Best spinning reels for budget

[Verado06]

I am considering getting 2 more spinning combos.

I really like the shimano spheros. I now have some old diawas, but they seem to not be near as smooth as these new spheros models...

I like the finors, but I prefer to go shimano..

any help?

[Relentless33]

Shimano Baitrunner 4500. I think $109.

When live baiting the baitrunner feature is a must.

[Shark Tagger]

I like both of these reels, but prefer the spheros.. they are not that much more cash

[RiskTaker]

The Shimano Baitrunner is an incredible reel for the money. I have not tried all of the other competitors on the block but I know I like Baitrunner.

If you are doing general saltwater fishing application, I do not know why you would not go with a 6500B or 16000 Spheros, when using mote than 20 lb. test. mono or some grade of braid. But that is why they manufacture 3 sizes of these reels to satisfy everyone's preferences. A 3500 or a 4500B would be my preference for a yellowtail rod with 10-12# test or so. (But I would still feed out the line manually.)

The Spheros has an amazing drag capability; consequently I have 60 lb. JBHC braid on that spinner for general saltwater fishing. Check out the Shimano website for side-by-side comparisons. But I actually like the baitrunner feature better than not having it. Just waiting to hook up on a swordfish with it as pitch bait backup, to see if it will de-spool me.

[Capt'n Shane]

The spheros are working fine for me. Smooth in every aspect. Large comfortable handel. Best spinning drag I have used. Not saying much since I have always owned Penn. But definately a cut above the Diawa BG.

[bajakian]

I am a huge Shimano fan and I have had many Shimano Baitrunners, but as they break and are retired, I am replacing them with Diawas. They are much smoother and better built IMO. I used to think the baitrunner feature was a reason to buy Shimano but I almost never use it and when I do it introduces extra line twist into the line. Just my two cents.

[miamiangler1]

I still like the Diawa spinning reels .. BG class have them all from 20-60... have them for 3years ... no problems and no corrosion at all ... they work for me !

[Verado06]

thanks.. I have 4 bg60's right now and they have done me well. The drag has stuck on one of them before but I got it fixed.

I love the teak handle and gold top on the black rods I have.

Im going to head to bass pro and check out the baitrunners a bit, but i would rarely use the freesppool/baitrunner feature as i fish drag all the time except for slow trolling live baits.

[Reef-i]

Baitrunners are such junk. The baitrunner feature is the worst invention for someone fishing in kingish/wahoo infested water. A strike from one of those speedsters while the reel is in baitrunner is a birds nest from hell waiting to happen.
I own 12 BG60's - some of which are 10 years old. I highly recommend eiether servicing them at least once a year - but they are so simple to work on that you can do it yourself in about 10 minutes a reel. I also highly recommend replacing the teflon washers that come with the reel with "smoothies" that can be found on the internet. Makes this 70 dollar reel virtually indestructable and last forever.

[Verado06]

what kind of rods / weight are u fishing with the bg60's.. maybe I'll just buy 4 more..

thanks for the tip on the washer.

[Verado06]

Hey Tek / Reelproshop - What are your suggestions?

[Reef-i]

i have several different rods made by several local companies (Chaos, Leeward and recently, Tornado) and i like them all. All of the rods are 7' and mainly built on Ugly Stik Blanks.
River Marine in Miami has a selection of Tornado rods - but make sure you get the ones built on the Ugly blanks as the other blanks, to me, are substandard if you decide to go that route.
And if you're interested in Chaos or Leeward, you can get in touch with them independantly to build your custom rods.
For whatever it's worth, i'm sold on the BG's and it'll take a long time to convince me otherwise.

[bajakian]

Originally Posted by Verado06

thanks.. I have 4 bg60's right now and they have done me well. The drag has stuck on one of them before but I got it fixed.

I love the teak handle and gold top on the black rods I have.

Im going to head to bass pro and check out the baitrunners a bit, but i would rarely use the freesppool/baitrunner feature as i fish drag all the time except for slow trolling live baits.

The only time I find the Baitrunner feature of value is when I am kite fishing. Otherwise its a total waste and there have been times when it has been deployed while fighting a fish-Not good!!

[Chasin' Tales]

I have a spheros that I love! I used to buy penn spinners, but they are junk compared to the shimano. I am tempted to buy one of the new finnor spinners. The diawa BG's are good reels, but I would put the spheros above them.

[TITLEWAVE]

I own them all , and love each in thier own way . On the expensive never have to replace end ....VAN STAAL , they are basically the toughest reel ever built , but pricey (over 700 bucks). The best Price reel that holds up the best is a penn 9500 or the Shimano Thunnas as well as the ahab 20's . I noticed Ahab has a new reel out but havent tried it yet . I also have the new twin spin reel by accurate and so far i am not happy , first off the gear ratio is way too fast once you have a fish on ,second mine broke already and they still have it for repair( the bail fell off) . I use my spin tackle to tuna fish around the oil rigs , which is with out a doubt the harshest enviornment for the reels to hang in as the tuna destroy less modles with ease. I also fish mostly 65 to 90 pound braid on my reels which is hard on them as well. Good luck hunting.

[RiskTaker]

Originally Posted by bajakian

The only time I find the Baitrunner feature of value is when I am kite fishing. Otherwise its a total waste and there have been times when it has been deployed while fighting a fish-Not good!!

Bajakian:

It is very good that you mentioned the part about fighting a fish with a Shimano Baitrunner (3500,4500, 6500, B-models etc.) and the NOT-GOOD part about tripping the lever into bait-run mode while engaged on a fish. Agreed, this is definitely not good! And I would also agree that flipping the lever is quite easy to do, by accident. (Maybe, Shimano people are reading this and they will fix the convention, or offer an option to switch lever positions on the same reel.) High note:We are sharing fishing experiences together, even though these are not experiences shared while fishing together. Bada Bing. It is fun to have fun!

Well besides that, this brings me to the point I would like to make on this forum, so that others are in the know, on some of those little details that make a big difference... It is so funny that you mentioned that detail because I was confused for a while, because I thought that the Baitrunner feature tripped inward into the depressed position when it was in regular drag mode. Well my thinking is correct, because it does work this way, BUT only on the THUNNUS reel series, and it is switched oppositely on the BaitRunner series. (THUNNUS model has my preferred switch setting; however, this is in a different class of reels, if you will bear with me to explain.)

On the Shimano Baitrunner Series the bait-run lever functions in the opposite position: disengaged the lever is up and when you want the secondary weak bait-run drag you must push the level down (flush against the reel). Since I have a preference, I like the Thunnus mode of operation over the Baitrunner model. This is just an FYI for those that may consider the Baitrunner feature as a desireable Reel feature.

I liked TitleWave's last post where he put his experienced opinion on the table, with the whole lot of reels that are popular in use, baitrunner feature and classic gear class reels alike. And that motivated me to say a few more words on this topic.

This post was initially started with an inquiry into the inexpensive line or reels: but as most forum threads go, we drift to and fro, like a shrimp in the tide or a train de-railing and then bouncing back on rail again. But it is all good when excellent discussion comes from it.

So what I would like to add for comment here would be some distillation of many of the reels discussed here.

I would suggest that the Penn 9500 (series), the Daiwa BG (series), the Shimano Baitrunner (series), and the Shimano Spheros (series), etc. and all the other possible reels, like DAM Quick, etc. to be lumped into the "very affordable" pricing bucket. If this is where your budget must stay, the choices are seem to be fairly biased. I have heard many a good story about the Penn 9500 reel (just like modifying a Colt 45 into a peek performer). These reels which contains the likes of the Daiwa BG series, seem to be mechanically sloppy, yet extremely durable over time. I still have a DAM Quick and it is 30 years plus of age, and is not yet fit for the scrap heap yet. So there is some common sense behind the basic mechanic reels.

If you must have the tighter tolerances (the tight one way ratchet) or improved drag settings (waterproof or baitrunner feature switch), then you will be sold on Shimano. (Hey, maybe they should put a factory on US of A, to sharpen the domestic line, as time marches on.)

At the end of the (day/year/my life), I would still like to hand down a rod/reel to my grand-kids, and be confident that I am giving them something that served me well and that they can still use with the same high confidence, until they have the where-with-all, to purchase more modern fishing gear that may outclass "the old man's stuff".

Yes we are trending toward a more disposible society, but we cannot expect to make quality stuff that will prevail in a saltwater environment without it also being durable over time if it is maintained in some good measure.
(Spell check later - sexy woman calling me now.) RT, Ciao.

[Verado06]

i recently bought 2 new BG60's. Looking for some quality 7 foot rods now

[bajakian]

Originally Posted by Verado06

i recently bought 2 new BG60's. Looking for some quality 7 foot rods now

Now you have some decisions to make- so many choices but there are hardly any bad ones. Mostly it depends on how it feels in your hand, what you are going to use it for and the type of action you like in a rod. Oh yeah and how much dough you want to spend on them. I like the feel and light weight of Loomis rods, but they are graphite and a little more fragile so not my preferred rod for crazy dolphin bailing. For dolphin madness, Id go with a good fiberglass rod. Anyways, good luck!!

[Yellow Dog]

It is very hard to beat the price and toughness of a Shakespeare Ugly Stick Custom. Good quality rod that will not break the bank.

[Verado06]

To get you guys an update. I fished with a friend that has all spheros 14000 on ugly sticks. I really like them and I felt they are extremly smooth and will last a while.

Me on the other hand I bought ugly sticks for my bg 60's and now have 6 diawas that have all done me well. I have not updated the washers, but i did get the older ones serviced recently and before that didnt touch them for almost 4 years...

I think if i decide to buy new rods/reels again, I may go with the spheros.