Baitcast reel for european perch - which one to choose?

[Usling]

I've tried my luck on swedish(my neck of the woods)forums and googling for reviews in both english and swedish, with some success. In sweden, using baitcast reels for pike is quite common, using 'em for perch seems to be getting increasinlgy popular, though it seems to still be in its infancy. There are still a lot of questionmarks remaining. And i'd guess a forum focused on bassfishing, north american style, might be a good place to do some research.

So, here we go. During the coming summerseason i've more or less decided on getting a baitcast rig for fishing perch. I started using a Shimano Cardiff 301A for pike in august and, formerly only using fixed spool reels, it was like entering a whole new, and better, world.

For information, european perch(Perca fluviatilis) is, as far as i know, pretty much the same as yellow perch, only less.....yellow, and they can grow somewhat bigger if i'm not mistaken(the swedish record for perch is currently(since 1985)somewhere around 7 lbs, but anyone would consider one at 2kg(~4,4lbs)the perch of a lifetime and a 2lb+ perch would make the day). Pound for pound, they can put up a decent fight, though the number of pounds aren't usually that impressive. Really fun fish though, and quite easy to get a bite from, and doesn't usually put the equipment to the test due to their modest size. So, in terms of what equipment to use, the main focus is what style of fishing you're gonna do, and what kind of feeling you want.

Rodwise i've pretty much decided on a 7ft 6inch Abu Vendetta 762ML(5-20 gram, for those unfamiliar with the metric system that's approximately 3/16 oz to about 3/4 oz). This weight interval would cover most of the fishing techniques i'd use for perch.

Now, the trick is to find the right baitcast reel. I've so far put my eyes on(through the internets, not IRL)the Shimano Caenan 101, Okuma Tormenta 266WLX and the Okuma Calera C5 266WLX. I've read reviews about the Shimano, seems like a decent reel for it's price range. I've seen a few reviews on the Okuma Tormenta, one more or less praised it and said 3/16 oz lures were no problem. Another reviewer said it was quite challenging in the birdsnest department, and that lures lighter than 3/8 oz were difficult to get decent casts with.

When it comes to the Okuma Calera, i haven't found anything more substantial than "really good for that kind of money".

I'm really interested in peoples experiences with any of the above mentioned reels. Especially the Okuma Calera. Other reels in the same size and price range(i'd guess anything that sells for 100$ or less in the US would be within my budget, assuming it's available on the european market) are also of interest. I guess brands such as Shimano, Okuma and Daiwa have a broad range of options on the european market, not to mention the swedish brand Abu Garcia. Will mostly use 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz lures and sinkers(i'll be using regular jigheads, dropshot, texas, carolina, inline spinners, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits). If it can handle even lighter weights, say, down to 3/16 oz, all the better.
Left sided crank is mandatory. My guess is that a bass angler that uses lures in the 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz weight range would know a thing or two about which reels to consider and which ones to stay away from.

If my english is somewhat incomprehensible at times, it's because it's my second language.

[ryan1995]

Your english is actually very good for being a 2nd language. Heck, your writing is more grammatically correct than mine is most of the time. About casting certain weight lures. This has much more to do with your rod than your reel. What I mean is that a super stiff rod will not be able to cast a very light weight lure, no matter what kind of reel you have on it. On the flip side, if you use a rod that is too flimsy for the lure you are casting, you will overload the rod. This is when rods snap. In terms of reels in the $100 price range, most will serve you well. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a reel in that price range from companies like Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma or Abu Garcia, but like you said, just need to make sure it's a left handed reel. The only reel I have used from these companies you listed was the Abu Garcia Pro Max that a friend of mine has. I wouldn't hesitate to use and abuse it. It won't compare to higher end reels, but it will do the job just as well, and you should be able to get many years out of it if you take care of your stuff.

[coldfront]

perhaps you can speak more to the rod you look to use.  Not sure how it will differ from a typical ledgering approach (if any?).

would also be interested in typical line you are expecting to use (strength, 'test'). 

thinking with the fish you are chasing, that lighter line, slightly longer rods that typical here in the US...might lend themselves to those baitcasting reels that are smaller, designed for casting lighter weight lures, lines.

Perhaps something similar to a Shimano Curado 50e?  Not to be tied to a particular manufacturer...but would think perhaps reels in this class?

Over here those 2 pound fish (Perca flavescens) are real tropies.  Then again, guess all the little ones get eaten by the Zander? 

Hope there's some help here.

[Usling]

As i mentioned, the rod will most likely be the Abu Garcia Vendetta 762ML(7ft 6in, medium light, /16-3/4 oz). Having no experience at all with low profile baitcast reels, i'm assuming(based on a review)that some reels have difficulties casting lures outside of a certain weight interval, regardless of the rod used. And in that case it would be quite dumb of me to try to match mentioned rod with a reel that can't handle lures under, say 3/8 oz. Though i have no idea whether the one that wrote that review is a reliable source or not when it comes to truths about baitcast reels. Since i'm more or less clueless on the subject, i'm just gonna have to take other peoples words at face value, unless a lot of contradicting experiences should surface.

I'll probably wanna use braided line on the thin end. Here's when the problems start arriving when trying to translate the swedish way to measure into the US way. In the swedish way to measure we're talking 0,10-0,13mm. Guess it would be the equivalent to 6-10lb(braid, not 6-10lb mono).

Just googled around for the Shimano Curado 50e, doesn't seem to be available on the swedish market, yet. I've been checking out most swedish webshops and haven't found anything smaller than the three specific reels i mentioned in my initial post. Low profile baitcast reels are mostly used for pike and vertical jigging for Zander so far in sweden, but i guess there'll be a market for smaller baitcasters quite soon when the baitcast for perch bandwagon starts rolling.

[coldfront]

As i mentioned, the rod will most likely be the Abu Garcia Vendetta 762ML(7ft 6in, medium light, /16-3/4 oz). Having no experience at all with low profile baitcast reels, i'm assuming(based on a review)that some reels have difficulties casting lures outside of a certain weight interval, regardless of the rod used. And in that case it would be quite dumb of me to try to match mentioned rod with a reel that can't handle lures under, say 3/8 oz. Though i have no idea whether the one that wrote that review is a reliable source or not when it comes to truths about baitcast reels. Since i'm more or less clueless on the subject, i'm just gonna have to take other peoples words at face value, unless a lot of contradicting experiences should surface.

I'll probably wanna use braided line on the thin end. Here's when the problems start arriving when trying to translate the swedish way to measure into the US way. In the swedish way to measure we're talking 0,10-0,13mm. Guess it would be the equivalent to 6-10lb(braid, not 6-10lb mono).

Just googled around for the Shimano Curado 50e, doesn't seem to be available on the swedish market, yet. I've been checking out most swedish webshops and haven't found anything smaller than the three specific reels i mentioned in my initial post. Low profile baitcast reels are mostly used for pike and vertical jigging for Zander so far in sweden, but i guess there'll be a market for smaller baitcasters quite soon when the baitcast for perch bandwagon starts rolling.

I have tossed down to 1/16 oz lures/etc on my shimano curado 'b' series and a medium action rod.
personally found more that shorter (6.5 ft rods) seem to work better for me.

the bait I was throwing was an old hand-poured berkley 4"inch straight finesse worm on a 1/0 mustad EWG hook.  very light.  could be challenging in wind.

[Pferox]

Its been a long time since I have thrown light lures with a baitcaster.  I just use spinning gear more and more around here.

I was able to throw light stuff with my Garcia round reel back in the day.

[coldfront]

Its been a long time since I have thrown light lures with a baitcaster.  I just use spinning gear more and more around here.

I was able to throw light stuff with my Garcia round reel back in the day.

agreed.  don't fight it... just went to a lighter braided line with a flouro leader on spinning tackle.