I bought a 600.00 bait caster I had no choice but to master it cause I will never find anyone I know to buy it if I didn't like it . it's my full time bass reel now . also caught salmon on it .

Calcutta 400b is a tank and can serve as musky and catfish reel. The Okuma Komodo line is decent, but not a Shimano.

Don't use the musky rod for catfish. Buy an ugly stick of something similar for catfish. Check out Tackle Industries for an affordable casting rod. I've several of his rods and have never been disappointed.

I personally learned on a quantum, now I prefer the abu-garcia Revo series mainly because of how low profile they are, reel fits well in my hand and its not a chore to cast it for long periods of time. Easy to get parts. I do usually change out the crank for a larger one. I have 4 and have the new revo ike pre-ordered and should get it late September. The cheaper abu max series(black and silver max) looks like plastic junk but basically the same reel as revo but made with cheaper parts. I would avoid those and try to find an older generation Revo for around $100 instead of buying a max. 
 
But everyone is different, you may prefer shimano curado or something else.
 
They have some plastic parts but Lews and KastKing make some cheap combos with high ratio reels that would be good for topwater. One is called a speed spool, the other Speed Demon. I've casted the Lews version and liked the big crank on it. These are probably good choices to learn with.
 
I was in D'sSG with my wife and youngest kid the other day getting school shoes and naturally spent most of my time in outdoors section, I saw an "okuna stratus" that looked well made for 50% off($30), there still may be some left. I probably would of bought one if I didn't fear the wife's side eye. I'm a fishing gear and especially lure junkie, I got an addiction
 
That new company "13" makes some good-looking stuff, "concept" series. No idea if it works well though
 
Some advice for learning a baitcaster, if you are right-handed get a reel with crank on left side. Wish I could go back in time and do that(not sure quantum even offered it back then). Also, learn with good mono(trilene red box, "smooth casting"), not braid or powerpro. Backlashes are a b!tch with braids and small spectra. Get 14-20lb test, something big and easy to grab when you are picking out backlashes. Mono wont fray like pp if you have to use needlenose or a hook to pick out a backlash. Once you do learn, I definitely recommend power pro but with about 50 cranks of some mono on the reel first as backing, the PP will lay on reel better with the mono backing, increasing cast distance. Oh and make sure you don't overfill the reel with line.

As for budget casting(not baitcasting) reels, the ole abu ambassadeur is great. I have one that is at least 30 years old. Again, getting parts from abu-garcia in Sweden is really easy even if it takes awhile..
 
If you do trolling, I'd bite the bullet and just get a Shimano Tekota LC, best trolling reel available imho
 
 

Looch, 
 
I'm glad you mentioned about the left handed crank.  Thats how my spin rods are set up and thats how I intended to set up this rod.  I see most people have the right side crank and I wondered if my thinking was bass-ackwards.  I appreciate the tip...

people that learned back when baitcasters were new mainly learned with them on right side, I got my first baitcaster out of a zebco/quantum catalog 25+ years ago and don't even remember seeing a left-hand option. but now I think more and more people are getting them on the left. I read somewhere the reel companies expect left-sided crank reels to sell more than right in near future.
 
It's just a split second more time switching hands after the cast but I imagine I've lost a few fish over the years because of the crank being on the right

Makes absolute sense to me...

Bravo on the mentioning of a left handed bait casting reel for a right hander or vice-a-versa. Also the line management, well done.

Trick of the trade for beginners practicing with bait casters. This is a "trade secrete" but I know telling you about it will be safe on this board.

Pull a few yards, say fifty, of line from your reel. Now place a wrap of "painters tape" over the line remaining on the spool and rewind the line you pulled off. This absolutely works.

Also learn how to adjust the bearing tension for the weight of lure you are casting. This is done by turning the bearing cap and not the brake system.

Remember after casting with the wind (if any of course) do not turn and cast directly into the wind without adjustments.

Lastly, allowing your lure to contact an object like a weed behind you, while zinging your rod tip forward, is gonna make for a really really bad day. But will make, for some great chyts and giggles, later in life.

Good times and tight lines.

yeah the tape trick is a must. that should keep any backlashes minor or you may not get any at all if you always cast out all the line down to the tape. 
 
When I was learning I would take the trebles off a heavy hard lure or just tie on a 1oz bank sinker and cast at buckets and empty paint cans in the backyard.
 
Stick with it, you will get frustrated but I think it's well worth knowing how to use one. You can be pretty accurate at hitting a general spot with a spin setup but you can really pinpoint with a baitcaster. Both are extremely useful and I always carry both. I use spin setup for follow-up finesse when bass fishing(ned, neko, dropshot, weightless worms after a fish "shows itself" on topwater lure for example, usually works too) or live bait for other species while I cast lures with the baitcaster.

I would just like to say thank you for all the help.  This set up has been running very well for me thus far.  I haven't had a serious backlash yet with the Daiwa Lexa 300 HD.  I've been using 50 lb mono on the reel, but now that my braid has been delivered, I'll be cutting some of that mono back and tying braid to half the reel.  We'll see how the casting goes with the braid, but I have still been terribly impressed with this reel.  No muskies yet, but I've only had it on the water once.  I was up in Tionesta last week and did well on smallies in the river, but as I said, no Esox takers on the big rod so far.  I'm headed to Woodcock this weekend so we'll see how it goes.   Thanks again...