Expensive Spinning Reels

[Walleye Guy]

Has anybody bought/tried some of the really expensive $200+ spinning reels? Shimano and Daiwa both make models that cost the equivalent of a new Remington 870 Express or a low end LCD graph or handheld GPS. Are these reels worth the extra money? I am mostly a Shimano guy and have been primarily using Shimano Sedona's with no performance issues. Besides more ball bearings what would I be getting if I bought at $299 or $399 spinning reel? Are they really worth 4-5 times as much as what I am currently buying?

WG

[traveler]

I touched a stella once at Gander Mountain and I broke into a cold sweat.I could swear I heard angels singing....

[Pherris]

I fish primarily Shimano both spinning and bait caster. I also have had good luck with the sedonas too. I did start using Stradic's a few years back and have been extremely happy with them and for the price (115-125) in my opinion it is the best mid range reel available and I now use them on all my spinning gear. I do have 1 of the Stradic MFG with runs closer to $200. I do like the fact that it is lighter then a regular Stradic and use it primarily on my drop shot and jig worm presentations. I have fished with the Stella and I will tell you it is an exceptional reel. I almost pulled the trigger on one but decided that for the money I could get a Sustain and a G-Loomis for the same amount. I have been extremely happy with Shimano reels and I think it really comes down to your budget. I do feel that the higher end reels are very nice but after much thought I decided to stay in the $100-$200 range. My Stradics are excellent and they can take a beating. I fished most of last season with one that was missing the cap for the fluid drive and it still preformed magnificently.(However it is in the shop getting rebuilt). I personally think that I would rather have a mid range reel and spend the money on Rod's instead because if I had to chose I would prefer a sedona on a Loomis then a Stella on a less expensive rod. Just my 2 cents. Hope it is helpful. Good Fishing!!

[Corey Bechtold]

This is a touchy one. Often we say "you get what you pay for" but this is one case where I don't feel it's true.

One can talk ball bearings till there blue in the face but I don't care if a reel has 4 bearings or 114 bearings. They have to be quality components. Some of the best reels I have used cost less than 50 dollars. What we should look for is a quality drag. This is usually the first item to break down on a spinning reel. Make sure a reel has instant anti-reverse as well. This will solidify your hooksets and help catch more fish. As far as looks of the reel, they can make them chrome, platinum, gold plated or whatever. Put 114 bearings in them and it still won't matter to me. I am not a doctor or lawyer so I won't be spending insane amounts of money on good looking reels. All I need is a reel that works and I'm happy. A company that backs their products and I'm good to go. A reel is a piece of fishing equipment not a status symbol.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[Bassboy1645]

I agree...Reels are like alot of the newer tech stuff where the higher priced better quality features are being passed down to lower end reels. Ganders guide series are excellent reels and for 20 doallars You cant beat em!

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I think the symetre is one of the better deals out there.

[BillP]

Spinning reels are like wine. Anyone can buy an outstanding wine for $200 and up. The trick is to buy a really good wine for under $10

[Superduty]

Never fished with the real spendy spinning reels. I agree that once you get to a certain point in quality and price the big dollar stuff is more for status than performance. I guess it has an intimidation factor for some competitive fisherman. Look into your opponents boat and see 10 $600 combos on the deck and some guys might be knocked off their game thinking "this guy must be good-look at all that fancy stuff!"

Shimano makes great reels. I use their curado baitcasters exclusively. Don't be afraid to check out other manufacturers spinning reels. I think the Quantum energy is a great reel for the money.($150-cheaper on ebay)

[DuluthMedic]

Anybody see the new digital bait caster reel at cabelas? Its $649.99...I think every fisherman needs at least two!

[waskawood]

Quote:

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Spinning reels are like wine.

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I must disagree. A 200 buck chuck may improve when left to age in its original container. I have never found that to be true of any fishing reel. They are meant to be used. Sorry couldn't resist. I have never bought a top end reel so I cannot comment but as said earlier, I would rather get a quality midpriced reel and spend the rest on a top of the line rod.

[hoggs222]

I've got the quantum pti energy matched up on a loomis. I couldn't be happier with the combo. It is weighted very nice. The feel and performance is solid.

[MasterClear]

For my money Shimano has really developed a great line of reels; spinning, bait casting and Lake Superior trolling. The also have done a good job of matching rods to their reels. It's a nicely balanced set of gear. I've been fishing the Stradic and Sedona. I must confess I like the improved smoothness and lubrication port on the Stradic. Both have an excellent drag. I just bought a Citica 200DSV for myself and best fishing partner - my wife. It appears to have all I'm looking for in a bait casting reel.

[united jigsticker]

Well, I for one, see a reel as a major status symbol of not only who you are, but how good of a fisherman you are.

I have 22" Gold-Z spinners on my reels, with a 2,000 watt sub-woofer, high range titanium cone tweeters, a 31 band interference reducing graphic equalizer, and platinum threaded washers to attach the reel to my hand crafted, Thompson sealed Bamboo stick ultralite.

If not for all that, I wouldn't need a 400 pound body builder to hold my rod up for me, and a 250 hp 22 foot Glass boat to haul his fat (Contact Us Please) around in, towed behind a dual diesel Bully Chipped Denali with gold rocker panels and 22" Gold Z's with 2,000 watt sub-woofers and dual cone titanium......

[gunflint]

Very few of us need a reel of the caliber you're asking about. Whether we want one or not is a different issue. On the other if I were making my living fishing tournaments and any given fish could be worth tens of thousands of dollars, I'd get the best that I could find. One fish could pay for them all.

[LMITOUT]

I have to agree with everything Corey said. How much better can it be for that much more in cost? Can it really be justified or is it more of a show-and-tell piece? Everytime I page by them in the outdoors catalogs I wonder who buys those things anyway? That's crazy.

I like my Shimano reels but at a much cheaper price. I have some $60 models and some $120 dollar models and they are fine by me. In fact, I'll probably go with the $60 version the next time I buy a reel as it does the job just fine. I'd rather put more money towards a better rod instead as I feel that's more important than extra ball bearings.

[katoguy]

All most fisherman on this site need is a decent reel with a good drag system. In most cases the rod is a heck of a lot more important than the reel. The rod lets you feel what is going on beneath the surface of the water. The rod loads for the cast. The rod takes most of the abuse from the fish runs. (line also comes into play)

Sure the reel's drag system must be smooth, but for the most part it only holds the line. The rod has the "touch".

(don't take this to strongly - a completely balanced sysem of lure, line, rod, and reel is key to many techniques.)

I do have a $350 baitcasting reel (gift) that will be getting used this bass season. Most of my spinning reels are less than $50. My baitcaster are less then $75. It is easier to justify 30-40 combos when they don't cost an arm and a leg.

[fisherdog19]

For price and quality, I don't think Okuma can be beat. Their new line of reels start in the $40 range and go up to about $150 for their top end model. Tica also makes a some great reels, and we all know they make great ice fishing ones. In my opinion, they cast a large shadow over Shimano's quality and price. JMO

[Questor]

Regarding the original question, I think they're a waste of money, except to the enthusiast who enjoys them for aesthetic reasons. So although I wouldn't buy one, I am glad they exist for those who would.

[slotlimit]

I have never lost a fish to my $30 reels malfunctioning. Only to my malfunctioning. I think I have an Okuma, shimano, Diawa, Zebco 33, and a couple others.

[John Mickish]

How many people here own $500-$1000 guns yet balk at the guy that has a $200 reel? It's all a matter of priorities. As long as a guy isn't spending his mortgage payment on the stuff he likes don't say that thier useless. Some people have guns, some have fishing rods and some people have expensive jewelry. To each it's the same.

A $50 gun does the same job as a $1000 gun does. You pull the trigger and a bullet comes out the other end. What happens after that is where the money matters. A GM guide series reel on a Ugly Stick will do the same job as a Stella on a G. Loomis rod, until you hook into that 40 inch Northern on 6lb mono. Being used 200 days a year Vs. 10 days a year makes a big difference too.

What I am getting at is under normal conditions a normal reel will work just fine, it's when things aren't normal that makes the difference.

[LMITOUT]

I think there is more of a difference than that. For example a Stella costs $500 and a Symetre costs $80. I think you could compare the Symetre to a Wingmaster as it's not bottom of the line, yet not elite either. That's 1/6th the price. A Wingmaster 12ga costs $500? That'd equate to $3000 on the upper end. Yes, both shoot pellets and have the same result. But is the extra $2-3000 worth it for the fancy gun? Tough to agree on that unless you get style points, and in that case I don't think the pheasants really care and style points don't put more birds in the bag.

Buying a $1000 gun compared to a $500 gun is like buying a $80 Symetre and a $110 Spirex. A lot different when you add another $400 to the bill on a reel or $2500 on a gun.

[slotlimit]

mnfishingguy,

I agree with you totally. You work hard for your money and can buy what ever you want. Now if I could get you to change that 6lb mono to Fireline you could just tie off your line to the side of the boat and drag that 40 incher right in.

[channelfats]

My father fishes with Diawa goldcasts, and Zebco 805-808's,

and even though I chuckle at how old school he is, he still remains one of the most consistant fisherman Ive ever fished with. He has more 'know-how, where-to, and when-to do-what' than most people I know. His gear is only "the vehicle to dinner" to him. I guess to some people it feels good to have that perfect peice of equipment that will give you the confidence to learn, and catch fish. And then some dont need it. I would say I am somewhere between these two points.

[youngie22]

As stated above, if you fish 10 days out of the year, a $20 reel should work fine for MN fishing. If you fish 100+ days a year you should probably spend atleast another 40 or 50 bucks. I have a buddy who mostly fishes the rivers around here and he has lost many fish while I have been w/ him, mostly I think because of his drag and anti reverse features. I bought him a Sedona on sale @ Walmart for $25 bucks for his bday one year, and he is a changed man. I think you do get what you pay for til a certain extent, I don't go overboard I love the Symytre, balances most of my rods great, love the drag, and feels so solid in your hand while using it.

[slipperybob]

Okay I've normally used the Stradics until recently I've purchased the Sustain. To my surprise, the sensation of using the sustain is like sugar high compared to my Stradics. The line lay tension is better. The drag feels better. The low oscillation is even less. So how do I justify this? I can't...it's a feeling and a noticeable difference in feel. In the store...the Saraha felt as good as the sustain, but the fishing is different with line and lure.

Very recently I've purchased the Stella 2500, $500 reel for whatever possessed me. Just the feel of the reel in the store is incredible, now I will be testing out the Stella this summer to see if all the icing on the cake is more than just dough, $$$$ than "thooooooo!" as Homer Simpson would say it. Ahhhh, fishing.,....

[Hammer Handle]

I have a cheap reel, rod, gun, boat, etc. I only buy what I can afford.

Doesn't matter to me. I still catch the fish and have fun doing it.

People may laugh at me when they fly by on the small lake with their huge boat and motor, while I sit in my small Lund and 6 horse motor...but really...I am laughing at them.

[papabear]

The value a person puts into his equipment is his value. It may be the feel the looks the reliability but it is his or her value. A $500 reel holds little value to me cuz I couldnt get that much out of it. ( the equipment is only as good as the operator) But I think you have to check out reels and rods for your self to get the one you like and will use to the best of your ability. Too bad we can not test fish some of this equipment before buying. I have several combos I liked in the store and didnt like in the boat.

[slipperybob]

Well we all know that it's not the equipment that catches the fish but the person. I totally agree with the value that a person puts in their equipment, but that is after all personal value. It's like a mean thing that I laugh at a friend for buying a Shimano Crucial rod but uses $30 dollar reel and Berkly transistion line. Then his line would all twist and bird nest constantly. Yes, it's the operator and his equipment.

I've been outfished side by side by old gramps with his old fiberglass fishing pole and plastic fishing reel. Fish for fish, he does catch more than me. Then when the moment comes...and the only fish I catch happens to be the pity fish that bites my lure, just also happens to be the big one. When it comes down to it, the old gramps can play with the fish and land him with all his patience and all. For me, I don't have that kind of patience. I want to land my fish as quickly as possible. I've got a landing net. Old gramps can care less, it flops his fish on the ground. He gets big fish he wrestles it. I still got my landing net. I used to get all excited watching him fight fish like forever, drag unspooling, back reeling, him grabbing the fishing line and tugging. I ain't that talented so I let my equipment do that for me.

The difference with fish on stringer is...mine are beautiful shiny scales, his are bruised and bloody scaled. He's got more fishes, but I have the prized big one. If I didn't plan on keeping a fish, it'll be gently released, beautiful shiny scales, but the old gramps he'd chuck his fish in the air and watch it get a smashing headache on the water. I used to thought that was funny and fun, watching a fish get all disorientated once it landed on the water...but that's just cruel.

I started out with the Zebco 33 and rhino stick (still got that and use that). Graduated to a shakespeare graphite reel and ugly stick (still got that and use that). Then Shakespeare IM7 Shakespeare synergy reel (still got that and use that). Over the years, I improve my skills and supplement that with better equipment. Stradic and St. Croix primeire rod. Well my best fishing combo...so I'm taking it to the next level. Sustain and Crucial combo...now a Stella and a Calcutta rod to be tested this summer. None of this is objective but purely subjective...I will catch no more fish than I've always been catching. However I will have an expensive piece of valuable equipment assisting me.

I think for the most part the only person who laughs best is the person who catches the fish...I wanna be that person, regardless of the affordable equipment or the expensive equipment.

[AQUAJOE]

I like the Quantum Energy's as well as the Stradic MGFA's. They go really nice on a St. Croix or a custom Thorne Brothers rod.

[TycoCowboy]

I have a Shimano open face Sustain and it is great. Every lover of cheap reels that tries it out loves it and is only afraid of the price after I tell them how much it cost. The same is said about my Shimano 400 CTE and 700 Cte's. They love it until they hear the price, then still want to use mine when we do go out fishing and I have more than One or two poles rigged up. I learned about Calcuttas the last couple of summers out with guides in Northern Wisconsin and all they used to fish Muskies with were Calcuttas. Why did they use them? The same reason people buy Lund's, Rangers, Lexus,s, Mercedes and so on. My point is, until you really use any kind of nice equipment, like a Gibson Les Paul, or Fender Strat guitar, it's hard to make a value judgement about what is really good unless sometime or other, you get to use it fot a while.