Bait Caster Reel Help!

[lmbfisherman]

I still think you should take the advice and get either Academy reel or BPS reel.  BPS PQ is an awesome reel and definitely at retail the best bang for your buck, but at 80 on sale it is a steal.  I personally would never go below a PQ level.

 

As for Orra SX I have no experience.

[F14A-B]

I used a graphite framed baitcaster by quantum in about 1988.... Hard use ,big fish and saltwater fishing.... Never a problem... I have been upgrading ever since.... Buy what you can afford.... Yes... But today's cheap reels will not live long..the advice the guys are giving is sound. They don't review the cheap reels... Just buy the reels and use them.. Maybe later on you can upgrade if you want

I stayed within my budget but I wanted better stuff always.. Because I fish a lot.... Always have

So good luck with you're reels and as always enjoy fishing!

Spence

[DBL000006]

Yesterday in the mail.. Dicks send me a bunch of coupons. So now, i'm getting close to, 30-35 bucks off my purchase now. I may go with the Abu Garcia Orra SX, or the Shimano Citrcia if they sell it there. My rod a Worm & Jig rod from Shimano (STELLUS) My line, will be Fluro from Seagear or High Seas (Can't go wrong with Bill Dance) What do you all think about that setup

[jsc4324]

You have to be happy about the setup your using. Other people may love or hate what works for you. Go put the reel on the rod and see if you like the combo. I have never used the orra sx however have an orra winch and it's very smooth. Pure fishing (abu garcia) has excellent customer service should you need it. It sounds like you are on a strict budget and dicks is helping that with the coupons. The orra sx will hold up fine for normal use if maintained.

[black94gt50]

As others said, the mettle is the best cheap reel you can get. I've heard about them for years and just went up to academy the other day and picked one up. They are on sale right now for 39 bucks.

First thing I did when I got home was tear it apart to see how it was built. It has a 6 pin braking system a lot like the shimano citica curado etc. The actual brake in the side plate is held on the side plate by three small screws, which is different from most reels I've had with that type of braking system. Most have been molded into the side plate from what I remember.

The handles had two bearings in each grip instead of bushings that most reels in the 100$ range has. The handle itself is very plain jane. There was a bearing sitting on top of the anti reverse bearing in the reel. The inside race of the anti reverse bearing was plastic, somethig I haven't seen before. But with the extra bearing stacked on top of the anti reverse bearing, I don't believe flex would be a issue.

The drag is nothing special, it has one washer on top of main gear and one underneath. Idk how well it will wear, but replacement carbon washers are cheap as heck and easy to replace. I will say that when I cranked down on the drag that it felt pretty sturdy.

It had a bearing in the side plate, one on the inner spool shaft and one on the reels hand side side plate, where the cast adjustment is.

I haven't had it on the lake yet, but I throw some old flouro on the reel and a 1/2 ounce jig and put it on my 7'6 flipping rod and played with it for a hour or so in back yard pitching and making some casts with it. It cast good and done very good flipping at targets.

Now it doesn't feel as sturdy as my pro qualifier, lews speed spool and bb1, or citica, but for 40$ it's worth a shot. Academy will pretty much exchange it out with a brand new one if something goes wrong with it. Even though it doesn't have a big badass drag system on it, I'm gonna put it to the test and flip and pitch with it for a while.

I've had and do have some nice reels, bought this one to see what's up with the h20 reels. Sometimes 150 or even 100$ isn't in the budget. My outlook on the reels priced in the 40-75 dollar range is as is: first always, always look for metal frame, then go to stores and put a hand on the items you are interested in, and don't be afraid to take the side plate off and check out construction of that part of the reel. I love my citica and lews but if I was going the cheaper route, there's no way that I would even mess with them. They have graphite frame which WILL flex and put all the strain on the gears. The way I see it, is that your paying a extra 20-30 bucks for the shimano name for their cheaper reels.

This is just my opinion. Good luck with your search, and I hope your happy with the reel you end up with sir. Most important thing is, go get the reel of your choice and get out on water and have some fun.