The Best Baitcaster You Ever Used? 2024

RyneB reply :

I just want to know what everyone thinks is the best baitcaster they have ever used. I don't want reasons why. I just want answers, just to see all the different reels.

Mine Is the Gen 2 Revo Premier

motodmast reply :

Pinnacle Optimus XI-HS

38 Super Fan reply :

Lews Tourney Pro.

The Wilkin reply :

Lew's TSS

scbassin reply :

Shimano Calais or the Calais DC

YoungProdigy19 reply :

BPS Pro Qualifier. No doubt

BassinB reply :

x2 Revo SX. VERY reliable reel.

War Eagle 44 reply :

Calais DC 201

PondHunter reply :

Shimano Curado 201E7

loodkop reply :

Shimano Core 50

thehooligan reply :

Shimano Core 51

Maico1 reply :

Conquest DC/Calais DC.............

bassinbrian reply :

Daiwa Z

Ima Bass Ninja reply :

Pflueger president bait casting

PQ spinning

MarkH024 reply :

Chronarch for me. Curado DHSV 300 a close second

slonezp reply :

Best EVER? Abu C3 5500

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

<---- TD-ito or Shimano Conquest 51.

Toss up.

deep reply :

Calcutta 401TE

Ken Browning reply :

Abu Garcia Silver Max

Teal reply :

Daiwa Zillion

.RM. reply :

2 actually...

Amb 5501C

CU201B

Tight Lines!

.ghoti. reply :

Alphas R

flippin and pitchin reply :

Original Lews BB1N

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

'03 Pinnacle Deadbolt Classic

BrettD reply :

Core 50

je1946 reply :

Shimano Curado E7 & BPS Johnny Morris Gold

dodgeguy reply :

it was a pflueger patriarch.its now an abu revo mgx.the patriarch has the best finish but the mgx casts awesome.

A-Jay reply :

Some how I have the feeling I'll be the only one ~

A-Jay

TNBassin' reply :

Gotta go with my gen 3 Revo stx. Smooth, light, casts a mile, and it can be tuned to throw any baits in any conditions. It's just plain awesome and user friendly.

Quitlimpin reply :

Idk if its the "best" I've ever used, but I enjoy fishing with the Daiwa Sol/Alphas more than any others.

Mike L reply :

Curado 200 E7 and JM Sig

MIke

Jaiden reply :

Older Quantum Accurrist PT and a PQ.

LuckyHandsINC. reply :

Core 50

BassThumb reply :

Abu Garcia Revo STX or Shimano Curado E7.

ColdSVT reply :

round goes to my calcutta b 201

low pro is a tie between my curado e7 201 and my gen 3 revo stx.

last year my curado beat my gen 2 stx, but the gen 3 is a tie for now lol

TNBassin' reply :

I'm surprised no one said the gen 2 Revo SX. People swore by that reel. I swore AT it though...

11justin22 reply :

Lews tourney pro

BronzeChaser reply :

I'd have to say the e series curado. They're smooth, long casting, and can take a beating more than most other reels I've used

Fishes in trees reply :

Shimano Calcutta TEGT

SJex reply :

Team Daiwa TD-Z

Capt.Bob reply :

Round reel would be the TE Calcutta Best. Low Profile would be the Lew's Team, first model, I may like the Team Gold better but haven't used it yet, but was so impressed with the original I had to try the new one. But if it's better I will still be keeping the older model, it is sweet.

Darren. reply :

While my budget has limited the number of baitcasters I own to three:

Lexa 100HS 7.1:1

Best I've held/played with in-store? Daiwa Pluton, Shimano Core

new2BC4bass reply :

Best for what? I am amazed at how well my cheap Ambassadeur Black Max 1600 casts into the wind. Not my favorite on the retrieve, although I have hopes of improving that. But then the Curado 51E also does extremely well in the wind. I have several Daiwas that are a pleasure to use. Have made a few purchases over the winter, and have high hopes for each reel. Picking one is an impossibility right now. I would need to fish an awful lot more than I have been able to in order to start narrowing my likes. Even then I seriously doubt I could name just "one" reel as the best.

Right now I also "like" my

Zillion 50th

Patriarch XT

Fuegos

Lews Tournament Pro

Alphas ito

Gen 1 STX-L

"Likes" to be yet determined

Sol

Zillion 100SHLA

Purple Alphas

Premier

Morrum 1600

Chronarch 101A and 100B

TD-Z 103ML

and a couple others.

Spinning reels get used even less so I couldn't possibly make a guess as to which will be my favorite.

solo_bro reply :

Shimano Curado E7

Flukeman reply :

Revo STX

Jrob78 reply :

Daiwa Fuego is the reel I always come back to.

Mike__D reply :

Pflueger Patriarch XT - Love that reel!!! Probably why I own 4 of them.

A close second are my tuned Curado 100D's.

Mike D

baluga reply :

Conquest 100

bigfishbk86 reply :

Daiwa Zillion, am i really the only one??

Hot n Tot reply :

Daiwa TDZ

bassinbrian reply :

On 3/31/2013 at 7:37 AM, bigfishbk86 said:
Daiwa Zillion, am i really the only one??

Not much love for Daiwa on this forum. The Zillion is a great reel

OkeechobeeAngler reply :

My new BB1 and my Abu 5500 C4.

MrSwimJig reply :

Shimano Chronarch 50MG

Jrob78 reply :

On 3/31/2013 at 7:37 AM, bigfishbk86 said:
Daiwa Zillion, am i really the only one??

You're not alone, the Zillion was my 1B to the Fuego's 1A.

ww2farmer reply :

The best ones that I own, and like to fish the most are my Curado 51E's. But for the money, my Cruxis, Curado and Citica D's are tough to beat. I have several Citica 201E's but they just don't "do it" for me like the 51E's, and don't fish any better than the D's.

coak reply :

On 3/30/2013 at 9:41 PM, A-Jay said:

Some how I have the feeling I'll be the only one ~

A-Jay

KVD Cranker.jpg

x2 on the Quantum......only I have the PT Tour Edition........Quantum just doesn't get enough love

jerkbait joe reply :

Gen 3 Revo SX. Never owned the Gen2.

jignfule reply :

Calais

KSRonH reply :

I'd have to say the Gen 2 Revo Premiers.

Brian6428 reply :

The best (and only) baitcaster i have used is the Abu Silver max. Love it.

BassinB reply :

On 3/31/2013 at 1:18 AM, TNBassin said:
I'm surprised no one said the gen 2 Revo SX. People swore by that reel. I swore AT it though...

I have a mixture of gen 1 and gen 2 SX's. I do swear by them. Fantastic reels. More durable than any I have owned. Jury is still out on the gen 3's though.

Topwater Pete reply :

Calais DC for me.

Arv reply :

Curado 51e

Pro Qualifier in close second

Grantman83 reply :

Chronarch d...even over my cores

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

My Garcia's pick one hard to do

mod479 reply :

curado 51e with abec7 bearings

kickerfish1 reply :

-Favorite for all around use would be a core 50

-Furthest casting would be a shimano chronarch 100sf supertuned and upgraded bearings

iabass8 reply :

chronarch 51mg

5fishlimit reply :

On 3/30/2013 at 8:04 PM, bassinbrian said:
Daiwa Z

Bass4Me007 reply :

1a- Fuego 1b- Zillion

OK Bass Hunter reply :

Shimano Calcutta 100 TE GT

Goose52 reply :

The word "best" is too broad - best at what? So, here's several "bests" (left-to-right):

Best caster (and most technologically advanced) - Calais DC

Best made (subjective, but it's just like a little Swiss watch) - Conquest 50

Best value (and, arguably, most satisfying to use) - ProLite

Dave P reply :

PQs as of right now.

iceintheveins reply :

Curado 201E5

NorcalBassin reply :

Been loving my Chronarch 50e

new2BC4bass reply :

On 3/31/2013 at 10:54 AM, BoatlessBrian said:
The best (and only) baitcaster i have used is the Abu Silver max. Love it.

Don't know anything about the Silver Max, but I did pick up a Black Max combo recently at DSG, and gave the spool a spin. I was surprised at the length of the free spool time. It is also a good looking reel. These Max reels may not have the build quality or longevity of a more expensive reel (and they shouldn't), but are no doubt a good value for your dollar from all I have been able to gather Online. I am glad that the Silver Max has brought another fisherman into the baitcasting side of fishing. They add a lot of extra enjoyment for me to fishing. I need that extra enjoyment since fishing sucks so bad in my area. I would have given up fishing................again....................if I had stayed with only using my old spinning gear.

nocluefisher reply :

I am fairly new to baitcasters. I have a revo s and sx, bpq, a daiwa strikeforce and a not used yet shimano curado 300ej. I really like them all but probably prefer the sx the most. But the daiwa strikeforce does a really good job for the money I paid for it.

RyneB reply :

I love all the different reels. I kind of figured Shimano would dominate, but its cool to see the different brands and models. I was shocked at how many SXs I saw, good reel. Even saw a Pro-Lite finesse, which is one of the most underrated reel IMO.A lot of Cores an Chronarchs. Its reel porn lol

retiredbosn reply :

I'm really liking my Quantum Energy PT's, to early to say best yet. My Curado E was one sweet reel, though.

Round reel easy Abu Garcia EXT Pro 5600

tholmes reply :

ABU Abbassadeur Record 50.

Tom

greyleg33 reply :

Lew's Tournament Pro

Hanover_Yakker reply :

Abu Garcia Revo Inshore baitcaster. The best all purpose reel made hands down. It doubles as my heavy cover bass reel and my saltwater reel for chasing reds, stripers, sheepsheads and spadefish.

basseditor reply :

I have a bunch of reels I like. I find certain ones better for specific uses. But they could be used for a variety of situations although I've fine tuned my preferences. Best I've used? In order of my preference.

Lew's Team Lew's (now Lew's Gold)

Lew's tournament pro

Revo 3 STX

pflueger patriarch

And, for the money, Academy Sports house brand Mettle. Reg price is $50, but watch for sales at 25-30 each, with lifetime warranty.

bmlum415 reply :

Best I own is a lews tp, best I've ever used is a lews tp and daiwa steez

lmbfisherman reply :

The ones I like using day in and day out are all my Shimano BC reels - Curado B/E/G (50E, 200s), Chronarch 50E and Citicas Gs. I have set these on my everyday rods.

Fattygreens reply :

So far my STX is the champ.

Tim S. reply :

Daiwa Alphas 105H Finesse Custom or Steez 100HA, can't decide.

JunkYard814 reply :

I guess my best would be the Lew's Tournament Speed Spool, although I do have a weird attachment to my Quantum Catalyst PT, which cost about half of any of my other casting reels.

The Rooster reply :

My best would be the Curado E7 for its casting ability and ultra low profile. But my most fun to use would be my BPS Extremes. Handle bearings are NOT overrated. I know the OP said just post models without reasons why, but that ain't in me.

Hooligan reply :

I've gotta go with CH51MG, it is just such a special little reel.

Second and third tie would be JDM Calcutta D and a Megabass Zonda68.

Bk4 reply :

Lew's Laser Speed Spool first and last baitcaster(Maybe) I now own two of it.

flukeking reply :

Lews tourney pro by far and away

B@ssCrzy reply :

Curado E series.....own three of them now. Two E7's and one 50E. Awesome reels and smooth as silk.

fishingman88 reply :

Revo STX.

livetofish28 reply :

lew's tournament mg

clayton86 reply :

For the past few years I'd have to say my 2nd gen Revo SX but iv picked up a Revo 3 STX and absolutly love it iv been having a hard time puttin it down lately.

MemphisFF reply :

I have curado 200E and just got a chronarch, I love my chronarch! Easy to throw and casts a country mile it's just a great reel, very impressed.

jbird9009 reply :

Ive only used 2 different baitcasters 1 being the Abu silvermax which i had back in highschool and served its purpose.

The other being the BPS Bionic (last years model?) which i love, i can cast it a mile, never have problems with it. Ill get a fancy reel one day

Silas reply :

Tied for first:

Daiwa Alpha 103 Ito Ai

Daiwa Steez 103HA

Close third: Daiwa TDZ 103

Didn't realize how many Daiwas I have.

J Francho reply :

JDM Daiwa Zillion

jbsoonerfan reply :

Chronarch E series

BassingNick reply :

Gen 1 Carbonlite

webertime reply :

Daiwa Zillion SHLA with a 100m Spool.

Dwight Hottle reply :

Round reel Shimano jdm conquest 50 or 100

Low profile Shimano jdm Antares HG

Tim S. reply :

On 4/1/2013 at 11:22 AM, Tim S. said:

Daiwa Alphas 105H Finesse Custom or Steez 100HA, can't decide.

Here is a pic of them. Both are heavily tuned and customized. Yes, that is a Megabass Zonda 68 spool in the Alphas.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

0119 reply :

Abu 4500C custom built by Jerry Foran

mikeeasttn reply :

My Core 50

---=Martin=--- reply :

My brand new Chronarch 200E6 :-) Only fished it once since I got it but man it casts like a dream!

Lucky Craft Man reply :

Shimano Core 50 - For Plastics

Abu Garcia Premier - For Moving Baits

Alpster reply :

The best I've ever fished is my Shimano Calcutta TE 250 DC, but I have 5 - 50Mgs and I fish with them the most by far.

Ronnie

Bankbeater reply :

Abu 5600C3, Curado E7, and an Abu Revo-s.

Mr_Scrogg reply :

I'll toss in my Daiwa TD-Advantage HSTA into the mix. Poor Man's Zillion is solid.

Goose21 reply :

Hands down, the revo mgx for me.

The Next KVD reply :

Easily the Shimano Chronarch 100B. No other reel I own, have owned, or even picked up off a buddies deck or at the store compares.

Shane J reply :

Core 51MG7

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

Chronarch 51mg for smaller stuff

301D Curado for the big stuff.

new2BC4bass reply :

OP, notice you got a lot more suggestions here than on that other forum? I like both, but this forum seems to be the most active. You should be realizing by now that there is no "best" reel, but there sure are a lot of good ones.

SissySticks reply :

Old Shimano Bantam Chronarch 101b.

Brian6428 reply :

On 4/1/2013 at 6:43 AM, new2BC4bass said:
Don't know anything about the Silver Max, but I did pick up a Black Max combo recently at DSG, and gave the spool a spin. I was surprised at the length of the free spool time. It is also a good looking reel. These Max reels may not have the build quality or longevity of a more expensive reel (and they shouldn't), but are no doubt a good value for your dollar from all I have been able to gather Online. I am glad that the Silver Max has brought another fisherman into the baitcasting side of fishing. They add a lot of extra enjoyment for me to fishing. I need that extra enjoyment since fishing sucks so bad in my area. I would have given up fishing................again....................if I had stayed with only using my old spinning gear.

You're right about that one. It works great and has been great to learn on, but I will probably need an upgrade in a year or two. You never know, though, hopefully it will surprise me with years of use.

deputybc reply :

Lews, all the way.

A-Rob reply :

Shimano Curade E

and the Abu Garcia Winch (gen2)

They both serve their purpose so I can't say one over the other.

halfpint33 reply :

My one and only is a BPS Pro Qualifier and love it.Haven't owned any others so I can't compare it to anything else.If I ever buy another it will be an Abu Garcia.Have one of their spinning reels and love it.

Tom H. reply :

~~Right now I'm going with the Quantum Smoke.~~

rcr1959 reply :

I like Daiwa's Ballistic. I also use Daiwa Tierras and a Procaster sp33.

IMO Daiwas are the easiest to use and very forgiving.

21farms reply :

from my very first cast with my shimano aldebaran BFS, i knew immediately it was the best baitcaster i've ever used (and i've pretty much used 80-90 percent of what's out there in terms of low profile baitcasters). my metanium HG arrives this week so my opinion might be changing...

JellyMan reply :

Gen 3 Revo STX.

thehooligan reply :

Just picked up a daiwa alphas 103f and have to say I'm pretty amazed. Might have to sell some of my shimanos to add more daiwas to the collection....

flipin4bass reply :

Calais

new2BC4bass reply :

On 4/14/2013 at 11:06 PM, rcr1959 said:

I like Daiwa's Ballistic. I also use Daiwa Tierras and a Procaster sp33.

IMO Daiwas are the easiest to use and very forgiving.

Definitely easier to adjust with the external magnetic control. Don't know as I would go so far as to say more forgiving than some other reels. From 5/16 up...no problem with any brand. From 1/4 oz. down I find Shimano to be more forgiving. I admit to not having as experienced a thumb as 95% of the people posting here, but have high hopes of getting much better this year with the lighter lures.

I have in the neighborhood of 27 b/c reels of which over half are Daiwas, so I guess you could say I am a Daiwa fan although I like all my reels. Don't have any of your models but I do have a few of the older models such as a Procaster 100HN, TD-S and TD-X. All perform admirably.

I find my Abu Black Max 1600C round reels to be very forgiving regardless of lure weight or how much wind you are throwing into. Not the quality of most of my other reels on retrieve, but then neither did they cost anywhere near as much as most of the others.

averagebass123 reply :

h20 mettle, hands down

averagebass123 reply :

why are alot of people saying lew's!?!??! my lew's tourney pro sucks!

hooah212002 reply :

On 5/2/2013 at 9:16 AM, averagebass123 said:
why are alot of people saying lew's!?!??! my lew's tourney pro sucks!

Because: opinions and personal preference.

jkarol24 reply :

For long-range casting, I love my Abu Revo Premier (1st Gen). That thing actually hums when you launch a sammy to busting smallies

For pitching, flipping, and skipping, my Curado 200E7s are the bees knees

Did pick up a Core at Gander Mtn once, drooled for a while before quickly putting it back in the case so that I wouldn't buy it.

Gone_Phishin reply :

Either the Calcutta 201DC, or the Conquest 51S. The Calcutta is the best 1/2oz spinnerbait reel I have ever fished. The Conquest is the best finesse reel I have ever fished.

thehooligan reply :

I think i said shimano core back on page 1 or 2, im going to retract that and say the daiwa pxl-r i just got is better. Im loving this reel....

ChiCityBasser reply :

Quantum Energy PT (older blue model)

Quantum Accurist PT (last years)

Cabelas Prodigy (Grey model)

DementedMutt reply :

Just getting started but I bought a BassPro Pro Qualifier cuz they had a sale going picked it up for $59.96 and I gotta say by far the best baitcaster I've used so far. Going to get another one in a lower gear for a crankbait setup as soon as I get the $79.96 for it.

down4ttown reply :

On 5/3/2013 at 5:01 AM, DementedMutt said:
Just getting started but I bought a BassPro Pro Qualifier cuz they had a sale going picked it up for $59.96 and I gotta say by far the best baitcaster I've used so far. Going to get another one in a lower gear for a crankbait setup as soon as I get the $79.96 for it.

Where and how did you get a PQ for that cheap. That is the best deal going I promise!

Teal reply :

I said zillion then i bought the lews team pro. Im canging my answer. Team pro all day

BigAL reply :

BPS pq its a beast!!!

DementedMutt reply :

On 5/3/2013 at 5:36 AM, down4ttown said:
Where and how did you get a PQ for that cheap. That is the best deal going I promise!

DementedMutt reply :

Was on sale at bass pro shop in Spanish fort, AL about a month or so ago. They're $79.96 now as of 5/5/2013. To the best of my knowledge.

paulkuan reply :

Abu Garcia Morrum 3601 ZX

Grantman83 reply :

Chronarch D7 or daiwa alphas type r

new2BC4bass reply :

Can't remember if I posted before. I enjoy the reel in my hand, whether it is a $30 reel or a $300 reel. I have quite a few different makes and models. My favorite reel would depend on its intended use. However, if I had to pick just one reel, it would be contest between 3 reels. I love my Fuegos, but think I would have picked my Zillion 50th Anniversary as my favorite reel.........but.......I got a Purple Alphas last winter. It is an awesome reel. Picking only one became harder.

It is easier to say that I like my Daiwa reels the best. Can I add my Morrums, Curado 51E and Patriarch XT to the list?

olegs reply :

Chronarch 201E

daiwaguy reply :

T3 Air, PX68R, Zillion. All depends on what I am throwing, but I truly love the Zillion.

John G reply :

Shimano Calais CL-100A......I sure do regret selling it!

Craiger12 reply :

Zillion 50th. Best in my arsenal, but I'm fond of all the Zillion variants. They are tanks and fit perfectly in my hand.

War Eagle 44 reply :

On 4/9/2013 at 11:22 AM, The Next KVD said:
Easily the Shimano Chronarch 100B. No other reel I own, have owned, or even picked up off a buddies deck or at the store compares.

I have to agree somewhat with this, I absolutely love my CH101B and fish with it probably more than any other single reel I own. I've used this reel for practically every technique imaginable and I haven't found anything it doesn't do well. I know most guys now days say it's to heavy but the weight doesn't bother me at all. These reels are dang near bomb proof as well. I "upgraded" a few things on mine but they were fantastic reels straight out of the box.

On 4/10/2013 at 12:26 PM, SissySticks said:
Old Shimano Bantam Chronarch 101b.

The B series Chronarchs dropped the Bantam from their name. The last series to be referred to as Bantam was the A series.

new2BC4bass reply :

War Eagle, I've had my Chronarch 100B for 2 years, and never put it on a rod. (i'm short of rods.) Your statements made me realize I had better give it a try. I do like the 101A I bought after the 100B. A bomb proof reel is always a welcome addition. Weight doesn't bother me either.

EDIT: I have been thinking of it as a heavy duty reel....like maybe for deep cranks. That is not something i can do from shore where I fish. I do have a little Porta-Bote now so I could get over water deep enough to try deep cranks. However, I will try it for other things based on your comments.

Mike2841 reply :

Best casting is my revo elite, but I like the way the retrieve on my chronarch feels better. I'm still looking for "the one"

rippin-lips reply :

My Steez and TD-Z 100 models. Both have upgraded bearings and different spools.

DogBone_384 reply :

Tough call. I have a Core 50, Johnny Morris, an Abu Revo SX, and a couple of Pro Qualifiers. I'd have to go with my Pro Qualifiers. They're not the smoothest, or lightest, but I'll liken them to an M1 Garand: drop it in the mud & she'll still work just fine (for $100 too).

The Rooster reply :

Shimano Curado E7, but it was not my favorite. The Bass Pro Extreme two models back was my favorite.

jignfule reply :

Shimano Calais

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

I use a few different baitcasters.. I love my lews, curados, revos, black and silver max also hold there own with maintenance they last for a while.. overall I don't have a favorite. I enjoy using all brands and models I get the best of all worlds...

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