Fresh/Salt Water spinning reel

[Brian4618]

Im looking into buying a new spinning reel for fresh water, but I was also wanting a smaller sized spinning reel for salt water (catching small 5-10lb dolphin offshore). I plan on using different rods but same reel if  I find one to do the job. Do you guys have any suggestions on what I should look into?

[Dockhead]

How much do you want to spend?

In my price arena (~$100) I like a 2500 Symetre and a Pflueger Supreme 8035 for crossover duty. You could go up to the 3000 Symetre or down to the Supreme 8030, depending on what line capacity would meet your needs.

[SirSnookalot]

First question is, have you ever caught a dolphin?  There is no similarity between a dolphin and a LMB.  It is just as common to catch a 20#+ dolphin as it is a 5 pounder.  That being said the smallest reel I would use is 4000 series with both line capacity and a great drag. Second question, are you casting weed lines or drift fishing?  For drift fishing I use an 8000(spheros) reel and casting I mostly use a 5000(medalist).

I own most of the aforementioned reels and 1 reel that is a definite pass is the supreme, it does not have corrosion resistant bearings and will fail in time, mine has been grinding for the last 3 months.

In the under $100 market the Pflueger President xt is a good choice, bit heavy but very smooth and and built for saltwater, imo the rod is slightly more important than the reel.

You may be fishing for a 5 pounder, chances are you will catch something way bigger, 2500 or 3000 reel doesn't get the job done for offshore fishing, like taking a knife to a gunfight.

[JigMe]

I have done a numbers of fishing trips off shore for Sea bass, dolphins, etc. And they are fighters, 2500 series reels are not going to do the job for you. I agree with Sirsnookalot, that Pflueger President xt would be a good choice for you. I use 15 pound monofilament line tie on to a 3-foot 40 pound fluorocarbon leader for most of my salt water fishing.

[Brian4618]

Yea I know the fight the dolphin put up, we take the boat out probablly 20 times per year to catch them, I took a old Daiwa spinning reel out last year it was a 3000 size (only a $20 reel) and it lasted the day catching probablly 9 dolphin, biggest around 9 lbs. And we fish the grass throwing out cutbait. So thats why I ask if yall use any for both and they last, because that reel was made to be a bass reel, but now its not much of a reel.

[=Matt 5.0=]

Stradic 4000 FI.

[trevor]

First question is, have you ever caught a dolphin? There is no similarity between a dolphin and a LMB. It is just as common to catch a 20#+ dolphin as it is a 5 pounder. That being said the smallest reel I would use is 4000 series with both line capacity and a great drag. Second question, are you casting weed lines or drift fishing? For drift fishing I use an 8000(spheros) reel and casting I mostly use a 5000(medalist).

I own most of the aforementioned reels and 1 reel that is a definite pass is the supreme, it does not have corrosion resistant bearings and will fail in time, mine has been grinding for the last 3 months.

In the under $100 market the Pflueger President xt is a good choice, bit heavy but very smooth and and built for saltwater, imo the rod is slightly more important than the reel.

You may be fishing for a 5 pounder, chances are you will catch something way bigger, 2500 or 3000 reel doesn't get the job done for offshore fishing, like taking a knife to a gunfight.

x2 but for durability, get a Shimano or Daiwa (Diawa Coastal, Advantage or Shimano Saros, Stradic)

[trevor]

Also after salt (you probably know) keep them rinsed off WELL and serviced once a year. We have old white Stradics going on 5 years that we use on our boat for the charters. even with the abouse that the charters put them under, they are still going strong. We use them for dolphin and spades.

[JigMe]

Yea I know the fight the dolphin put up, we take the boat out probablly 20 times per year to catch them, I took a old Daiwa spinning reel out last year it was a 3000 size (only a $20 reel) and it lasted the day catching probablly 9 dolphin, biggest around 9 lbs. And we fish the grass throwing out cutbait. So thats why I ask if yall use any for both and they last, because that reel was made to be a bass reel, but now its not much of a reel.

I am glad your 20 dollars reel hold up for the day. I had my numbers of cheap rod/reels from Wal-Mart, and they works pretty good until you hooked a giant. Speaking from personal experience, I was fishing at the peer and hooked something pretty decent. But I never get to see it, the d**n reel stopped working. And once I opened it up trying to figure out what's wrong, one of those bearing just broke into 3 pieces.

Now, I still can't afford very nice stuff but I will use something that will bring in a good size fish. With good maintenance each year, a 100 dollars reel should last you a long time.

[SirSnookalot]

The stradic fi 4000 is a great reel, I have one myself.  IMO it is designed to be an inshore reel not offshore, but excellent for casting weed lines. For drifting with cut bait I'd go with a beefier reel like the spheros 8000, if you like Shimano, other good reels in that price range.  Fishing cut bait you just never know what's swimming by.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Like Snook said, you definitely want something beefy for Dolphin.  Doesn't matter how you fish for them.  We'll troll for a while and get a school up then toss out cut ballyhoo to them.  You need something with large capacity and a decent drag to handle them.  Theres a reason that they're at the top of the pelagic food chain.  Just because the biggest you caught one day was a 9 pounder doesn't mean that there wasn't a 50+ in the area.  There could very easily be billfish, cobia, tuna, or any other number of fish swimming around with Dolphin.  The old rule for offshore saltwater fishing still applies.  Bigger is better.  I've been spooled several times using reels smaller than I should have for Dolphin.

[Dockhead]

Let's go back and look at the original post.

Looking for

...a new spinning reel for fresh water, but I was also wanting a smaller sized spinning reel for salt water...

The 3000 Symetre holds plenty of line, and is not too big to cast with for bass all day long. Want to spend a little more, go Stradic/Sheros and you surely will be happy as well.

If you are worried about the 3000 being too small , go with the 4000, but anything bigger than that and I'm thinking you have yourself an offshore reel that you will not be happy with for bass fishing.

As an added note re: the Supreme, I use mine for inshore fishing as well as bass and have had no problems.