Favorite BaitCasting Reels

[RuddyDuck]

What is everyones top pick for a Baitcaster under $100 and your top pick for one over $100? We'll say one used for primarily casting spinnerbaits and shallow cranks.

[RK]

Hiya -

For under $100 (although just barely at $99), the Pflueger Trion would top my list. Pflueger reels are underrated in general, and the Trion is a great reel for the money. Steve Quinn from the In-Fisherman claims they're indestructible and I'd tend to agree.

For over $100, the sky's the limit obviously, but in the $100-$200 range the Revo series from Abu Garcia is good, the Shimano Citica, or the Curado or Chronarch. I like my Pflueger Patriarchs too, for exactly what you're talking about.

Another option is to go with a house brand like Bass Pro. I know a lot of guys will turn their nose up at a house brand, but, well, that's just silly. Their reels are made by the same manufacturer that makes Pfluegers and Abu Garcias, for example. I have a Patriarch and some Bass Pro Rick Clunn brand reels from a couple years back. Other than being different colors, they're identical. The internal parts are interchangeable, and the only difference in bearing count is in the handle paddles. The Patriarch was a $200 reel, and the Bass Pro reels were $89 on sale... Get some of the higher end Bass Pro reels, like a Carbonlite, or Johnny Morris series, and you get an awful lot of reel for the money.

Cheers,

RK

[JP Z]

I second the Bass Pro reels........fact for like $80 you can get a great one right now. And it's a heck of a reel.

Otherwise I am a fan of most all of the Pfluegers the Patriarch is a great reel.

[Aaron Carrell]

I own a Pflueger President, Shimano Curado, Shimano Chronarch, Shimano Castaic (for pitching), Shimano Calcutta (3 diff sizes) and I would have to say that for strictly performance over $100, the Chronarch is far better at casting the smaller stuff. If you bump up to a good 3/8oz or heavier bait, then every single one of those reels performs awesome. Sure I can get a tad bit more casting distance on the Chronarch, but I just bought another Curado this year because what you get for the money is hard to beat on the avg-upper end of reels. Oh, and btw, after the current $30 rebate from Shimano, that Curado is mine for $90.

As for under $100, I have used a Citica and really liked it, but my buddy's Pflueger has been rock solid and its even cheaper. I can't remember his exact model cause its a few years older and discontinued, but it performs just as smoothly as my President (my least favorite of my bunch) and he got it for $70.

Those are the only brands I can give reasonable input on. Personally I like the feel of Shimano's better, and their drag system IMO is better than the Pfluegers... But my president has just been a bit more of a frustrating reel than most, so I could have a bit of a lemon. I dunno?

Good luck! Fun choices ahead!

[Deitz Dittrich]

with the $30 mail in rebate, the Shimano Citica would come in at the $100 price.. My fave reel I own is a Shimano Core 50

[bemidjibasser]

team daiwas for me...

[slopmaster]

Like others have mentioned if your going 100 and below look at BPS or Cabelas brands reels. I have a Cabelas tourney trail with the pitching switch that i got for 70$ on sale and i have abused that thing pitching/flippin/punching and it's never missed a beat. For over 100 dollars I'm a fan of the Revo series. The SX is a great mid-range reel and I love mine. I've also had good luck with Abu's CS so I tend to stay with them.

[slipperybob]

My favorite baitcasting reel over $100 is an import, Shimano Metanium Mg7. For under $100 I've only got some really cheapo ones, but I kind of like my Shakespeare Dimension baitcasting reel. Good for anything 1/2 oz. in weight. Kind of sketchy for 3/8 oz. weight lures.

[KickNBass]

<100 Lews (get the $99 one for the aluminum frame. Casts similarly to a Revo IMO)

>100 Shimano (I like Curados) / Daiwa (Love my Zillion, would have all Zillions if I could afford it)

[jalberg]

I've had a few that were $120 but I've never had one under $100. The Citica right now with the rebate would probably be my pick. My over $100 pick, Lews Tournament Pro, awesome reel!

[bassfshin24]

I fish mostly daiwas and Abu revos...I love them all. I just got an Abu revo sx and i absolutely love it!

[mww24]

I would say the citica with the rebate. under 100 with no deals. I bought a few daiwa xcelers last year. they were 90.00 a piece and worked great. One had like a 4.7:1 or 5.1:1 ratio i used for deep cranks. Thing is awesome. I have a older quantum energy with the rainbow finish thats 5 or 6 years old that was around 180. I like the citica better than that. I've never spent over 200 on a reel though due to limited funds.

[Nico]

I fished with curado E, revo sx, stx, s and lew's speed pro...

All are good. Revo s, sx, and stx are just to heavy IMO for M or even MH rod.

For 100 dollars i will add couple money to get 150 dollars reel...

But no way a citica g or a curado E. You can get the E serie who is really better, for sure feel better built.

In france, curado E is the better quality/price choice, but we do not really know quantum and lew's reel...

Shimano and daiwa increase the price of their reel for nothing new and in the same time pflueger, abu, lew's and quantum are making good reel at better prices.. It may be the end of the shimano/daiwa supremacy...

[mww24]

i have a citica E and G. They don't seem any different from the little time ive had with the new G series. little different feel in my hand. I spoke with deitz at cabelas on the changes that were made and from what he told me I don't see how they could be called that much worse. unfortunately prices will always go up even for the same quality. inflation sucks.

[Nick Kuhn]

I snagged my Quantum Smoke for $135. Better than a Revo and Citica. I wish I had a Curado to compare it to. Really solid for how light the thing is.

[RuddyDuck]

Great info so far guys! Suppose I didn't put my picks in.

My <$100 reel would be an old Shimano Crestfire that I've had for a long time. It's old, crappy looking and has been relegated to the cabin, but it still brings in the bass when called upon. >$100, I only have one, it's a Quantum Kinetic PT. Just got it, but it seems to work real nice when I did some test casting with it. They're at Cabelas for $119, but I got it for $70 on sale, so don't even know if I can count that as one over $100. I'm just looking to add one more reel to the collection. Don't tell my wife though!

Has anyone tried an Abu Garcia Orra SX?

[smallie_hawgin]

Got a few to compare... Love my Revo STx's... Have three of those. Comparable to the Pfleuger Patriarch I had since last year... Also nice but I might upgrade bearings. Have a couple Pfleuger Supremes, but they are heavy and more bulky than I like. Also have a Revo Premier... Light, but, won't last like the STX's... The Pfleuger President is a decent reel too... Just heavy and seems like the ones I had wore out quickly.

The sub 100 market can be good as long as you are not using them a dump load in my opinion... If you plan to fish more than three days a week.. It is still wise to invest a little more ching to get into a 150 range reel. The cheaper ones tend to wear out in my experience.

[RuddyDuck]

I ended up getting the new Cabelas Tournament ZX reel. They were $80 at the store but, I saw it on their HSOforum on sale for $60, so they matched that price at the store. It has an aluminum frame and from the posts that seemed like a good feature to have, so I went with it over a few other price challenged reels! Since I didn't blow my whole budget on just a reel, I was also able to get a new Shimano Voltaeus rod to go with it. Made a few casts in my pond last night and it seemed to work good.

I'm lucky if I get out for a few hours 1 or 2 times a week so the medium price challenged stuff seems to work for me.

Thanks for all your input guys. Heck keep your favorites coming as it's something to talk about until we can actually get out there and catch some bass. Can't wait for the Bass opener!