Spinning reel for long casts 4-12 lb line

[SHAKYHEAD8]

I am looking for a reel to pair up with my 6' 6" spinning rod to give me the best distance for fishing shaky heads for bass and long distance casting small stickbaits for trout and bass...all ideas appreciated from spool type to brandssss, as well as line type (prob fluorocarbon type,style,brand,etc)...thanks so much, Shakyhead8

[dodgeguy]

the bigger the spool the further it will cast.i suggest a pflueger supreme xt 3500 size.if you want flouro use 8 lb seguar invizx.if you want mono i suggest 8 lb cajun red cast. if you want braid i suggest 15 0r 20 pound fireline braid.out of all of those the red cast will cast the furthest.

[Marty]

Without getting into specific brands of reels or lines, the generality is that, all other things being equal, relatively thin line on a relatively large spool will result in longer casts.

[SWMIBASSER]

Given the entirely free spooling of line on a spinning reel when casting, I think the rod has more to do with casting distance than the reel.

With that said, I've got the Loomis SHR821S Shakey head rod, with a Pflueger Supreme 8030. Which is actually a relatively small reel. Casts plenty far for me. With 10lb 100% Flouro.

Switching to 6lb Y/Z Hybrid next season.

Sadly around here, the shakey head is getting played out.

[LAO162]

I consistently choose my Daiwa Exceler 2500 over my Shimano Stradic FH 2500 because it casts significantly further and has better line management (IMHO). I believe the difference is due to Exceler's wider spool and the way it lays the line. (I also have a Daiwa Tierra & Pflueger Supreme). The Tierra has similar casting performance, but is much smoother. Because I fish from the banks, distance is important to me. The Daiwas let me reach cover that I can't get to with the Stradic (extra 15-20 ft with same setup)

You will get a lot of different opinions about reel brands.

[SWMIBASSER]

I consistently choose my Daiwa Exceler 2500 over my Shimano Stradic FH 2500 because it casts significantly further and has better line management (IMHO). I believe the difference is due to Exceler's wider spool and the way it lays the line. (I also have a Daiwa Tierra & Pflueger Supreme). The Tierra has similar casting performance, but is much smoother. Because I fish from the banks, distance is important to me. The Daiwas get me let me reach cover that I can't get to with the Stradic (extra 15-20 ft with same setup)

You will get a lot of different opinions about reel brands.

Are they on the same rod?

[roadwarrior]

It's the entire package that works best together.

This is my suggestion: 7' MF rod (Avid AVS70MF

or G.Loomis SJR843S); Shimano Stradic 2500CI4;

Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft #6.

8-)

[The Rooster]

I'm in agreement with RW, it's the entire package, rod, reel, weight of lure, and line size.

What I've noticed is that whether or not I use a smaller spooled reel, or larger spooled reel, the bottom line guide (stripper guide) on the rod must be at least 25mm in diameter for the 8# line I use to pass through freely enough to get the distance I want.  If I use any rods having the bottom line guide smaller than this, especially with a larger spooled reel, the distance suffers quite a bit.  Makes it nearly impossible to throw a weightless plastic any lenght at all. 

Also, different sized spools will have either more or less coils of line per the same lenght of cast due to actual spool diameter, and I believe ultimately a larger spool will cast more freely since it has less coils per same length of line and therefore will have a bit less memory in the line and a bit less friction from a few less bumps along the way as the line passes up and out of the line guides.

So in the end it's a matter of balancing reel size and line size with the rod.  The best balance I've found for this is a 25mm or larger stripper guide for a spinning rod, 8# mono with low memory, and a 3500 sized Pflueger reel, or similar size in other brands (cause I'm switching to Daiwa myself!).  The rule of thumb here just happens to be your thumb.  If I can fit my thumb through the bottom line guide (the stripper guide) then it's large enough to cast well, and that happens to be a 25mm diameter guide, no less. 

One other thing that will matter though is action and power of the rod.  In selecting a rod, it needs to have an action that's going to allow it to load up well under the weight of the lure you choose to cast.  If not then all that sizing of line guides and reels will have little effect since it won't load right to "slingshot" the lure off the tip as you cast.  Also, even the aerodynamics of the lure will effect distance, though for a shakeyhead, that's not much of an issue.  It should cast like a bullet.

[LAO162]

I consistently choose my Daiwa Exceler 2500 over my Shimano Stradic FH 2500 because it casts significantly further and has better line management (IMHO). I believe the difference is due to Exceler's wider spool and the way it lays the line. (I also have a Daiwa Tierra & Pflueger Supreme). The Tierra has similar casting performance, but is much smoother. Because I fish from the banks, distance is important to me. The Daiwas let me reach cover that I can't get to with the Stradic (extra 15-20 ft with same setup)

You will get a lot of different opinions about reel brands.

Are they on the same rod?

Same rod, line & lure. So far I've been able to cast past a specific piece of cover with the Daiwa spinning reels. The first time I made it past the rocks, I hooked up... To me there is a very obvious difference between landing several feet in front of this cover and a couple yards past it... (just my experience though )

Disclaimer: I only get that distance with 2 rods, so all components are important.

Leon

[Raul]

Yo-zuri or P-Line Hybrid 6-8 lbs and you won 't need 12 lbs test .... unless you want to uproot stumps.

[RandySBreth]

Like everyone else pretty much covered, longer rods + bigger spools=longer casts. A 7' rod may actually be enough of difference over the 6'6" you're using now to make the reel or line choice a non-issue.

I've been using a lot of 7'6" to 8' spinning rods recently, you can cast into the next county, but most  Bass guys aren't comfortable with anything over 7'.

[Paul Roberts]

Greatest distance (in order of effect):

-braid

-long rod w/mod action

-wide spool reel