Merry Christmas to me :)

There goes my entire Christmas budget

Fish on...

Todd

Those are some huge reels. They look heavy.

Still interested in knowing how they work for you - how they cast, etc, perform, etc, etc.

Keep us posted.

Seems to me the 50 would be a great reel for the bigger Northern Canada rivers...or for when lots of line is needed (Columbia, etc).

Where did you buy them from and for how much?

Nice Todd!

Can I have one?

Thanks Todd, but you shouldn't have.......

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Blown your whole Christmas budget on me like that.

i am on your christmas list, right

They're not that huge, really not at all...they take up less space than my round Ambassadeurs...just put 200 yards of 15 on each of them.

Got them at a local shop...industry rate, but still pretty pricey. Retail is about $280 each.

Fish on...

Todd

P.S. Everyone on my Christmas list gets a handshake...it's all I can afford now.

Nice christmas presents.I should go get me some nice new reels and rods to wrap and put under the tree,just to see what the ole lady's reactions would be.Priceless.May have to do it.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Talk about low profile all the way around. I don't even want to know the cost.

I did exactly that. I ordered a custom rod a while back and it arrived the other day. It's been under the tree since. Lotsa dirty looks from the wife since then. Hope that Wii Fit I got her cheers her mood some.

I'll have to try one of yours out next time we are on the water. I'd love to get my paws on one.

(not so subtle boat ho'ing technique right there!!!! Damn, I'm good.)

Bet those match up well with the 10ft Lami XMG eh Toff?

Nice.

New line of reels? I've not heard of the Toro(but then, I haven't followed it that close). I've had great luck with the tiny left-hand REVO this past summer though. Are these the next step up from the REVO?

BTW......have you received anything in the mail yet from a certain spinner flinger in Montesano? Should be there by now.

I just took some pics of one of the Toros side by side with an Ambassadeur Record, and a POS Curado 200DHSV...it's only barely bigger than the 200, significantly smaller than the Record, and holds about as much line as the Record and Curado combined...and has up to 22# of carbon matrix drag.

Damn computer is not reading my disk all of a sudden, I'm tryin'.

Fish on...

Todd

It is a Revo...Revo Toro 50.

I got your mail...I thought I sent you a PM 'bout it, but mighta just imagined I did.

Fish on...

Todd

They are both on XMG50 10MTC's as we speak

Fish on...

Todd

Sweet! Glad it arrived.

Talk soon.

Here's the specs...

http://www.mahitackle.com/toro50hs.html

Fish on...

Todd

Got it to work...crappy pics, but good enough to show the size comparisons.





Fish on...

Todd

The Toro 50/51 is smaller in overall size than a Curado 200/201. The 60/61 are the widebodies...

Take my advice, combine that Wii Fit game along with a vacuum, and a weight loss for dummies book and you are set for the next year.

While you are shopping. Buy yourself a cup, and be sure you put it on x-mas morning.

Just picked up "The Biggest Loser" game as a stocking stuffer. I'll be a hero.

CP,

I'd listen and get that cup on Christmas eve, you "HERO".Gonna need it.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Nice looking reels, but the handle is on the wrong side.....

Since you spent your Christmas money, it looks like you might be able to wrap up some sunglasses so you'll have something under the tree

http://www.abugarcia.com/promotion_wileyX.php

I was suprised to see the handle on that side as well. I'm a southpaw so those will be perfect for me, thanks again Todd.

Yup. Cast with the left and reel with the right. I thought only bass guys need to cast and reel with the same hand.

Agree,the handles are on the wrong side.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I can cast with either hand...but can't reel with my left on a baitcaster worth a darn...which is strange, 'cuz when I use a spinning reel, the handle HAS to be on the left.

They didn't have left hand retrieve reels for the first twenty five years of my steelhead career...that's one trick this old dog isn't planning on picking up.

Fish on...

Todd

one trick this old dog isn't planning on picking up.

Fish on...

Todd [/quote]


Would've been cheaper to pick yourself up a trick for X-mas...

Right hand retrieve, but left hand cast...

Fish on...

Todd

I guess I don't follow....

Right hand retrieve is what I use. I cast with my left hand, keep the rod in my left hand and use my right hand to reel.

Am I missing something here?

+1 Think there are more than a few of us that gotta fish it like that.

I'll take all those old POS 200/300D Curados off you, cuz as Joe likes to say I only rip on bass.

And on warm dry days @ that......


Nice reels man, should serve you quite well on the nates.


c/22

+1

Southpaws UNITE!

PS. If you gotta switch arms after your cast to retrieve, you're doing it wrong.

FAIL!

Oh yeah, and if you set the hook like Paris Hilton (or Richard Simmons in a limp-wristed slap fest)....

FAIL!

I prefer to refer to my method a "finesse hooking", Paker

Damn, just got in from fishing.....& I wanted to catch up on the paker thread, but some F'n mod deleted it.....

I thought of you at lunch today Ryley, when I saw Dyes Inlet was glass....."I'll bet this is a blackmouth Friday for that SOB Sky Guy".....how'd didja do?

It was really nice out there, not as cold as inland..

RobBob, Dave, and I fished President, then Jeffhead where I lost one to a seal, then the seal followed us everywhere,
then 2 seals followed us...
so we picked up and moved to Richmond beach and bonked one legal fish of 5.5 pounds and released a ton of sub-legals.

Did OK on crab with 4 nice dungys and a few red rock that were big enough to keep. Wish that had been better....


Then Dave and I and tried to weigh the Blackmouth in at 3Rivers for the Steelhead derby for a laugh,
and almost got Randy's youngest son to do it

Oh, & nice reels Toff...

They probably told you that cohos were not allowed, huh?

He was a bit skeptical, but We insisted it was a Steelhead from the Skykomish and Said...
"you're going to tell Dave Vedder that's not a steelhead!!!"

if i fish with you and run out of leaders im stealing some of your main line.



200 yards is like... well you dont fish enough these days to need that much


just messin with ya.

He probably thought you were retarded and was humoring you.

Now that he knows otherwise......He'll probably just kick your ass......

Oh course Parker...if you pick on my kid....I may be the one kicking your lippy ass...... ......

You obviously are still a rookie............

You still fishing them pink woooooms?

PS.. Nice reels, not too sure about them yet, haven't ditched my Curado 300 yet......

Keith

I still have my Curados...they make excellent paper weights, and there's lots of paper on my desk.

Fish on...

Todd

Are you telling me I need to go and buy one of these reels? Supplement my addiction?

Will I seriously retire my Chronarch and Calais for steelhead?

Line capacity alone has me interested but what makes it better than the Curado 300DSV assuming I want to fish 15?

Keith

They're water tight, the bodies are cast out of XCraftic Aluminum Alloy, so they're virtually indestructible.

The "water tight" part is where I had problems with my Curados...if water got in 'em, they were done for a while. Rvrfshr and SkyGuy, with their $275 300's, fished with me during a sideways sloppy snow storm and got to watch my $80 old Ambassadeur cast 30 feet farther than them in one zone...and the fish were lying about 20 feet farther than they could cast.

I think the difference was that the Curados are so tightly machined that when they got wet it created a vacuum in between the spool and the side plate and it just wouldn't turn properly...my rickety old Ambassadeur had so many loose spots that there was no chance of that happening.

The Toro is water tight, so no water can get in there...plus, besides the very excellent line capacity, it's got a serious drag rating...far better than any other casting reel on the market. It's not like you actually will need 22 pounds of drag, but think of it like a killer stereo...you get an amp that will way overpower your speakers, and then you run it at about "7" to get maximum sound and sound quality...I'd rather rack up a drag to 12 pounds when it can go to 22, than rack up a drag to 12 pounds when it can go to 14...much smoother and better performing.

Also, as you can see from the pics that Twitch and I put up, the Toro 50 is about the same size as a 200, with double the line capacity, and quite a bit smaller than a 300.

That's my thinking on it, anyways...for what it's worth.

Fish on...

Todd

Thank God that "Grape Ape" I smoked this afternoon still has me feeling as retarded as this thread is... Expert is as expert does as expert was.

Can someone run me some more stats on these things please ?

DUDE!!!!!...People have been making fun of me for this very phenomenom for years. Spinning left, casting right! Thought I was the only freak out there that did this!

Add me to the list of freaks.

Crank lefty with a spinning outfit.

Crank righty with a casting outfit.

Left hand is too retarded to crank AND keep a reel balanced on top of the reel seat. It's also too frickin' slow. That's why you have a dominant hand (in my case my right).... to do those tasks better than your retarded hand.

Spinning oufits are a dumbed down version of casting outfits.... dumbed down just enough that your retarded hand can still get the job done.

i could so make a masturbation joke about what doc said.

Wow, these new fangled casting reels are climbing into the price stratospere to begin keeping company with high end fly reels - that have a total of like three moving parts. My favorite casting reel is an uber-light plastic and graphite model Ambassaduer briefly offered in the early 90s for $29 from BassPro (free casting rod included!), altho I know it would never survive serious chinook fishing, but I have caught a number of coho with it.

Sg

Okay Parker, you asked to be 'exposed' on this one If you stopped and thought about it for a moment, I would never have limp wrists, but rather very muscular, neck-snapping strong wrists. Perhaps Fister can explain it to you

RichardSimmons is very happy with his plain old ABU Revo by the way.

Todd’s description of the Curado’s problem with water intrusion is dead on! They leak. While there are a few little tricks (light coat of grease along mating surfaces of the side plates/frame) that can help, it is a real problem with these reels. The tolerances are so tight with the Curado’s, which is why so many people have problems after maintenance, too much grease used in re-assembly. They are finicky and require attention couple of times a season to stay in tip top shape.
I still have and fish Curado’s and will continue to until they’re unusable, but I have them figured out and maintain my reels multiple times each season.
With that being said, I am buying Revo’s from now on, they are extremely well built. I love the fact that there is no plastic being used at all, the drags flat out rock and, they get nothing but rave reviews from everyone who uses them.
They seem to be more of set and forget reel.

Ive had good luck and like both the Revo Inshore and the Curado 300...next reel is the Toro 50 as you can find them online for $160 or so and they match up great with the XMG.

I have a few Curado B models around here and never had the water problem. Fishing summers on the D, more distance often equals more fish, so I'm splashing water on the Curado's spool all the time for a little more range. It rains here in the winter, too.
Maybe the water issue is with the D models ??

Not all the Revo's have metal side plates....just Toro and Inshore I think.
I have a Skeet Reese Revo under the tree....can't wait to try it out.

Hey Todd
I have a Toro question for you on the other board

I love my STX and Curado 200. Use the Curado for float fishing and revo for casting hardware. Use the Quantum Cabo for drift fishing.

Contemplated the Toro instead of STX, saved myself the $

The arguments for or against the Curado D series will always rage on.
I am yet to experience the problems people have complained about with their Curados. I use the 200 not the 300 and it has bathed in the river accidentally while it was snowing and I noticed no difference in its performance during the remainder of the day. Maybe the problem was with the 300 and not the 200... I duno.

Needless to say I am making the switch completely over to the Revo once my Curado dies, unless something better comes out. It is now the better product.

When the bank account sez no to the new Revo/Toro revolution. I gots the sideways rain solution.....


Dry Nitrogen/Oxygen impregnated curado-condom


c/22

You should manufacture those for the Curado D guys...

Fish on...

Todd

Ah geez.
These Chinese and Korean Revos need a few more laps around the block before I'm ridin' on that hay wagon.
_______

I want a Revo Toro 50 HS.

$230 seems to be the going price.

Edit: Just found one for $199, free shipping and no sales tax.

SOLD!

I'm on the bandwagon now! Wonder how long until I kill this Revo?

Welcome to the club Parker! You will like that reel, its niceee.
BTW: What site did you find it for 199, I could use another Toro for a drift fishing rod i have in the rod rack. I was thinking about pairing it with another Inshore, but I wanna step up the line amount so it will do service in AK for bigger kings.

+1. When i was out last friday my inshore took a total sh!t due to the cold weather. Once the reel warmed up it was fine. I still love the thing though.

Great....

One for the cold, one for the rain.

You mean to tell me you need $600 worth of reel to cover a winter's worth of conditions just to catch a steelhead with baitcasting gear? And they told me flyfishing was expensive!

Spray & pray @ 20* & below.....





c/22

I'll bet a good ol' Ambassadeur would have kept chuggin' under both conditions.

+1
Blakemore is the Chit for lubing up your reel and keeping the reel/line ice free. I relube all my reels once i get them with Quantum Hot Sauce. The factory gunk just doesn't do it for me. Not only is it pretty chitty grease, but they over do it and it affects casting performance. Relube the reel with good grease, and spray Reel Magic on it and it should be good to go. I've used my Revos in Idaho in single digit temps, and they performed flawlessly.

Alan Tani.
If you haven't heard of him, he's the or one of the reel gurus on the planet.
He's been testing a new reel lubricant, Xtreme Reel +. It's a cleaner and a dry lube. There is also a grease available.
Looks promising.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=220.0
xtremelubricants dot com

Alan Tani is the man! Basic casting reel service starts at $35, but its a full meal deal service, and back in around a week. Go on ifish and do a search for him under the Salty Dog board. His pic tutorials are rediculous. OCD reel servicing to the max...

Thanks for the heads up Twitch. Being OCD myself, I really like the mans style.


c/22

First impressions of the new Revo Toro 50 HS:

Big

Heavy

Buff. Super damn buff. Built like a tank kinda buff.

Not going to be easy to cast light gear with, as it's not all that smooth.

It's a lot bigger in the hand and heavier than a 201 DHSV and a 300 Curado.

For those that are currently using a low-profile reel for steelheading, I doubt you will like the transition.

For those that are using a 5500 or a 6500 for steelhead/salmon and need 200 yards of 15-20lb UG to "get the job done", than this is an ideal reel!

Seems to me that this reel would excel in places where one would normally use a 5500 or a 6500. Plugging, Buoy-10, Grays Harbor, trolling, plunking, casting spoons on the Skeena, tidewater bobber fishing in Oregon, etc.

If the drag does what it's suppose to do, this reel should be an ideal braid reel. Slap on some 65 pound braid, crank down the drag, and go tow a sled around as you play with a 9' sturgeon kinda reel.....

After fondling the reel for a while, I put it back in the box, wrapped it up, and put it under the tree for me!

Just my .02 on the Toro 50 HS.

Interesting review, leaves me thinking I'll have to pass on one...

What's your thoughts on comparing it to the Calcutta 400TE?

Keith

Weird...I've got one sitting here right next to a 200 DHSV, and they're the same size...same width, same height (at least same height above the rod, the gear is a bit larger on the Toro).

The Toro weighs 10.3oz, the 200 weighs 9.8oz, not exactly a big difference, especially considering the Toro is made of aluminum and not plastic like the 200.

You sure you're comparing the same two reels that I am?

Fish on...

Todd

You sure you're math is right?

11 ounces??

Keith

No.

For some reason, had pounds stuck in there somewhere......

Does the same thing while weighing fish....


Someone had to say it

No kidding.

Just wondering what the latest impressions of this reel are from those that have been fishing the reel.

I used the 61 to back bounce on the Kenai and Nushagak a little bit last summer. I paired it with a GLoomis BB965 (Parker, Doc says you tried to steal this rod and take it back to WA with you). I put 65 lb braid on it and I have to tell you, I will not be without this reel on the Kenai. It is hands down and by far the most comfortable, capable reel I have ever backbounced with for this situation (heavy water, huge fish). It's not only comfortable but practical as well. I especially like the large open space on top of the reel so you have plenty of thumb room. This reel was way more comfortable (to me) than the Calcuttas and round Ambassadeurs I've used for backbouncing in the past.

This reel came with carbon fiber drag washers and I believe they were dry. If I remember right, I greased them with Cal's grease. The drag performed flawlessly on the several fish I caught with it. It has good range and was very smooth. Additionally, it has a synchronized level wind which prevents braid dig in at the edges of the spool. Aside from the dry drag, there is nothing I'd change on this reel based on my experience so far.

The only thing I can't vouch for on this reel is durability. I haven't had any problems, but I'd like to test it more. By the end of this coming season I'll have a pretty good idea of its durability.

It also comes with a power handle in addition to a standard double paddle handle. This will come in handy if your using it for kwikfish/diver combinations. I used the standard handle for my fishing. One caveat on the 'standard' handle--it is a little wider from paddle to paddle than say a 6500 handle. This is a good thing in my opinion.

That does it.... I'm gettin' one. Haven't bought a new Kenai-caliber reel specifically for me since I purchased my Calcutta 400TE. That was back in 2005. Somehow that one spent more time in other people's hands than my own.

You'd better keep a sharp eye on that rod - I still have my eyes on it!

That rod kicked ass as a back-bouncer on the Kenai! Not a pool cue like the 966 and just a little more "ooomph" than the 964. Perfecto!

I can only imagine a Revo 50 or 60 would excel on that river.

If reel truly has 23lbs of drag on it, one shouldn't need a bazillion yards of line on the reel. Just a good still rod and some drag power.

I don't think I ever saw a fish that was more than 50 yards from any boat.

Fished them hard the past month, and they are even cooler than I thought they'd be.

Fish on...

Todd

What's the trick to getting a 50 open? Mine is either sealed really well, or I'm missing something obvious.

Besides the two case screws, and the long spool screw that wants to loosen, but not fully come out, what else does one have to do?

Also, what's the opinion on applying some Cal grease on the carbon fiber washers....if I can ever get too them?

My thought on opening up the 50 was to apply a light layer of grease to the washers.......

Took me a few minutes to get the hang opening it, too...the pivot point on the sideplate is off center, so it takes a little touch to find out where it is and turn it on the point...just mess around with it for a few and you'll get it.

I left the drags as is out of the box...working fantastic so far.

Fish on...

Todd

REVO 24# drag fans, take your medicine

From Alan Tani :
" there was a slight problem with this reel. i bottomed out the star to check for the maximum drag pressure and it got only 8 pounds of drag. the manager of my local tackle shop told me that this reel was supposed to get over 20 pounds of drag. i initially thought that was odd, because that amount of drag pressure would most assuredly shred the main and pinion gears. i had him check another revo inshore that he had in stock and the star on this reel also bottomed out at 8 pounds."

With a mod, he was able to get to 15#
See the teardown.

Thanks for the info! Saw that post over on the other board but it didn't equate in my brain that the models were similar to what he was working on.

Just took apart both the 50 and the STX and Cal'd up the fiber washers!

Better than new! Not too sure why anyone would *not* do this is kinda beyond me. Seems like a no-brainer upgrade on an already great reel.

Drag startup will be smoother running the drag washers "wet".
I just found a deal on an Inshore....this one is 200 size and has centrifugal cast control.

All of my reels have been upgraded (if not shipped stock) with carbon fiber washers that I've installed wet. smoothdrag.com has washers for just about any Shimano, ABU, or Dawia out there.

Should note that one needs a 20mm washer for the "upgrade" and that smoothdrag sells a 21.5mm that works just fine.

When I get some downtime later this month, I'll do the wet drag thing on my Revo Inshore. Got a question for you reel junkies.


Can the Shimano white drag grease be substituted for Cal's drag grease ?

I have the Shimano stuff on hand & will use it if the results will be the same. I'm going to go w/ the stock Abu washers that are in the reel & just lube them up.

Thanks in advance.


c/22

Yep Shimano Drag Grease and Cal's are very similar products.
Cal's is less expensive when buying larger quantities.

DD
Factoid:
A REVO will work better with Shimano Drag Grease
Hmmm....an interesting thought

DD, I'm still in the Shimano camp. This Revo is on double secret probation till proven better or equal to my satisfaction.

Must say it worked very well on a summer 09 Westport charter trip, lots of hot & feisty ho's in the 10-17 lb. range tested the drag. All the bigger ones were C&R wild fish, just smoked some runs.

On the other hand dropping a 3 oz mooching lead off the side didn't tell me much on the casting merits......