FrnkNsteen

Nope! Love my spinning reels! Never really understood people saying they are less accurate, or don't cast as far. Don't get me wrong, I can flip/pitch a jig into a coffee cup up to 20-30 feet away with my casting reels, but actual casting,... I can feather a spinning reel in just as accurately as any of my casting rigs. Casting tubes/stickbaits into rock crevices for smallies is a breeze with a spinning reel. I admit that I don't have as many spinning setups as I do casting. I like my casting reels and have WAY more than I need, but there are certain things that just work better on a spinning reel,... For me anyway. Light soft plastics, especially tubes and stickbaits just work better on a spinning reel and slowly sink straight down instead of pendulum back towards you. In my opinion, there's no easier way to skip a weightless senko or tube back under a dock or overhanging tree. A simple flick of the wrist sends a senko skipping 2-3 sectuons deep under a dock. To each their own,... But spinning reels will always have their place with me, especially on weightless plastics, small mepps, small light jerkbaits, dropshot, hair jigs, etc, etc.

The only one I have is the Alphas SV TW. Its a smaller framed reel with a smaller spool that I believe was intended for lighter lures. I have it on 7' Techna AV throwing light twistlock weighted hooks with Rage Craws and Chigger Craws Looked at the Alphas Air and it appears to be a BFS finesse reel also.

I don't have the Tatula Elite, so I can't give a direct comparison, but I do have the Curado MGL and really like it. Haven't had it very long though so can't speak to its life expectancy. I do however have multiple Daiwas ranging from Fuego, CT Type R, Tat100, both models of Tat SV, Alphas SV TW, and a Zillion G. In my opinion, I like the Daiwas for close work in and around cover where the mag brakes shine, and I like my Shimanos where I am making long casts. I currently have my Curado MGL on a Dobyns 704cb throwing shallow cranks and jerkbaits. It works great for that! I have heard the Tat Elites are better for long casting than most the other Daiwas though.

My guess is lure and possibly your line is sinking and pulling out line. I can cast my lure out and stop it like you say as it hits the water, then release and watch it pull line as the lure sinks, then it stops when it hits bottom. Daiwa's are typically set up with no spool tension, and cast control knob is set just short of no side to side movement, meaning they free spool very easily while the lure sinks instead of it being on a pendulum back towards the boat. See if it is longer in deeper water to prove the point.

I've heard that alot on the Hot Sauce products.

I have two setups I use and mainly throw 1/4 - 3/8 oz SBs. The first is a Fury 705cb because of how easy it flicks a spinnerbait in and around cover. I like the slower action for that purpose. I also use a Fury 733 for longer range fan casting over shallow flats or submerged weedbeds. I believe I am currently running 17lb mono on both.

These are the ones I typically use. I WAS using Cals and Superlube exclusively, but heard a lot of good things about the Yamaha grease, so I gave it a shot. The Yamaha seemed to hold up really well and seems to last. The only concern I had is when removing it. It seems to have a lot of parafin in it and left a waxy residue that was a little difficult to remove. Not saying thats a bad thing, just that it was more difficult to get it all out and clean. I've used it in a few reels I don't use as often because it does seem to hold up well and stay in place. Superlube seems to migrate more in hot weather. Oh,.. And I typically go through all mine once a year.

Nope,.. Not even a little bit!! ??

I never said it doesn't interest me. I did what the OP asked and suggested a reel UNDER $150. Why you taking this so personal? I never said the Stradic wasn't a good reel.

Well then it's a good thing I'll never know the difference then, since there's no way I'll spend $200 - $240 on a spinning reel, let alone $400. Just means I won't know what I'm missing, so I don't care. ?? The subject of the original post was best spinning reel under $150. My point is that I dont even go that high since I think it gets harder and harder to justify the extra spend. Just my own opinion though!

I always liked the President reels starting back when they had the wooden handle knob and came with the spare spools. I've got three of those that are heavily used and still working well and very smooth. I have to say though that the newer versions with the plastic knobs haven't been as smooth, and I actually found myself returning the last few. I got them to replace some cheap old Daiwa Regal X reels I bought 20 years ago, and couldn't do it because the old Daiwas were still smoother. The only issue with them is the finish was coming off everywhwre and the roll pin that holds the handle together was becoming loose.

I find myself liking the Daiwa Fuego LT spinning reels. I'm kind of wierd because I just cant get myself to spend money on spinning reels like I do casting reels. I think the law of diminishing return just kicks in quicker for me on spinning reels than it does casting reels. My most expensive spinning reel is $99 and below. Fuegos, Pflueger XT, Presidents, down to Daiwa Regals and Revros are plenty to keep me happy, yet my cheapest casting reels seem to be at that $99 threshold and above. BPS Pro Qualifier, SLX, Fuegos and Lews LFS are the starting point for me up through Curados and Daiwas SV, to a couple at the higher price point of the new Zillion and Bantam MGL. Just can't justify those higher prices for a spinning reel.

I don't have many higher dollar Shimano reels to compare with. The only thing I can compare to is the Shimano Curado MGL and DC, and a 2018 Bantam MGL. I like the Zillion much better than the Curado DC, and quite a bit better than the Curado MGL, though I still like those reels. The Bantam MGL is a better comparison for me. I'm throwing chatterbaits with the Bantam on a Dobyns 736cb glass and I love that whole setup, but lean more to the Zillion throwing cranks and spinnerbaits and find myself reaching for it more. The ONLY complaint I have with the Zillion SV TW is the location of the brake knob. I do a lot of my casting from a palming style grip and I find my index finger contacting the brake knob and bumping up the brakes. I'm learning to hold my index finger in a different way and it's getting better, but still happens occasionally.

Oh, I've gotten plenty in the celings fans, but usually they just go "Clackity Clack" and get thrown out of the blades. This one was at just the right (or wrong) angle and caught the chain besel and snapped the upper 8-10" right off. ?? Oh well,... Crap happens!! ?

I can't think of too many rod companies that I DON'T here someone complain about them breaking. I think some people are just hard on their rods. I don't pay too much attention to the "This company's rods break too easy" responses. I've only broken a handful of rods and in almost every case, they were entirely my fault. Some were instances of me grabbing the rod up by the tip while trying to land a fish, crushing them under the trolling motor support rod, or having them hanging off the front of the boat and catch on something. Oh,..the ceiling fan has taken out 1 as well! ?? The only other time I can think of is an OLD Fenwick HMX that broke when my wife set the hook with the drag too tight. At least we were able to handline the nice smallie in!! As Tat said above,.. Don't try to boat flip or high stick them and you ate usually fine!!

Ok,.. I'm going to give you another option/suggestion. If you are set on the SLX DC, then I won't try to sway you, but I bought a couple DC reels when the Curado and SLX DC's came out, and can say I have been kind of disappointed. The digital breaks work great at long casts, but seem to struggle a bit at short casts. My intent was for the SLX to be for my wife and I would try the larger Curado. She struggled with the SLX DC as much, if not more than most of the other BC reels she tried. It works ok for a newbie on setting 4, but lost a lot of casting distance. If I were to do it again, I think I would have started her on a Tatula SV. The braking on those makes for very controllable casting on both long and short casts, and you have more setting options than just 4. They are close to the same price too!

Thanks for all the information. More information in your review than I had been avle to find elsewhere! Just not a fan of graphite frames,.. And worst yet,.. The handle's on the wrong side!! ?

10lb mono for me too. Either Trilene XL or Suffix

I haven't been able to find much information on them. Agree they may be fine, but I'd have a hard time bypassing proven Fuego, SLX, or Lews LFS reels that have aluminum frames and proven reliability for the same priced Maverick. Don'tget me wrong... I like my Dobyns casting rods, but hesitent on the reels til I hear more.

I don't know that I would call it a sleeper due to the good reviews they get, but the one I was most surprised by was the Lews Speed Spool LFS. I got my first one at the Gander Mt closeouts as the stores were closing for like $55. I had never had a Lews, but thought I didn't have much to lose on an aluminum framed reel for that price. Took it out the first time and was extremely happy with how smoothly it casts. And reeling was pretty smooth too. Bought a couple more when seeing them on sale!!

Not necessarily true. My brother in law still has the handle to the left side while holding it upside down, meaning he switched it to right side if in normal position, so it is on the left when he holds it upside down. He holds the line with his right thumb, opens the bail with left hand to cast, then reels backwards with left hand.

I bought a Dibyns Sierra 682C after hearing it makes a good small popper rod. Plan to throw 1/4oz Chug Bugs and PopR's.

I have grown to really like the Dobyns rods. I have a few Fury rods that I use for miving baits (703, 733, 734, 705cb) a Sierra 734 I fish a swim jig on and another 682 I currently have small poppers on. I have a Kaden 714 rigged for texas rigged worms and a 744 that is sharing jig duties. I have a Champ 704cb set up with small light cranks and a 705cb with squarebulls up to DT10s. And a pair of 735cb glass and 736cb glass that are deeper cranks and chatterbaits. Lastly, I've got an Extreme 745c on jig duty and a Fred Roumbanis SB rid I just started thriwing 8XD and 10XD a bit. I like the various Dobyns rods for their balance, whuch to me makes them feel lighter AND more sensitive.

I've lost a large smallie to this on a Whopper Plopper. I was buzzing a WP90 across some rocks when a nice smallie exploded on the lure. Had it on the line and the fight was on,... Then nothing. Got the lure back to the boat and the front treble and split ring were both gone.

I was at a store yesterday that had a version of rods with this kind of pistol grip. Trying to remember the brand name,... I think it said "Squad" but had a chance to handle it a bit. I have to say I can see how it might be beneficial if casting heavy lures, or even if fighting a large fish. Seems like it could help keep the rod from rotating in your hand while fighting it. Don't know first hand iif it would be better, but it felt more natural than I expected.