Will I Damage My Favorite 1962 5000 Reel? (Semi-Urgent)

[Lunker Larry]

The older 7000s were a really sturdy reel and if you have one it's worthwhile to upgrade the drag to CF. Again, like the 6500s they've fallen out of favor. I know of only one dinosaur that still uses them. (I still have one and a 6500) The newer Chinese 7000i internally doesn't look anything like the original Swedish reels. In my opinion they don't compare to the newer reels plus they don't have a line counter that I'm aware of.
Revo Toro Winch 60 or Beast are made for Muskie. Daiwa Lexa 400 Okuma 364, Tranx 400 are all good casting reels.

[Walleye Guy]

Lunker Larry, these two statement from you make a lot of sense to me:

1. The 5000 comes from an age when a big muskie bait was a Mepps Muskie Killer.
2. Muskie reels evolved to accommodate the baits being used.

Maybe I'll take it along and only use it if we end up throwing smaller bucktails, Suicks, glide baits, etc.

[jurelometer]

  If you have room on the  boat, you could rig two outfits - one big lure, one small lure. and switch off every now and then.

I have only done a bit of pike and muskie fishing, and all on the fly, but smaller flies were recommended to me for late season when the bite got slow, and I defitely did better going small with 4 inch black rabbit leaches.    Decent fish  up to the meter mark, but no behemoths.  Not  nearly enough fishing days to prove a pattern.

Curious if there are  gear guys in the know that go real small, and in what  conditions.

-J

[Walleye Guy]

Well, I figured I owe you guys an update.  I decided to leave my favorite 5000 home...mainly because of the two statements above from Lunker Larry.  In the end, I'm glad I did because our guide's tackle consisted of huge soft plastics that ranged from 7 - 24 ounces.  He instructed us to do a lot of jerking on the rod while retrieving and that probably would have been too much for my 5000.  Unfortunately, at the end of the day there were no fish in the boat.  My buddy and I both had a follow but by mid morning the weather had turned very warm and the wind died so we were fishing under bluebird skies and a croaking hot sun.  Throughout the day our guide was in constant communication with other guides and no one had a good day.  Next time, though...