Help with choosing a baitcast reel

[Fogle12]

I am fairly new to using a baitcaster i started out with a cheap combo from walmart now i recently got a Duckett Ghost and Lew's Speed Spool LFS. My question is I got the Speed spool for $100 and this reel has 9SS + 1RB Ball bearings I have seen other reels around the same price i have looked into buying such as Shimano Casitas 150 Casting Reel This reel has 4BB + 1RB Ball bearings. Will having 5  less ball bearings effect how smooth the reel is? And does Shimano use higher quality parts and that's why it reflects on the price? Any help would be nice.

Thanks

[S. Sass]

Typically under 7 is what I read and see where there is a kind of a break from good to better or vise versa.

I know the Lew's reels are quality reels as I have several and use them religiously. The Shimano Casitas someone else will have to speak for.  

[dam0007]

Typically the lower bearing count on the Shimano is because plastic bushings are being used rather than bearings, maybe on the knobs for example. 

[WRB]

The only bearings that improve your reels casting performance are located on the spool shaft. Bearings on level wind shaft and crank handles have nothing to do with casting, they may improve retrieve smoothness if the drive gears and level wind are lubricated properly and not worn out.

Tom

[the reel ess]

I have a really good Lew's Tournament MB reel that I love and an older BPS Johnny Morris reel that has held up well. The remainder of my "fleet" is lower cost, but still plenty tough enough to whip even a big ol bass.

So I can recommend Lew.s and the JM line.

58 minutes ago, S. Sass said:

Typically under 7 is what I read and see where there is a kind of a break from good to better or vise versa.

I know the Lew's reels are quality reels as I have several and use them religiously. The Shimano Casitas someone else will have to speak for.  

There's a guy on this board who works on reels and highly recommends the Catica. They're about $130-150.

[contium]

I have 2 of the new Daiwa Tatula CT's. Best reels I have used in the price class. Super smooth and cast a mile. I'm going to see how they hold up over the next 6 months. They should be great as the regular Tatula's have a great reputation. Will be selling the rest my my Shimano Citica's and replacing them with the Tatula CT's.

[BobP]

You can't equate reel quality to the number of ball bearings in a reel, nor is it a gauge of how smoothly it will retrieve.  It really has more to do with design and manufacturing excellence.  To me, the brand has as much to say about quality as the description.  I trust Shimano, Daiwa, and Abu Garcia reels because I have used them for a long time without problems.  I can't comment on Lews since I've never used one.  Some of the cheapest, worst designed and faulty reels made by 2nd and 3rd tier manufacturers are packed with lots of ball bearings just to entice the uninformed buyer to bite.  Personally, if a reel has more than 6 ball bearings mounted in the right places, I get suspicious.  I have Shimano and Ambassadeur (now Abu) reels with 4 bearings that have worked faultlessly for more than 20 years with periodic maintenance.

[Yudo1]

Bearing count is not an indicator of quality.  Shimano tends to have low bearing counts vs other brands, but they use higher quality bearings and put them in all the right places.  That said, lews also makes some darn good reels and I would choose the lews lfs.  I'd rather have a tatula or fuego over both.