Favorite overall reel brand?

[westonater1980]

I love my Pflueger Patriarch
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[utahduckhunter]

peen reels are good but nothing beat a 300 mitchell
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[Leaky33]

I wasn't going to post this since it's just one man's opinion. [img]../../../images/gforum/frown.gif[/img] Changed my mind since seeing some of the results of the post to date. Totally disagree! I have bought Shimano for most of my fishing years and finally tried a few others. A few years ago, I bought a Pflueger President and then an Okuma EPIXOR ef30a and I have to say that they have out performed the favorite hands down. Why,-------? When the Shimano gets water in it , it goes to heck in a short time. Even w/o water, they don't last!!! Disassemble has revealed worn brass worm gears!!!
The main culprit from my experience, is water immersion even if only for short period. As long as I shot some light machine oil in the others in the crank area they just keep on working well for much, much longer l!!! As a matter of fact, I'm still using em many times a year after 3 years and no problem even after getting em wet. If I had to choose between em, I'd probably chose the Okuma, not sure why.!!! Way out performs the Shimano at the same price in every respect !!!!
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[fsh4fun05]

I wasn't going to post either, lol. I have two okuma spinning reels that I don't really like but they haven't broke so I'm not going to replace them yet. I don't use them very often. As far as baitcasting reels go I love my Quantum PT Tour Editions, Quantum Energy and I recently (last year) got a new Shimano Curado that I traded for 500 senkos (I have soft plastic connections []) and it took a while to learn how to tweak it but I think I'm in love. It's the best pitching/flipping reel I've ever had. I think...I know that I want another one.
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[Utcatman]

Shimano for life! !! Also love diawa, for an inexpensive cat/musky reel the millionaire kicks butt!!!!
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[orvis1]

[quote iconoclasticPaul]Shimano's Stradic both hands down![/quote]


+1 just got my stadic and love it!
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[WaveWolf]

[#500000]OK? ........ Does it live up to it's billing? ....... Does it outcast other similar reels and not get snarlies?[/#500000]
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[joshomaru]

Those old swedish made cardinals are the shizz-nite! My dad has about six or eight. When I was in high school he told me to go buy my own reels because he didn't trust me using those anymore.
we went ice fishing to pelican this january and he busted out his spinning reels. He used to service them himself when he worked at angler's inn. So, he took them to Mickey at Fish Tech, and Mickey wouldn't touch them! He didn't want to be responsible if something went wrong. Which I totally understand.
I'm now a shimano guy, fwiw ....
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[TopH2O]

I have several of the Cardinal 3s and two of the Cardinal 4s. I've been thinking of selling them since they are so highly sought after by the collectors. I still use a couple of the 3s on my six foot light rods for crappie and perch. I like them, but I like the newer features of the modern reels which have the silent anti-reverse. I find myself loosing fish when the Cardinals back spin when I set the hook. I don't like using them when the anti-reverse is on due to the noise.
If Mickey and crew won't work on the reels it could be hard to find anyone who can. My younger brothers were Anglers Inn guys for years and they probably worked with your Dad.
Good fishing to you.
Mike
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[ocean]

What no Penn !! [:p]Come on thats one of the best if no the best reels you will ever buy. I have had my Penn reels for over 19 years and still no problems.
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