I know there are a lot of factors with this subject, but I'd just be interested in hearing what brand people like for reasons such as, but not limited to reliability, castability, affordability, etc.
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Shimano's Stradic both hands down!
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for me it seems that shimano over the years has been great but lately pflueger has been making some quality stuff, but thats just my 2 cents
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Shimano Curado and Spirex
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I guess I like different brands depending on the type of reel you want. Shimano makes great stuff and I really dig their spinning reels. I bought myself an Okuma Epixor spinning reel last year and it is my favorite. It is as smooth as the Shimano Symetre that I bought which was probably 40 bucks more than the Okuma. Baitcasters...well I've used diawas, abu garcias, etc. I think Pflueger makes some nice reels. For the money (in my opinion), Okuma is hard to beat for a nice spinning reel.
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I have 2 Shimano Spirex that I have had for close to 20 years and they still work great. I just keep them clean and lubed and they are still catching fish. I like the auto flip up bails and the rear drag. I just replaced a Quantum I have had for a couple years with a 3rd Spirex about 2 months ago. [fishin]
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[cool][#0000ff]The Sinaloa spinning reel enjoys a lot of popularity at various locations around Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That is the beer can (empty) with mono line wrapped around it. The line is whirled around the head a few times and the can is pointed outward as the line is released to flow off...spinning reel style.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those who walk the shoreline are often treated to getting their legs tangled in discarded line from these setups...or from setlines left unattended or abandoned.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Very inexpensive. You usually have to make your own. They only sell the basic reel (beer can) at most outlets and you have to empty them and spool the line yourself. Heck, even Walmart doesn't sell them.[/#0000ff]
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I have six Pflueger spinning reels and one fly reel. For the money, I think they reel very smoothly, the drag works well, they cast very far, and I get very few tangles. You can get some really good deals on them if you shop around too.
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I've used most all the major brands of reels over the years and each reel had it's strong and weak points. I used the Abu Cardinal spinning reels made in Sweden for years until Zebco bought the company and allowed the quality to decline.
For the last 15 years I've settled on Shimano Stradic FH reels for most of my spinning outfits. I like to use the 1000 and 2500 series FH models for most of my freshwater fishing. The FH series reels where the last ones made in Japan, the newer Stradics are made in Malaysia or Indonesia and just don't seem to have the same quality construction. Quantum and Daiwa both make quality spinning reels in their medium and higher priced models. I've purchased about 6 or 7 Stradic FH models from the various online auction sites. You can find a bargain once in a while, but most savy fishermen are looking for the older FH models because they just seem to last forever and perform better than most other spinning reels.
It all boils down to the old adage, "Ford, Chevy or Dodge" most of them are fine for their intended purpose.
Mike
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[quote TubeDude][cool]
[#0000ff]The Sinaloa spinning reel enjoys a lot of popularity at various locations around Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That is the beer can (empty) with mono line wrapped around it. ..... Heck, even Walmart doesn't sell them.[/#0000ff][/quote]
What do you mean Walmart doesn't sell them? I just got 6 of them plus some bean dip for for $5 there [
]. Just practice "¿Dónde está la cerveza?" a few times before you go. That way the employee can point you in the right direction[laugh].
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[cool][#0000ff]Lo siento mucho. I used the wrong choice of words. Walmart DOES sell the basic reel but you have to do your own modifying (emptying) and line spooling. The good news is that the contents do not really have much effect on the functionality of the reel. Good stuff is no better than the cheaper kind. But if you empty enough cans your operation of the reel might be a bit shaky.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Kinda like getting a nice fly reel kit...starting out as a block of raw metal you have to machine yourself. Not sure I could handle that. Better stick to the simple pop-top reel. Or better yet make one out of PVC.[/#0000ff]
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I am from down under and we have a reel called the Alvey. It's Aussie made. Check it out at their website or youtube. A very different style of fishing. (Bit like Tuberdudes favourite 'cept proffessionally built).[:p]
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey mate, those Alvey reels are fair dinkum.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had a chance to try one on a southern California beach one time. A guy had one for surf casting and let me heave a couple of casts with it. Much smoother and easier to use than a spinning reel. At least for casting. But I prefer the high gear ratio spinning reels on the retrieve.[/#0000ff]
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Lots of good reels these days. Still like the Stradic, but any reel that has no back spin and spins half a dozen or so times when you flip the handle around once is good enough for most fisher folk. I bought that new wave reel and it seems O.K. And I have a couple Okuma baitrunner reels that I like for catfish. They are a bit heavy and slow for jig fishing. Most important thing is to match the reel and rod. A lot of reels are a bit bulky for my taste. And I hate itsy bitsy reels. The Stradic 2500 FH is probably my favorite reel. But I fish with a couple 4000's and 2000's that are good also. Just depends on the fishin.
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even though fleuger is my fave!!! i am using a fairly new brand of product and am kind of partial to it it is made by a company called sierra!! the reel is a sierra tioga it is very smooth very light and so far have had no real problems with it have only been using it for around 4 or 5 months though!!! i got it at the expo in utah this year when ever that was i forgot!!!
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[#500000]Has anyone tried one of those wavespin reels?[/#500000]
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Yup. Me has one. It's O.K.
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