200-Sized Cardiff For Swimbaits

[VolFan]

I fish a Cardiff 200 for SwimbaitsI, mainly Punkers, Slammers, Slammer jr' and 68 specials in rate of fall 12. Do the brakes/spool tensioner wear worse using what some would consider a smaller reel for these baits?

[derekxec]

not sure about the 200 but ive used the 300 and 400 for swimbaits, plugs etc snook fishing and they worked well for some years 

[webertime]

I think it's more of a line capacity issue when we talk 200 vs 300 and swimbaits.

[VolFan]

Ok, I'm not having a capacity issue using 15 lb yozuri hybrid, do there's that...

[LgMouthGambler]

I use a Cardiff200A for Snook and inshore fishing. Just spool it with 40# braid and use a good leader if needed. I haven't had a problem yet.

[J Francho]

Braid doesn't work great with swimbaits.  I use a 200 size Calcutta for my 2-4 oz. baits.  I can come pretty close to spooling 25# CXX with the right bait and conditions.  I don't generally worry about those long casts.  Otherwise, the brakes and internals are the same as the 300, so no worries there either.

[VolFan]

That was the answer I was looking for regarding the internals...i think I got some water in the brake races, it's making a little noise.

I can see the spool if I really try with the 68s, but rare is it that I need to cast that far, and setting that big hook at that distance can be iffy...

J - that Slammer you sold me got WORN OUT this morning...probably 30 or so fish between 5 and 8....am. I have a raging case of bass thumb.

[SirSnookalot]

In this regard I would not compare bass and snook fishing, they are mainly caught in 2 different environments and more often than not with baits lighter than a heavy swimbait.  IMO the size of the reel is for the line size and kind of fish you are targeting, whether or not more line capacity is needed.  The rod has to be heavy enough to handle the weight of a heavier lure, personally I'd be focusing more on the rod than the reel.

[J Francho]

 

J - that Slammer you sold me got WORN OUT this morning...probably 30 or so fish between 5 and 8....am. I have a raging case of bass thumb.

 

Doesn't sound like the rod is an issue, Snook.  The question was really whether the 200 size reel was as strong internally as the 200. It is.  The 300 is just a bit wider, for more capicity.  Move up to a 400, and you deal with a non disengaging levelwind.

 

Vol, congrats on the success with the slammer.  I haven't thrown mine in weeks...might have to get out of the HPH/Hudd/Hard Gill rut I'm in.

[SirSnookalot]

Doesn't sound like the rod is an issue, Snook.  The question was really whether the 200 size reel was as strong internally as the 200. It is.  The 300 is just a bit wider, for more capicity.  Move up to a 400, and you deal with a non disengaging levelwind.

 

Vol, congrats on the success with the slammer.  I haven't thrown mine in weeks...might have to get out of the HPH/Hudd/Hard Gill rut I'm in.

There was no mention what rod was being used, I should hope a rod heavy enough to handle swimbaits as heavy as I think they are, but I'm not familiar with those kinds of lures.  I did read the post wrong, I thought it was 30 fish 5-8#, not 5- 8 am.  Assuming the fish were 8# each, a reel that size is more than up to the task, especially if mounted on a mh rod.  30 fish in 3 hours is great.

[J Francho]

I'm confused.  You don't throw swimbaits, don't use baitcasters for bass, and don't know how much the bait in question weighs.  Why are we debating Volfan's rod again? 

LOL, he asked about the reel.

[SirSnookalot]

Don't know why you're confused, all I initially said was " the rod has to be heavy enough to handle the weight of a heavier lure, personally I'd be focusing more on the rod than the reel".  Whether it's a swimbait or other heavier lure, bass or another species, the rod does the work of launching the lure.  The cardiff isn't much different than my Avet except for line capacity and the drags are probably set about the same, a bass would pose no problem for it.

 

 

 

[J Francho]

 

Do the brakes/spool tensioner wear worse using what some would consider a smaller reel for these baits?

 

Nope, I'm more confused now.  The only braking system on your Avet is the drag, which being a lever drag is NOTHING like the centrifugal brakes on a Cardiff.  About the only thing these two reels have in common is that they have a spool and a handle, and hold line.  Little else is similar, other than superficial appearances.  The drive systems, drags, and levelwind (or lack thereof), and spool tensioning are very different, each suited to two completely different types of fishing.  Your Avet would make a terrible swimbait reel.  It lacks a levelwind, lower, sensitive drag powers appropriate to smaller game, and weighs almost twice as much as a comparable round baitcaster.  They cost twice as much, too.

 

I'm not saying you don't know your salt water stuff, but it doesn't have any comparison here.  This is why I'm confused.  You brought up points not relevant, and try to dispute others' first hand knowledge in this thread.    All it does is confuse guys that might be thinking the same question.  Next thing you know, someone bought an Avet to throw swimbaits.  Not saying it wouldn't work, but it won't be fun. My experience using a Daiwa Saltiga lever drag was that you had to watch the line lay on the spool, to keep it from building up mountains.  It was heavy, but well suited to lunching heavy plugs live bait rigs for blues.  But it's not a great swimbait reel. Conversely, that Cardiff would get eaten alive it were used daily for that kind of fishing.

 

The original question was about the brakes and internals holding up on a Cardiff 200.  The answer is it is the same as the 300, just narrower.

[derekxec]

why you need a level wind and a sensitive drag for swimbaits? lol you all need to come fishing with me some and see how a pro level winds it no need for a mechanical one on the reel

[J Francho]

Never said it wouldn't work.  I suppose one could become a pro at a tin can for swimbaiting..  It's just that a lever drag with no line guide is overkill, and not that enjoyable to use.  I have no need for a brute force, 20# drag for 1/0 Owner ST-41 cutting point trebles on my swimbaits.  4# of resistance max, unless I see barely hooked fish, then I might dial it off a bit.  Have fun laying tht line down with your thumb.  I'll be enjoying not letting that part of my brain think about it while I concentrate on the next cast, and enjoy the simplicity of what I (and most other swimbaiters) use.  Why someone would spend twice as much on something that is harder to use, when most are already accustomed to using traditional bass tackle?  Heck, I even know plenty that use spinning for swimbaiting.  You can find a decent 8' inshore rod, and a 5000 series reel, load it up with heavy line and have at it. 

 

Still not a easy as what I generally recommend.  And that's the whole point of this site - helping guys get over the learning curve by getting the right tools to begin with.  It's not to refute tried and true best practices just because it's fun to tell someone they are wrong because your a pro at the hard way.  I can see it if you fish the jetties and surf, and have that gear to repurpose, but eventually if you're serious about a certain style, you will want to get gear suited to that style.    I could even put my centrepin on a heavy rod, and swimbait with that, lol.  Drag?  The drag is your pinky.  Gear ratio? 1:1.  Breaks?  Spool tension?  None.  Bearings?  Uh, I think there's one.  Yeah, no.

 

So, I'm still confused why this is part of a discussion as to whether a Cardiff 200 brakes are as durable as the larger size reels.  I mean, you salt guys brought it up?

 

It's a silly debate, really. Use what you brung, to a point. Vol's reel will work just fine.

[derekxec]

ah once you do it for a bit it becomes natural and when fighting a fish it almost lays on the reel how you would level wind it anyway just one less thing to go wrong lol..i actually find it better since your finger has to be touching the line at all times makes it a bit easier to feel the hits in some cases

 

anyway i like the cardiffs ive used them in the 300 and 400 and they held up well to snook, bass, jacks and the 400 even stood up to a  57" sailfish so they are good reels for $100...so def would be great for bass no matter what kind of bait you are throwing really 

[J Francho]

 

anyway i like the cardiffs ive used them in the 300 and 400 and they held up well to snook, bass, jacks and the 400 even stood up to a  57" sailfish so they are good reels for $100

 

Holy crap!  I guess that put the original question to rest, lol. 

[derekxec]

lol we had 6 big rods out for sailfish and a small one out for dolphin and the sailfish hits the smallest one hahahah

[VolFan]

My rod is plenty heavy, but light enough that my wife still likes to use it a lot.

As far as spinning gear for Swimbaits, I also have a light 8' surf rod and 4000 size reel from ll bean that do a great job and let me use braid without worrying. It's mostly a loaner/back up, but it gets it's use. It does a great job with frogs as well and I think the whole outfit was $150ish on sale.

[J Francho]

I've set quite a few friends up with heavier/bigger spinning setups for frogging. For some, especially fishing in windy areas, it's just easier.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

There is a reason the majority of "us" use 300 and 400 sized reels for swimbaits.

 

It works.

 

I like the higher line capacity not because I think a LM is going to spool me. I use it so the reel, on a long cast, is retrieving line "around" where it's supposed to. Is it nice that the reels are beefier? Sure, but that's not really the point. I dont want to be able to see the spool on a cast. Ever.

 

If you say "I don't have to cast that far" then you just haven't encountered the situation yet. Fish them enough and you will.

 

The gear is specialized because it works. The rods are built on blanks to set the hook from a distance. The reels are meant to hold a great deal of line because sometimes you "need" it.

 

Can I break a block with a 16oz hammer? Sure. It's a hell of a lot more fun to me to blow the thing up with dynamite though.

 

Sincerely,

 

Someone who knows a little.

[SirSnookalot]

You can find a decent 8' inshore rod, and a 5000 series reel, load it up with heavy line and have at it. 

 

So, I'm still confused why this is part of a discussion as to whether a Cardiff 200 brakes are as durable as the larger size reels.  I mean, you salt guys brought it up?

 

It's a silly debate, really. Use what you brung, to a point. Vol's reel will work just fine.

Probably the best answer, in fact a 4000 reel on the right rod is suffcient, IMO I still think the rod is the most important component.  I see no debate going on, what I see is a lot of technical information spewing about one type of reel against another when the bottom line is just casting and retrieving.  The rod launces the lure and the reel brings it in, the lure is working the same way in the water.  It's like asking someone what time it is and they tell you how to build a watch.  A good fisherman can catch any kind of fish with kind of tackle in any kind of envrionment.  I'm not in the least bit confused, I don't see anything too complicated.

 

Getting back to the reel, the cardiff is more than eqaul to the task, 10# of max drag, not that I would ever set it that high, and plenty of line capacity for bass fishing, not unusal to see them being used for snook.  I'll refrain from any saltwater comment except to say reels like an Avet sx or mx are very popular casting and retrieveing heavier lures on the right rod, using the thumb as a level wind is totally second nature and no thought is even given to it.

[VolFan]

Speed -

What line are you throwing yours on (baits in the 1-4 oz range)? The Yz hybrid is cheap and it works, but I'm always open to something better. The stretch is great for casting but less so at distance with larger single hooks. Regarding the distance casting - it's not that I can't, I can sling it when I need to; I just try to avoid it with positioning if possible.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I've not used the YZ with swimbaits but from using it in other applications I think it would perform well in 20lb.

 

I prefer CXX moss green 20lb for most of my swimbaits. I bump up to 25 on baits over 5oz.