What makes a person…

[Cbump]

I asked this in a thread once and don’t believe anyone answered. I’m genuinely curious though. 
 

When you can get great budget reels from known companies (Revo X/Black Max/Silver Max, Fuego/CC80, SLX, Lews LFS) all of which can be had for under $100 especially gently used, what makes a person purchase reels like piscifun? 

[MN Fisher]

[Lmbasshunter]

14 minutes ago, Cbump said:

I asked this in a thread once and don’t believe anyone answered. I’m genuinely curious though. 
 

When you can get great budget reels from known companies (Revo X/Black Max/Silver Max, Fuego/CC80, SLX, Lews LFS) all of which can be had for under $100 especially gently used, what makes a person purchase reels like piscifun? 

I’ve been impressed with the black max for $49. I broke my cranking reel and needed a reel fast so hit walmart and they had a bunch. I haven’t even replaced it with something better. Granted I only crank early in the season for maybe two months due to the excessive weed growth around here it’s held up well with 12lb mono. I’ll use it until it dies 

[Hulkster]

not sure but I've always wanted to try the Shishamo Tramps reel

[Tatulatard]

50 minutes ago, Cbump said:

I asked this in a thread once and don’t believe anyone answered. I’m genuinely curious though. 
 

When you can get great budget reels from known companies (Revo X/Black Max/Silver Max, Fuego/CC80, SLX, Lews LFS) all of which can be had for under $100 especially gently used, what makes a person purchase reels like piscifun? 

I wonder this myself.  I actually bought a few to check out and read yt comments from people that have the reels.  It seems like there is some sentiment that they are savvy buyers cheating the system by buying a reel like a piscifun or others. 

 

Comments like "you upgrade the bearings on the alloy m and you have a $300 reel" stand out to me.  They also fall for the light weight of the reels not realizing or caring that something like the carbon XCS weighs 5.5 ounces because its plastic, with an aluminum main gear and a cheap carbon fiber handle with EVA knobs.  They look at paper numbers like weight, drag, bearing count and then use that as their justification to purchase the reel.  

 

I have a few of these piscifun reels along with a johncoo reel and a few cheap rods to experience what budget offerings are like and to use night fishing out of a kayak. The piscifun carbon XCS is ok if you want a little finesse reel. It casts light weight baits down to 1/8 oz pretty well for $59 but is plasticy and you lose winding power once the rod is loaded with a fish and that frame starts to flex.  That winding power loss is actually how you perceive frame flex rather than feeling the frame move in your hand.  The alloy m is also ok for a standard aluminum frame bass reel but has weak magnets and can only distance cast and it has to do that at higher brake settings than I would like.  Skipping is basically impossible for me.  It's like trying to skip with a shimano.  Fine if you are just going to stand on the bank and hurl baits to the middle of the lake.  The johncoo ares has been real impressive.  It's 300 size aluminum frame and dual aluminum side plate reel with a double supported pinion for $66 showing that it pays to venture out of your comfort zone and try new things.  I wish there was a 100 size.  I want a cheap moving bait budget rig.  I have the rod and line but looking for a non-plastic $50-$60 reel is slim pickings.  I'll just repurpose one of my fuego cts.  

[optimator]

45 minutes ago, Cbump said:

I asked this in a thread once and don’t believe anyone answered. I’m genuinely curious though. 
 

When you can get great budget reels from known companies (Revo X/Black Max/Silver Max, Fuego/CC80, SLX, Lews LFS) all of which can be had for under $100 especially gently used, what makes a person purchase reels like piscifun? 

I honestly have no idea. Unless due to their budget they absolutely have to. But even back when I had to do that I learned pretty quickly that buying cheap usually ends up being more expensive in the long run when you have to prematurely replace it. 

[Kirtley Howe]

I have one no-name reel that I paid around $18.00 for. I bought it for use on one technique. I don't use it often but it serves its' purpose. It works fine. Will it hold up in the long run? I doubt it, but being used the way I use it it works fine, and should last a few years. It is a very cheap way to learn a new technique. When the reel eventually dies, I will most likely replace it with a better quality one, but for now I am happy with it.

[GreenPig]

Depends on your Monkey's genetics.

I've been told Chevrolet drivers go Shimano, Ford guys roll with Daiwa, and Toyata drivers well ............? 

[Ryanralston07]

2 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Depends on your Monkey's genetics.

I've been told Chevrolet drivers go Shimano, Ford guys roll with Daiwa, and Toyata drivers well ............? 

I'm a Ford guy and I love Daiwa and Lew's...I feel attacked, and known all at the same time ?

[FishTank]

[ironbjorn]

Same people who will buy a $50 Ugly Stik for bass when the Aird-X exists. Doesn't make any sense to me.

[NJBasstard]

28 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Depends on your Monkey's genetics.

I've been told Chevrolet drivers go Shimano, Ford guys roll with Daiwa, and Toyata drivers well ............? 

 

26 minutes ago, Ryanralston07 said:

I'm a Ford guy and I love Daiwa and Lew's...I feel attacked, and known all at the same time ?

 

 

Chevy/Shimano guy here. Thanks for the laugh ? 

 

As for the OP's question.. 

I think some people just like to be different and try things that aren't necessarily popular. Worst case scenario they're out some cash and best case they find a low cost gem. I've taken a gamble on things that have paid off for me. I've also purchased things and soon felt like I'd thrown my money away. Either way I learn something. 

 

That being said.. If someone who is just getting started, or someone on a budget asks me about buying a reel, I'd give them a list simular to what you posted. Why? Because they're proven quality products at their price and I feel are low risk compared to Piscifun and others out there. 

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, NJBasstard said:

Chevy/Shimano guy here. Thanks for the laugh ? 

Chevy - Shimano/Daiwa/Pflueger guy here

 

"Quidam non sunt comparativus"

[optimator]

3 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Depends on your Monkey's genetics.

I've been told Chevrolet drivers go Shimano, Ford guys roll with Daiwa, and Toyata drivers well ............? 

I've got a Tundra, Tacoma & Corolla. Plus a Camaro. Shimano/Daiwa here. I have a couple of Abu's & Pflugers but they just sit on the shelf. Actually I think I've got a President on my UL. 

[DogBone_384]

3 hours ago, GreenPig said:

and Toyata drivers well ............? 

…. Buy stuff that’s well built & doesn’t break ….. ?

[optimator]

2 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

…. Buy stuff that’s well built & doesn’t break ….. ?

And holds its resale value.

[LrgmouthShad]

11 minutes ago, optimator said:

And holds its resell value.

 

28 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

…. Buy stuff that’s well built & doesn’t break ….. ?

I have a rental Tacoma right now and like it about twice as much as my current truck, a Ford Ranger. But the Ranger came at a good deal so…. I’ll take it

[dodgeguy]

I appreciate value but. 99$ LFS is  as low as I go. Why do people buy this garbage ? There are enough challenges during an 8 hour day fishing that I don't want to deal with equipment failure. I learned that when I started fishing again 33 years ago.

[PourMyOwn]

36 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

I appreciate value but. 99$ LFS is  as low as I go. Why do people buy this garbage ? There are enough challenges during an 8 hour day fishing that I don't want to deal with equipment failure. I learned that when I started fishing again 33 years ago.

They must not know what's out there. If I needed a sub 100 dollar reel I'd buy used. Curados, Citicas, Team Daiwa Advantages etc are all so much nicer than Kast King and the like. 

[Fishin Dad]

I have Daiwa, Lews, Abu, Okuma, etc.   I also bought a spinning and a casting Piscifun.   They have been decent reels.  I use them on rods I don’t use very often and just to see what all the fuss was about.  They work great and are a good deal.  If I wouldn’t like them, I am out like $50.  Throw it away no big deal.  I actually don’t mind using them.  I wouldn’t replace my Zillions with Piscifun, but they work. 

[Bird]

I like Ford, I like Shimano but no way am I paying for Starbucks coffee.

[bulldog1935]

My guilty pleasure is Tica.  

The Taiwan company began with salt reels in 1960, and they make Daiwa's low-end spinning reels.  

I bought my first diminutive Cetus more a dozen years ago, almost for grins, and it fished hard in salt finesse for 7 years before I retired it with Shimano worm-drive upgrade.  Their IOS locomotive drive makes for exceptional long-spool line management.  From the smallest to the largest, they're built like tanks, fish long and hard.  

I hate the handles that come on them - they never match them properly for gear ratio - and I use that as an excuse to pimp them out with SLP Works, et.al.  

If you fish inshore with me and didn't bring tackle, odds are I'll loan you a Libra SX.    

  

 

If there's a why to Piscifun, it's that people are more concerned with price and light weight than they are with long service life.  

[Big Swimbait]

I have beat this $40 Megabass KO reel to death for about 3 years now. I did take it apart when I got it and cleaned the assembly gunk out and oiled and greased it properly.

[Tennessee Boy]

Some people fish maybe once a year.  For them it probably doesn’t make sense to spend $100 on a reel when a $50 reel will work fine.  They probably haven’t refined their skills enough to tell a difference between the two reels.  It’s also hard to wear out a reel if you only use it once a year.   
 

We all have different needs and different tastes when it comes to the tackle we use.

[king fisher]

I know a kid that can out fish me on most days, and all he has for a rod and reel is a soda bottle.  It's the fisherman not the gear that is important.  He buys what he can afford, and I buy what my wife say's I can afford.   I got a new Zillion for Christmas,  He might have got a new soda bottle for his birthday, but it sure looks like the same old bottle.