Best Starter Baitcaster

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

As a purely recreational fisherman, I would make a suggestion - I would refrain from making a reel purchase online unless I had actually held the reel and played with it. All the good advice in the world doesn't help if the reel you get is a lemon or just doesn't "feel right" in your hands.  I happen to disagree with some of the highly-touted reels mentioned here based on an unpleasant experience with the brand, but while I would never buy the brand, I would not argue with anyone about the merits or disadvantages of any reel. When I went to the local Dick's I was able to see, touch, and play with several reels in my price range. True, I couldn't check out the drag, but I could check out the play in the handles, the overall construction, the cast control features, and the feel of the reel in my hand.  Some of the brands I looked at were Abu Garcia, Okuma, Lew's, and a couple of others. Again, as a recreational fisherman, I found several possibilities that would serve me well. I happened to choose Lew's simply because I found the reel to "work" for me and their customer service to be very responsive to my questions. The reel has served me well for two years, but, to be honest, I think some of the others would have served just as well. In the end, it's about your budget and fishing habits. Good luck!

[Catt]

@GrumpyOlPhartte

 

Exactly my sentiments!

 

I can not bring myself to buy anything I haven held in my hands, not just because it could be a lemon but because I might not like how it feels in my hand.

 

Example: a few years back my wife bought me a Shimano Chronarch for my birthday, she gave it to me on Friday before I left to go to the lake. Beautiful little reel, smooth casting, strong drag, everything one would want in a reel...absolutely hated how it felt in my hand. Now she doesn't buy me tackle & I don't buy her jewelry!

[NHBull]

Look to the "used" market and get more for your buck.

On that note, I am not a fan on trying to do so on the cheap.

My first experience was with a ci4 and make the experience thrilling and easy.

My buddy went another route to "try" it, and hated it.  Now I know that techniques are more important than gear, but today's gear is so user friendly it is hard to ignore the difference.

 

I know tons for guys that have gone from spinning to casting gear, and only a handful that have gone the other way and those that have, own top shelf spinning gear

[Deeare]

Looks like tackle warehouse is having a sale on abu Garcia.   And **** is also having a sale.    You should be able to hit a July 4th sale and get a solid discount.    Id

also try BPS and see if you can get the carbonlite for

$50.   I hate BPS but that's a good reel for the money

[chattooga_ basser]

I bought my first baitcasters a year ago after using spinning gear for 25 years.Lots of good suggestions already, one suggestion Id make would be try and find a good deal on one with a solid aluminum frame. a bit more pricey but more durable in the long run. The Lews LFS series, Daiwa Exceller and the Academy house brand are all solid choices. If your firm on your budget, then take a look at a Daiwa Aird on eBay and use the change on an All Star 6'8" MH casting rod. Good luck in your search !

  

[Further North]

On 7/1/2017 at 10:49 AM, fishnkamp said:

Here is where I really dislike suggesting "beginner" gear because "good enough to get started with" means you will most likely end up wasting money and hurting your learning curve.  Let me compare it to a spinning reel since you are most familiar with them. When asked for a starter reel I always suggest the most affordable but most reliable reel on the market and that means a Pflueger President. It costs $50 to $60  and will last decades. There are many reels that cost more and certainly are worth their cost, but that reel will always be a great value and not need to be upgraded.

A Black Max is not a bad reel, but you will want to upgrade from it if you ever put a better reel in your hands.

Just help yourself out upfront. Go get a Daiwa Tatula CT. That will run you around $99 from ABCD sales on Amazon. I can assure you that they are awesome reels, durable, very easy to cast a good distance and learn to adjust properly. The braking system is terrific.  Presently out of my 12 baitcasting rigs there are 7 Daiwa Tatula, Tatula Type Rs, and Tatula CTs. As for dealing with ABCD on Amazon I have purchased 3 reels separately from them and had no issues. They are good to deal with.

I agree here - going to a reel with a good braking system is critical to a good learning curve and to cutting down on your frustration as you learn.

 

I'd agree with Tatula CT, and would add in the Abu Garcia SX (was $99 at Cabela's last time I looked) and the Shimano Curado.  I can recommend those because I've used them, I am sure there are others from Lew's, Quantum or other brands that will work just as well...but I'd strongly recommend getting in a slightly higher price point to get a better braking system.

 

One to the first reels I bought when I got back into fishing was the Shimano Calais DC.  Don't look at the price, it's not for the faint of heart...but with that reel and its braking system I was able to to get back up to speed with little frustration pretty quickly.  These days, I've got that reel dialed way back, and it gets used for bigger pike and musky baits...but it sure was a confidence builder when I jumped back in.

[offsidewing]

If you are already a dedicated fisherman, Buy the best you can afford.  Buy once, cry once.  

[Andy007]

 

Lots of good info has been give and thought I should add to the mix?

I started to make the switch to baitcasters last year. I mostly fish 10lb braid and many people complained about light braid digging into its self, so I couldn’t see spending a 100 or more and finding out the line I like won’t work.
So I turned to eBay and bought a few reels that have a good quality reputation on these forums. Abu Garcia pro max 1600 &3600, Abu Garcia 4600c, and a couple Bass Pro Qualifiers. The most expensive one was around 31 bucks. (Lots of other good brands and models made, this is just where I stated.)  Most had to be cleaned and one pawl replaced, other than that they’re in great mechanical shape.
Out of those reels I prefer the 4600c and pro qualifier with the pro qualifier being a little easier casting into the wind.

 

Long story short, and as mentioned before there can be good value in buying used! And through these forums the pro qualifier keeps coming up as one of the best reels for the money. The down side of used is you’ll probably have some maintenance. If you have a little time they are pretty simple to work on. But a quality easy casting reel for $30 might be a good start.

Many choices, Good luck!