New crankbait reel

[Armando Arbella]

I’m looking for a new reel for square bill and small/medium diving crankbaits like 3xds. I currently have a lews bb1 pro but was looking into switching things up. I am a big shimano fan and was looking into a new metanium. Any recommendations I’m not worried about the price as long as it will hold up for awhile.

[jbsoonerfan]

Get the new Met, you will 100% love it!!!

[jimmyjoe]

   If you're looking for something that will " hold up for awhile", get a pickup or minivan rather than a sports car. For every reduction in weight and increase in refinement, you pay in other areas. Lew's and Shimano both have lots of reels that will work very well for the task you've described.

   On the other hand, if you really want a Metanium, it's your money, and you don't have to make any excuses to anyone. Nor do you need to feel "guilty" for getting a top-of-the-line reel. They're great reels.

   Whichever way you decide to go, I wish you good luck!     jj

 

 

P.S. - if I were to limit myself to lures that were 1/2 oz. maximum, I'd strongly consider the new Curado 70 MGL K HG.  But that's just me.  

[NJ_Snappy_Bois]

I picked up a JDM Bantam MGL in the 6 gear ratio for pretty much the same purpose. It's my second Bantam though so I went with it because I love the way the reel feels in hand more than anything else. The JDM line also has a 5 gear ratio but I would only go that low for a deep diver setup.

[Maico1]

Since you like Shimano and want something to last this would certainly fill the bill. Got this setup for last season throwing mainly 1.5 DRS and S Crank 1.2.

[url=https://postimg.cc/1Vp2KfzS][img]https://i.postimg.cc/1Vp2KfzS/09-E663-FE-08-D2-4210-A178-E0-A20-B0924-FE.jpg[/img][/url]

[Maico1]

9 minutes ago, Maico1 said:

 

 

[Maico1]

38 minutes ago, Maico1 said:

Took a bit to get the photo to load.....Conquest 100 DC HG

[Bankc]

A long lasting reel is more about how well you take care of it than how well it's made.  Bass fishing doesn't put a whole lot of stress on them, assuming you keep up with the maintenance.  Your best bet for longevity is to buy a popular model.  That way parts will always be available, should you ever need them.  Obviously, you'll want something that's well made to begin with, but most reels around $100 with a metal frame should last 50 years if you treat them right.  

 

I'd probably avoid the DC reels if you're worried about longevity.  I know those DC reels seem to hold up pretty well in the near term, but my experience with electronics (and especially electronics and water) tells me 30 years of service is asking a lot.  That, and parts might be harder to find in the future, as electronics tend to go through a lot of revisions as time passes.  

[Emiliano]

Not a DC fan either, I sold my Curado DC after using it for a while. I don't like the sound and I'm an "old school" guy, I don't want electronic control. I bought it just to try something new, I found It is easy to skip cast with DC, it is a really fun reel for that,  but I don't think it helps to cast further than MGL ones, that's just my experience.

So I switched to another Chronarch.

 

There's nothing wrong or right, everyone is different and fortunately we have a lot of tools that can match our needs, styles, preferences and budget as well.

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

20 hours ago, Bankc said:

Obviously, you'll want something that's well made to begin with, but most reels around $100 with a metal frame should last 50 years if you treat them right.  

Its not the frame that has issues its the internal parts that see wear that need to be replaced.  There are exceptions, but once the parts aren't being manufactured anymore the price increases.  If your spending 80$ on parts to fix a 100$ reel your probably better off buying a new reel. 

[TBAG]

I've got three different crankbait setups. Two have Curado K's, and one has a Chronarch MGL for smaller squarebills. I'm happy with all!

[J Francho]

I've always gone a little higher end on crankers because I want SMOOTH and QUIET.  In the past, that has been Daiwa Alphas style reels, right now they are a couple Chronarch E and a hand tuned Pimmus.  For square bills, I buck the trend and use a bit higher gear ratio than other lipped baits.

[roadwarrior]

On 1/2/2021 at 2:20 PM, Armando Arbella said:

I am a big shimano fan and was looking into a new metanium. Any recommendations I’m not worried about the price as long as it will hold up for awhile.

 

If properly maintained the reel will last a lifetime.

 

[new2BC4bass]

9 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I've always gone a little higher end on crankers because I want SMOOTH and QUIET.  In the past, that has been Daiwa Alphas style reels, right now they are a couple Chronarch E and a hand tuned Pimmus.  For square bills, I buck the trend and use a bit higher gear ratio than other lipped baits.

  I love both reels.

[Bankc]

4 hours ago, Rusty_Shackleford said:

Its not the frame that has issues its the internal parts that see wear that need to be replaced.  There are exceptions, but once the parts aren't being manufactured anymore the price increases.  If your spending 80$ on parts to fix a 100$ reel your probably better off buying a new reel. 

Agreed.  But a sturdy frame will keep the body from flexing and keep the gears and stuff from coming out of alignment, which would increase their wear.  Plus, it's usually a sign that the reel was designed with durability in mind.  Not always, though.  

 

And yeah, spending $80 on parts to fix a $100 reel makes no sense.  Though usually, a well made reel that's been taken care of will be old enough by the time it needs obsolete parts that finding a donor body won't be cost prohibitive.   

[Fishes in trees]

My Calcutta round reels ( I have 8 of them ) are all around 20 years old now, more or less.   I think that they work good for throwing reaction baits.   I used to use them for everything, but as I got older I've decided that I like lighter weight reels for throwing worm and pitching soft plastics to objects.  I don't think that you can go wrong using a Calcutta for throwing cranks.

[Crankin4Bass]

Calcutta 200d will last forever. Super smooth and very comfortable with the smaller palming side. 

 

[FishTank]

For big cranks and small swimbaits I use a Shimano Calcutta 251, for square bills and medium divers I have a Antares 12, deep divers I use a Abu Garcia Winch, and for lipless cranks a Quantum Vapor.