What’s the best baitcasting reel on sale in the $200-$300 range?

[tcbass]

Looking for a reel for a 7’1” all around rod. I use a Cabelas Tournament ZX Frog Rod for all of my fishing, and looking to match it up to a reel that when on sale is in the $200-$300 range. 

 

 

What baitcasting reel would this be?

[Chance_Taker4]

Every single person that answers will say Daiwa or Shimano. So I'll go a different route and say the Abu Garcia Revo STX. The new Gen 4 revos remind me of the Gen 2s and will start to take away market share from Daiwa and Shimano once anglers start using them.

[dodgeguy]

Anything lews.imho they make the best reels for the money today.

[WRB]

You would be better off keeping the rod/reel you have for frogging and buy another general use MH combo rod/reel for you budget. Putting a $300 reel on a store brand $90 rod is counter productive IMO. 

Tom

 

[bassbassontherange]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

You would be better off keeping the rod/reel you have for frogging and buy another general use MH combo rod/reel for you budget. Putting a $300 reel on a store brand $90 rod is counter productive IMO. 

Tom

 

I'd tend to agree if it's an all purpose rig. That's not a bad rod, though. If you want to sink money into a higher end reel and a budget rod, that's fine. I've done it. Someday you'll catch the rod bug too and upgrade. 

 

For topwater, that rod is fine. For bottom contact or moving baits, you may want something else down the road.

 

For a reel, there are a myriad of options. My preference would be a JDM Met MGL in the gear ratio you want. That would get you in right around 300. An SV 103 is a nice option as well, as are all of Daiwa and Shimano's options in that price range. Lew's has a nice reel in the tourney pro g's. A Revo MGX is a steal if you can find the previous generation clearanced, and they're still out there for under $200.

 

There are so many options, but like stated, you'll find most longtime anglers will suggest Shimano and Daiwa. Consistent quality and product support for years are strong reasons to consider them.

 

My short list for an all purpose reel in your price range:

1. Met MGL 

2. SV 103

3. Curado 70

4. Used 13 Met

5. Used Curado/Chronarch E

 

It's hard to go wrong with almost any reel you're spending $150 or more on. Depends largely on preference. 

[rippin-lips]

5 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Anything lews.imho they make the best reels for the money today.

Here’s how much care they put into packaging their parts. As an added bonus they come pre greased. These were sent directly from Lews as pictured to a reel tech I know. 

[rippin-lips]

Look closely at those parts. 

 

To the OP - for $300 you have too many options to list. You can buy new or you can buy used in great condition. For example you can grab a Megabass IS71 Hyper Lariat for $300 used, or you can buy a Steez SV103 for $300. Shimano offers multiple new and used options as well. 

[burrows]

Chronarch mgl 

[Stingray23]

Daiwa SV103

Daiwa Steez SV

Shimano Met '13

Shimano Met MGL

 

 

[Djohn]

A different option - Pflueger Patriarch. Best baitcaster i've ever used.

[Angry John]

1 hour ago, Stingray23 said:

Daiwa SV103

Daiwa Steez SV

Shimano Met '13

Shimano Met MGL

 

 

Depending on what you want the door is wide open.  This is a solid list that i would consider adding a core to.  I dont fish them because i am a daiwa guy but there solid and nice...

[WRB]

1 hour ago, Djohn said:

A different option - Pflueger Patriarch. Best baitcaster i've ever used.

Who manufactures it?

Tom

There are a lot of good sales going on at TW with both Daiwa and Shimano bait casting reels within this price point. I see no reason to spend that much money for a reel using the rod the OP has, as I said before. Daiwa Tactula R or CT are excellent reels for a lot less money, the OP could use to upgrade his rod with.

Tom

[Jaderose]

You use a frog rod for your basic fishing needs?  Good Lord.....as much as I love my Tat Frog Rod, I can't imagine using it for much more than that.  It's like fishing a broom handle.  I doubt it would even load up with anything under 1/2 oz or so.

[new2BC4bass]

2 hours ago, Djohn said:

A different option - Pflueger Patriarch. Best baitcaster i've ever used.

Never used a Patriarch, but have a couple of the older blue Patriarch XTs.  I don't know or care who makes them.  They are excellent reels.  I have the brakes set at the lowest on mine of any reel I own.  (Haven't used the 2nd one yet.)  The only reel I can set to zero is a Daiwa with the Magforce 3D, and I know they still have some braking because there is no way I can cast a reel with zero brakes.

 

OP, you have an awful lot of options....especially if willing to buy used.  However, no way can I tell you which is the best.  I bought a new SV103 and a used Exsence DC on the low end of that range.  A used Steez is also possible to find.  Normally I won't pay that much for a reel, but the few times I have I haven't regretted it.  I doubt you will either.

 

I've read that the Tournament ZX rods are very good for the money, but agree with the above poster....I wouldn't think of a Frog rod as an all around rod.  At least not the rod I bought for frogs.  Way too much power for how I usually fish.  Probably couldn't launch half the baits in my tackle boxes.

[Stalking bass]

6 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Look closely at those parts. 

 

To the OP - for $300 you have too many options to list. You can buy new or you can buy used in great condition. For example you can grab a Megabass IS71 Hyper Lariat for $300 used, or you can buy a Steez SV103 for $300. Shimano offers multiple new and used options as well. 

Thank you for posting those pics. I was a little on the fence about new reel choices also. I had heard rumors about parts used.

[rippin-lips]

26 minutes ago, Stalking bass said:

Thank you for posting those pics. I was a little on the fence about new reel choices also. I had heard rumors about parts used.

No problem. Lews is produced by Doyo out of Korea. I have not personally had any trouble with their reels in the past. I used to use some of them before I went down the rabbit hole of Jdm gear. To me though that’s unacceptable quality. The majority of those parts have chunks out of them. 

[tcbass]

8 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Look closely at those parts. 

 

To the OP - for $300 you have too many options to list. You can buy new or you can buy used in great condition. For example you can grab a Megabass IS71 Hyper Lariat for $300 used, or you can buy a Steez SV103 for $300. Shimano offers multiple new and used options as well. 

 

What is the reason for the pic.....that the parts are bad?

[WRB]

11 new replacements parts to repair reels and 4 appear un damaged 7 have varing degrees of anomaly or damaged elements so zero quality control or no pre visual inspection for pass/fail, just ship them. If one part is so poorly inspected how could the reel with the sum of parts be any different. When the consumer becomes the inspector you fail.

Tom

[fvogel67]

My Lews Laser Pro was made in China

It was junk.

[Catt]

On 11/10/2017 at 9:51 PM, tcbass said:

Looking for a reel for a 7’1” all around rod. I use a Cabelas Tournament ZX Frog Rod for all of my fishing, and looking to match it up to a reel that when on sale is in the $200-$300 range. 

 

 

What baitcasting reel would this be?

 

TZXC-73H: 7' 3" Heavy Fast 1/4-1 1/4 oz

 

Ya could flip, pitch, punch, drag a Carolina rig, & throw frogs!

 

Pretty dang versatile!

 

I always suggest to my students invest a quality reels first.

 

Why?

 

A quality reel should last a lifetime while a quality rod could break tomorrow!

 

Which reel?

 

Totally & completely personal preference!

 

Know a couple guys who tournament fish year round with Lew's Team Lite Speed Spool exclusively with zero problems. Know another guy who uses Academy H2O products only, kicks bass on a regular basis!

[Yudo1]

I prefer Shimano/Daiwa, but my first bait casters were lews, abu and bps. They make some really fine reels and have a loyal following, but after I bought my first shimano (curado 51e) I sold everything and bought a scorpion xt, exsence dc, met, tdz, steez etc.  Shimano/daiwa just have that IT feeling that to me was lacking in the other brands. They didn't necessarily cast any further, but they felt better casting and retrieving. You can feel the subtle differences in quality. In that price range you have too many good options to list. Some of the stand outs for an all-around reel are the metanium mgl, chronarch mgl, scorpion dc, sv 103 and zillion sv tw. If you are open to buying used you could get some truly special reels. About 75% of my reels were used. I've been fortunate to buy from good honest guys here and at other forums.  Just my 2 cents.

[WRB]

The OP never said what reel he is currently using and wants to replace or the reasons why he is unhappy with his reel, nearly impossible to make specific suggestions based on price range only.

When you don't know who manufacturers the reel with a store brand or name plate only it becomes a disposable item with no resale value in a few years and waste of money with no warranty or parts support. Who made the OP's Cabela's rod?

Tom

 

[tcbass]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

The OP never said what reel he is currently using and wants to replace or the reasons why he is unhappy with his reel, nearly impossible to make specific suggestions based on price range only.

When you don't know who manufacturers the reel with a store brand or name plate only it becomes a disposable item with no resale value in a few years and waste of money with no warranty or parts support. Who made the OP's Cabela's rod?

Tom

 

 

I have a Plueger Patriach and Quantum Smoke reel that I can't get to cast far. I think the Patriach is circa 2009 and the Smoke is a few years newer.

 

I have 2 Abu Revo Rockets that I do like a lot and they cast far.

[WRB]

Send the Q- Smoke to DVT for service and bearing upgrades to tune up the reel for about $50.

Tom

[Catt]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

The OP never said what reel he is currently using and wants to replace or the reasons why he is unhappy with his reel, nearly impossible to make specific suggestions based on price range only.

When you don't know who manufacturers the reel with a store brand or name plate only it becomes a disposable item with no resale value in a few years and waste of money with no warranty or parts support. Who made the OP's Cabela's rod?

Tom

 

Tom, Tom, Tom

 

Ya ever been in an Academy? 

Ya ever hold an H2O reel?

Ya ever fish one?

 

My first impression of H2O XPRESS TAC-40 was it's an early model Curado!

 

At 99.99 I'll put it up against any Shimano, Daiwa, Lew, or Garcia at that price point.

 

Warranty! Ya don't like it they replace it!

 

Who made Cabela's rod, who cares the OP is happy with it. 

 

Black is H2O  ?