What's your favorite line of reels?

[Mobasser]

I had great luck with older round ABU reels for years. Now I'm with Lews and Shimano.

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

I think it's hard to know what someone else's opinion about a reel or rod actually adds up to. My brother eats black olives from a jar. I get queasy just looking at them. You could choose to believe either him or me, but you'll never know until you try them for yourself.

 

Then there're over the top proclamations. For instance, I've read here on these pages that the new Metanium blows the Chronarch MGL away. Does it, or is that statement hyperbolic? Is it actually true, or is it only true to the person who wrote it? What about polar opposite opinions stated as fact about a particular reel's performance? That has happened too.

 

It's also obvious that one negative experience with a maker's product can color the opinion of some people for eternity. Lew's makes multiple platforms that are quite different in use, but the guy that had a bad time with a $59 plastic Lew's reel may be convinced they're all trash, and say so over and over again. It's not valid pegging Lew's or any other maker's reels like that, but it happens often enough. Some makers have a few cherries in their lineups, but they're not cherries to everyone.

 

In theory, a person that has the means to buy a ton of reels across maker's lines, and then fish them all extensively, might be the person to listen to more closely. But that's not really true either. I've trained lots of people over the years. They're all different, even with the same body type. The "why" behind one 6' 175 pound man's straight punch being more powerful than another man's with a comparable build comes down to several innate factors. The point is that people have quite different casting mechanics which will influence their preference in both reels and rods. If you purchase a product and use it long enough to form a solid opinion, it's just that, your opinion.  Some will agree loudly, and others may disagree. One man's upgrade is another's downgrade. It keeps the classified section humming though.

So much truth in this post.  One man's T-Bone is another man's hamburger.  Too many times I've seen a poster buy one reel (or rod) and have a problem with it.  They can't wait to proclaim to the rest of the world what a piece of junk it is.  Bull.  Crap happens.  No manufacturer puts out 100% perfect products.  Sometimes it's the owner's own fault, but they won't own their mistake.

 

I own 10 brands of casting reels and an 11th brand spinning reel.  I happen to prefer Daiwa for both.  One new Daiwa wanted to backlash, one new one the cast control didn't work correctly out-of-box, but was a simple fix.  One used one had missing washers.  One was purchased new knowing it was a blem.  All but the last are currently in rotation.  I still prefer Daiwa.

[ike8120]

I have had very good luck with Kastking reels.

[redmeansdistortion]

I love the Daiwa Alphas line of reels, seems to fill nearly every niche of my fishing needs from trout and panfish to bass and walleye.  

[Kdizzle]

Quantum Smoke S3's, Pfluegers Supreme line, and the Revo X models from Abu are my favorites.

[new2BC4bass]

55 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

I love the Daiwa Alphas line of reels, seems to fill nearly every niche of my fishing needs from trout and panfish to bass and walleye.  

  Think I have around 8-9 of this series.  Pixy = nice.  Love my TD-Z 105s as well.

[GRiver]

1 hour ago, ike8120 said:

I have had very good luck with Kastking reels.

I’ve been looking at those line of reels......

I’ve always been very satisfied with Bass Pro , I know they are made by other vendors but who ever they are I’ve got some really good reels from them. I’m not real loyal to any brand I just picked up 2 pflueger  spinning reels at a yard sale and really like them too. 

[The Maestro]

The Core Solid Shimanos (Metanium and Bantam) are the first reels that really felt like a big leap in technology in a long time, at least to me.

[FishTank]

If you look at a line of reels that has spanned years....  The Shimano Curado hands down.  I own or have owned reels from pretty much each major manufacture and the Curado line up has out lasted them all.   There are better reels but each rendition has its own special feel to it.   

 

I would also throw the Calcutta and Stradic in the same category.   

[Columbia Craw]

Die-A-Wuh

[Revival]

Tatulas and Stradics.

[Fishingmickey]

16 hours ago, The Maestro said:

The Core Solid Shimanos (Metanium and Bantam) are the first reels that really felt like a big leap in technology in a long time, at least to me.

X2!

[Buffdaddy54]

Daiwa.

Fuego CT

Tatula Type R

Fuego SV

Bg Spinning

 

[Sam]

Shimano and Lew's.

[NYWayfarer]

Lew’s. I feel you get a lot of bang for your buck with this brand. My favorites in the line are,

 

Baitcasters:

 

Pro TI

Tournament MB

LFS Inshore

LFS

 

Spinning:

 

Custom Pro

Speed Spin

 

[soflabasser]

My favorite reels are Penn and Shimano.

[Skunkmaster-k]

The h2o express angler series 

[TnRiver46]

On 4/19/2021 at 2:33 PM, Mobasser said:

I had great luck with older round ABU reels for years. Now I'm with Lews and Shimano.

I still use the round ABUs 

[MidwestBassAttack]

Shimano for me.......although that Lews Hypermag is tempting me

[Bass90]

Shimano everything

[dodgeguy]

10 hours ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

Shimano for me.......although that Lews Hypermag is tempting me

Get the custom lite

[MAN]

12 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

The h2o express angler series 

How have those held up for you? 

[Skunkmaster-k]

3 hours ago, MAN said:

How have those held up for you? 

I was joking, I only had one and it was not good. Sorry if I misled anyone , I was drunk when I wrote that . Jk

[FryDog62]

I'm all baitcasting now...

 

Anything I would potentially skip has a Daiwa SV spool 

Everything else is becoming a Tatula Elite which casts unbelievably faaaaarrrrr....

(Exception - I have one BFS reel for throwing 1/16th oz hair jigs - Daiwa Air TW)

 

I had Lew's for years but they just didn't hold up over time. Loved my Curado 70, extremely palmable reel, but just didn't throw the lighter lures or skip very well compared to an SV.  

[WRB]

1950’s it was Langley

1960-1990 Abu Ambassadors & Shimano 

1990-current, Daiwa & Shimano

Tom