Are High End Reels Worth Hundreds? 2025
WayToGo88 reply :
I have been looking to buy a new bait casting reel. I will be using this to throw plastics weightless and weighted. I'm having trouble deciding if the expensive Shimano and Daiwa are even worth it, or if i should get a cheaper reel like a curado or tourny pro and put most of my money into baits. I haven't seen many reviews on the Patriarch, but i love the way it looks. What do you guys think????
A-Jay reply :
Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~
Interesting first post. Justifying any purchase is solely in the mind of the human making the purchase.
I'll say get what you can afford & spend whatever makes you happy.
As long as it does what you need it to, frankly what difference does it make ?
The bass have no clue what you spent.
Good Luck with your choice & purchase.
btw - I'd encourage you to consider function, design & durability as well as aesthetics (how it looks)
A-Jay
new2BC4bass reply :
I personally have never been able to justify the expensive reels ($300 up). Too frugal....and poor. 
If I could afford them I'd have a few simply because of the pleasure I would get from using them. Not because they were so much better than what I already have....or would catch any more fish.
I've not used the Patriarch, but have 2 of the Patriarch XTs and a 3rd on the way. These are the older blue ones. Nice looking with a tough finish. Pretty light. Cast quite well. One I have set up with 40# braid and mostly use it for throwing unweighted 10" ribbontail worms back into the weeds and lily pads. It is set up with fewer brakes than any of my other reels, and I have no problems with backlashes.
Pfluegers are mention in a thread currently on the first page entitled "Top 3 Choices of baitcasters?" An Online buddy who has given me lots of good advise (smalljaw67) has a couple of the Supreme XTs and likes them a lot. He use to tournament fish and has used quite a few different brands of reels...including some expensive ones.
What reels are you using now?
burrows reply :
Yes it is worth it. You don't need it but it sure is a pleasure to fish with.
MickD reply :
How about some details on what makes them worth the extra money.
kickerfish1 reply :
What higher end reels are you considering? May also be helpful to know what reels you are using or have used in the past.
Are they worth it? IMO the differences are not proportional to the cost. For example is the Metanium MGL twice the reel the Curado is? IMO once you start moving passed the $200 price point you are generally paying for more refinement, collectability, and weight reduction plus perhaps a unique color combination.
fishnkamp reply :
Here is my suggestion. Look very seriously at the Daiwa line. The original retail price of a Tatula is $150 The retail price of a Tatula Type R is $199. There is the new model called the Tatula CT and Tatula CT Type R. They run $130 and around $170. The R series is a tiny bit lighter spool and 1 bearing is upgraded. What is the result not much. You can easily find a Tatula in any gear ratio and both left and right hand retrieve for around $99 online. A Tatula CT, which is the newest version is a tiny bit lighter and a tiny bit smaller. I own a bunch of all of these reels. They are awesome reliable, well built, easy casting reels. I have around 20 baitcasters and have been replacing older models with these reels. They are workhorses. Right now across the board with all of the manufacturers the $100 to $200 price range is the best bang for your buck. In the Daiwa lineup there are lots of higher priced reels and they are terrific. If I had unlimited funds I would probably own some of them. Some offer less weight, higher priced bearings, lighter weight spools, a lot more bearings etc. Be careful with more being better. Some reels have handle knobs which have 4 bearings in them. Some offer knobs with 1 bushing and 1 bearing, all of which will not increase the distance you will cast by 1 inch. Maybe a professional angler will appreciate the difference in feel. I have been fishing for over 40 years. I do not want to fish with junk, nor a reel that will hinder my casting ability or my ability to fight and land a fish. I have come to believe most reels that retail below the $100 range are not worth it, when these $100 to $200 reels are available online.
Redlinerobert reply :
To me the high end tackle serves two purposes. Fun to collect, and fun to use. There is something quite satisfying from using my stuff.
byram bassturd reply :
Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. I know that it's worth it to me. 
Big Bait Fishing reply :
to me spending an extra hundred or even two hundred on a reel is not worth it to me as i find there are plenty great reels for around $200 , i'll always put the extra money towards a custom rod any day of the week !!
Bluebasser86 reply :
I can't justify it personally. They are nice to look at, and very enjoyable to fish with, but I'm more about function personally. I own a few dozen reels and I can count on one hand the reels I paid over $150 for, and 2 of them are my swimbait reels. The only other ones I paid over that for are my Curado 70XG, Scorpion 70HG, and Stradic CI4.
I'm not making a living doing it, and the fish don't care how much my gear cost, so I get what I feel the best value options are and just take care of them and they last for years. I still have the very first Curado B that I ever bought when I was 15 and it's still in my starting lineup.
smalljaw67 reply :
I'm with Kickerfish1, I stay in the $120 to $220 range anymore for the reasons he mentioned. Once you get past the $200 range there aren't a ton more features to have, it is basically refinement, frame materials and small details. These things added up make the reel enjoyable to use and it also adds resale value as most anglers in what I call the "enthusiast" crowd will buy high end reels and sell them off in a few years to get newer. Now, there are some that will hold onto a few reels but when you get into the $300+, those are enthusiast level reels with small added touches line anodized knobs, bearing supported level winds and machined star drags and carbon fiber handles. I like light weight reels, and one of the reasons I haven't ventured into the magnesium realm of sub 6oz reels is because of what the sub 7oz reel did to me. I so wanted to like the Tatula reels but they were just too heavy and cumbersome after using reels under 7oz for a few years before the Tatula came out, and it isn't just me, I've heard from a lot of anglers that splurged on a enthusiast level reel and now can't stand to use anything else, sometimes the lighter weight and refinement are just too good to do without.
WayToGo88 reply :
On 11/15/2016 at 11:09 AM, A-Jay said:On 11/15/2016 at 11:47 AM, new2BC4bass said:
I personally have never been able to justify the expensive reels ($300 up). Too frugal....and poor.
If I could afford them I'd have a few simply because of the pleasure I would get from using them. Not because they were so much better than what I already have....or would catch any more fish.
I've not used the Patriarch, but have 2 of the Patriarch XTs and a 3rd on the way. These are the older blue ones. Nice looking with a tough finish. Pretty light. Cast quite well. One I have set up with 40# braid and mostly use it for throwing unweighted 10" ribbontail worms back into the weeds and lily pads. It is set up with fewer brakes than any of my other reels, and I have no problems with backlashes.
Pfluegers are mention in a thread currently on the first page entitled "Top 3 Choices of baitcasters?" An Online buddy who has given me lots of good advise (smalljaw67) has a couple of the Supreme XTs and likes them a lot. He use to tournament fish and has used quite a few different brands of reels...including some expensive ones.
What reels are you using now?
I'm using Lew's speed spools (99$) and an Ardent apex elite . Thanks for the reply
NHBull reply :
This question comes up on all forums.....Guns to Cigars.
For me it is simple, when demoing reals, there is a feel I am looking for.
Sometimes it cost 100.00, other times 200.00. I find I don't pay extra for subtle differences, but do for quality.
Brayberry reply :
I'm with everyone else, a reel costing between $100 and $200 is the way to go. I use mostly Revo's and I love them. This time of year with Black Friday and Christmas, you should have a problem finding a great reel and really good prices.
pawpaw reply :
Reels above a certain price point , let's say $150 or so, are what most would say are good reels. Beyond that it seems you start getting a more fine tuned and in some cases, specialized reel. It's like with a car. Some folks are fine driving a Chevy with crank windows, manual transmission and no a/c. Others want high end Porche's and such. Both move your butt from point A to point B. Only you can decide what your comfortable or able to spend on a reel. For myself, when making purchases of any kind, I try to buy what I feel is the best product I can afford at the time.
KDW96 reply :
Buy only what you can afford. Look in the fleamarket area, and sales on web sites.
A 300.00 reel does not make a person a better angler.
The reels you have now will be just fine.
The reel doesnt catch fish, the person holding it does:)
Darren. reply :
Welcome aboard!
Worth is a value judgement in the "eye of the beholder"
so to speak. I/we cannot make that decision for you.
Opinions, however, are a dime a dozen 
What is "worth it" to me is not to someone else.
Kind of like driving a Toyota Corolla vs a Porsche.
Both get you from point A to point B.
As has been said, the fish don't know what you spent,
what brand you bought, etc. So it only matters to you
in terms of value/worth.
Me? My sweet spot is the Shimano Stradic lineup for
spinning, and the Chronarch for casting; however, I
always look for deals and usually don't pay full retail 
cottny27 reply :
On 11/15/2016 at 10:41 AM, WayToGo88 said:I have been looking to buy a new bait casting reel. I will be using this to throw plastics weightless and weighted. I'm having trouble deciding if the expensive Shimano and Daiwa are even worth it, or if i should get a cheaper reel like a curado or tourny pro and put most of my money into baits. I haven't seen many reviews on the Patriarch, but i love the way it looks. What do you guys think????
Not unless you have a bunch of disposable income or you tournament fish for a living. A Tourney Pro G is all you'd ever need imo. Upgrade your rod over your reel.
sarcazmo reply :
You know how when you close the door on a well made automobile it has that satisfying thud? It's like that.
You don't need a Rolls to get you from point A to point B, but if you could afford it, why wouldn't you?
I personally prefer to spend more money on the rods as I don't think the reels have nearly as much to do with detecting bites etc. Today's climate is differently than just a few years ago. Everyone's affordable reels are very good nowadays and you'll catch just as many on a $100 dollar lews than you would a Megabass variant.
rippin-lips reply :
Being worth it is up to you. In all honesty I could pick up a reel in the $150 range that performs just as well as some of my reels costing 2-3x as much. As Robert mentioned there's a weird sense of joy that comes from using some of the high end gear. Tolerances feel tighter. It feels better built. Smoother and so on. There's also the collectibility part of it too for some people.
Is it actually better? That's for the buyer to decide. Here's what a $400 reel looks like in pieces and a $150 reel. Not much difference.
Master Bait'r reply :
Oh god not this again.
To some, yes. To others, no.
Find your own comfort zone. Nobody but you can decide what feels right, and there are no shortage of options. Nobody is forcing anybody to spend dough, but you'd think they were based on some peoples' response to this topic.
I havent read read the whole thread but I'll give an "over" bet of of 5 posts where someone can't wait to tell everyone how awesome they are and they only use an ugly stick etc. haha
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
If money is no object why not? Any reel still better than no reel cheap or ridiculously expensive.
BUT, for me I'd rather spent xtra money toward the rods more than reel.
DrMarlboro92 reply :
The only reason I started buying expensive reels is from when I used to musky fish. I found out quickly that when throwing those massive baits that cheap reels are cheap for a reason. That mentality carried over to bass fishing for me, but, some of my bass reels are el cheapo's that have held up for years. The real deciding factor in all this is if you can justify it.
Personally, I can justify $200 for a reel that is durable, fits well in my hand, and looks gorgeous. But that doesn't mean that theres anything wrong with you if you can only justify a $50 reel. Get what you like, and what you feel will work best for you. If you don't have many expensive baitcasters anyway, it's not likely that you will be able to tell the difference.
bigfruits reply :
if you can afford it then it is worth it. life is short!
Sam reply :
Wayne Knabe in the great county of Powhatan, Virginia, repairs rods and reels and he told me that the higher end reels have more metal gears than the low end reels that have more plastic parts.
And that's the difference.
It boils down to your philosophy: Use a low end reel and when it breaks throw it away and buy another one. Use a high end reel and use if for many years via normal, annual maintenance.
Your choice.
J Francho reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 2:57 AM, Sam said:that the higher end reels have more metal gears than the low end reels that have more plastic parts.
That's no longer accurate. Almost every reel has a "metal" gear where it counts. Many high end reels employ a plastic gears to drive the level wind system, because it's lighter, quieter, smoother, and isn't under any load. Your friend might be referring to the the Abus that used a brass idler gear, and then switched to a plastic. I think that change came about over 30 years ago. Again, this doesn't come under load, and doesn't need to be metal. I know of no "cheap" reels that use (or ever used) a plastic main or pinion gear. Soft, or poor quality gears, well that's another story. One reel that is interesting is the old Daiwa lefty "pitching reels" with the thumb bar on top, e.g. TD-X HSDL. They use a series of plastic gears between the main stack and the worm gear that drives the level wind. Thsi setup is exactly the same on the lower grade TD-X as it is on the top of the heap TD-ITO models.
Raul reply :
I own a couple of them "high" end pricey reels and they were worth every penny I spent in them, in many cases I saved for months to get one.
Caliyak reply :
On 11/15/2016 at 10:41 AM, WayToGo88 said:I have been looking to buy a new bait casting reel. I will be using this to throw plastics weightless and weighted. I'm having trouble deciding if the expensive Shimano and Daiwa are even worth it, or if i should get a cheaper reel like a curado or tourny pro and put most of my money into baits. I haven't seen many reviews on the Patriarch, but i love the way it looks. What do you guys think????
Buy the curado. for me, it's my high end reel and I would not buy anything more expensive. curado is better than many expensive reels. my 2 cents
Sam reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 3:12 AM, J Francho said:That's no longer accurate. Almost every reel has a "metal" gear where it counts. Many high end reels employ a plastic gears to drive the level wind system, because it's lighter, quieter, smoother, and isn't under any load. Your friend might be referring to the the Abus that used a brass idler gear, and then switched to a plastic. I think that change came about over 30 years ago. Again, this doesn't come under load, and doesn't need to be metal. I know of no "cheap" reels that use (or ever used) a plastic main or pinion gear. Soft, or poor quality gears, well that's another story. One reel that is interesting is the old Daiwa lefty "pitching reels" with the thumb bar on top, e.g. TD-X HSDL. They use a series of plastic gears between the main stack and the worm gear that drives the level wind. Thsi setup is exactly the same on the lower grade TD-X as it is on the top of the heap TD-ITO models.
Thanks. All I know is what he told me.
To add fire to the cause, he likes Lew's and Shimano reels.
DogBone_384 reply :
On 11/15/2016 at 11:53 AM, Cheesefrank said:Yes it is worth it. You don't need it but it sure is a pleasure to fish with.
X2 - I started with a BPS Pro-Qualifier and slowly (& repeatedly!) upgraded when I found year end deals, sales, etc...
All my reels do the same job, but the couple Shimano Cores and Diawa Zillions I own have a 'feel' to them akin to driving to work in a BMW. I can't say I'll ever buy an ultra high end reel, say, $400+, but I enjoy my $200 - 300 reels immensely.
J Francho reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 4:34 PM, Sam said:Thanks. All I know is what he told me.
To add fire to the cause, he likes Lew's and Shimano reels.
Both good choices. Shimano uses more metal part than anyone in their spool/pinion release mechanism. Lew's is mostly plastic, similar to all the Pure Fishing variants. When the Revos first came out, I had concerns over the use of plastic here, but after more than a decade, it seems it was unwarranted, outside a few isolated issues. Seems like the major makers know what their doing. Daiwa is still the best 
Sam reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 9:37 PM, J Francho said:Both good choices. Shimano uses more metal part than anyone in their spool/pinion release mechanism. Lew's is mostly plastic, similar to all the Pure Fishing variants. When the Revos first came out, I had concerns over the use of plastic here, but after more than a decade, it seems it was unwarranted, outside a few isolated issues. Seems like the major makers know what their doing. Daiwa is still the best
I have a friend that swears by the Steetz rods and reels.
Too rich for me.
Thanks for the feedback. Always can count on someone on the Forum for great input.
Are you getting "Little Me" his own bass boat for Christmas?
J Francho reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 11:13 PM, Sam said:I have a friend that swears by the Steetz rods and reels.
Too rich for me.
Thanks for the feedback. Always can count on someone on the Forum for great input.
Are you getting "Little Me" his own bass boat for Christmas?
Little me is gonna be 18, graduating high school, and more interested in girls, schoolwork, his truck, and working at the restaurant than fishing. Last time I took both boys out on a kayak fishing trip, he paddled around the lake, and didn't fish at all. The little guy likes to go pike fishing in the creek with me, though. He's always catching bass, lol.
Sam reply :
Super.
And you are getting old!!!!
J Francho reply :
44 ain't old
Mosster47 reply :
For me personally I can tell the differenece between a $200 and $400 rod way before I can with a reel.
A Calcutta, Corado 300, and Luna will handle the big stuff. Anything between $180 and $250 will handle everything else.
If you think a higher end reel will make you a better fisherman. When you're sure it's the conditions or the fish and not equipment you can't put a price on that.
portiabrat reply :
On my first cast with a new Metanium, I cast out practically my entire spool (and ended up getting bit by a nice salmon near the end of my cast). Casting distance matters a lot where I fish, so I ordered another one the next day.
blckshirt98 reply :
It's not so much a matter of "does it catch more fish" because any decent fisherman can catch fish with a $1000 JDM reel or a $10 Barbie spincast. The difference is will you get more enjoyment from ownership,which is an intangible thing. It might just be a piece of art/conversation piece you keep at home in a collection that you never use on the water and play around with your hands, or, it might be a reel you use on the water regularly that just makes your fishing experience more enjoyable. Sure there's more refinement, better materials, unique colors/badging/stamping on high end reels but you can't really say it'll give you $x hundred dollars worth of more fishing success/enjoyment than a lower end reel, since it's mostly subjective to the individual.
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 11:20 PM, J Francho said:44 ain't old
Old, not obsolete lol.
Hulkster reply :
On 11/16/2016 at 12:46 PM, Caliyak said:Buy the curado. for me, it's my high end reel and I would not buy anything more expensive. curado is better than many expensive reels. my 2 cents
Agreed. I have the curado 200i PG and love it. I would argue it is better than many competitor's more expensive reels.
primetime reply :
I try not to pay more than $100-$125 for any casting reel personally since I put my reels through more abuse than they should go through and I am also not great at cleaning them on a consistent basis.
With that said, I have found that when I buy high End reels or use one, I notice the difference right away. I spend more money on Spinning Reels since I use the Drag and Lighter line, also saltwater, so for me I was willing to save money & buy the reels I really wanted.
I just started looking for a new casting reel after dropping my favorite Pitching rod and reel, and I can't rationalize spending more than $100 since every Brand is now offering solid Value's at lower prices in the past.
With that said, the Patriarch is a fantastic reel from everything I have heard, and I have held one many times and wished i owned one. I have an Old Pflueger President Baitcasting Reel that is almost 15 years old and it may be heavy but it is still a work horse & my experiences with the Pflueger Spinning reels like the Extreme & President and even the $30 Trion have been positive, the customer service has not been the greatest however.
I find Okuma offer's some of the best Prices and Specs, the best customer service I have dealt with over the years, but they seem to wear out after a few years compared to a reel like the Daiwa Tatula & Revo SX which I have had for about the same time.
If you do some research on Google you can find charts that break down the different features, and usually any reel that is made by Daiwa, Shimano, Pflueger and sell for $100 will be nice reels that are easy to use. Lew's seems to be the most popular these days and you can get a really nice reel for $100-$120.
I have never noticed that my casting distance suffers from one model to the next. I can cast my Silver Max, Pro Max as well as I can models that were $150 plus when I purchased them.
I guess the key is finding a good VALUE. I hear the Academy reels are great for the money and many house brand reels are a great value since they are made by the same OEM's that make other top reels, Pinnacle has some nice reels out now and they used to be mainly an OEM, but I like to pick them up at the store and for me weight and drag are the most important, types of bearings, gears, and frame. If you plan on using it in brackish or salt water then it is important to get a reel that can do both. I have a couple Okuma Serrano casting reels which are fresh and salt, are discontinued, but they were $200+ several years ago and you can find a new one online for under $80 & you get a 3 year full replacement even if you fall and break the side plate. Okuma sent be a brand new reel even though I fell into a mound of Fire ants a few years ago and broke the reel as I panicked and cracked it.
I find that the Pro Max and Silver Max are easy to find for $50 & they are not considered top quality but I can cast weightless worms on either, and they last even if I rarely open them up for service.
Hope that helps...Kast King makes a new Carbon baitcasting reel for $50 sold by Eposeidon on Long Island and I was skeptical of the quality but I know people who have them, used one for a few weeks, and it is a fantastic reel and they also will fix any issue you have since they are trying to make inroads in the industry by going to shows and winning awards. It gets great ratings by many magazines etc. for what it is worth and it is light as a feather....They look perfect after a year and My friend puts hours on each reel, I have yet to hear a complaint about the reels they offer. Just make sure you buy from them direct, not on Ebay to save $10. The guys who started the company decided to offer high end features & sell them at lower margins since they are using the same OEM which makes brand name models that have similar specs for Top End Prices. They cover your warranty, I plan on getting one just to add to my collection after seeing them last for the year..
Hope that helps. I have been doing my research since TW has so many new models from all Brands and if you notice the pricing has come down on reels & companies are offering more models now that new companies are adding competition and challenging the norms at Icast Etc.
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