Most Dependable Spinning Reel @ 200$ & 100$

[0119]

Yes , I see you're point here... There is no contest

Between Saltwater fish types and freshwater largemouth or smallmouth bass fishes.... Thereby requirements for freshwater use.. Would, I suppose, still have great need for a strong bail system? But the true need of a saltwater tuff reel

Vs.. A only freshwater small fish reel would be vastly different . In my case the reel would be only

For freshwater.... So it seems, for me at least.. Less is more.....?

 

I would not think anyone would want to limit themselves and purchase equipment not capable of of catching multiple species.  I find flathead catfish much more of a fighter than saltwater fish the same size.  Besides if a company cannot or will not make a reel capable of handling multi species and only capable of the minor effort of catching a bass, I would not buy anything they make.  They wouldnt deserve your money. 

[Hogsticker]

Like I said. Older Daiwa reels. All aluminium, low gear ratios, sturdy air bail, fantastic line management, wobble free no matter how fast you turn the handle and under load. Nine ounce tanks built to last and perform. Nobody makes em like that anymore. Can't find one, get a Lexa.

[0119]

Very true

[DTack]

My vote is a Shimano Symetre, I use the 3000 size.  I don't do any other types of fishing with a spinning reel so I can't comment on that at all.  With bass fishing I've had a couple Symetres for 3+ years and a couple of those years I fished 100+ days a year.  Reel is still going strong and I feel like I've put it to the test on black bass, once again I don't have any other type of experience to compare it to.  I have not personally used another brand of reel as I haven't felt the need as far as spinning tackle goes.  Baitcasters I own a few Daiwas mixed in.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

$100-$200 is a generous budget for a quality spinning reel. You can't go too far wrong with any of the major brands at that price point. The Pflueger spinning reels are a good bang for the buck in general. The Shimano A/R assembly is by far the best, I like the Daiwa Air-Bail. The thing I see in spinning reels is with the bail and rotor on the outside, they don't tolerate a lot of banging around and being laid in the dirt etc. On top of that, they tend to be neglected maintenance wise because casting is not mechanical like it is in a baitcaster.

[new2BC4bass]

Can't give advice on the most dependable $200 reel.  In the $100 price range consider old tech.....Daiwa Tournament SS.  No infinite anti-reverse, but good solid reels that seem to hold up very well.

 

EDIT:  Check out this thread.  http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=57408

[jtharris3]

Shimano FTW! Pick one in your budget range and have at it! My reel of choice is the Symetre. I've been buying them since the 80's and love them!

[Oregon Native]

Not sure of cost but it was given to me as a gift and has been used hard.  That is a Shimano Stella.  Amazing reel

[F14A-B]

Can't give advice on the most dependable $200 reel. In the $100 price range consider old tech.....Daiwa Tournament SS. No infinite anti-reverse, but good solid reels that seem to hold up very well.

EDIT: Check out this thread. http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=57408

Nice tip.. Thanks

[thehooligan]

Best reel in that price range is the stradic fj. A little heavy but its a workhorse. The ci4 and ci4+ are also amazing reels. I've witnessed my buddy who's very hard on his gear completely try to destroy his ci4 3000 and he can't kill it. It regularly gets dunked in the water dropped in the sand and mud, and the reel is still super smooth.

I'd recommend any of those 3 reels, you want light weight go with one of the ci4's, you want super smooth and bulletproof, get the FJ.

[livetofish28]

I have been extremely impressed with my Abu revo sx 30 it's extremely smooth and sturdy. It doesn't have any play in it than I can tell and prefer it to the shimanos I have. I'm probably going to get shot for that statement lol

Tight Lines

Andrew

[0119]

Yeah I like my Revo Inshore 30 better than any shimano Ive had.

[SirSnookalot]

When I think of dependability I'm looking at how often the reel goes in for service, when it does what's the return time and are parts always available.  My opinion Pflueger tops in that department and Shimano at the bottom.  None of my 5 Pfluegers have ever needed service and every one of my Shimanos have gone down several times, the additional expense has come close to the original price.  My barracuda reel is a Pflueger arbor, most fish are 20# + caught in saltwater, if a reel stands up to that without the need for service I'd be rating that pretty high on the dependability scale.

 

The best reel is another issue, as with dependability it's purely subjective and based on one's own experience.  In the sub $200 market there is no reel I like better than my Quantum cabo 40, extremely smooth, line manages quite well and a drag that I salivate over, 30# max drag on a 14 oz reel, and I've had to crank it down.  True it's heavy by bass standards and certainly way more reel that's needed for sub 10# fish.  I do feel it's the best reel I have ever used and I have hard time wanting to use any of my other reels.

 

These threads always turn to Shimano and they aren't bad reels at all, I don't have a performance or weight problem with them and I like their line management best of all.  Just hard to put them on the top of the heap when there so many other reels just as good IMO.  For freshwater I wouldn't spend more than symetre if I were a die hard Shimano user.  Fishing 7 days a week in all elements, any reel dropped in sand is going to need a cleaning at some point, I've never cleaned a freshwater reel and mine are as good as the day I opened the box.