Inshore combo

[DinksAllDay]

So salmon season is here in CA and I am gearing up

When tossing lures with my dads old-school 8ft abu cardinal spinning setup, it casts and still works great but after a few hours my index finger runs a bit raw.

I've always wanted an old abu round reel, but have opened up my wish list to several ideas, the Abu toro beast being one of them (haven't held on yet but it looks like a tank)

I got a decent quarterly bonus so immediately I wanted a new fishing toy lol

I like the new shimano curado k (which I may just use for freshwater)

I know all these ideas are far apart from each other but I'm thinking I need something that:

Can handle some salt conditions
Throw 1oz or greater lures.
Can bring in 25 pound salmon (I hope!)

does anyone here have good experience using a baitcaster for salmon (or equivalent) and what are their positives and negatives

Thanks all!

[Smallie_Stalker]

I would suggest you try sending a PM to Pferox. He is the moderator for the Saltwater fishing board we have and has a lot of years of experience using different brands of equipment and I'm sure he can give you a very well-informed answer. 

[DinksAllDay]

Oops ok

I guess if I rephrased as looking for a reel that can do double duty on salt and fresh, would that work?

[terrapin]

I used a couple of the Abu Garcia Ambassador reels for years for double duty on salmon, steelhead and for certain bass fishing applications.  Kept them loaded up with 30-60 pound braid.  In my opinion, the rod made all the difference in how they performed.

After about 100 salmon and steelhead, I had to have the drag rebuilt.


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[SFL BassHunter]

Oops ok

I guess if I rephrased as looking for a reel that can do double duty on salt and fresh, would that work?

I dont know anything about the K but the I seems to be marketed for both salt and freshwater, and they are supposed to be fantastic reels.

You also can look at other brands, some brands have "inshore" or "coastal" models, these are specifically designed for saltwater.