Price For Spinning Reels

[BassCats]

Most say you have to spend 120-200 for a quality baitcaster.  What is the best price range for spinning reels. What price gets you the best bang for your buck.

[WhiteMike1018]

I wouldn't spend more than 100$ on a spinng reel to be honest. In my opinion they hold up a lot longer than casting reels and need a lot less matnience also. But thats just me. 

 

good luck - wm

[MCS]

I would say $50-120. Covers a wide range of brands from pflueger to Shimano, daiwa and Abu in there. Some that can cover fresh and/or salt water in that range too.

[HeavyDluxe]

I think your question is difficult to answer because there are features and aspects of a reel's performance that some of 'us' may value more or less than 'you'.  

 

Based on my admittedly limited observation, the main benefit you get as you increase in price is an modest increase in the components used in the reel's construction, a more rigid frame (the prevention of flex improves performance and longevity of function, I would bet), and decreased overall weight.  What point is 'good enough'? 

 

I've always heard, and would confirm based on my own experience, that Pflueger's President series of spinning reels is an amazing deal at ~$50 (bang for buck).  I would think any number of reels in the $50-100 range would be more than adequate and sufficient bargains for their price.

[Darren.]

If I were to buy another reel right now, based on my experiences, it would be another Stradic. So that puts me in the $180 range.

Will cheaper reels catch me fish? Yep. But there's something to be said about the build quality, components used, and longevity.

[mc6524]

Actually, you can get an excellent baitcaster for around $100.  You can also get a very good spinning real with up to 10 bearing for $60-$80.

[Hi Salenity]

I have a couple of the $30 Shimano's that work fine.

[kickerfish1]

Depends upon how important a good spinning reel is to you and what features you want. The features of spinning reels are much less known compared to baitcasters among the average bass fisherman.

For my own persoanl needs I wouldn't by any reel lower than a shimano symetre or saros.

[Jay Ell Gee]

I personally got my first spinning reel last summer and recently picked up a new Dobyns Champion spinning rod so I'll be needing another soon. I'll be picking up the same reel for it as I do for the one I already have, a Shimano Sahara 2500.

Tough to beat for the money!

[THE BASS WHISPERER]

stradic c 14 . ive got it hooked up to a g lommis gl2. id rather have my baitcaster!  just saying!    good luck!

[SirSnookalot]

This topic has been beat to death, then stomped on even more.

I don't own a b/c and the main factors I look for in a spinning reel are drag performance, smoothness and how it sits on my rod.  I own reels from $30 to $230 from many of the different manufacturers, amazingly my more expensive reels seem to go down a bit more often and require maintenance, could be my target species as well as the environment I'm using them in.  For freshwater fishing I can get whatever I need inside $100, the ones I'm using have lasted for years unserviced and without the need for repair.  I don't have the desire to keep upgrading every couple years, if I'm banging out nice fish and my gear is working well, what's the point?

IMO it doesn't matter that much what you are using, the only thing that matters is what you are catching.

[thehooligan]

At $180, the stradic fj would be the bare minimum spinning reel im going to use. I started at the bottom with the sedona, then the sahara, then symetre, then saros. I ended up with a stradic 1000 fj, stradic ci4 1000, and sustain 1000 fg.

 

If i could go back i would of skipped all the lower end reels, skipped the ci4 and sustain and just bought three stradic fj 1000's. Best spinning reel ive ever used for $135....

[0119]

Ive found the Daiwa Lexa to be even better than my Stradic's, at less money.  Interesting that some think a spinner is more carefree and durable than a conventional reel.   You'll find alot of reel repairmen that refuse to work on spinners. They say they it is too hard to satisfy the client with the finished product, too difficult to repair to their satisfaction.

[jignfule]

Pflueger President hard to beat for the $$$$$$$

[J Francho]

I always cheaped out on spinners for years.  Anything over $50 seems to hold up just fine.  I do fish with a few CI4 Stradics now, but I bought them at a reduced price, and wanted to try something light.  They were worth it to me.

[Darren.]

Ive found the Daiwa Lexa to be even better than my Stradic's, at less money.  Interesting that some think a spinner is more carefree and durable than a conventional reel.   You'll find alot of reel repairmen that refuse to work on spinners. They say they it is too hard to satisfy the client with the finished product, too difficult to repair to their satisfaction.

I've been looking for Lexa spinning reel reviews! Have you considered posting a review? I've got the Lexa BC that is just awesome, so much so that I have eyed the spinning counterpart...

[JigMe]

I always cheaped out on spinners for years. Anything over $50 seems to hold up just fine. I do fish with a few CI4 Stradics now, but I bought them at a reduced price, and wanted to try something light. They were worth it to me.

How do I get some at a reduced price? LOL!!!

Actually, I have a CI4 and loving it. My most expensive set up is spinning CI4/GL2. I am catching 70-75% of my fish on spinning gears, so that's where my money is going.

[J Francho]

How do I get some at a reduced price? LOL!!!

 

Reel Trade at Bass Pro Shops

 

Dropped a bunch of Capricorns off for upgrade.

[Diggy]

I always cheaped out on spinners for years.  Anything over $50 seems to hold up just fine.  I do fish with a few CI4 Stradics now, but I bought them at a reduced price, and wanted to try something light.  They were worth it to me.

Speaking of light those new Okumas seem to be featherlight 

 

RTX=6.6 oz

[SudburyBasser]

Now that I've bought a CI4 I guess I've set a new bar for what kind of spinning reel I'll buy in the future but I do know that the Pflueger President I used for two years worked absolutely fine. It's the fetishization of sport fishing that happens because of web sites like these, the shows we watch and the pros we follow -- where our expectations of what we perceive to need is distorted.

 

It's the same problem of every enthusiast subset. I own a Jeep and belong to a few Jeep forums. Even a Sahara Wrangler is pretty adequete for most off-roading but people who will never venture anywhere near Moab or The Hammer feel the need to spend ungodly sums of money upgrading their Rubicons -- already a beast off-road -- because they've joined a subset of a community where their expectations are distorted.

 

So we have a world where even a Shimano Sienna spinning reel on a cheaper rod would probably meet the needs of most people even on this web site, we feel the need to buy higher end products.

 

I don't know precisely what I was trying to say...just something that has been on my mind for a while. I'm certainly no less guilty at thinking that I need to spend $180 on a spinning reel when my $50 spinning reel caught a lot of fish.

[The Rooster]

For a solid spinning reel that's below the $50 mark, a Pflueger Trion GX-7 is where it's at. I've had some line twist with it, but in fairness I do use Roostertails tied straight to the line with no swivels, ever. This will twist line, but I don't like swivels on those baits so I just live with it. Otherwise this reel has held up for 5 years now with no issues for fish after fish. This reel is still being sold at $40. It's basically a President without the handle knob bearings and $20 cheaper.

[EvanT123]

For a solid spinning reel that's below the $50 mark, a Pflueger Trion GX-7 is where it's at. I've had some line twist with it, but in fairness I do use Roostertails tied straight to the line with no swivels, ever. This will twist line, but I don't like swivels on those baits so I just live with it. Otherwise this reel has held up for 5 years now with no issues for fish after fish. This reel is still being sold at $40. It's basically a President without the handle knob bearings and $20 cheaper.

X2 I received one from a friend for free in the panfish size 20 and its a great reel with a nice smooth drag that has handled some nice smallies including the one in my avatar.

[roadwarrior]

The Shimano Symetre is an excellent reel at a modest price,

but I think the CI4 is the "best bang for your buck".

 

 

 

[skeletor6]

If I were to buy another reel right now, based on my experiences, it would be another Stradic. So that puts me in the $180 range.Will cheaper reels catch me fish? Yep. But there's something to be said about the build quality, components used, and longevity.

You can buy different reels, but the Stradic FJ Darren mentions is absolutely loaded with features for its price. The reel is so smooth that its disappointing to play around with other spinning reels. And this reel can be easily found for $135. There is not a better reel for the money at the moment.

If I had to go cheaper it would be Shimano due to their patented propulsion line management system. This system can be found on sub $100 Shimanos as well and is a must on any future spinning reel I get.

[0119]

DarrenM, I find it hopeless to make a review of a none shimano product here.   Any dialog would only become a shimano vs. Daiwa debate that would surely get locked.  I'll pm you some of my thoughts, o.k.?