Good Baitcaster For The Price 2024
kwilf reply :
I have a an Abu Garcia Blue Max that I got to try out the fundamentals of baitcasting and now that I've covered that I was thinking about trying to see what a nicer reel felt. I would also be getting a new rod but in my experience less money needs to be spent on the rod than the reel. I'm not looking to spend more than around $120 on the whole thing maybe a little more. Any ideas?
Dramer77 reply :
dawia lexa 100, its 139.99 and they just started a promo to get a $25 visa gift card back.. its easily the best reel in that price rance
frantzracing0 reply :
Revo S. Can't Go Wrong
deep reply :
Curado G's would be a good buy for ~$120. Citica D/E's and Curado B's may probably be found cheaper; and any of them should serve you just as well.
EDIT: Apparently I misread your post. If you want to spend ~$120 for the rod AND reel; I'd try to find a used Curado B (goes for ~$70)/ Citica D (~$55) and spend the rest on the rod.
Jrob78 reply :
People will disagree with me but I feel like $120 is about where you need to start to get a quality rod OR reel, not both. There are exceptions but not many. You will find more for your money on the used market.
BrettD reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 7:15 AM, Jrob78 said:People will disagree with me but I feel like $120 is about where you need to start to get a quality rod OR reel, not both. There are exceptions but not many.
+1
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
H2o xpress ethos rod 59.99 and h2o mettle reel 49.99 from academy and you will not be disappointed.
frantzracing0 reply :
Don't Listen To The Shimano Fan Boy. The Curado G Is Garbage. Id Take A Bps Pq Over A Curado G Or Citica ANY DAY
roadwarrior reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 9:33 PM, frantzracing0 said:Don't Listen To The Shimano Fan Boy. The Curado G Is Garbage. Id Take A Bps Pq Over A Curado G Or Citica ANY DAY
You are entitled to your opinion, but your statemrnt is pretty harsh. The majority of fishermen, especially
on this website, would choose Shimano over the PQ by a large margin. I have 19 combinations. One is
saddled with an Abu Garcia STX and another with a Pinnacle Optimus, the other 17 are Shimano.
*Hootie reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 9:33 PM, frantzracing0 said:Don't Listen To The Shimano Fan Boy. The Curado G Is Garbage. Id Take A Bps Pq Over A Curado G Or Citica ANY DAY
Don't pay any attention to this GARBAGE!!! post. Opinionated arrogance!!! I have 2 Curado G series reels and they are fine.....NOT lol!!!
And for the record, I am not a Shimano fan boy.
I also have Lews reels, Abu Garcia, AND 4 PQ's, and E series Curado's
Hootie
frantzracing0 reply :
I Love The E series Curado. But I Feel ShimanoHas Gone The Wrong Way With Its Reels Lately.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Actually, for "feel" presentations (jigs,t-rigs...) the rod is a more critical component. For deep cranking you might make an argument for scewing the budget toward the reel. There is no "garbage" in the choices of reels in the $125> price range. You almost can't go wrong. Now if focus is put on the "for the money" part of the OP a Pro Qualifier on sale is really hard to beat. Pflueger, Revo S, and Citica (E or G) are good workman like reels as well and are good values, even more so in gently used condition.
BrettD reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 10:15 PM, frantzracing0 said:I Love The E series Curado. But I Feel ShimanoHas Gone The Wrong Way With Its Reels Lately.
You do know the chronarch e is the same reel that the curado e was. All they really did was change the name of the reels. About half my reels are lews the other half is shimano. Then I have 3 abus 2 diawas and 1 quantum.
bigdave39355 reply :
lews speed spools are good for the money, can be found for ~$60 on the auction site.
lmbfisherman reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 9:33 PM, frantzracing0 said:Don't Listen To The Shimano Fan Boy. The Curado G Is Garbage. Id Take A Bps Pq Over A Curado G Or Citica ANY DAY
Wow that is hogwash dude. Curado G is far from Garbage, I own 2 G Curados and 3 Citica Gs - and 1 PQ. I also own E series too,the Gs work just as good or slightly better than my E imo. Actually feel like I can cast a little further on my G than the E. Could be because I use the G series more often than my Es. They are my work horses, sure I like my PQ too, but I'd still pick the Curado G over the PQ as it is smoother in my opinion. I will give the PQ credit that performance to price ratio it is a hard reel to beat in that area, and harder to beat when you can get it regularly on sale for 80. I am not a "fan boy", but the majority of my reels are Shimano for good reason, they make quality products. I own BPS, Shimano and 1 Quantum reel.
fishking247 reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 6:43 AM, Dramer77 said:dawia lexa 100, its 139.99 and they just started a promo to get a $25 visa gift card back.. its easily the best reel in that price rance
Decent reel, my only complaint is the mag control dial will change due to my hand rubbing against it. I wish they put it in a different place on the reel.
As for a reel i recommend the shimano citica
dodgeguy reply :
pfluger trion for 99 or president for 150.my favorite is a abu garcia mgx for 350.shimano does make good baitcasters.
skeletor6 reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 7:21 AM, Ima Bass Ninja said:H2o xpress ethos rod 59.99 and h2o mettle reel 49.99 from academy and you will not be disappointed.
Echoing the H2O mettle suggestion. It's tough to beat for its price. Had two of them and now only one. Both were very reliable, consistent, and would cast further than higher priced reels side by side. I like that they incorporate centrifugal breaking systems that, at a glance, look similar to Shimano's. I have since upgraded, but never did I regret the purchase of those reels as they were a stepping stone to the ones I own at the present.
rockchalk06 reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 9:33 PM, frantzracing0 said:Don't Listen To The Shimano Fan Boy. The Curado G Is Garbage. Id Take A Bps Pq Over A Curado G Or Citica ANY DAY
I love how people come here and with their first few posts bash something. Your opinions means about this much........"que the crickets"
rockchalk06 reply :
To the original poster, at the 120 dollar mark, your options are big. Alot needs to be put toward what do you want? Mag breaks, centrifugal breaks or both.
How serious are you about baitcasters? If you dump a ton in one and decide its not for you, taking a loss is hard. That said I'd loom at the Bass Pro Pro Qualifier to start with. Also look in the flea market area. There are some killer deals on used reels. Guy has some Curado G's cheap.
thehooligan reply :
Id look for a used curado e/g....
Arv reply :
If you can find a solid used reel, I would go with something like a Curado. Otherwise my recommendation is the BPS PQ. For the price I don't think it can be beat.
lmbfisherman reply :
On 6/7/2013 at 6:45 AM, fishking247 said:Decent reel, my only complaint is the mag control dial will change due to my hand rubbing against it. I wish they put it in a different place on the reel.
As for a reel i recommend the shimano citica
My complaint about the Lexa is (own 2), the foot has a wide profile and it has issues locking down on my Shimano, Fenwick and even the Daiwa T Rod has issues locking it down 
. On my St Croix and BPS rods with traditional reel seats, it has no problem. I just don't understand why they did that. It is something that is a game breaker for me. If it didn't do that, I'd agree a very good reel.
down4ttown reply :
I love my Academy H2O Mettle. I can cast a hollow body frog about as far with it as my Team Lews or Supertuned Curado E. In fact, I can outcast my PQ by about ten feet using heavier line. The mettle is a solid simple reel that works flawless with braid, but can be a little difficult using smaller diameter lines.
(='_'=) reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 7:09 AM, deep said:Curado G's would be a good buy for ~$120. Citica D/E's and Curado B's may probably be found cheaper; and any of them should serve you just as well.
EDIT: Apparently I misread your post. If you want to spend ~$120 for the rod AND reel; I'd try to find a used Curado B (goes for ~$70)/ Citica D (~$55) and spend the rest on the rod.
and so did almost everyone who answered...
i think the OP wants to spend $120 in both rod and reel....
i also own the H2O Mettle, for the money it is very good, however, i would take any of my quantums any day, but they are almost twice as much, still in the "budget" category, but almost twice as much than the Mettle...
dave reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 7:21 AM, Ima Bass Ninja said:H2o xpress ethos rod 59.99 and h2o mettle reel 49.99 from academy and you will not be disappointed.
I will continue to recommend the H2O Mettle. It is an incredible reel for $50.
dave reply :
On 6/7/2013 at 10:00 PM, down4ttown said:I love my Academy H2O Mettle. I can cast a hollow body frog about as far with it as my Team Lews or Supertuned Curado E. In fact, I can outcast my PQ by about ten feet using heavier line. The mettle is a solid simple reel that works flawless with braid, but can be a little difficult using smaller diameter lines.
Amen
Grizzn N Bassin reply :
I'm liking my revos And my max's have had no problems.. but will deff venture off to other reels when I get own boat and I'm not bank fishing..
Capt.Bob reply :
I totally agree with the comment DVC made on the rod being more important! You said you already had a less expensive reel you were happy with. That being said and wanting to upgrade I would not spend less than $100.00 on up for an excellent reel. If you buy cheaper you probably would be looking to upgrade much sooner than you think, and find you really weren't getting the bang for your buck. The Lew's reels, Like the BB1 or the Tournament, are both available at a price far less than their quality suggests. The BB1 @ around $110.00, I would put against any new reel available for $200.00 or more up to and including the Chronarch, and I find the 6 pin centrifugal braking system on the BB1 to be a better than other 6 pin systems, and much more effective and adjustable than others. If dual braking is your cup of tea, I assure you that you won't find a better bargain than the Tournament for $100.00 to $105.00 and it is readily available at that price, and has excellent dual breaking, both have a one piece Aluminum frame, something you will have trouble finding on the reels at around $80.00 and less.
When you get ready to equip it with a rod, for $120.00 a used St. Croix Avid would be my goal, or could go with an excellent Premier for around $100.00 new. but for a rod I would wait till I could spend that or I think the reel will be of lesser usefulness. If you put together an outfit with these items in any combination, I feel you would be hard pressed to duplicate the quality and durability with any other combination at these prices, plus you will have an outfit that will give top performance for years to come!!
There are others that are good but these are the best I have found at these prices. I also am no fanboy and not a fan of the Curado G, but would disregard anyone telling you it was junk! Maybe not an E but still a quality reel, as with anything there are always better, but not the PQ.
livetofish28 reply :
X2 The mojo bass is also an excellent rod. if your lucky and you check the bargain room on the st croix website often you may be able to get an LTB really cheap I got one for 110 my friend has a Abu Garcia black max on a Abu vendetta and still catches fish, just remember the fish don't know what rod and reel your using.On 6/9/2013 at 4:27 AM, Capt.Bob said:I totally agree with the comment DVC made on the rod being more important! You said you already had a less expensive reel you were happy with. That being said and wanting to upgrade I would not spend less than $100.00 on up for an excellent reel. If you buy cheaper you probably would be looking to upgrade much sooner than you think, and find you really weren't getting the bang for your buck. The Lew's reels, Like the BB1 or the Tournament, are both available at a price far less than their quality suggests. The BB1 @ around $110.00, I would put against any new reel available for $200.00 or more up to and including the Chronarch, and I find the 6 pin centrifugal braking system on the BB1 to be a better than other 6 pin systems, and much more effective and adjustable than others. If dual braking is your cup of tea, I assure you that you won't find a better bargain than the Tournament for $100.00 to $105.00 and it is readily available at that price, and has excellent dual breaking, both have a one piece Aluminum frame, something you will have trouble finding on the reels at around $80.00 and less.
When you get ready to equip it with a rod, for $120.00 a used St. Croix Avid would be my goal, or could go with an excellent Premier for around $100.00 new. but for a rod I would wait till I could spend that or I think the reel will be of lesser usefulness. If you put together an outfit with these items in any combination, I feel you would be hard pressed to duplicate the quality and durability with any other combination at these prices, plus you will have an outfit that will give top performance for years to come!!
There are others that are good but these are the best I have found at these prices. I also am no fanboy and not a fan of the Curado G, but would disregard anyone telling you it was junk! Maybe not an E but still a quality reel, as with anything there are always better, but not the PQ.
.RM. reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 9:47 PM, roadwarrior said:You are entitled to your opinion, but your statemrnt is pretty harsh. The majority of fishermen, especially
on this website, would choose Shimano over the PQ by a large margin. I have 19 combinations. One is
saddled with an Abu Garcia STX and another with a Pinnacle Optimus, the other 17 are Shimano.
X2 
SissySticks reply :
You're talking my language in this budget combo business. Since you've gotten quite a few suggestions of reels in the $120 range, I'll suggest a whole combo. For the money, I don't think you can beat the Academy Ethos rods. I'm partial to micros for use with fluorocarbon, so I'd get an Ethos Micro 6'10" MHXF and either a H2O metal reel or a used Bantam curado/citica (the old ones) on ebay. I would have to go the shimano ebay route because Academy doesn't see fit to make their baitcasting reels in LH versions.
That combo will put you right in your wheel house and will be a great rod for everything from worms/light jigs to spinnerbaits/soft swimbaits to weightless senkos, depending on what line you put on it.
Don't believe the hype that you need expensive tackle to catch lots of bass. I have exactly one combo that cost more than $150, and while its nice, I will never again spend more than $150 on a combo, and I catch more than my fair share of bass. IMHO, the line you put on your combo has more to do with sensitivity than the rod or the reel, once you get into a certain range of what I would call medium-to-high end tackle (anything over $50-60 for rod or reel)
Eddie-NoVA reply :
BPS pro qualifier or LEWS Speed Spool has done well for me. Great products under $100.
stkbassn reply :
Revo S, last years model (the silver one) on Ebay...$99...retailed for $129. Awesome little reel. New, in box...just got one a few weeks back. This will be the third one I've owned and I love em'. I am really a Shimano guy but I have a soft spot for this particular reel. It's pretty sweet!
coots reply :
A rod to look at that is getting decent reviews for their price range.
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Bionic-Blade-XPS-Micro-Guide-Trigger-Rods/product/1209290947195/
coots reply :
Just saying that would leave you $60 to try and hit the Flea Market here to snag you some reel someone is getting rid of. I picked up a Bass Pro Shop Johnny Morris Signature Series for $80.00 to my door.
So if you hang around and be patient... you never know.. someone may put a BPS PQ on there for sale pretty cheap.
OK Bass Hunter reply :
Save up and spend the 120 on the reel, then get a rod. It's better to scrounge up the cash and buy one quality combo at a time. You won't have to upgrade them in the future.
sarcazmo reply :
So apparently the Academy h20 reels are the same as the daiwa lexa and can be had for outstanding price right now. Just bought two. I also LOVE my PQ and recently really began digging my lews bb1. The knobs on the lews are the most comfortable I've used yet.
*Hootie reply :
I agree, but a lot of guys don't like them at all.On 6/12/2013 at 11:26 PM, sarcazmo said:The knobs on the lews are the most comfortable I've used yet.
Hootie
TNBassin' reply :
A PQ over a Curado? Lol.
sarcazmo reply :
On 6/13/2013 at 3:48 AM, TNBassin said:A PQ over a Curado? Lol.
Why not? Will the curado outfish the PQ? Doubtful.
I'd rather spend more on rods than reels personally. My PQ catches just as many fish as my steez. Casts well too!
Fishing is no different than anythign else. Brand loyalty is an awesome thing but sometimes people let it cloud their judgement or allow it to persuade them into trying to convince others of unreal expectations. Just because something doesnt cost as much as another similar product doesnt mean its a far inferior product. I honestly never listen to people who only use or advertise one particular brand of product.
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