Best Tuned/Modded Reel for a Budget 2024
nameiztaken reply :
What would a good, inexpensive reel platform be for upgrading? (I did a quick search on this and couldn't find anything)
I was thinking, if you buy a used reel like a Citica E, then service it, and then say replace the bearings with Abec 7's, replace the handle with a carbon handle, replace the drag with Carbontex, etc. What would you end up with?
What do you guys think? Would this get you more bang for your buck than say a new tatula?
frosty reply :
What's your definition of "cheap"?
fishnkamp reply :
I own 5 Tatulas 3 Tatulas and 2 Tatula type Rs. Go online and order the Tatula for about $100 and enjoy it. I chose the rs because I wanted the 8-1 otherwise they cast about the same have a great drag system and feel fine in my hand. Unless you are looking to purchase a $500 reel that weighs 6 ounces or less than the Tatula will fill your needs well. I purchased the first type R to throw frogs last year. After a year of use I was pleased with it so much I sold off a bunch of Bass Pro Extrerme reels at the fishing flea market this spring. I replaced them with the Tatulas. i caught a lot of 5+ pound plus smallies on Dale Hollow during vacation this April .
S. Sass reply :
Not sure what your budget is but as for bang for your buck the BPQ and Lews Tournament or LFS series reels are excellent reels for the $. Each of these I have purchased used in the $50 to $70 off this very forum.
As far as upgrades It would be just a personal preference if you wanted a different handle or some aftermarket bearings etc as all these reels work excellent as shipped. A good cleaning/servicing should make a great reel.
new2BC4bass reply :
I have a tough time using the search function. There are a ton of "Best casting reel", "Best casting reel for $100 or less", etc., etc., but finding one is a pain. Best to save the threads in your "Favorites" if you ever want to reference them or provide a link for someone else. This is not the type of thread I have saved....having read all of them the past 7 years.
Several times I have upgraded bearings and drags when getting a reel cleaned. Sometimes get the internals polished (supertuned). I can see the upgraded drag being a plus on many reels, but often times I don't notice enough difference in upgraded bearings to justify the cost. However, I like the reel to "be all it can be" with me being the limiting factor. Whether or not the cost is justifiable is up to you. I do think polishing is normally a benefit. Usually such a reel allows me to use lower brake settings.
I think it is hilarious that you ask if an upgraded Citica will be as nice as a Tatula. First the Tatula CT cost about the same as a Citica while the original Tatula can be had for $25-$30 less. Second you are seriously going to upset some Shimano fans. 
Third you could just go buy a $200 reel and have a better reel and not have wasted time sending it out or waiting for new parts.
I think the Tatula is a great reel for its price...or even more. Many love the PQ, but I have zero experience with one. My absolute best "budget" reels are Pinnacle Primmus reels for $104 (a $225 reel) when manventureoutpost was selling them off. Great looking reel, tuned at the factory, very smooth, excellent casting distance and one of the easiest reels to cast with no backlashes or overruns. Even my Curado 201E7 required adjustment when I took my last vacation trip to Florida. The Primmus didn't. (Ducking fire from the Shimano fans.) 
Another fine reel...budget or otherwise....is the Lew's Tournament MB at $109 from ebay.
Fisher-O-men reply :
Ambassadeur 6500 is a beast of a reel.
Bass Turd reply :
I love the Shimano Curado D. They go for about $100 on the big auction site or here in the flea market. The Citica D is exactly the same but has a bushing instead of a bearing on the drive shaft. The bearing is $8 from Shimano. I bought two Citica D's last week on the big auction site for $65 or so. The original Curado D sold for just under $200 when new. I no nothing about other brands.
Of course you can add ceramic bearings to the spool as well but I've been having great luck cleaning the stock bearings well in lighter fluid until they spin free and then soaking them in a 50/50 mixture of TSI 321 and isopropol or denatured alcohol (little or no water unlike rubbing alcohol). Place them on a paper towel so it wicks away most of the solution which leaves a thin coat of the synthetic oil on the bearings. Great spool free time. Google TSI 321 to read about it and where to purchase. Developed by NASA for Apollo missions in space. Great stuff.
Edited by Bass Turdnameiztaken reply :
On 6/26/2016 at 1:17 AM, Fisher-O-men said:Ambassadeur 6500 is a beast of a reel.
I have one lol, a 6500 and a 5000
kickerfish1 reply :
Well you never answered the question of budget so I will assume you are talking about under $200. Look at the Alphas platform from Daiwa and the 50 series from Shimano (Many can be found from a $125 on up). You will find all the aftermarket parts, handles, spools etc. They both have several gear options as well. Most any reel can have aftermarket bearings, handles, and carbontex drag updates done. Site sponsor DVT or any other reputable tech could supertune and polish your reels internals and do a thorough cleaning of everything inside your reel.
If price isn't much a concern get a Steez or a TDZ/Zillion...
nameiztaken reply :
By budget, I mean buying a low cost reel, and getting it to a point where it competes with high end reels ($175+)
fishnkamp reply :
In that price range under $200 there is no reason to do anything to a reel. Those reels in the $100 to $200 are fine just the way they are. You can not take a sub $100 reel and make it even decent. You can take a $100 to $200 reel and spend $500 and you will only waste money. The $500 reels are made of super light housings, super light spools a bunch of high end bearings and incredible drag systems. What you need to do is give up the idea all together. Find a reel you like in the under $200 range and go fish with it!
Cgrinder reply :
Well you should put ceramic bearings and Carbontex in everything anyway.
As for your lipstick on a pig idea, Citica E.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/26/2016 at 5:12 AM, fishnkamp said:In that price range under $200 there is no reason to do anything to a reel. Those reels in the $100 to $200 are fine just the way they are. You can not take a sub $100 reel and make it even decent. You can take a $100 to $200 reel and spend $500 and you will only waste money. The $500 reels are made of super light housings, super light spools a bunch of high end bearings and incredible drag systems. What you need to do is give up the idea all together. Find a reel you like in the under $200 range and go fish with it!
Never said I would be doing it, just had an idea that I thought might have a good turnout. I already have sub $150 reels I like, but have an empty rod and want to try something different (to me at least) 
new2BC4bass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 1:01 AM, nameiztaken said:Never said I would be doing it, just had an idea that I thought might have a good turnout. I already have sub $150 reels I like, but have an empty rod and want to try something different (to me at least)
Different as in taking a budget reel and trying to hot rod it, or different as in trying a brand you haven't used yet? If you haven't used a Lew's yet, then I'd suggest trying a Tournament MB at $109 off ebay. Not budget reels, but I'd suggest a Primmus Xi XS or Helios Air for a great experience. If you want to customize a reel, then I'd look at buying a used Daiwa...TD-Z, Alphas, Sol or older Fuego and have at it. The TD-Z and Alphas should run around $150 while the Sol and Fuego can be found for $125 and less (occasionally around $100). Lots of aftermarket parts. You'd be starting with a very nice reel and making it even better.
Jeff H reply :
I like the TD-Z best of all time. I add carbontex drag kit, Abec 5 or 7 spool bearings if I need them, 90mm handle (favorite is the TD-Z 100M stock handle to keep factory stock appearance) and a T3 1016 spool in the 103P and 103H models. This build suits me better than anything else. Quite expensive though when all is paid for and done but they will last me forever.
I still think the Daiwa Tatula's are the best bang for the buck going right now. Great performance for what you pay for them! I do like mine very much and I don't change a darn thing on them.
Just a huge fan of the Team Daiwa reels from years ago like the TD-A HSTA to the Fuego's and Sol/Alphas and of course the TD-Z's.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 1:23 AM, new2BC4bass said:Different as in taking a budget reel and trying to hot rod it, or different as in trying a brand you haven't used yet? If you haven't used a Lew's yet, then I'd suggest trying a Tournament MB at $109 off ebay. Not budget reels, but I'd suggest a Primmus Xi XS or Helios Air for a great experience. If you want to customize a reel, then I'd look at buying a used Daiwa...TD-Z, Alphas, Sol or older Fuego and have at it. The TD-Z and Alphas should run around $150 while the Sol and Fuego can be found for $125 and less (occasionally around $100). Lots of aftermarket parts. You'd be starting with a very nice reel and making it even better.
Different as in hot rodding, the reel I had on the rod before was a lews, and it broke beyond what I care to repair, that kinda gave me the idea of hot rodding a cheap reel, also been looking at the older daiwas like you mentioned but I think I found a nice shimano to try it on. Will keep this thread updated for sure!
S. Sass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 2:53 AM, nameiztaken said:Different as in hot rodding, the reel I had on the rod before was a lews, and it broke beyond what I care to repair, that kinda gave me the idea of hot rodding a cheap reel, also been looking at the older daiwas like you mentioned but I think I found a nice shimano to try it on. Will keep this thread updated for sure!
Oh I didn't understand exactly what the original post was about. Your looking for a good block 350 or 454 to punch out put some good flowing heads on and a nice solid roller cam to make it talk to ya. 
I can't help with reels in that respect. I'm not sure there are any that got a aftermarket base to do that with unless you have a machine shop willing to make custom parts. All I see retail is handles star drag and some spools for some real.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 3:06 AM, S. Sass said:Oh I didn't understand exactly what the original post was about. Your looking for a good block 350 or 454 to punch out put some good flowing heads on and a nice solid roller cam to make it talk to ya.
I can't help with reels in that respect. I'm not sure there are any that got a aftermarket base to do that with unless you have a machine shop willing to make custom parts. All I see retail is handles star drag and some spools for some real.
Haha, stuck with the old 302 for now, I do know some machinists so I might try that, thanks for the idea!
S. Sass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 3:08 AM, nameiztaken said:Haha, stuck with the old 302 for now, I do know some machinists so I might try that, thanks for the idea!
Using my engine building knowledge and how reels work precision will be key to actually making a aftermarket piece that performs better than the original piece. But as will anything mass produced it can be made better if your willing and able to do the work.
Angry John reply :
Look up hedge hog customs. Cool parts for all reels
tater555 reply :
For a fairly cheap, highly customizable reel it is very hard to beat a TD-Z. You can find them on the auction site for around $100+ shipping and they are one of the most customizable reels you can get. I have bought a few of them this way so far and you can not buy a better reel for the money.
S. Sass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 8:25 AM, tater555 said:For a fairly cheap, highly customizable reel it is very hard to beat a TD-Z. You can find them on the auction site for around $100+ shipping and they are one of the most customizable reels you can get. I have bought a few of them this way so far and you can not buy a better reel for the money.
Is this what your talking about? http://m.ebay.com/itm/182184622392
tater555 reply :
Yes sir, I have actually been debating on picking that exact reel up lol it has a little rash, but that Gigas 105 spool is amazing. They are very smooth, light, and powerful reels.
rippin-lips reply :
The only downside to the tdz is the gear ratio. If you want to use it for a general purpose reel you'll need to buy a gear set and that's $50 but only if you're a lefty. No right handed options are available. If you put a swept handle on it then you'll need a new drag star. It adds up quick when you start buying parts. I have $220 in my tdz for upgrades and then the initial price of the reel which was $125. Then add the cost of getting it painted if you go that route.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 9:02 AM, rippin-lips said:The only downside to the tdz is the gear ratio. If you want to use it for a general purpose reel you'll need to buy a gear set and that's $50 but only if you're a lefty. No right handed options are available. If you put a swept handle on it then you'll need a new drag star. It adds up quick when you start buying parts. I have $220 in my tdz for upgrades and then the initial price of the reel which was $125. Then add the cost of getting it painted if you go that route.
A used Alphas F I bought required repairs. Had it tuned and the bearings and drag upgraded at the same time. It now has 6.8 gears. Even without a new handle or paint job, there is no way I could get my money back. Good thing it is never going anywhere. 
It was the same way with a '64 Chevele I had. Line bored, Holly 850, Holly Hi-rise intake, high performance cam, tuned headers, new valves, brand new exhaust, etc. are things I as the owner enjoyed. No one else was willing to pay for those improvements when I sold the car even though they got to enjoy the benefits.
rippin-lips reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 9:25 AM, new2BC4bass said:A used Alphas F I bought required repairs. Had it tuned and the bearings and drag upgraded at the same time. It now has 6.8 gears. Even without a new handle or paint job, there is no way I could get my money back. Good thing it is never going anywhere.
It was the same way with a '64 Chevele I had. Line bored, Holly 850, Holly Hi-rise intake, high performance cam, tuned headers, new valves, brand new exhaust, etc. are things I as the owner enjoyed. No one else was willing to pay for those improvements when I sold the car even though they got to enjoy the benefits.
Yup, somedays I wish I'd stuck with $200 combos. At least then you get a better return if you sell it. I sold 3 $250 rods on here last week as a bundle for $300 shipped and paypal'd. $27.75 for fees and shipping. $272.25 was my return on $750. Ridiculous!
Hogsticker reply :
You can throw upgraded drag washers, ceramic spool bearings, and a nifty hand on most any reel. What truly transforms a reel into a different animal is the spool. Daiwa has a ton of spool options. If you want something to throw lighter baits with look for an Alphas platform and add an Alphas SV spool. If you want something to long bomb casts with look for a Fuego and add a hyper long cast spool. The Tdz and Zillion platforms are also great platforms to upgrade. One of personal favorites is the T3s. Inexpensive, you could find a new in box T3 ballistic for pretty cheap, add an SV 1000 spool, a 90 mm Tatula handle, carbontex drag washers, Boca abec 5 spool bearings and it would run you about 225 bucks. Plus the SV spool comes in both deep and shallow versions and will allow you to do just about anything you want with the reel. You can also bling it however you like if it tickles your fancy.
Jeff H reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 10:11 AM, Hogsticker said:You can throw upgraded drag washers, ceramic spool bearings, and a nifty hand on most any reel. What truly transforms a reel into a different animal is the spool. Daiwa has a ton of spool options. If you want something to throw lighter baits with look for an Alphas platform and add an Alphas SV spool. If you want something to long bomb casts with look for a Fuego and add a hyper long cast spool. The Tdz and Zillion platforms are also great platforms to upgrade. One of personal favorites is the T3s. Inexpensive, you could find a new in box T3 ballistic for pretty cheap, add an SV 1000 spool, a 90 mm Tatula handle, carbontex drag washers, Boca abec 5 spool bearings and it would run you about 225 bucks. Plus the SV spool comes in both deep and shallow versions and will allow you to do just about anything you want with the reel. You can also bling it however you like if it tickles your fancy.
I agree about the T3. I have only added handle, spool bearings and drag star (particularly hate the stocker) to mine and they are right where I want them. I am fine with the stock spool on my T3 1016SH's. Even with the stock spool, these reels have a pretty wide capability of lure weights.
kickerfish1 reply :
I used to customize the heck out of my reels but now I have scaled back some. Like Rippn' I have a TDZ that I have more in parts and internal upgrades than I have for the reel.
TDZ 100m - Mint - Bought when these were selling for more $ years ago. - Price $250
Abec 7 bearings - $25
Carbontex drag - $10
6:3.1 gears - $30
Supertune/polish of internals/pro cleaning- $30
RCS 90 mm swept CF handle - $120
Blue RCS knobs - $30
Blue swept drag star/cast control cap - $35
Total price of everything exceeds $500. Does the reel look incredible?... absolutely. Does it perform that much better than what it did before the upgrades were done? Yes, but not that much better.
Hogsticker reply :
It's all about that spool fellas
Yudo1 reply :
Used t3's are being sold for too cheap. T3 mx and 1016s really don't need any upgrades and they perform.
wnspain reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 9:40 AM, rippin-lips said:Yup, somedays I wish I'd stuck with $200 combos. At least then you get a better return if you sell it. I sold 3 $250 rods on here last week as a bundle for $300 shipped and paypal'd. $27.75 for fees and shipping. $272.25 was my return on $750. Ridiculous!
I know it sucks but at least you got back 36%. My wife gathers together a truckbed load of things that aren't used anymore, usually around $50 an item, and sells it for $5-10 a piece and is happy that she made some money to finance her next purchase...!@#$%!*&
new2BC4bass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 9:40 AM, rippin-lips said:Yup, somedays I wish I'd stuck with $200 combos. At least then you get a better return if you sell it. I sold 3 $250 rods on here last week as a bundle for $300 shipped and paypal'd. $27.75 for fees and shipping. $272.25 was my return on $750. Ridiculous!
Ouch! That is why I don't plan on selling any of my gear. If...and that is a big if....my wife and I can afford to move to Florida to be near her sister and brothers, I may give away a few to my nephews. A person feels better about giving than taking a hosing on sales.
thirtysixit reply :
take a look at the Quantum ICON PT and anything Lews........ I have great luck with them and highly recommend!
new2BC4bass reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 8:41 AM, tater555 said:Yes sir, I have actually been debating on picking that exact reel up lol it has a little rash, but that Gigas 105 spool is amazing. They are very smooth, light, and powerful reels.
What are you waiting for? Both my TD-Z 105Hs cost $150 used. Absolutely don't need another reel, but may have to change my mind at that price.
EDIT: Too late. I now have three TD-Z 105H reels.
nameiztaken reply :
Bought a lightly used Citica 200e for $80 from fleabay, already has the drive shaft bearing installed, Going to mod it with some aftermarket parts as well as some bearing upgrades.
new2BC4bass reply :
I don't know a thing about Citicas in any generation, but love my Curado 201E7.
kickerfish1 reply :
On 6/28/2016 at 10:51 PM, nameiztaken said:Bought a lightly used Citica 200e for $80 from fleabay, already has the drive shaft bearing installed, Going to mod it with some aftermarket parts as well as some bearing upgrades.
Good reels to mess with though the spool options are slim. Here is one I modded if you want an idea. Paired with a Dobyns 705cb Champion rod. This one received the Hawgtech treatment.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 3:11 AM, S. Sass said:
On 6/29/2016 at 1:46 AM, kickerfish1 said:Good reels to mess with though the spool options are slim. Here is one I modded if you want an idea. Paired with a Dobyns 705cb Champion rod. This one received the Hawgtech treatment.
That looks so amazing! 
and ignore the quote above this, I couldn't get it to go away lol
Also, from what I hear, you can interchange spools with a Curado, might be something for me to look into.
kickerfish1 reply :
I don't think you would see much of a difference swapping the Curado/Chronarch 200e spool in the Citica. They are pretty much the same weight just different colors. Also since they share the same platform many parts are interchangeable. I have fished a lot of reels, and for $80 there isn't a reel I would pick over the Citica E.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Grab a used beat up abu 4600 for $20 ...mod it out for $60 and fish hard for 50 more yrs
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/29/2016 at 5:44 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:Grab a used beat up abu 4600 for $20 ...mod it out for $60 and fish hard for 50 more yrs
I got 2 Abu's for $25, got a older 5000 and a 6500, super good deal imo
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Don't pay for Super Tuning on full floating spool designs. The friction points typically polished are taken out of play by the design.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/29/2016 at 10:38 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Don't pay for Super Tuning on full floating spool designs. The friction points typically polished are taken out of play by the design.
Would a Curado spool in the Citica make a difference?
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Performance wise, little if at all
Cgrinder reply :
Spools might weigh the same.
Jeff H reply :
Most times I don't feel the need to change a spool. However, I have found that I do much prefer the 1016 spool in my TD-Z's that I don't use for lighter lures. I believe what I'm preferring is not the spool itself but the change it offers to the braking system. I keep my 105H spools for lighter stuff and prefer the 1016 for everything else but the truth is the 1016 does pretty darn well with the lighter stuff too. TD-Z with 90mm handle and 1016 spool has become my most favorite reel of all time (Fuego too, same platform, heavier but better looking)
Another huge plus to me is they are sooooo easy to work on.
nameiztaken reply :
Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'm going to keep the stock spool in it for now, and might upgrade the handle. (Maybe with a 4 bearing handle I don't use)
On 6/27/2016 at 10:11 AM, Hogsticker said:You can throw upgraded drag washers, ceramic spool bearings, and a nifty hand on most any reel. What truly transforms a reel into a different animal is the spool. Daiwa has a ton of spool options. If you want something to throw lighter baits with look for an Alphas platform and add an Alphas SV spool. If you want something to long bomb casts with look for a Fuego and add a hyper long cast spool. The Tdz and Zillion platforms are also great platforms to upgrade. One of personal favorites is the T3s. Inexpensive, you could find a new in box T3 ballistic for pretty cheap, add an SV 1000 spool, a 90 mm Tatula handle, carbontex drag washers, Boca abec 5 spool bearings and it would run you about 225 bucks. Plus the SV spool comes in both deep and shallow versions and will allow you to do just about anything you want with the reel. You can also bling it however you like if it tickles your fancy.
My next tuning reel may be a Daiwa, really liking the amount of mod options they have.
DaveT63 reply :
I would seriously consider picking up a used Daiwa Pixy off the bay. Some nice ones are available now for around $150-175 shipped. Fantastic reel at that price and wouldn't need the upgrades.
nameiztaken reply :
On 6/30/2016 at 1:11 AM, DaveT63 said:I would seriously consider picking up a used Daiwa Pixy off the bay. Some nice ones are available now for around $150-175 shipped. Fantastic reel at that price and wouldn't need the upgrades.
I don't have that kinda money burning a hole in my pocket just yet :p, I wish I did though... I love the higher end Daiwas
cottny27 reply :
On 6/27/2016 at 9:25 AM, new2BC4bass said:A used Alphas F I bought required repairs. Had it tuned and the bearings and drag upgraded at the same time. It now has 6.8 gears. Even without a new handle or paint job, there is no way I could get my money back. Good thing it is never going anywhere.
It was the same way with a '64 Chevele I had. Line bored, Holly 850, Holly Hi-rise intake, high performance cam, tuned headers, new valves, brand new exhaust, etc. are things I as the owner enjoyed. No one else was willing to pay for those improvements when I sold the car even though they got to enjoy the benefits.
Agreed. The sellers always think they can recover that money spent, but most times that's never the case.
thirtysixit reply :
buy a BPS Pro Qualifier (when its on sale) and upgrade the bearings. Boom. Problem solved.
nameiztaken reply :
On 7/1/2016 at 10:58 AM, thirtysixit said:buy a BPS Pro Qualifier (when its on sale) and upgrade the bearings. Boom. Problem solved.
Have you used a bps pq? I was thinking about getting one for a loaner rod soon
thirtysixit reply :
On 7/1/2016 at 12:01 PM, nameiztaken said:Have you used a bps pq? I was thinking about getting one for a loaner rod soon
I have. They are solid reels. Nothing fancy, just a work horse. BPS puts them on sale for 70$ a couple times a year too.
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