Reels

[redmeansdistortion]

I love my Swedish made Ambassadeurs.  I know there are better reels out there, but I love their timeless looks and the ability to get replacement parts for some that are long out of production.

[Columbia Craw]

Welcome Wyatt !!  It's awesome to see someone in your age bracket get into the sport.  You don't have to go broke to find good performing reels that will allow you to fish with confidence. You may want to consider buying pre owned reels.  You can find some excellent upper tier reels at huge savings that way.  When you stay in the 60 to 100 dollar range there are several models that would fit the bill.  I currently own reels by Diawa, Lews and Shimano.  I used to fish a lot of Abu, Pflueger, Okuma and Quantum and never had a gripe.  If you are learning and developing your casting skills, I would steer you toward Diawa because of the cast control system.  Simple, easy to set and forgiving to those learning the ropes.

[new2BC4bass]

  Good to see youngsters interested in the sport.  As you can see everyone has there own ideas as to what is best.  I would second the idea of buying used.  Closeouts and clearance sales are also a great way to get a quality reel at a decent price.  I wouldn't worry too much about brand names at your age.  Your preferences are bound to change as you get older and more financially able to spend more.  Just do your homework before buying.

 

Personally I like trying different reels.  Majority are Daiwas, but I enjoy many other brands as well.  Shimanos have a reputation for reliability.  I don't want junk, but I wouldn't care if I had to replace a part or two in a reel at some point down the road if I liked the reel.

[RB 77]

IMO, there is Shimano and Daiwa and then everything else. I currently own all Shimanos, but have fished almost all the other big brands Quantum, Abu, Lews, etc and feel Daiwa is the only other reel on the same level as Shimano. I sure the Megabass reels are incredible, but they are probably not on most peoples radar. I know the old Swedish Abu are tanks as well, but in regards to modern day baitcasters and spinners, I feel Shimano and Daiwa are the leaders of the pack.

[Jrob78]

1 hour ago, RB 77 said:

IMO, there is Shiamano and Daiwa and then everything else. I currentley own all Shimanos, but have fished almost all the other big brands Quantum, Abu, Lews, etc and feel Daiwa is the only other reel on the same level as Shimano. I sure the Megabass reels are incredible, but they are probably not on most peoples radar. I know the old Swedish Abu are tanks as well, but in regards to modern day low pro baitcasters and spinners, I feel Shimano and Daiwa are the leaders of the pack.

Megabass reels are souped up Daiwas.

[brophog]

On 2/15/2019 at 9:09 PM, Wyatt Richardson said:

Everyone says quantum is bad is it as bad as everyone says?

 

Replacing the bearings is often required, but they’ve put out some real workhorses that can really take a beating.

 

They’ve also put out stuff that the local five and dime would be ashamed of. That’s where Quantum’s reputation suffers is in the vast range of reels they sell. If you stick to their quality offerings, they’re good value for the money. They don’t put out much one would consider enthusiast level, so some websites tend to dismiss, but for the weekend angler that just wants to catch fish, they make some good reels.

 

That said, Daiwa and Shimano are really attacking the price points that companies like Quantum or Pflueger excel.

[Oregon Native]

20 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 As mention a few time previously in this thread, as to whatever type, brand, and price point of tackle one has & fishes: while I believe quality gear is important and enjoy using decent gear - there are a ton of companies these days that make very effective & fishable gear that does NOT cost a ton.  Most all of the Mid-line price point stuff is really good.  Some brands are better than others but  seems very few are really bad.  

  Either way, they are tools and bassheads who have put the time in to develop 'skills' will catch and guys who don't (and depend on spending a ton of $$$ to make up for it) - not so much. 

 That said, I just finished cleaning these up and am looking forward to putting them through their paces.

(spinning reels not shown) 

Just as soon as there's some open water.

A-Jay

Oh...no....all the handles on the wrong side!!!

 

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, Oregon Native said:

Oh...no....all the handles on the wrong side!!!

 

Just flip them over  . . . . .

?

A-Jay