Best Spinning Reel For $80??????? 2024
eyedabassman reply :
I went and bought the Carbonlite spinning reel and I need to take it back! It was REAL hard to get the bail to snap back. So I was thinking of going to a bit better reel. So what do you guys think? I don't want to go to a $ 100.00 reel, I want to stay around $80. I did spend alot at the classic,,,OH she is going to KILL me!! 
j.bruno reply :
I really like my Quantom KVD Spinning reel i picked up from bass pro. I know its more than $80 but not much more, i ordered a couple Daiwa Fuegos from the ***. Normally $300 , but i got myne for $123 a peice. Ive heard nothing but good reviews on them so i figured hell i might try a couple. Can not wait to get them on the water! 
dag623 reply :
On 2/28/2012 at 8:59 AM, eyedabassman said:OH she is going to KILL me!!
Lmao!!!
bassfinder reply :
look at the shimano sedona 60.00 and the shimano sahara 80.00 both are very good.
WdyCrankbait reply :
yeah, I have an old Sedona from about 5 years ago, the gold reel. Worked great! Also maybe a Pfluger President, I think that is in your price range, not 100% sure.
backcast88 reply :
I had a Carbon Lite reel and had to take it back as well b/c it was gritty and made a bad clicking/poping sound. For $80 or so you can get a lot of good reels. Look at Abu Garcia Orra S, Pfueger President, Daiwa Aird, and BPS Pro Qualifier.
eyedabassman reply :
On 2/28/2012 at 9:43 AM, backcast88 said:I had a Carbon Lite reel and had to take it back as well b/c it was gritty and made a bad clicking/poping sound. For $80 or so you can get a lot of good reels. Look at Abu Garcia Orra S, Pfueger President, Daiwa Aird, and BPS Pro Qualifier.
I will be going back to BPS next weekend. I will take a good look at these, Orra,Aird,KVD. I have a few of the President reels, and I like them I just wanted to try another reel. Thanks for the input.
Crookedneck reply :
Best bang for your buck in my opinion is a Pflueger spinning reel. The President is right around $60. Smooth, casts great. For the price the best reel out there.
Elk River reply :
I have the sahara solid reel. IMO if im spending $80 thats the reel.
backcast88 reply :
On 2/28/2012 at 11:23 AM, eyedabassman said:I will be going back to BPS next weekend. I will take a good look at these, Orra,Aird,KVD. I have a few of the President reels, and I like them I just wanted to try another reel. Thanks for the input.
I was in a similar boat as you this weekend and after looking at the reels I listed I picked the Aird 2000.
The President was a little smoother then all the others but it just didn't reel squared away and something was missing. My next choice was going to be the Orra S but they only had the display model and I didn't really want that one so I was going to get the Pro Qualifier since I already have one but was looking for a lighter reel and that is when I saw the Aird. I was told by an employee that it was the only one they had it was on hold for another customer so I headed home and was going to wait and see if they got anymore in before the trade in ended. When I stopped by near closing on my way to a movie it was still there so the employee said I could have it. Glad I stopped by and can't wait to get on the water with it.
Phranchise1213 reply :
cant go wrong with a shimano..dont own anything lower than a saros but the sahara is a fine reel for the money.
Fishes in trees reply :
I'm not a big fan of spending alot of money on spinning reels. Basically all they do is hold the line. I understand that more expensive reels have a better drag system, yet I can honestly say I've never lost a fish because of any drag malfunction. Any fish I've lost on spinning tackle can be chalked up to operator error. I own a few Shimano Spirex reels, I'm happy with them and they cost me around $50. A coulple of years ago, Rogers Lures in Liberty had the US Reels Supercasters on sale for around $40. I bought a couple of them and I held one in reserve and used the other one for throwing soft swimbaits (1/2 to3/4 oz) , using 14 lb Fireline and a 20 lb flurorcarbon leader. I've had no issues with the reel, casting distance seems to be unlimited and they've easily handled every fish I've caught on them. No really big fish but several quality keepers in the 18 to 20 inch range. This season I'll probably bench one of the Spirex reels and pull the other Supercaster out of the box. Just saying,in my experience spending $80 for a spinning reel is overkill.
If I had unlimited funds, I'd have several Shimano Stellas, just because they say Shimano on the side, but I don't.
smalljaw67 reply :
Spinning reels are probably the only fishing item I use that doesn't have to be just right, I can get by with a cheap one but prefer not to. If you're commited to BPS well I can't help much but the old model Cabelas Tounament ZX is on sale still for $49.99. I got one last year at $39.99 and I was mad because I should have got 3, these are notmally $69,99-79.99 and are basically the same as as a Diawa Tierra with the difference in the ZX having all normal ball bearings were the Siawa has 2 corrosian resistant ball bearings, but I can live with that. The biggest thing for me is the reel is all metal, aluminum body and rotor, that is important for me and after using the reel a good bit I can tell you it is smooth and lot more refined than I would have thought you could get for a reel under $100.
tugsandpulls reply :
dicks sportin goods has the quantumn escalade for 80 i have one and think its a good reel 10 bearings and smooth
tugsandpulls reply :
i have a sedona and its a good solid reelOn 2/28/2012 at 9:19 AM, bassfinder said:look at the shimano sedona 60.00 and the shimano sahara 80.00 both are very good.
roadwarrior reply :
Symetre 2500FJ if you can find a deal.
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/90755-shimano-symetre-2500-fj-review/
bassin is addicting reply :
i own 2 Presidents and both have performed excellent for the past 5 years. no worries/no problems.
a great value. imo
eyedabassman reply :
This is all good input, and that is what I was looking for! If anyone has anymore please do.
I was looking at the Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Victory spinning reel in the BPS catalog any info on this reel would help alot, I don't have a clue about this reel. It looks like a good reel but a tad heavy compared to the others but in my price range.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
All I can add is another vote for the President (reel). They're hard to beat on a bang-for-your-buck basis.
Pilgrim reply :
I bought a Sahara with my $80...haven't had any problems out of it.
jignfule reply :
I own almost a Shimano reels, But I agree with previous posts. The "President" is hard to beat for the $$$. Mine has been well worth the money I paid for it.
Phranchise1213 reply :
On 2/28/2012 at 11:41 PM, eyedabassman said:This is all good input, and that is what I was looking for! If anyone has anymore please do.
I was looking at the Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Victory spinning reel in the BPS catalog any info on this reel would help alot, I don't have a clue about this reel. It looks like a good reel but a tad heavy compared to the others but in my price range.
I think you would be better off with shimano or pfleuger IMO. I have picked up a W&M spinning reel before and it felt pretty good, but I have heard the drag performance is subpar. If in doubt, stick to a brand that has proved itself time and time again. A president or sahara/symetre will work just fine in that price range and will last you for years to come if you take care of it.
toolemera reply :
I'll go against the grain and throw in my vote for a Mitchell 300. Yup. A 300. I've fished these reels for years and never had problems with anything from 4 lb up to 10 lb test. For ultralight, a 314 or a 308 but I prefer the 314. The plastic side on the 308 can be a problem unless you find one in excellent condition.
I know, they're not modern and fancy. Underneath it all, they're all descended from these reels with a reason. If you haven't had the experience yet, get one in good shape and try it out.
roadwarrior reply :
Interesting, the "original spinning reel" introduced in 1948.
I wonder why they gave up their lead in engineering and innovation?
The newer reels seem to be lesser reels than the original. I might
make some effort to find a '48.
toolemera reply :
Originally Conolon fiberglass was developed for military purposes, then ported over to sports. Then came bad management and bad judgement at the end of the 1960's. They made decisions to branch out instead of concentrating on what they did best, ran out of capital, started farming out manufacturing by the 1970's, I think, and moved assembly to Asia and that was the end of the story.
The 1960's era reels with Planamatic gearing are the best by far. I have a stash of parts reels and when something needs replacing, which is rare, I just fix it. These reels are built like tanks. The excellent drag components pretty much prevents busted innards if you handle it correctly. It's people who don't understand that the reel is just a line holder who destroy the reel.
The really early reels are expensive collector's items meaning, some people pay way too much for them. That's my opinion.
John G reply :
Which President model for bass?On 2/29/2012 at 12:04 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:All I can add is another vote for the President (reel). They're hard to beat on a bang-for-your-buck basis.
eyedabassman reply :
On 2/29/2012 at 7:33 AM, John G said:Which President model for bass?
The 30 or 35 model.
LgMouthGambler reply :
I dont want to be a product wh@re, but im gonna.......Shimano.
Crookedneck reply :
On 2/29/2012 at 2:31 AM, toolemera said:I'll go against the grain and throw in my vote for a Mitchell 300. Yup. A 300. I've fished these reels for years and never had problems with anything from 4 lb up to 10 lb test. For ultralight, a 314 or a 308 but I prefer the 314. The plastic side on the 308 can be a problem unless you find one in excellent condition.
I know, they're not modern and fancy. Underneath it all, they're all descended from these reels with a reason. If you haven't had the experience yet, get one in good shape and try it out.
Good call on this!! I used Mitchell for years and yes it would be my second in the price range... 
Diablos reply :
President seems to be a solid choice.
Some under the radar reels that are pretty good
Lew's Tourney Speed Spin $79
Okuma Trio30S $75
l3rd reply :
On 2/28/2012 at 8:59 AM, eyedabassman said:I went and bought the Carbonlite spinning reel and I need to take it back! It was REAL hard to get the bail to snap back. So I was thinking of going to a bit better reel. So what do you guys think? I don't want to go to a $ 100.00 reel, I want to stay around $80. I did spend alot at the classic,,,OH she is going to KILL me!!
Since you need to shut the bail by hand on spinning reels if you want to avoid birds nests, I'd keep the Carbonlite. I have a couple of Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning reels, a Shimano Saros, a Shimano Stradic, several Quantum Kinetics, and some REALLY old Shimanos. Traded my last Mitchell in on the Carbonlite you seem to be displeased with. When I went to get it, they were out and offered the more expensive Johnny Morris Signature Series reel as a substitute. Nice reel, but it's not a Carbonlite. If you want to use the handle to snap the bail back, buy a Wavespin from Cabelas, you'll have a LOT less issues with it than with standard reels.
d3bf48 reply :
Tournament ZX from cabelas. I have 2 symetres and a pflueger supreme and I wish they were all ZX's
thehooligan reply :
Definitely a sahara, smoothest reel for $80.
eyedabassman reply :
On 2/29/2012 at 11:37 AM, l3rd said:Since you need to shut the bail by hand on spinning reels if you want to avoid birds nests, I'd keep the Carbonlite. I have a couple of Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning reels, a Shimano Saros, a Shimano Stradic, several Quantum Kinetics, and some REALLY old Shimanos. Traded my last Mitchell in on the Carbonlite you seem to be displeased with. When I went to get it, they were out and offered the more expensive Johnny Morris Signature Series reel as a substitute. Nice reel, but it's not a Carbonlite. If you want to use the handle to snap the bail back, buy a Wavespin from Cabelas, you'll have a LOT less issues with it than with standard reels.
I agree with you! And i always close my bail by hand but, this reel should not preform like this ! So I did get a lemon, and maybe the next one will be better. I was jusk checking all other reels in case they were out of stock and if I could find a better reel. I have the Carbon lite BC reel and I like that alot.
toolemera reply :
Interesting. I rarely get bird nests. I have a suspicion the problem lies in the line, how tight it's wound and the depth of the spool. I can't really speak for modern reels as the only sort of modern reel I use is a Shimano 10 spinning on occassion. I think you have to marry the line test and the spool depth to prevent bird nests and make sure the line is always wound tight. After a days fishing, the line can get loose. I got in the habit of sending out a few long casts with a heavy spoon (no hook) and a fast retrieve with a lot of rod motion to try and tighten up the line. Maybe it's an old habit from the no frills Mitchell reel days?
The other trick is to keep your fore finger ready when you are about to bring the bail in. The moment you hit the reel handle to flip the bail, catch the line gently against the rod to take up slack for a moment.
On a whole, I use shallow spools unless I'm in salt water. I rarely troll in any event. Just a guess on my part.
l3rd reply :
On 2/29/2012 at 12:44 PM, eyedabassman said:I agree with you! And i always close my bail by hand but, this reel should not preform like this ! So I did get a lemon, and maybe the next one will be better. I was jusk checking all other reels in case they were out of stock and if I could find a better reel. I have the Carbon lite BC reel and I like that alot.
I am not sure if it's a lemon or not. I tried several different ones here, and the Carbonlite is certainly a little stiff. My son's Daiwa Regal is much stiffer, and my OLD Shimano Magnumlite GT-X-2300SM is as stiff or perhaps stiffer. My larger Pflueger Supreme XT takes virtually no effort to close. I think it may just be a design decision. Most of the rest is ultralite so they just don't compare. The ones that are stiffer are likely going to have heavier springs so they may arguably be a little tougher and may withstand a little more abuse. I'd check it against other Carbonlites to be sure it's not damaged, and then decide if it's too stiff for you to live with, or if it's something you can get used to. It's your money, so if it really bothers you, get another reel.
My wife had a bail fail to close because it was ever so slightly bent, I mean I did not even realize it was bent. I paid to have it fixed, and that is the ONLY reel so far I have paid to have repaired. The springs for the bail were just so light that they could not close the bail. It was a $135 Daiwa, not just some junk. Anyway, stiff or not, I'll stick to my Carbonlite, and you'll have to decide for yourself what works best for you. I do know it sucks using something you just aren't happy with, so my best advice is to get something you like, life is too short to spend it wishing you have bought a different reel!
BTW, a few weeks back I decided to try a Wavespin... I just had to know... When it arrived and my wife saw me putting line on it, she asked me about it. When I told her about it's tendency to not birds nest, it became hers.... I had intended for it to be eventually anyway as she birds nests all the time, but I wanted a chance to play with it first. After she uses it a bit perhaps I'll post something about it. It's no Shimano, but it looks like a nice little reel.
Chattahoochee reply :
I love my Shimano Sahara 2500
KYntucky Warmouth reply :
<$100...Pflueger President
Canga reply :
for under $80, as many have said, its hard to beat a Pflueger President, for 2012 its all new, and a bit lighter than the previous model, plus it got rid of that aweful wooden knob, and got a nice soft touch knob in its place. i cant say how the drag works on it, for 2 reasons: i havent bee able to have it out on the water yet, and i had a junked gold supreme xt laying around and the spool from that fits perfectly on the president (same size reel, of course).
i cant say that the president is as good as the patriarch or fuegos i have, but for the money its a VERY solid performer.
VolFan reply :
Shimano Sahara. I have had 6, 2 of them for 5+ years, and never had a problem with any of them. Great drag, smooth reel, widely available parts if needed. I'm not against the Pflueger President either, I just don't have a track record with them like the Saharas.
Daniel My Brother reply :
Another vote for the Pfluger President, then use the extra $20 to take your wife out for pizza. It's a win, win.
eyedabassman reply :
On 3/2/2012 at 5:28 AM, Daniel My Brother said:Another vote for the Pfluger President, then use the extra $20 to take your wife out for pizza. It's a win, win.
The extra $20.00 I think would go towards hooks and weights. This is my slush found we are taliking about.LOL I will take her to the movies !
Dakota wendt reply :
I like the bps tournament specials and pros for the money. I have an older tournament pro that was my truck rod and reel just in case I wanted to stop and throw a senko I found it in the garage the other day and after all the rain sand and mud it's still smooth!
Darren. reply :
If you haven't already made your decision, another vote for Sahara @ $80.
Tried the BPS models, tempted by the carbon, but chose Sahara. My experience with Shimano spinning reels (Stradics are my fav) is they are reliable, use quality parts, smooth, rated for salt/fresh, and for my hands, they feel the best.
Now I'm also a guy who prefers smaller spinning reels for bass - the 1000 size is my favorite. I have one 2500 size Shimano Spirex that I use for crank baits.
Pantera61 reply :
Daiwa Whisker 1300SS ... the only drawback is the lack of infinite anti-reverse.
coachdog reply :
I have 5 sarahas (500, 2-2500, 3000 & 4000) & no complaints. Good reel for me. I believe pfluger comes with spare spool where the shirmano do not. Spare spool gives you more options and makes it more versitile especially if this is your only combo.
eyedabassman reply :
Just as I was ready to pull the pin on the President something happened! A rep for another reel company and I started talking about reels and he told me about this great reel ( not from his reel sponsor ) called the Wavespin. So I checked it out and he sold me. But the bad thing BPS did not have the model I want so I may have to order one!
ww2farmer reply :
It's your $$.
eyedabassman reply :
On 3/4/2012 at 9:56 AM, ww2farmer said:It's your $$.
Ok what do you know of the wavespin Farmer? I would like your input.
Phranchise1213 reply :
Theres likely nothing wrong with the wavespin. I've actually heard that it works in terms of staying birdsnest free but...Personally, I would never buy a reel that was marketed via a corny infomercial.
ww2farmer reply :
A buddy I fish with a few times a year fro fun, as well as a few local tournaments bought one a few years ago. He does not fish a ton, nor is he abusive with his stuff. The thing litteraly came apart in his hands last summer in an evening tournament we fished. Rotor started to bind and when he put a little pressure on the handle to turn it, something snapped inside and pushed the the non handle side plate right off. I saw it wit my own eyes. I have never even seen a cheap Zebco 202 fall apart that badly. I would say in the time he ownd the reel he had a total of 20 times on the water with it. And in an odd twist, he bought that Wave spin reel to replace a Pflueger President that I sold him used. A reel I had 3-4 years of hard use with, a reel he used for a year or two, and was only replacing it because the reel was soo boat rashed up it was pretty ugly...but still worked like new.
eyedabassman reply :
On 3/4/2012 at 11:05 AM, ww2farmer said:A buddy I fish with a few times a year fro fun, as well as a few local tournaments bought one a few years ago. He does not fish a ton, nor is he abusive with his stuff. The thing litteraly came apart in his hands last summer in an evening tournament we fished. Rotor started to bind and when he put a little pressure on the handle to turn it, something snapped inside and pushed the the non handle side plate right off. I saw it wit my own eyes. I have never even seen a cheap Zebco 202 fall apart that badly. I would say in the time he ownd the reel he had a total of 20 times on the water with it. And in an odd twist, he bought that Wave spin reel to replace a Pflueger President that I sold him used. A reel I had 3-4 years of hard use with, a reel he used for a year or two, and was only replacing it because the reel was soo boat rashed up it was pretty ugly...but still worked like new.
Ok, I am back with the President! Thank you for this info! And 1213 is wright about the corny infomerical. I was about to jump in the water with no life vest,thanks for saving me! LOL
Jeff H reply :
Isn't the WaveSpin another Hannon "snake"? 
Pegwedge reply :
I love my ultralight President. Haven't used one of the bigger ones but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I needed a mid-priced reel. I have one of the Lew's Speed Spins but I've only gotten it out on the water once this year. I like it so far but haven't used it enough to vouch for it yet. But knowing Lew's history, I'm not too worried about it.
eyedabassman reply :
Yep, I did it today! I took the Carbonlite back and I bought the 6730 President!
eyedabassman reply :
I just want to thank everyone for all there input. It did help alot on what reel I did end up buying ( President ).
eyedabassman reply :
On 3/7/2012 at 4:14 AM, eyedabassman said:I just want to thank everyone for all there input. It did help alot on what reel I did end up buying ( President ).
And a special thanks to Farmer & 1213 you guys saved me from buying a reel that would not last long. So thanks guys.
Jason Penn reply :
i've only got to use my new carbonlite 750 once, but i'm pretty happy with it
ww2farmer reply :
On 3/7/2012 at 4:17 AM, eyedabassman said:And a special thanks to Farmer & 1213 you guys saved me from buying a reel that would not last long. So thanks guys.
The President should serve you well. Glad I could help.
bigbill reply :
I'd go with a Finor a reel repair guy told me if everyone used finor's he would be out of business. Finor makes those big saltwater reels too.
With any reel make sure you lube it when you change your line.
ww2farmer reply :
On 3/8/2012 at 4:14 AM, bigbill said:I'd go with a Finor a reel repair guy told me if everyone used finor's he would be out of business. Finor makes those big saltwater reels too.
With any reel make sure you lube it when you change your line.
Way to read the whole thread 
Diggy reply :
I just read this whole thread :-)
Crankenstein Crony reply :
For a reel under $80 I really like the Okuma Trio
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