Best baitcasting reel under 180$

[Brandon Elliott]

Needs some reel help curado k, revo sx, tatulla ct type r,or lews super duty g speed spool or any other reels you guys swear by max 180 dollars going on a 7'2 medheavy fast action rod all purpose 

[Tywithay]

My vote is the Gen3 Revo Premier. It's actually a  $300 reel and performs great. You can buy them on ebay for $160 all day long. 

[Boomstick]

I like the Tatula SV if I plan on throwing anything 3/8oz or less. The SV spool adds braking which is particularly effective with lighter lures.

 

That said, the Curado K is a smoother reel. Another one that is worth checking out is the Pflueger Supreme XT. While not as popular, it's as light as the Curado 70 but holds line like a Curado K and overall is a very similar reel at a slightly lower price point and just as smooth.

 

 

 

[optimator]

Curado K

[LonnieP]

Tatula SV 

[evilcatfish]

Tatula SV and Fuego both provide a lot of bang for your buck

[illinifan4152]

Curado k. Curado 70 is a real nice reel in this class too 

[Beetlebz]

I just picked up a tatula SV. So far it's been absolutely bombing lures and it's accurate as a sniper rifle. I'm told the regular tatula casts heavy lures better, I can't imagine how good it slings cranks. 

 

Happy so far

[Brandon Elliott]

The tatula sv doesn't seem to be able to take that much line comparatively any of you guys having issues with that 

[CroakHunter]

19 minutes ago, Brandon Elliott said:

The tatula sv doesn't seem to be able to take that much line comparatively any of you guys having issues with that 

It's not made to hold a lot of line. Only 100 yards of 14lb test. 

[Tywithay]

14 minutes ago, Brandon Elliott said:

The tatula sv doesn't seem to be able to take that much line comparatively any of you guys having issues with that 

It holds 100 yards of 14lb line. You're not going to cast any typical bass lure even close to that far. It's a non-issue.

[BrackishBassin]

2 hours ago, Tywithay said:

It holds 100 yards of 14lb line. You're not going to cast any typical bass lure even close to that far. It's a non-issue.

For me, it can frustrating because it means I need to spool it more often. I don’t have that reel, but I can see where less line could make people uncomfortable. 

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, Brandon Elliott said:

The tatula sv doesn't seem to be able to take that much line comparatively any of you guys having issues with that 

I have used as high as 17lb line on mine, which gives me probably 85-90 yards and that's not only adequate, but it's ideal so I don't waste line. I have ran it visibly low, but never spooled it.

 

This way I get two fresh spools from a 200 yard spool of 15 or 17lb line.

[Brandon Elliott]

So between the tatula sv and the lews bb1 pro everyone seems set on the tatula 

[Tywithay]

2 hours ago, Brandon Elliott said:

So between the tatula sv and the lews bb1 pro everyone seems set on the tatula 

I liked the previous BB1 Pro a lot. It had the carbon handle and casted a mile. The newer one almost seems like a downgrade, for the same cost, in my opinion.

[Riazuli]

Curado K for longer, smoother casts or Tatula SV for less backlash.  I think the Curado K feels more natural on the cast, where the Tatula SV has a magnetic like feel due to magnetic braking. 

[Tywithay]

46 minutes ago, Riazuli said:

Curado K for longer, smoother casts or Tatula SV for less backlash.  I think the Curado K feels more natural on the cast, where the Tatula SV has a magnetic like feel due to magnetic braking. 

Daiwa's magforce Z is actually more of a centrifugal system than it is a magnetic system. The magnets only slow the spool when it is spinning at full speed, much like the brake blocks on centrifugal reels. Unlike stationary magnetic systems, there is zero effect on the spool as it slows down.

[Riazuli]

12 hours ago, Tywithay said:

Daiwa's magforce Z is actually more of a centrifugal system than it is a magnetic system. The magnets only slow the spool when it is spinning at full speed, much like the brake blocks on centrifugal reels. Unlike stationary magnetic systems, there is zero effect on the spool as it slows down.

Initially, you can't tell, but once the sv spool slows down and the magnetic brakes kick in, that magnetic feel is there for me.  I'm not adverse to it, just prefer straight centrifugal brakes at least in terms of casting feel. 

[Beetlebz]

I've spent the last few days fishing the knobs off my tatula SV which is new to me. The other reel I've had in my lap the whole time has SVS brakes. It's a pretty stark contrast, the difference between the SVS brakes and the magforce brakes. It still kinda surprised me that it feels so mushy yet still bombs lures just as far.

 

The one thing I have to say is the convenience factor is big, bigger than I thought it would be. I change lures, measure it in my mind and decide that I need to go up, let's say two clicks. I turn the brakes up two clicks... if I'm wrong and it needed 3, I might have a couple loose wraps on the spool. With the SVS brakes you gotta be Johnny on the spot with your thumb if you're wrong. It's quite a bit less forgiving. With that being said, I don't have any major issues with either one, just that one is quicker and easier to adjust and more forgiving. 

[DomQ]

20 hours ago, Riazuli said:

Initially, you can't tell, but once the sv spool slows down and the magnetic brakes kick in, that magnetic feel is there for me.  I'm not adverse to it, just prefer straight centrifugal brakes at least in terms of casting feel. 

I agree with this

 

[Dtrombly]

Tatula SV is a great reel. Especially when you can get them for way less than retail on eBay. I got mine new for $129 shipped. 

[Riazuli]

On 5/1/2018 at 12:33 AM, Tywithay said:

Daiwa's magforce Z is actually more of a centrifugal system than it is a magnetic system. The magnets only slow the spool when it is spinning at full speed, much like the brake blocks on centrifugal reels. Unlike stationary magnetic systems, there is zero effect on the spool as it slows down.

I'm pretty sure the sv braking system does the opposite of what you said, where the induct rotor pulls away from a fast spinning spool, leaving little to no braking, and as the spool slows, the rotor gets closer to the magnetic field and slows the spool.  If there were no magnetic braking as the spool slowed, you'd backlash easier.  Don't get me wrong, I love my tatula sv, and it's simply a different reel from the Curado K.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages for me. 

[Tywithay]

7 minutes ago, Riazuli said:

I'm pretty sure the sv braking system does the opposite of what you said, where the induct rotor pulls away from a fast spinning spool, leaving little to no braking, and as the spool slows, the rotor gets closer to the magnetic field and slows the spool.  If there were no magnetic braking as the spool slowed, you'd backlash easier.  Don't get me wrong, I love my tatula sv, and it's simply a different reel from the Curado K.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages for me. 

The SV system is very similar to MagZ, except it has (for lack of a better term) a governor, or limiter, on the inductor. The MagZ inductor only works when the spool is at the highest speed. The SV inductor will pop out when the spool exceeds a certain speed, then it slowly works back from the magnets. That's what keeps it from backlashing. The only difference between it and MagZ is that it offers that bit of braking on the back end of a cast when the spool is slowing and the inductor is sliding back into place. 

[Wurming67]

On 4/30/2018 at 2:19 PM, CroakHunter said:

It's not made to hold a lot of line. Only 100 yards of 14lb test. 

It would be great if more reel companies made reel spools to hold less line for bass reels.

[CroakHunter]

2 hours ago, Wurming67 said:

It would be great if more reel companies made reel spools to hold less line for bass reels.

I think so, but I remedy that by putting mono backing on all my reels except for my shallow spooled ones