What is your all time sleeper baitcaster?

[FrogInTheWell]

What is the baitcaster you have or had that most surprised you with performance and durability for the price?

[Jar11591]

Pflueger President XT casting reel. Thing is amazing for an $90 reel. 

[Mike L]

1st gen BPS Pro Qualifier

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[T-Billy]

5 minutes ago, Mike L said:

1st gen BPS Pro Qualifier

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Is that the round reel that looks like a Shimano Calcutta Mike? I have three of those and they're super smooth and cast a country mile. I haven't used 'em for a few years, the thumb bars started sticking, but I think I'm gonna send 'em to DVT this coming winter for rehab. 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Pinnacle Deadbolt Classic baitcaster

 

[Jrob78]

I don't know if this really counts as a sleeper but I bought 2 of the OG Fuegos for $120 or whatever they were when TW closed them out. They were and still are amazing reels.

[Cbump]

OG Fuegos for me as well. Was really surprised by them. 

[Mike L]

19 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Is that the round reel that looks like a Shimano Calcutta Mike? I have three of those and they're super smooth and cast a country mile. I haven't used 'em for a few years, the thumb bars started sticking, but I think I'm gonna send 'em to DVT this coming winter for rehab. 

No

From what I understand Its the first low profile bc model that they put their name on. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Bird]

Shimano SLX 

[Darth-Baiter]

AbuGarcia RevoX or something.  my buddy hated it and gave it to me.  I tinkered with the settings and kept it thinking it would hold me over until I can upgrade to something that rhymes "Zhimanoh" later.  here I am 3 years later and that thing still flings them out there smoothly.  

[A-Jay]

May be a bit of a surprise ~

The Quantum EXO PT made its debut in retail locations late in the Fall of 2011.

I started my collection a year or two later which includes 100 & 200 sizes.

Some of these were scored for a song on E-Bay. 

Stock handles were 'EVA Foam'.

Didn't care for it.

Went with all new HawgTechs

Better. 

All 9 are still making it happen for me. 

A-Jay

[webertime]

OG Fuego and Citica Es

[bulldog1935]

Super Duty G

 

 

can't explain why this reel can cast 1/8 oz jigheads as far as it does

@Big Rick ok, it has KTF spool bearings, but there are no spool options made for this reel. 

[Big Rick]

18 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Super Duty G

 

No reel is a sleeper after you get done tricking it out. 

 

Just sayin'....

[PourMyOwn]

39 minutes ago, webertime said:

OG Fuego and Citica Es

I took a Citica E on a trade, not being much of a Shimano guy. I was blown away by how it performed, and even more so when I found out what the cost was new. 

[Deleted account]

Pinnacle Matrix II, and it's many Silstar Korean clones. Still fishing them today.

[Jrob78]

Yeah Citica E is a great one I'd forgotten all about.

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, Jrob78 said:

I don't know if this really counts as a sleeper but I bought 2 of the OG Fuegos for $120 or whatever they were when TW closed them out. They were and still are amazing reels.

$144 and change.  At least that is what I paid on closeout.  However, not a sleeper reel for me as I had read tackletour's review of it a time or two.

 

Can't speak for durability as none of my reels get fished hard, but the older Pflueger Trion is a surprising caster once I went to heavier line and mounted it on a HF rod.  I didn't know what to expect from the Pinnacle Primmus HS Xi, but I love that reel.  The Cabela's Prodigy (older gray one) has also proved to be quite good.

[Jrob78]

5 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

$144 and change.  At least that is what I paid on closeout.  However, not a sleeper reel for me as I had read tackletour's review of it a time or two.

That sounds right on the price. I agree that it wasn't a sleeper for me either but it seemed like at the time the Fuego and Sol didn't get the love from the general public that they deserved. I could be misremembering too.

[Bankbeater]

1 hour ago, Bird said:

Shimano SLX 

I got my SLX last year and about 3 weeks after I bought it I foul hooked a grass carp.  I figured the SLX would be toast after that, but it stayed as smooth as ever.

[Deleted account]

29 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

The Cabela's Prodigy (older gray one) has also proved to be quite good.

That's essentially a Daiwa Advantage, my current frog and inshore salt reel. The look I got last week when I cut off a pad crasher, tied on a 7/0 hook and sent down a livelined 8" bait, Striped bass for dinner.

 

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

No

From what I understand Its the first low profile bc model that they put their name on. 

 

Mike

Yup, they came out with 3 or 4 models their first year, Made by Silstar.

[NavyToad]

Abu 4601c4. With no fancy breaking system they HAVE to be a backlash nightmare right? I have 2 that are over 20 years old and I’m still amazed at how well they work.

[volzfan59]

Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier, first generation. I've since upgraded to BPS Platinum reels. Still have three of my PQ's, if needed.

[new2BC4bass]

37 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

That sounds right on the price. I agree that it wasn't a sleeper for me either but it seemed like at the time the Fuego and Sol didn't get the love from the general public that they deserved. I could be misremembering too.

And still underrated by many.  Liked the first one well enough to buy a second before TW ran out of them.  Few years later I picked up a third one in excellent condition.

18 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

That's essentially a Daiwa Advantage, my current frog and inshore salt reel. The look I got last week when I cut off a pad crasher, tied on a 7/0 hook and sent down a livelined 8" bait, Striped bass for dinner.

Yup.  Sent it out for cleaning at the end of the first year I had it.  Guy that did the work on it was impressed enough to buy a couple to keep for non-fishing friends to use when they went out with him.

[Team9nine]

For me, the original Shimano Bantam Castaic, CA-200…that thumb bar/flipping switch (“INSTAGAGE”) was the greatest. Down to my last one.