Need Help Deciding On A New Reel And What Rod To Use It On.....

[chromedog]

Ok, I need a little help deciding on a new reel.  I have three casting outfits that I use, everything else is done on spinning equipment.  The first one is my finesse setup and is all set, been using it for a couple of years.  Happy with it.  Now, I have a Wright & McGill Clunn Reaction Rod 7' MH Clear Sq Bill that I recently picked up on discount.  The other rod I have is a KVD Signature Series 7’ M Fast.  Those two rods pretty much cover everything I need.  

For reels I have (1) Carbonlite, 6:4:1.  Here are my questions:

 

1) What rod would you put the Carbonlite on?

2) What reel would you go with for the other rod:

                A) Revo SX

                BPS Pro Qualifier

                C) Curado

                D) Other

3) What gear ratio?

 

What would you guys suggest?  I think that those two set-ups will handle just about anything I would do.  How important would “looks” or matching colors be to you?  Would it only come into play if the reels were comparable?

I am still a newbie when it comes to casting equipment.  Not totally green as I can usually go out and fish all day without a birds nest, but not an expert by any means, so ease of use should be taken into account.

 

Thanks in advance everyone.  Sometimes I so overthink things and need outside perspective to help, lol.

[roadwarrior]

Well, for my money it would be the Curado 50E

[chromedog]

Which of the two rods would it match better with?

[Teal]

Carbon light on KVD rod. Have you thought about a slower gear ratio for your Rick Clunn cranking rod? Alot of people pick a 5:1 for deep and med cranking. I tend to use 6:1 for shallow runners. That why I say put ur carbonlight on KVD rod so u can address issue of gear ratio. It you use that rod for all of your cranking a 5:1 might be a little better but you can certainly get by with a 6:1.

I'm impartial but I say take a look at the Lews tournament, or Lews bb1

[roadwarrior]

Which of the two rods would it match better with?

 

I can't answer that question, the key is how well the rod and reel balance.

Regardless of the gross weight, a well balanced rig will feel virtually weightless

in your hand.

[Arv]

I think a 6:1 gear ratio will be a good overall selection for any application you throw. Personally, I would only use 5:1 if I were throwing deep diving crankbaits, which I do not, so I don't have one. You could get a 7:1 for other applications like worms/jigs, spinnerbaits, etc. but the preference is really up to you. Of the reels you have listed, I would definitely go with the Curado for your two remaining rods. If you can find an E series, even better. Other reels you might want to consider in that price range would be a Shimano Citica, Lews Tournament Speed Spool and a Abu Garcia Revo S. The Pro Qualifier is also a fine choice IMO. I just got two and I am very impressed so far. For the money, I don't think you can beat this reel, so, if you're on a budget, the PQ is a nice reel for the price. As far as color goes, I couldn't care less. Fish aren't looking at your rod and reel in the water and probably don't care what it looks like if you get them out of the water. I doubt they're going to go back in the water and insult your color selection to their friends. If its a quality product that will last, I'm all for it. If you're able to put the reels on the rods you want to match them with, I would recommend doing so before you buy them. Like RW said, a well balance set up feels like next to nothing in your hand. IMO, balance is more important than weight.