reels

dlsmith6

New member
Question: is it worth paying several hundred dollars for a reel for big fish? I caught a pig this weekend and when I would try to reel it in my gears sounded like they were ripping apart.
 

ricerocketjp

New member
im interested in responses for this also i have several reels front inexpensive to high dollar and they all catch fish but the higher end reels seem to me last longer and cast smoother with less back lashing but i imagine if you adjust any reel properly it would be fine but i know most higher end reels have metal gears and composite and carbon bodies which make them lighter and stronger
 

Tight_Lines

New member
for my Big Cat rigs, i think i paid about 50 0r 60 dollars a reel. i think one of mine is an Okuma. and it does just fine. check sportsman's warehouse. they have a pretty good fishing dept. The folks there are knowledgeable and will help you find what you want for the price you want most cases
 

porthos33

New member
I went through about 10 different bait casters or more till I landed on the lews with the centrifugal brakes that I can adjust. It is the most important tool for me even over the rod. You can find them used for 55-75 bucks and new for just over a hundred and in my personal opinion worth it!
 

lafae7

Member
If your talking big fish then you can not go wrong with any of the dawai Lexa reels. They are absolute hardcore.
 

dlsmith6

New member
most of my reels are the Abu Garcia silver max and they have done real well through the years. However, my 7'6 FLIPPING stick I have a 70 dollar reel. I caught that big bass and I am telling you it sounded like the gears were tearing out when I would try to reel it in. I couldn't do anything and she went back in the tree and that was it. I want will go check out sportsman because they did set me up with a great lews spinning reel. good luck fishing.
 

churly

New member
I feel like you get what you pay for. Im a shimano fan, because they last for years!
 

Gator

Active member
I think you DO get what you pay for in reels. Personally, I like ABU Garcia STX. They are very smoothe operating and can handle any bass in our water. They are long lasting too.
 

Smalliefan2

Active member
I use the Abu Garcia 4600C3 series. My oldest is around 20 yrs, newest is about 5 yrs. They are $ 120 now. Strong, reliable, easy to maintain, bulletproof. My oldest is on a rod I use about half my day on the lake, works like a charm. The only modification to some are Boca bearings.
 
I've fished some of the high end reels and some of the bargain bit stuff and I've settled on 2-3 reels that I like and they're not expensive. All of my casting reels are Daiwa Laguna (probably have to order them now cause I can't seem to find them in the stores here anymore) and I either go with Shimano or Okuma spinning reels. I have boated everything from 8lb bass to 40lb cats with my reels and have never had a problem. The Laguna's are also easy to clean, oil, grease and as long as you take care of them they will last, my oldest one is over 5 years old and it still casts and retrieves like its brand new.
 

Davo

Active member
Yep, you definitely get what you pay for. Now, I don't see myself paying $400 for a reel, but definitely $200. Always like Shimano but just got a couple of Daiwa Tatula SV's and they are awesome. No backlashing, great drag, etc. Plus, a good $200 reel can save you money if it lasts 5 times as long as an $80 reel.
 

dlsmith6

New member
Davo, thanks for the info brother. I just needed someone to justify paying that much for a reel. It makes total sense if they do last a lot longer and did I hear you say no back lash? that is worth the money right there.
 

dlsmith6

New member
what gear ratio do you guys prefer for crank baits. I had a guy tell me that you should use a 5:1 but with that ratio how can you ever get the bait under the water? I have been using a 7:1 and cranking hard in the deep but still not sure I am getting to the bottom. Also using 20 lb test.
 
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