

Quick question. Does anyone know if Shimano makes the Calcutta 400B in the left handed orientation? I cant find a 401B for sale anywhere online. The 401CTE is the only one I can find but the TE version is a good $120 more and I dont really see that much of an upgrade from the regular Calcutta to justify that big of a price increase.

Another question, has anyone tried the Calcutta Conquest? I know its alot more money but I was looking at them and was wondering how much better they are than the B or TE and what exactly is that much better.

Getting real anxious with there being less than a month left before the opener and am looking at getting a new setup before then.

Their website indicates the 400's available only right-handed. The have the 200 in left-handed:
http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content ... print.html

I figured that much since I couldnt find them anywhere but was hoping maybe they did. I have the 201B already on my smaller rod and really like it but just bought an 8'6"er St. Crois Premier XH rod and wanted to get the heavier version of the Calcutta for it. Might have to just bite the bullet and pay the extra cash for the 401CTE...

You might want to take a look at the Okuma Isis that is new for 2011. http://www.okumafishingteam.com/family/397436

The Curado 301E is a nice left handed reel also, and is a little cheaper than the 401CTE...FYI

go with the Cardiff, same reel as the calcutta

SUDLABNIVEK wrote:go with the Cardiff, same reel as the calcutta

No way. The only thing similar is the shape.

I agree cardiffs are junk as musky reels unless your using real small twitch baits. I have 3 cardiffs, I use them primarily for casting cranks for kings in the fall or pike. For this they are ok. I tried using a 400 cardiff as a muskie reel and basically ruined it within a month trying to cast and retrieve big baits. Then I bought a calcutta 400B and was blow away and quickly realized it doesn't actually have to be torture to use a bait larger than 4 ounces.

Jim tenHaaf wrote:

SUDLABNIVEK wrote:go with the Cardiff, same reel as the calcutta

No way. The only thing similar is the shape.

Agreed. When I made the foray into conventional gear I tried to go that route at first...and my first and last Cardiff lasted me exactly one day on the water before the main gear stripped out and got so loose in the housing that I couldn't turn the handle. It's a 400 size reel, but that's the extent of it.

I even think 400B's are on the light side for the baits I throw and stopped using them in 09 as well. Never had any issues with the B, but use TE's and other reels now. 400B makes for a great all around muskie reel, one of the best all around reels in fact. But I throw too many blades to make the B a good reel for me.

Only issue I have had with a cardiff is the clicker getting stuck part way on all the time! I don't fish as much as many, but they have lasted 2 seasons so far. the major differences between the calcutta and cardiff are: the cardiff is cast, not milled or forged, gear ratio is lower on the calcutta but has more line pick-up so the spool is obviously bigger, the calcutta has 6+lbs more drag. I have actually missed a fish or two because I slipped the drag on a hook set with a cardiff.
I needed to update a reel and bought the calcutta instead, and also added the curado 300 EJ a few weeks ago, and got to cast it yeterday. You can seriously burn blades with that one! so far seems like a sweet reel.

Well maybe I have been lucky then, have 2 cardiffs and they have put in hours of use on big water and big lures and never a problem. Not disagreeing with you all I just have never had an issue. So from my exprience the cardiff has been great even after hours of continued use for days at a time.