What reels do use?

[pro reel]

I would like to see a list of all the bass fishing reels each of you currently use. If some of them are identical, how many of each do you have? Please include what you primarily use each reel for and what your impresions are of how well each reel works for you. List any pro's and con's of the reels also.
My personal colection includes seven, 2010 revo stx reels, one pre 2010 revo SX, one calcutta 250.

I use the 7.1.1 stx reels for jigs and plastics. I love the dual brakes this reel has and they work great for casting or pitching anything over a 1/4 oz.

I use the 6.4.1 stx reels for spinner baits, topwater, traps and cranks that I want to run fast. Again, the dual brakes help to fine tune these reels for any situation, but the reel strugles to cast very light baits.

The one SX has been customized with a 5.4.1 gear set from a revo winch. I use this reel for all small to medium diving crank baits and some large baits. The mag only brakes on this reel work great for these bigger baits, but the mag only system can be difficult to use for smaller , lighter baits. I love the 5.4.1 speed for most cranks but I feel that it's still a bit fast for the biggest baits such as DD 22's

I now have added a Calcutta 250 that I customized by adding boca OS 7 hybrids, carbon fiber drags and the gears from a Curado B 3.8 reel. The 3.8.1 speed is rediculously slow but thats what works great for me in the biggest cranks. It's imposible for me to crank this reel to fast as I have always done before. I just can't force myself to slow down so I will now use a super slow reel that does it for me. I also plan to use this reel for slow rolling spinner baits when I want them to run deep and just fast enough to turn the blades.

All of my reels have greased carbon fiber drags, and the Calcutta is the only reel currently using custom bearings.

The only thing missing from my arsenal is a reel dedicated to very light baits. Traditionaly, I would use spinning reels for those baits but more and more I'm considering getting some casting reels setup for 1/8 oz baits, I just have not decided which reel to use for that. I can customize any reel with super fast bearings and that will help with light baits, but what you really need is a small, super light spool.

[bamabassman]

Gonna take me a while to give you this info pro. See i now have over 20 set ups. So just hold on a while and i'll post mine.

[Imgoodatwhatido]

I have carbonlites, with the exception of my crankin rod and some spinning set-ups.

My crankin rod is an old quantum rod that I rebuilt, and it has a tuned shimano b-100 on it with a 5:1 ratio. I use this reel to throw medium to large cranks all the way up to a dd22s and 6XDs.

I also have a abu garcia CD-4 2000 for my smaller wintertime cranks. I think this is the best spinning reel on the market for the money spent. Its a 5.2:1 on a customized 6'10" shimano voltaeus rod.

I use a Pfleuger Supreme on a fenwick venture 6'6" medium for all my shakey head and drop shotting.

Eventually i will get a carbonlite for my crankin, but to do that i will have to replace the stock gears with a set of crankin gears from a Pro Qualifier.

[Tavery5]

I have about 10-12 reels that I use on a regular basis. I only have 1 reel that is dedicated to a specific technique, and I often change reels on rods to see how they fish differently from one another. My reels are:
2- 2010 Revo STX
1-2009 Revo Premier
1-2009 Revo STX
1-2009 Revo SX
1- Pflueger President II
1-Plueger Asaro
1-Shimano Curado E series
1-Shimano Citica E series
1-Daiwa Exceler


I am a Revo fan, however the reel that I own that impresses me the most is my Shimano Citica. I say this because the reel is about 100 dollars brand new, and it will fish with any of the other reels in my collection without missing a beat. I don't know of a better reel for the money, but I am always open to suggestions.
I would like to add a reel to handle my light bait duties, I have looked at a few that I think would work well, Shimano 50E and the Daiwa Sol are in my price range, I think a tuned 50E on the right rod would handle my needs.

[Ebbetsguy]

I have 4 bait casting rigs all have
Pflueger Trion LP narrow spool, the older ones, discontinued got for 40 bucks each # ffo-tackle, the reel I learned on

One Spinning rig
Pflueger Trion X6735

[Jrob78]

Daiwa Zillion - Jigs, heavy t-rigs, c-rigs
Daiwa Fuego - Senkos, Flukes, t-rigs
Daiwa Exceler - multi-purpose
Daiwa Advantage 153H7 - multi-purpose
Daiwa Viento - Jigs, heavy t-rigs
Shimano Curado E5 - Cranking
Shimano Citica E - multi-purpose
Pflueger Patriarch XT - multi-purpose
Abu Garcia Revo Winch (en route via USPS) - deep cranking
BPS Pro Qualifier - Cranking

Daiwa Exceler 2000 spinning - multi-purpose finesse

Most of my reels are subject to duty changes. The exceptions are the cranking reels and the Zillion and Viento which both have heavy braid on them.

I think that about covers everything that gets used. I too am in the market for a finesse casting reel to move the spinning set up further down the list. I am probably going to try to get a Daiwa Sol in the next few weeks. A Curado 50E, Daiwa Pixy or Daiwa Alphas are also on the consideration list if Ebay cooperates.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Let me see, there is a
Shimano Curado (1) 200E5, (3) 100Ds and (2) older CU 200s. And I justed added a Calais to the mix.
I am interested in this 3.8 ratio PR. Could you send me a PM on the pricing or post it here in case anyone else would like to look in on it? I know we talked on the chat one night about it, but my memory has slipped me on the specifics of doing the work.

[rrw4258]

I have the following reels:

13 - BPS Pro Qualifier Tournament Edition Baitcast - 6.4:1 gear ratio, used for everything except deep cranking.

1 - BPS Pro Qualifier Tournament Edition Baitcast - 5.2:1 gear ratio; gears from a reg. BPS Pro Qualifier; used for deep crankbaits

2 - Daiwa Exceler Spinning Reels; size 3000; both setups used for dropshot

Ryan

[pro reel]

Those of you that have several different reels, can you give us some comparison info like which ones cast better, crank smoother , your personal likes or dislikes about them?

[Cavs1123]

2-BPS Rick Clunn Baitcasters- 1 in 7.1:1 and 1 in 5.4:1
1-Daiwa TD Pro Spinning reel

[bassboogieman]

Mine are all right handed Pflueger, except one.
casting
Pflueger Patriarch: 4 - 6.3:1 reg. spool, all are worm/plastics rods
Pflueger Assaro: 4 - 6.3:1*. 2 reg spool & 1 wide spool on crankbait rods, other wide spool is on my frog rod.
Pflueger Patriarch XT: 3 - 6.3:1 reg spool on my spinnerbait rods
Pflueger Summit: 1 - 7.1:1 reg spool on my trap rod.
Shimano Quickfire : 1 - 6.2:1 on my jig rod.
spinning
Pflueger Supreme: 3 - 1 on my dock skipper, 2 for tubes/plastics on MH rods
Pflueger Supreme XT (gold): 2 on M finesse rods

AND NO, I am not sponsored by Pflueger or any other tackle company. I just like them.
*Rate of Retrieve on the Asaro is 25" per handle turn, the other Pflueger 6.3:1 reels have a "RoR" of 28". I personally think the "RoR" is a better factor when determining a "slower" reel for crankbait use than the ratio. And though it's not a big difference, it does work for me.

A big factor in my selection of fishiing gear is consistancy. All the Plueger reels are consistant in frame size, so they all feel similiar in my hand when palming them. The only "odd ball" is the Shimano, and it's used for one SPECIFIC purpose - for which there is NO comparable Pflueger. Most are very close in weight, the exception being the Patriarch XT casting reels which are about an ounce ligher than the Patriarch. I WISH I could afford to replace my reels (except the crankbait & jig reels) with the XT, but that would be a considerable expense. The XT is the best reel I've ever put my hands on and complements my rods perfectly.
The spinning reels are magnesium frame, very light and again compliment the light weight rods I use. Only drawback, as with all magnesium reels, is they do not hold up well in brackish (tidal) water, and contact with heavily salted baits (like Yamamoto) will cause them to corrode very quickly. They require more cleaning (usually a good rinse and wipe down) after use in brackish water or fishing with the heavily salted plastics.

[LilJakeC]

2 BPS Pro Qualifier 7.1:1/ I have one spooled up with 15lb Vicious Fluoro. I use this reel for jigs, t-rigs, soft swimbaits, swimjigs, and flukes. The other one has 65lb braid on it. I use this reel for fishing anything in heavy cover.

1 Abu Garcia Revo Premier 6.4:1 that is spooled with 16lb Sunline Super Natural. I use this reel for spinnerbaits, topwater, shallow and medium cranks, and lipless cranks.

1 Pflueger Supreme 6.3:1 that is spooled with 30lb braid. This reel is used for everything besides hollow belly frogs and punching.

1 Quantum Energy E100PPT 5.1:1 that is spooled with 12lb Suffix Deep Cranking line. This is my deep cranking reel.

1 Quantum Tour Edition 1160 6.3:1 that is spooled with 14lb Suffix Siege. This reel is used for spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, and topwaters

1 Daiwa TD Pro 2500 that is spooled with 8lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid. This reel is used for all of my finesse fishing.

[Apt79]

1. 1-quantum kvd 5:3 reel on a 7' mh st croix mojo bass rod-cranking
2. 1-quantum core 7:0 reel on a 6'10 mh quantum rod-top water
3. 1-garcia silver max 6:2 reel on a garcia mh rod-spinner baits
4. 1-garcia black max 6:2 reel on a garcia 7' m vengence rod-jigs
5. 1-garcia spinning reel 7' m rod-wacky rigs and shaky heads

[LSLURES]

All REVo STX 2010 model on all duckett rods. The best combo ever IMO

[BigBassin144]

1 - Daiwa Fuego
1 - Daiwa Viento
1 - Diawa Sol
1 - Daiwa Procaster
1 - Daiwa Caldia 2000 (spinning)
1 - AG Revo STX
1 - AG Skeet Reese Revo
1 - Shimano Citica
1 - Pflueger Supreme 8030Mg (spinning)
1 - BPS Johnny Morris Signature

Right now, I have don't have many reels dedicated to certain techniques. My Daiwa Caldia 2000 is my dropshot reel while my SKT Revo is my shallow cranker. Other than that, all my reel see at least two techniques.

As you can see, I've tried a few different brands. But I've settled on Daiwa for quite a few reasons. In no particular order:

Ergonomics - Many of Daiwa's of reels don't look comfortable due to shaper angles and a more "industrial" look, for lack of a better word. However, I've yet to fish a Daiwa that doesn't fit comfortably in my hands. The TD-Z (Zillion) platform and the Alphas (Sol) platforms are probably my favorites. Despite being a bit larger, the Revos are my next choice as far as ergonomics go. The Citica/Curados are one of least comfortable reels I've fished. I just can't seem to find a comfortable grip while fishing, which distracts me (and another distraction is the last thing I need, lol).

Brakes - I greatly prefer magnetic brakes to centrifugal, but I prefer Daiwa's various incarnations of their Magforce brakes more than normal magnetic brakes. I personally believe that this is the best braking system on the market.

Specialization - I like that Daiwa has some very specialized reels, including the best finesse BC reel available today. While we don't have the Pixy here in the US, the Sol is one of the best finesse reels on the USDM. It excels at throwing lighter baits that a lot of BCers can't.

Performance - Finally, performance. It's extremely difficult to explain how a Daiwa feels on the cast and retrieve to someone who has never fished one. The best way is how they describe it in TT reviews, and that is refined and precise. Daiwa reels aren't buttery smooth like your higher end Pflueger and Revos, but they aren't rough either. It's a very connected feeling that, like I said before, is hard to explain to someone who has never fished one. And personally, I love how they perform.

BB

[walkeraviator]

Old Abu Maxxar 6.3:1
Quantum Tenacity (junk at casting but good for pitching with the brake turned down)
Pro Qualifier 6.4:1 (old style with straight centrifugal brake)
Back Max
Pro Max
And a cheapo Mitchell Spinnin Reel.

[Jrob78]

I too, prefer Daiwa reels. They fit my hands perfectly and perform very well! To me, the Zillion and Fuego fit my hands exactly how a reel should. The "connected" feeling BB described is how I feel too. They are very smooth but in a mechanical way. They feel very precise and engaged. These reels cast really well and the Mag V and Z braking systems are the best mag brakes on the market. Daiwa reels cast as well as any. I actually had someone comment on how far I was able to effortlessly cast my Fuego recently. They just flat out perform well.

The Pflueger Patriarch XT is a awesome reel too. Very smooth and refined. I have to work really hard to backlash it, due to the dual braking. I like this reel a lot. The eva knobs are awesome too.

The main gripe I have with Shimano baitcasters, particularly the Citica and Curado E's are the ergonomics. It seems to me that the gear box sits too low. I too have trouble finding a good comfortable grip. I think the Citica is the most underrated reel on the market today. For such a low bearing count and low cost, it performs really, really well. It would probably be my first recommendation to someone looking for a low priced baitcaster. I also have a set of Boca Orange seals in my Curado, my jaw hit the floor the first time i cast it with the new bearings. It was amazing.

I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of a new Revo Winch, my first Revo. The reason I don't own one as of yet is due to the ergonomics of the reel. I don't like the bulging side plates, they seem uncomfortable. I got a good deal on a new Winch so I decided to actually try it instead of just holding one in the store. I also tend to grip a rod and reel differently when working heavy, moving baits, I'm hoping this different grip will make the Winch more comfortable to fish.

The main 2 things I look for in a reel is comfort and performance. I always take really good care of my reels and service them as needed. I want a reel to hold up and be durable. I enjoy trying new reels and don't stick to any one certain brand, although Daiwa reels are my favorite. I like sturdy, solid, precise reels. I also prefer mag braking over centrifugal braking, although the 2 dual braking reels I have seem to perform really well.

[pro reel]

I agree with you Daiwa guys on the pixy or the Sol for light baits. I would love to come across a good deal on a good condition pixy. I will probably end up with a Sol however. If thats what i get for light baits I will customize it with the 4 bearing handle from the Zillion or posibly the carbon handle from the Zillion R.
From what I have seen, Daiwa reels have the strongest engagment clutch system on any high end reel. I would guess that the connected feeling you speak of is partly a result of that positive , smooth engagment transition from cranking to casting and back.

[boloson]

any particular go to reels? is there 1 reel that does it all for u guys? i was debating between the daiwa & shimano when i was looking into a baitcaster. it seems that shimano were lighter & cheaper then the daiwas overall.

[cassidyta]

I have yet to stick to any particular brand nor style of reel. Heck some of mine are left handed and others are right handed retrieves.

My entire arsenal is a hodge podge of things I have collected over the years. Most of the reels I have gotten have been through bartered services and thrift shops. This is the only reason that I own more shimano than anything else. They are the main choice of most folks out here.
Others have been gotten on sale when older models are on clearance.

Currently I have
2 old green curados which I use for T-Rigs, T-rigs, and small swimbaits.
2 Revo (1 S and 1 SX) that I use for jigs, creature baits, and frogs.
1 very old bantam promag that I use for cranking.
2 JM elites that I use for top water and spinnerbaits.
2 Calcutta 400's for my swimbaits.
1 Citica that I use for senkos and ikas.

I also have a quantum PT that I keep in the boat, but it is not kept on a rod.


Each reel works fine for me. This is not to say that they are equal. It did take me a little while to figure out which reel worked best for each application.

From time to time, the quick switch from one to another forces me to go through some what of a learning curve.

When I am looking to buy or trade for a reel, it is all about value for me. Whether I am spending 2 hours of my time or $300, I want to have a good return on investment.

[pro reel]

Originally Posted by boloson

any particular go to reels? is there 1 reel that does it all for u guys? i was debating between the daiwa & shimano when i was looking into a baitcaster. it seems that shimano were lighter & cheaper then the daiwas overall.

I think this list we have going shows that there is not any one reel on the market that would be a top choice for everyone, at least not in these price ranges. I think there are just far to many factors that go into the pick. For many of use it's the comfort of how the reel feels when it's mounted on the rod of choice. Thats one reason that lots of people have several different reels, they don't all balance or sit the same on every rod. For some, weight is the top or close to the top concern. They want the lightest reel that will do the job for the technique they will use it for. Again, they may have several reels that work for most things but will have a few heavier reels in the mix for techniques that require a bigger, stronger reel. It seems that the search for a casting reel that excels with very small, lightweight baits is a concern for lots of us, and not very easily filled with choices.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by pro reel

I agree with you Daiwa guys on the pixy or the Sol for light baits. I would love to come across a good deal on a good condition pixy. I will probably end up with a Sol however. If thats what i get for light baits I will customize it with the 4 bearing handle from the Zillion or posibly the carbon handle from the Zillion R.
From what I have seen, Daiwa reels have the strongest engagment clutch system on any high end reel. I would guess that the connected feeling you speak of is partly a result of that positive , smooth engagment transition from cranking to casting and back.

Pro Reel, I may be mistaken, but I don't believe the standard Zillions come with a 4 bearing handle. With a 6+1 bearing count, I don't see how there could be 4 in the handle.

I do think the handles from the 50th and Type R Zillions have 4 bearing handles. And I believe the Advantage A 153HSTA/LA has a four bearing handle as well. Just not the standard Zillion.

BB

[pro reel]

Pro Reel, I may be mistaken, but I don't believe the standard Zillions come with a 4 bearing handle. With a 6+1 bearing count, I don't see how there could be 4 in the handle.


Yes and no. Any zillion handle can have 4 bearings put in it to replace the bushings or you can add any of the custom knobs.
The zillion SHSA handlle comes with 4 bearings, but thats an 11 bearing reel. Thats the handle I have been buying to upgrade Daiwas for my customers. It looks cool with the black handle, red nut retainer and chrome nut.
Good catch however as most don't come stock with bearings.


Daiwa Zillion 100SHSA/SHSLA Specifications

Line Capacity (lbs / yds) 14/120 : 16/100 (Manufacturer Spec)
Gear Ratio 7.3:1
Measured Weight 8.3 ounces
Measured Max. Drag 11 lbs measured max drag
Number of Bearings 11 + 1 Roller
Size of Spool/Sideplate Bearings 5x11x4 : 3x8x4 : 4x7x2.5 (handle)
Length of Handle 90mm
Spool Weight 20 grams
Features Mag Force Z, 7.3:1 retrieve, CRBB's, available in left and right hand retrieve, bearing supported handle knobs, removable knobs, serialized thumbar, clicking drag and cast control knob
MSRP $300

[Jrob78]

Aren't standard Zillion knobs riveted on?

How much are the SHSA handles and can you get them from Daiwa?

[AUFred]

Mostly Diawas & a few BPS.