Calcutta 200B - Can it handle musky fishing?

[Finessegenics]

I wanted to get a single setup for targeting large  pike and musky from time to time. I'm not going to throw myself completely into that world as it is just something I want to dabble in. I usually just used bass gear for targeting pike which is just fine, but I want to try throwing some large spinnerbaits and bucktails too. 

 

So simple question; would a Calcutta 200 be able to handle lures in 2-3oz range (spinnerbaits, bucktails, smaller bulldawg-type swimbaits)? I can imagine those double bladed bucktails create a lot of drag in the water and I'm worried it would trash the Calcutta over time. 

[A-Jay]

Depending on what type & size line used, the 200B might run into a capacity shortage.

The 400B might be a better choice in that regard.

It's beefy and able to do anything in the freshwater from bass to musky and pike to giant catfish, as well as light to medium saltwater applications. 

A-Jay

 

[NHBull]

I have the 100,200 and 300 and I while I find excuses to use my 200, the 300 would get the call in your case

 

[J Francho]

I have no problem throwing up to 3 oz. baits using 20# CXX. I’ve caught many northern in the sub 20# range.  Bigger baits and bigger fish might be trouble. 

[VolFan]

What J said - If you're using braid, you won't have the capacity problem but the lack of stretch might be less forgiving on the reel. I use 15 or 20 lb CXX on 200 sized reels for swimbaits up to 6 oz and have never had a problem. Never hooked a 40" musky though...

[Finessegenics]

19 minutes ago, VolFan said:

What J said - If you're using braid, you won't have the capacity problem but the lack of stretch might be less forgiving on the reel. I use 15 or 20 lb CXX on 200 sized reels for swimbaits up to 6 oz and have never had a problem. Never hooked a 40" musky though...

Thanks for the response. To be honest with you, I don't expect to be catching a 40" musky anytime soon but a man can dream. I just want to throw bigger baits and see what lurks out there. Also, Im not really worried about fighting the fish; people have brought in 40"ers on finesse gear. I'm more concerned about the reel not having enough torque/power for the lures. I will definitely be using braid, 80lb for sure. It interests me that you mention braid being less forgiving on a reel. I assume that only really applies when throwing heavy baits. What exactly gets worn out on a reel when cranking on 4,5,6 oz lures? That's my concern with the calcutta. 

[Vilas15]

21 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Thanks for the response. To be honest with you, I don't expect to be catching a 40" musky anytime soon but a man can dream. I just want to throw bigger baits and see what lurks out there. Also, Im not really worried about fighting the fish; people have brought in 40"ers on finesse gear. I'm more concerned about the reel not having enough torque/power for the lures. I will definitely be using braid, 80lb for sure. It interests me that you mention braid being less forgiving on a reel. I assume that only really applies when throwing heavy baits. What exactly gets worn out on a reel when cranking on 4,5,6 oz lures? That's my concern with the calcutta. 

Don't even think about a double cowgirl (double #10 blades). You might be able to get away with a double 8, which I can do fine on an Abu C3 Ambassadeur 6500. You'd likely be in the range or single 8 or smaller which is not a bad thing. A single 7 blade is a good bait any time. The other baits that pull very hard are big cranks, but you could probably handle medium sized cranks just fine, I'm a fan of something like a rapala super shad rap. The rubber baits do not have much resistance at all, especially given the fact you rip or pull with the rod and crank the slack line in between pulls. A big paddletail like a chaos posseidon or musky innovations swimmin dawg would be a different story since they are more straight retrieve but a regular sized swimmin dawg might be OK. I'd stay away from the rubber in general, even if they have little resistance if you backlash when one of those is flying through the air the reel may explode. I backlashed a magnum bulldawg (8 oz) and snapped 80 lb braid. Luckily that was on a 400 size reel.

 

Even if you've got downsized tackle make sure your leader is up to the task, and that you've got you jaw spreaders, long pliers, hook cutters, and a big enough net! Keep the fight short especially in warmer water. 50 lb braid is just fine with a decent leader (I use 14" Stealth Tackle 130 lb fluoro), I caught a 39" the other weekend on 50 lb power pro. I use 80 lb Sufix 832 on the big rod.

[jimmyjoe]

41 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

What exactly gets worn out on a reel when cranking on 4,5,6 oz lures?

 

   The pinion, the drive gear, and all the support bearings that go along with them.  One other thing; the spool shaft needs to be strong enough to take the stress of heavy lures and highly resistive retrieves. On the reels you've been discussing, that's no problem. On smaller reels, it might be.        

   Good luck!     jj

[Finessegenics]

36 minutes ago, Vilas15 said:

Don't even think about a double cowgirl (double #10 blades). You might be able to get away with a double 8, which I can do fine on an Abu C3 Ambassadeur 6500. You'd likely be in the range or single 8 or smaller which is not a bad thing. A single 7 blade is a good bait any time. The other baits that pull very hard are big cranks, but you could probably handle medium sized cranks just fine, I'm a fan of something like a rapala super shad rap. The rubber baits do not have much resistance at all, especially given the fact you rip or pull with the rod and crank the slack line in between pulls. A big paddletail like a chaos posseidon or musky innovations swimmin dawg would be a different story since they are more straight retrieve but a regular sized swimmin dawg might be OK. I'd stay away from the rubber in general, even if they have little resistance if you backlash when one of those is flying through the air the reel may explode. I backlashed a magnum bulldawg (8 oz) and snapped 80 lb braid. Luckily that was on a 400 size reel.

Thanks a bunch! This is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. I was worried about the double cowgirls on a Calcutta200 cause I know those things pull like crazy. But you're saying that the rubber lures would be a problem as well? I was looking at these specifically;

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/swimbaits_tubes/minid/

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/swimbaits_tubes/reg_superd/

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/bucktails_spinnerbaits/switchblade_spinnerbait/

- 8" and 10" Believers as well

 

Much lighter than any of the "magnum" baits out there.

 

So from the sound of your reply, the 200 wouldn't really be suitable for musky lures. What about an Okuma Citrix 354. I have the opportunity to purchase a used one in good condition. How would those fare with the baits I linked? Thanks in advance!

[Tim Kelly]

80lb braid on a 200 spool is going to be a problem. Even a moderate cast will see the spool so empty that your retrieve rate will be pitiful for the first 2/3 of the retrieve.

[Vilas15]

2 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

Thanks a bunch! This is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. I was worried about the double cowgirls on a Calcutta200 cause I know those things pull like crazy. But you're saying that the rubber lures would be a problem as well? I was looking at these specifically;

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/swimbaits_tubes/minid/

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/swimbaits_tubes/reg_superd/

https://tackleindustries.com/product-category/bucktails_spinnerbaits/switchblade_spinnerbait/

- 8" and 10" Believers as well

 

Much lighter than any of the "magnum" baits out there.

 

So from the sound of your reply, the 200 wouldn't really be suitable for musky lures. What about an Okuma Citrix 354. I have the opportunity to purchase a used one in good condition. How would those fare with the baits I linked? Thanks in advance!

The rubber would be fine as long as you stick to the smaller sizes. Mini-medussa would be a good one. Medussas/bulldawgs/tubes (red october is a good brand) are all fished with a pull/pause retrieve or in warmer weather it becomes just rip it as hard as you can with the rod and crank up the slack, then repeat. Im just warning you if you stray into the bigger rubber it's just tougher on the rod, but also the reel more so because of the risk of backlash, not so much do to the retrieve.

 

After looking at the stats the Calcutta 200 would be a better option than I thought. The main downside is the line capacity which means at the beginning of your retrieve your spool will be low and combined with a low gear ratio your retrieve speed will be very slow. Do you already own the calcutta? If so I would give it a shot. If not, the citrix 354 should also work if you can get a good deal. You can always add a 400 Tranx down the line when you get the musky bug!

[Finessegenics]

8 minutes ago, Vilas15 said:

After looking at the stats the Calcutta 200 would be a better option than I thought. The main downside is the line capacity which means at the beginning of your retrieve your spool will be low and combined with a low gear ratio your retrieve speed will be very slow. Do you already own the calcutta? If so I would give it a shot. If not, the citrix 354 should also work if you can get a good deal. You can always add a 400 Tranx down the line when you get the musky bug!

I actually don’t own either. But the Calcutta is basically new and belongs to a buddy who’s offering it for a really really good price. I didn’t even want to get a musky setup but he was offering the reel so cheap I thought why not spoil myself and try something new. 
 

I saw the Citrix for sale on Facebook. It also has a much better line capacity than the Calcutta so I might ultimately go that way if you say both reels will be able to handle the baits I plan to throw. It’s just that I trust a legendary reel like the Calcutta more than the Okuma. Not to knock Okuma or anything, I’m sure they make great products. 

[gim]

I've got a Calcutta 400B.  I exclusively use it for musky fishing on a St Croix Muskie Mojo 8 foot rod spooled with 80 pound braid.  I throw some quite large lures at times on this setup and using a 200 size reel would be difficult unless I downsized all my lures to smaller ones.  I have had it for 7 seasons now and the reel is still butter smooth.  I have not landed a lot of large fish on it though; I simply don't catch that many large pike or muskies.

[Dwight Hottle]

I have used 200 series calcutta's & 300 calcutta TE's for a lot of years chasing big pike & some musky. You would be just fine with a 200 calcutta for your occasional usage & 2-3 oz lures. I always used bass gear for pike & have caught lots of 20lb pike up to 32lbs with that gear. Go for it. 

 

    

[soflabasser]

Lots of fishermen have caught muskies and other large fish on a Shimano Calcutta 200B. If you want you can fish with a larger size if you feel more comfortable with it.

[Further North]

On 10/7/2020 at 8:25 PM, Finessegenics said:

Thanks for the response. To be honest with you, I don't expect to be catching a 40" musky anytime soon but a man can dream. I just want to throw bigger baits and see what lurks out there. Also, Im not really worried about fighting the fish; people have brought in 40"ers on finesse gear. I'm more concerned about the reel not having enough torque/power for the lures. I will definitely be using braid, 80lb for sure. It interests me that you mention braid being less forgiving on a reel. I assume that only really applies when throwing heavy baits. What exactly gets worn out on a reel when cranking on 4,5,6 oz lures? That's my concern with the calcutta. 

Consider not throwing the bigger lures.

I catch bunches of Esox every year on baits, lures and flies that are not great big "musky" monsters.

I have caught more pike and musky - by several orders of magnitude - on #5 Mepps, 1 1/8 oz Doctor Spoons and Strike King Smokin' Roosters than I have on "musky" baits.  Most of my muskies on flies (every one, so far this season) have come on flies in the 6" - 8" range.

This fish:

Hit a 6 1/2" Villiwocks Roamer...she was 42".  I had downsized from a bigger fly on a 10 wt. rod to this fly on 8 wt. because I wasn't seeing fish, and I was tired of throwing the big stuff.

This one, at 43", hit the smaller 3 3/4" Doctor Spoon after I'd had a day of follows but no eats...five of them...on larger lures and flies.

 

There is, IMO, too much emphasis on big lures/baits/flies for musky...It's been a while since I've caught fewer than 20 in a year, and I seldom throw big stuff.

 

On 10/7/2020 at 8:46 PM, Vilas15 said:

Even if you've got downsized tackle make sure your leader is up to the task, and that you've got you jaw spreaders, long pliers, hook cutters, and a big enough net! Keep the fight short especially in warmer water. 50 lb braid is just fine with a decent leader (I use 14" Stealth Tackle 130 lb fluoro), I caught a 39" the other weekend on 50 lb power pro. I use 80 lb Sufix 832 on the big rod.

Great advice on the leader and the rest of the gear...too many folks are not ready for that big fish when it eats...and way, way too may do not have a big enough net.

 

[Vilas15]

20 hours ago, Further North said:

Great advice on the leader and the rest of the gear...too many folks are not ready for that big fish when it eats...and way, way too may do not have a big enough net.

 

The tactical bassin guys on youtube are in musky country now in TN. Perhaps you saw a recent video where they were bass fishing a river in kayaks and occasionally throwing a hard swimbait at muskys they saw swimming by. Part of me wanted them to hook one knowing the absolute ****show it could become since theres no chance theyve got the cutters, jaw spreaders, or long pliers (no net either of course). It'd be hell on the fish too which would be unfortunate. But then maybe everyone in the comments saying "I've got musky in a river by me, I'm gonna give it a shot" would know what they're in for and go more prepared. I also thought if they ended up mangling a fish and killing one accidentally there's no way they'd put that in a video anyways.

[Further North]

22 hours ago, Vilas15 said:

The tactical bassin guys on youtube are in musky country now in TN. Perhaps you saw a recent video where they were bass fishing a river in kayaks and occasionally throwing a hard swimbait at muskys they saw swimming by. Part of me wanted them to hook one knowing the absolute ****show it could become since theres no chance theyve got the cutters, jaw spreaders, or long pliers (no net either of course). It'd be hell on the fish too which would be unfortunate. But then maybe everyone in the comments saying "I've got musky in a river by me, I'm gonna give it a shot" would know what they're in for and go more prepared. I also thought if they ended up mangling a fish and killing one accidentally there's no way they'd put that in a video anyways.

I hadn't seen the video, I've seen it live on the water too many times.  I did it once, and got lucky - I was able to unhook her without bringing her in the boat, but it could have been a train wreck.

Ordered the big net that night.