Fish-Hawk.Net

hello all,

im looking for some advice in buying a decent bait-cast reel and rod, i currently fish walleye and bass with a shimano Sahara 2500 and fenwickH rod i was at the bass pro shop, it seemed like they were trying to up-sell me to $150-$200 reels, should i have to spend that much to get a decent reel? with the sportsman's show coming to toronto i am hoping to have a couple reels and rods that i can research before hand and try my luck there.

thanks for your time.. just want to get a second reel and rod for the start of what i hope to be a good selection of artillery

thanks alot

I'll impart what I was told by some bass guys (Renegade). Best advice I ever got on them..now I use them exclusively.

Price isn't the main factor, but quality is.
5 bearings and up is best. Cheap baitcasters are more prone to backlashing and as such when starting out it is best to use low-memory line as opposed to mono or line with high memory.

When starting out adjust the brake so it is high. You won't be able to cast as far but it'll be more forgiving on the backlashing. As you get better adjust the brake down until you are on 1 or 0. Now you'll be able to cast farther but your technique should be better.

$150-$200 sounds quite reasonable. But you can get less expensive ones too.

Good luck

Go Big or Go Home..............


Shimano = Bullet proof......

Here are some great reels I have used at different price points;

Daiwa Exceler - they were $100 last year, slightly cheaper this year. These are great all around reels that cast great and are super easy to fish with all day long. They have quality components and are an all-around great buy.

Abu Garcia Revo S - these run about $140 this year. I bought a used one last year, and was totally impressed. They don't launch a bait quite as far as the other Revos, but these are solid, back-lash free reels that will last you a while.

Abu Garcia Revo SX - $200 this year. In my opinion, this is the best reel dollar for dollar on the market. I have upgraded 4 of my 5 casting rigs to this reel (#5 has a Curado DHSV I bought used on this forum and haven't used yet). I practice my pitching all the time in the basement, and these things are sweet! Set the brakes to get comfortable with your casting, turn 'em off for one of the fastest spools in the industry.

Keep your eyes open for quality used gear, and don't forget Bass Pro's Spring Sale starts Friday. The reel trade in deal is wicked, and there is some great equipment on sale too. (No, I do not work there. I WISH I worked there, and made the same money/benefits I do in my current job. Sigh......only 23 years 'til retirement and full time tourny fishing...)

Check Ottawafishing.com. The tourney guys are always selling used reels and you can get good quality/condition reels at a fair price.

thanks for the info gentleman, i am going to do some research and narrow it down before i go back to the bass shop or sportsman show

thanks again

Quantum has redised there tour edition PTI reel, i have two of last years model and they are awsome. You can pick them up most places for $140.00 last year they were $240.00.

They are a great casting reel, no fiddling with internal magnents easy to use and hold up great.

I would recomend looking at them as a minimum.

Buckshot

Buckshot wrote:Quantum has redised there tour edition PTI reel, i have two of last years model and they are awsome. You can pick them up most places for $140.00 last year they were $240.00.

They are a great casting reel, no fiddling with internal magnents easy to use and hold up great.

I would recomend looking at them as a minimum.

Buckshot

I'll second that. I have a few Quantum tour edition and a few energy baitcasters and they are alot of reel for the money. There's some VERY good deals on 2008 models due to the complete redesign of all their reels.

I'm looking for another Accurist baitcaster if anyone has one for a reasonable price.

All of the reels mentioned are great reels. If you are not fishing tournaments and are just learning you don't need to go that expensive. The quantum code is a great reel. Super smooth casts well and is under $100. If you buy off ebay you can get okuma reels very cheap. I bought 2 alumina's for 30 bucks each and 2 aveon's for 40 bucks each and they retail for quite a bit more. My point is you don't need the fancy reels that tournament guys use to start out, you may not even like a baitcaster. Buy a reel in the 100 dollar range 5 bearings and up and you will be fine.

Go to the show and try out the demo reels to see which one you like, and If you can find a good deal on the more expensive reels by all means pick one up, but don't break the bank for something you may not use. Not easy to get your money back from a "used" reel. Good luck and happy shopping.

Shimano is obviously the most respected name when it comes to reels....and rightly so....

BUT....

I've been using Quantum gear almost exclusively for all my bass gear....it's yet to let me down....

I currently have Accurists on my 4 flippin sticks....nice and light....comfortable in my hand....and comfortable in my wallet...

And no....I don't pro-staff for Quantum...

RJ

I'm also a big Quantum fan. if you can get a 2008 tour edition cheap, go for it. I have one Tour Edition burner and one Energy Burner and a couple of lower end quantums. I love the tours so much i am picking up a couple more soon. plus i'm picking up one of the new US Reels Supercaster Pro's...just because i like the idea of it (I'm gonna be a guinea pig for this reel )

It's hard to beat a quantum. The energy and tour are both awesome reels and have never let me down. Getting a higher quality baitcaster when first starting out makes learning that much easier. Basspro is a great store, but why don't you look into the local stores around where you are? Support the Ma and Pop stores.

give Ed a call....he had some great prices on the Curado's....

I'm a Daiwa guy but picked up a Quantum Code and Quantum Burst at Paddletales back in Nov. Each one was well south of $100 and they both have lots of bearings. The Burst is less expensive than the Code. I haven't cast either of them yet but in looking at the specs and holding them in my hands, I'm not sure the Code will be all that much better than the Burst.

HTH,
Doug