[2840-FISH]

I'll absolutely pay twice as much for a broken in, but not broken, hard core professional type saw made a decade or more ago in this great USA or another not nearly as great country such as Canada Sweden and other chainsaw making countries of note as opposed to going to a box store and buying some POS chinese garbage saw that most people think are just awesome.
Just sayin to each their own

what you said right there is exactly me...i'd have to say well over half of my reels i bought used and cleaned up to better than new, NONE of the others i paid close to full price for and yeah, the penn rods they include in the combos are crap

 

[crappie89]

If you are going to be fishing in the salt a lot I recommend splurging on a good reel and rinsing after every use. I have cheap reels I have used in the salt and am religious about cleaning and oiling and they hold up for a few years. Listen to these guys who fish in the salt a lot though. Ditto on the pfleuger presidents, salt water chews through those things.

 

[19471]

shimano sahara's are great reels but more in the $60-80 price range.

i meant shimano sienna. But nearly all $30 and up shimano s are great

 

[dbeam]

I have never spent lots of money on spinning gear because I was using baitcasters for bass fishing. But I always kept a spinning rig for a weightless worms before finesse, trick worms, and snekos were thought about. I ran through quite a few of them and finding a smooth drag was hard.

Recently I was able to run across some great deals on a couple of Shimanos and a good Okuma. After fishing on both sides of the coin I would say the the mid range reels are hard to beat esp if exposed to the salt. I also have a President UL that I am not really impressed with. Of the 20 dollar reels I have the Cabelas Tourney Trail UL is my favorite it is smooth has a great drag, time will tell about the life span.

Darrell

 

[sundrop]

Lets not compare apples to oranges. Lets remember some people fish warm weather only and weekends only and that means 15-25 times a year if they are lucky. I know most of you who commented on wearing cheap reels out fast fish 10 + days a MONTH and year round when you can!

 

[NCStateFisher]

I have a horrendous tackle addiction. The shimano sienna is probably one of the only reels under $50 I've seen that's any good long term in the salt (with good cleaning of course). A light step up the penn fierce is not a bad reel overall, biggest thing is just that the gears are cheap pot metal so you will want to make sure they are thoroughly greased before use

 

[sundrop]

so we all agree you get what you pay for.. Now back to the $40 and under choices I say Shimano, agree with Mitchell Avet being decent too but mine pitted quickly in salt. I also like some of the Okuma Avengers. ANY reel you buy will be best served if you open it up as soon as you buy it and clean and grease it with GOOD synthetic grease/oil.

 

[c.lane]

I have some battles I m going to sell. Hit me up!! 2 3000's and maybe a 4000.

 

[papadave]

A few years ago I bought a few Okuma Avengers on sale for < $20. They retailed for $30. One has gone to the boneyard after being fished hard for 3 years, it didn't die but it got a little gravely. I gave 2 away still in the clam pack, not because I didn't want them but because the recipients needed 'em. The fourth is still going strong.

Couple years ago I decided to try the Lew's Laser Spins. Paid $40 for the first one and then found "last year's models" on ebay for <$30 delivered. It's a solid reel with a smooth drag and it is fairly light. Good value @ retail, very good value if you can find them for 10-20% off. They perform at least as well as a Penn Fierce and they're a lot lighter. Only complaint I have so far is that they don't float.

 

[catfish_hunter]

I have some battles I m going to sell. Hit me up!! 2 3000's and maybe a 4000.

what you want for them battles lane?

 

[OptiMystic]

I am also a fence rider. I like having a selection of cheap ones that I can take when that seems like a good idea (tossed in the suitcase on a non fishing trip, or kept under the seat) but I have had a cheap reel fail in action on the largest striper I caught (end up hand lining it in, which is a great story, but I probably could have caught 3 or 4 more in the time it took). That said, I have had good luck with Quantum on the low end. But be aware that I don't think they make anything but labels; you need to compare each of their reels individually. What seems like a small step up or down in their line is often a completely different reel.

 

[challenger]

Both camps are correct IMO. There is absolutely a place for both the cheap & expensive reels. Using a reel with even the slightest gravely or rubbing feel transmitted through the handle aggravates the heck out of me.
I'd love to know if there is a reel available for ANY PRICE that doesn't show some sign of salt damage after a few uses. The battle I bought had some discoloration on the handle after maybe three times out and they were rinsed. Forty years ago I would put my reels in water and a drop of dish soap after fishing salt water and let them soak for a couple of days. Now I'm told that a light rinse only is the protocol.
What about things like ,"Reel Magic"? I started using it to help with knot problems in braid which I've pretty much conquered but but I still use it and I wonder if it helps protect the reel?

Beekeeping for chordoma

 

[crappie89]

To the OP, I guess it boils down to where you fill be fishing and how often. If you fish 20 days a year, there are plenty of good options available. Go to amazon, bass pro, and cabelas and filter to match your search criteria. There is a lot of good reviews on those websites. For instance this may fit in your price range: http://www.amazon.com/Okuma-ABF-50-...000F7UPRG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390565796&sr=8-3&keywords=okuma+spinning+reel It is also highly rated. Just do your homework and decide where you will be fishing the most and how often.

Tight Lines

 

[bweave09]

I love the Shimano Siennas at $29.99. I've caught decent reds and some big trout on the 1000. They're on both of my shad rods too

 

[NCStateFisher]

Both camps are correct IMO. There is absolutely a place for both the cheap & expensive reels. Using a reel with even the slightest gravely or rubbing feel transmitted through the handle aggravates the heck out of me.
I'd love to know if there is a reel available for ANY PRICE that doesn't show some sign of salt damage after a few uses. The battle I bought had some discoloration on the handle after maybe three times out and they were rinsed. Forty years ago I would put my reels in water and a drop of dish soap after fishing salt water and let them soak for a couple of days. Now I'm told that a light rinse only is the protocol.
What about things like ,"Reel Magic"? I started using it to help with knot problems in braid which I've pretty much conquered but but I still use it and I wonder if it helps protect the reel?

Beekeeping for chordoma

Most people do say a light rinse, as soon as I get home from a saltwater trip every rod taken goes propped up in the shower with the showerhead right on em, warm water and they get rinsed for a good 10-15 minutes while I'm getting everything situated to start cleaning fish. so far doing it this way i've had no discoloration or any kind of corrosion issues, just a little boat rash here and there which is pretty well unavoidable without neoprene covers

 

[2840-FISH]

Most people do say a light rinse, as soon as I get home from a saltwater trip every rod taken goes propped up in the shower with the showerhead right on em, warm water and they get rinsed for a good 10-15 minutes while I'm getting everything situated to start cleaning fish. so far doing it this way i've had no discoloration or any kind of corrosion issues, just a little boat rash here and there which is pretty well unavoidable without neoprene covers

i do the same thing, just remember to always tighten your drag down all the way, then reel upside down to get the water that gets trapped out, then unloosen drag of course

 

[Swampin']

My favorite cheap reel is my diawa crossfire. I've owned most every one of the cheap reels mentioned and it might just be how badly I use and abuse reels, but the handle is always the first thing to break, followed by the gears. My solution? I've got half a dozen franken reels with mixed matched handles or spools that I use for bullhead fishing or for beat around reels. Personally, I prefer cheap reels because, as I said, I'm rough on gear so I'd break a $100 reel as quick as a $10 one. One personal standard though is to never buy a Shakespeare real. even as cheap reels go they are not worth the money. EVER.

 

[NCStateFisher]

My favorite cheap reel is my diawa crossfire. I've owned most every one of the cheap reels mentioned and it might just be how badly I use and abuse reels, but the handle is always the first thing to break, followed by the gears. My solution? I've got half a dozen franken reels with mixed matched handles or spools that I use for bullhead fishing or for beat around reels. Personally, I prefer cheap reels because, as I said, I'm rough on gear so I'd break a $100 reel as quick as a $10 one. One personal standard though is to never buy a Shakespeare real. even as cheap reels go they are not worth the money. EVER.

how the heck do you break a handle off??

 

[Fish_Fiend]

I've done it while performing and Advanced Anphibeous Insertion. Made the event that much more disheartening!

Tapatalk - Galaxy S4

 

[lewisfishing]

I think the best reel in this range is the Shimano Sienna...$30. It's a great reel for the price range you rate looking at. I have played with all of them...especially since I do some time at BPS on the side...LOL!

The reels that have the line catchers and triggers like the Sweepfire have a serious drawback. While it may be nice to have the line easily turned to the casting position, that same slack in the reel greatly affects hook sets. Depending on how far the bail is from the top position, you will have that much play when setting the hook. It is always best to get a reel with the anti-reverse bearings, which are pretty much available in all the reels now.

Since Shimano started out as primarily a bearing company, they make a pretty good anti-reverse bearing...as well as they do with all their bearings.