Are High End Reels Worth Hundreds?

[Sam]

Wayne Knabe in the great county of Powhatan, Virginia, repairs rods and reels and he told me that the higher end reels have more metal gears than the low end reels that have more plastic parts.

And that's the difference.

It boils down to your philosophy: Use a low end reel and when it breaks throw it away and buy another one. Use a high end reel and use if for many years via normal, annual maintenance.

Your choice.

[J Francho]

15 minutes ago, Sam said:

that the higher end reels have more metal gears than the low end reels that have more plastic parts.

That's no longer accurate.  Almost every reel has a "metal" gear where it counts.  Many high end reels employ a plastic gears to drive the level wind system, because it's lighter, quieter, smoother, and isn't under any load.  Your friend might be referring to the the Abus that used a brass idler gear, and then switched to a plastic. I think that change came about over 30 years ago. Again, this doesn't come under load, and doesn't need to be metal.  I know of no "cheap" reels that use (or ever used) a plastic main or pinion gear.  Soft, or poor quality gears, well that's another story.  One reel that is interesting is the old Daiwa lefty "pitching reels" with the thumb bar on top, e.g. TD-X HSDL.  They use a series of plastic gears between the main stack and the worm gear that drives the level wind.  Thsi setup is exactly the same on the lower grade TD-X as it is on the top of the heap TD-ITO models.

[Raul]

I own a couple of them "high" end pricey reels and they were worth every penny I spent in them, in many cases I saved for months to get one.

[Caliyak]

On 11/14/2016 at 6:41 PM, WayToGo88 said:

I have been looking to buy a new bait casting reel. I will be using this to throw plastics weightless and weighted. I'm having trouble deciding if the expensive Shimano and Daiwa are even worth it, or if i should get a cheaper  reel like a curado or tourny pro and put most of my money into baits. I haven't seen many reviews on the Patriarch, but i love the way it looks. What do you guys think????

 

Buy the curado. for me, it's my high end reel and I would not buy anything more expensive. curado is better than many expensive reels. my 2 cents 

[Sam]

13 hours ago, J Francho said:

That's no longer accurate.  Almost every reel has a "metal" gear where it counts.  Many high end reels employ a plastic gears to drive the level wind system, because it's lighter, quieter, smoother, and isn't under any load.  Your friend might be referring to the the Abus that used a brass idler gear, and then switched to a plastic. I think that change came about over 30 years ago. Again, this doesn't come under load, and doesn't need to be metal.  I know of no "cheap" reels that use (or ever used) a plastic main or pinion gear.  Soft, or poor quality gears, well that's another story.  One reel that is interesting is the old Daiwa lefty "pitching reels" with the thumb bar on top, e.g. TD-X HSDL.  They use a series of plastic gears between the main stack and the worm gear that drives the level wind.  Thsi setup is exactly the same on the lower grade TD-X as it is on the top of the heap TD-ITO models.

Thanks. All I know is what he told me.

To add fire to the cause, he likes Lew's and Shimano reels.

[DogBone_384]

On 11/14/2016 at 10:53 PM, Cheesefrank said:

Yes it is worth it. You don't need it but it sure is a pleasure to fish with.

X2 - I started with a BPS Pro-Qualifier and slowly (& repeatedly!) upgraded when I found year end deals, sales, etc...

All my reels do the same job, but the couple Shimano Cores and Diawa Zillions I own have a 'feel' to them akin to driving to work in a BMW.  I can't say I'll ever buy an ultra high end reel, say,  $400+, but I enjoy my $200 - 300 reels immensely.

[J Francho]

5 hours ago, Sam said:

Thanks. All I know is what he told me.

To add fire to the cause, he likes Lew's and Shimano reels.

Both good choices.  Shimano uses more metal part than anyone in their spool/pinion release mechanism.  Lew's is mostly plastic, similar to all the Pure Fishing variants.  When the Revos first came out, I had concerns over the use of plastic here, but after more than a decade, it seems it was unwarranted, outside a few isolated issues.  Seems like the major makers know what their doing.  Daiwa is still the best

[Sam]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Both good choices.  Shimano uses more metal part than anyone in their spool/pinion release mechanism.  Lew's is mostly plastic, similar to all the Pure Fishing variants.  When the Revos first came out, I had concerns over the use of plastic here, but after more than a decade, it seems it was unwarranted, outside a few isolated issues.  Seems like the major makers know what their doing.  Daiwa is still the best

I have a friend that swears by the Steetz rods and reels.

Too rich for me.

Thanks for the feedback. Always can count on someone on the Forum for great input.

Are you getting "Little Me" his own bass boat for Christmas?

[J Francho]

Just now, Sam said:

I have a friend that swears by the Steetz rods and reels.

Too rich for me.

Thanks for the feedback. Always can count on someone on the Forum for great input.

Are you getting "Little Me" his own bass boat for Christmas?

Little me is gonna be 18, graduating high school, and more interested in girls, schoolwork, his truck, and working at the restaurant than fishing.  Last time I took both boys out on a kayak fishing trip, he paddled around the lake, and didn't fish at all.  The little guy likes to go pike fishing in the creek with me, though.  He's always catching bass, lol.

[Sam]

Super.

And you are getting old!!!!

[J Francho]

44 ain't old

[Airman4754]

For me personally I can tell the differenece between a $200 and $400 rod way before I can with a reel.

A Calcutta, Corado 300, and Luna will handle the big stuff. Anything between $180 and $250 will handle everything else. 

If you think a higher end reel will make you a better fisherman. When you're sure it's the conditions or the fish and not equipment you can't put a price on that.

[tkunk]

On my first cast with a new Metanium, I cast out practically my entire spool (and ended up getting bit by a nice salmon near the end of my cast). Casting distance matters a lot where I fish, so I ordered another one the next day.

[blckshirt98]

It's not so much a matter of "does it catch more fish" because any decent fisherman can catch fish with a $1000 JDM reel or a $10 Barbie spincast.  The difference is will you get more enjoyment from ownership,which is an intangible thing.  It might just be a piece of art/conversation piece you keep at home in a collection that you never use on the water and play around with your hands, or, it might be a reel you use on the water regularly that just makes your fishing experience more enjoyable.  Sure there's more refinement, better materials, unique colors/badging/stamping on high end reels but you can't really say it'll give you $x hundred dollars worth of more fishing success/enjoyment than a lower end reel, since it's mostly subjective to the individual.

[DrMarlboro92]

On 11/16/2016 at 10:20 AM, J Francho said:

44 ain't old

Old, not obsolete lol.

[Hulkster]

On Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 11:46 PM, Caliyak said:

Buy the curado. for me, it's my high end reel and I would not buy anything more expensive. curado is better than many expensive reels. my 2 cents

 Agreed. I have the curado 200i PG and love it. I would argue it is better than many competitor's more expensive reels.

[primetime]

I try not to pay more than $100-$125 for any casting reel personally since I put my reels through more abuse than they should go through and I am also not great at cleaning them on a consistent basis.

With that said, I have found that when I buy high End reels or use one, I notice the difference right away. I spend more money on Spinning Reels since I use the Drag and Lighter line, also saltwater, so for me I was willing to save money & buy the reels I really wanted. 

I just started looking for a new casting reel after dropping my favorite Pitching rod and reel, and I can't rationalize spending more than $100 since every Brand is now offering solid Value's at lower prices in the past.

With that said, the Patriarch is a fantastic reel from everything I have heard, and I have held one many times and wished i owned one. I have an Old Pflueger President Baitcasting Reel that is almost 15 years old and it may be heavy but it is still a work horse & my experiences with the Pflueger Spinning reels like the Extreme & President and even the $30 Trion have been positive, the customer service has not been the greatest however.

I find Okuma offer's some of the best Prices and Specs, the best customer service I have dealt with over the years, but they seem to wear out after a few years compared to a reel like the Daiwa Tatula & Revo SX which I have had for about the same time.

If you do some research on Google you can find charts that break down the different features, and usually any reel that is made by Daiwa, Shimano, Pflueger and sell for $100 will be nice reels that are easy to use. Lew's seems to be the most popular these days and you can get a really nice reel for $100-$120.

I have never noticed that my casting distance suffers from one model to the next. I can cast my Silver Max, Pro Max as well as I can models that were $150 plus when I purchased them. 

I guess the key is finding a good VALUE. I hear the Academy reels are great for the money and many house brand reels are a great value since they are made by the same OEM's that make other top reels, Pinnacle has some nice reels out now and they used to be mainly an OEM, but I like to pick them up at the store and for me weight and drag are the most important, types of bearings, gears, and frame. If you plan on using it in brackish or salt water then it is important to get a reel that can do both. I have a couple Okuma Serrano casting reels which are fresh and salt, are discontinued, but they were $200+ several years ago and you can find a new one online for under $80 & you get a 3 year full replacement even if you fall and break the side plate. Okuma sent be a brand new reel even though I fell into a mound of Fire ants a few years ago and broke the reel as I panicked and cracked it.

I find that the Pro Max and Silver Max are easy to find for $50 & they are not considered top quality but I can cast weightless worms on either, and they last even if I rarely open them up for service.

Hope that helps...Kast King makes a new Carbon baitcasting reel for $50 sold by Eposeidon on Long Island and I was skeptical of the quality but I know people who have them, used one for a few weeks, and it is a fantastic reel and they also will fix any issue you have since they are trying to make inroads in the industry by going to shows and winning awards. It gets great ratings by many magazines etc. for what it is worth and it is light as a feather....They look perfect after a year and My friend puts hours on each reel, I have yet to hear a complaint about the reels they offer. Just make sure you buy from them direct, not on Ebay to save $10. The guys who started the company decided to offer high end features & sell them at lower margins since they are using the same OEM which makes brand name models that have similar specs for Top End Prices. They cover your warranty, I plan on getting one just to add to my collection after seeing them last for the year..

 

Hope that helps. I have been doing my research since TW has so many new models from all Brands and if you notice the pricing has come down on reels & companies are offering more models now that new companies are adding competition and challenging the norms at Icast Etc.

[Devin Wolf]

In my opinion they are worth it as long as you take care of it but I personally prefer to run under $100, I have a shimano fx rod I picked up for $23 paired with the shimano fx 4000 for $38, I also have an abu garcia 5601 c4 baitcaster (retailed a little over $200 here in canada) I found in the basement I was told I can have paired with a daiwa silver series ss-31 I scored off my supervisor for helping him on a dump run, its also nice to have fancy lures but you also need dollar store or cheap lures for rocky, heavily covered or risky areas in general if you're afraid to lose your more expensive lures 

[QED]

The Return of the Zombies!  https://www.amazon.com/Return-Zombies-Chilling-Archives-Horror/dp/1631406302

 

[billmac]

Not for me.  Abu Garcia Black Max is a good solid reel for around $50.

[huZZah]

I have a shimano slx. It was clearance at academy for $80. That’s my most expensive reel. 
 

IMO, if you think something is worth it…it is. Who cares what others think? I’m also not in a financial position to tie up $500 in a fishing combo my son will probably break. But it doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to others. To each their own. 

[ironbjorn]

To me there's been almost no functionality difference between a Black Max or something like a Tournament Pro. The differences for me is how refined the reels are and how they feel in hand. Is this worth the 100, 200, 300 dollar price difference? Well if I lost all my gear today and had to start over I'd only buy a handful of Black Max reels.

 

But I will say that I have a very educated thumb and can cast just about anything.

[Blacktail 8541]

I have some top of the line gear. I don't get to fish a lot, but have a decent disposable income. I enjoy my limited amount of time I get to fish even more because of my gear. It doesn't make me a better fisherman. I suggest you buy what you can afford and enjoy it.

[ATA]

I dont think it is that important. But I love them.

but I can tell you for sure I never need to service them.

[MN Fisher]

6 hours ago, ATA said:

but I can tell you for sure I never need to service them.

(blinks) Even the best reels need regular maintenance

 

That's like saying a Bentley or Ferrari never needs an oil change or tune-up.