New spinning reel needed 2024

jb_adams reply :

I've read the online reviews of the reels selected above on BassPro.com and I am leaning towards the Shimano name and the features they brag about. I have a Pflueger micro spin and I love it! It's a great little reel. I have an Abu Garcia Cardinal and it's pretty decent. The drag is a bit over-sensitive on the Abu but it's still good quality. A bit heavy too.

So, I have experience with Pflueger and Abu but none with Shimano. I don't want to buy a Shimano just because of the brand name. That's like buying a GLoomis while knowing nothing about them & just because they are expensive. I want to buy a quality reel for a lowered budget.

I want to use this reel on a 6-7ft rod for lighter tackle on 10lb Yozuri hybrid. Flukes, jigs, plastics of all sorts, small spinnerbaits, topwaters, etc. A good all around light tackle use. I'd prefer a lighter weight reel if possible.

Thanks guys! You opinions always help justify my baitmonkey.....I mean peace of mind! ;D

Raul reply :

For a budget the Sahara is hard to beat vs what it offers for the price, I have it, also have the Symetre, the Stradic and the Solstace and the budgety Sahara is one heck of a reel. I don 't owe allegiance to any brand, I recommend what I 've owned or own, now if you can part with the extra 20 dollars get the Symetre but you won 't loose a lot by getting the Sahara.

Jig Man reply :

I have tried a bunch of different spinning reels. I have gotten rid of all but Shimano. Even their $50 reels beat lots of other brands. I since I started using Shimano I won't even look at anything else. I have 13 of their spinning reels. If your budget allows, I recommend the Stradic or Symmetry but like Raul said the Sahara is pretty good for the money.

fish-fighting-illini reply :

I own both the Pflueger President and the Symmetre. I like them both. The 6730 seems maybe a hair on the light side compared to the 2500 Symmetre. You might think about the 6735.

I should add that my President does feel a little smoother than the Symmetre. My Symmetre handle didn't seem to go on as smooth from days 1 and it has some minor slop to it. No such issue on the Pflueger.Still a little too early to tell though.

Bps recently had a Stradic / BPS Extreme sale ( I think it is still on ). Even without the sale the combo is a pretty good buy.

Let us know what you decide

guest reply :

I voted for the President, my single favorite spinning reel.

kybassangler reply :

pfleuger is good

fishingfourfun reply :

Why not purchase a Shimano Stradic 2500 at Dick's (unadvertised) for $80.00!! The price shows 119.00 but it rings up $99.00 - $20.00 sale for a total of $79.00.

FishTank reply :

Go for the either the Symmetry or the Sahara. Both are excellent reels.

jb_adams reply :

Thanks a lot guys! I appreciate the advice. I ordered the Pflueger President in a 10lb model. Even though it's not winning in the poll right now, I am very satisfied with my current Pflueger ultralight reel so I went with what I know. I did read through many reviews at Cabela's and the President had about 49 reviews and a 4.7 out of 5 rating. The Symetre only had like 29 reviews and a 4.6 out of 5 rating. There were only less than 3 or 4 people not that impressed with the President and there were more than that with the Symetre. It was a selling factor for me. Plus, that Pflueger reel is drop dead gorgeous! It's a nice reel and having 9 bearings vs. 4 did also sell me.

So for a $9.95 total, it will be arriving next week! That's right! Only $9.95 because I got free shipping, and I had a $50 gift certificate at Amazon.com. Plus I get a free Pflueger gear bag if I pay for shipping. Not a bad deal. I can't wait to put this new reel on my new St. Croix rod and go try it out!

Thanks again guys! I always respect the opinions here from much more experienced anglers.

roadwarrior reply :

Why do a poll then?

The Symetre was favored by 64% of the respondants, more than 3:1 over the President.

Oh well...Good luck with your new reel, lots of guys really like them.

guest reply :

That's because there is a very heavy Shimano bias here :

FishTank reply :

I have had a chance to fish a President and it is a very good reel but my personal preference is Shimano. It just feels like a better made reel. To give another comparison, I have two Quantum Energy Pti-A 20s and they have a fantastic feel, very smooth and they cast better than most. I liked the Energy so well I chose it over the Stradic. But looking back, I don't think they will hold up as well as the Shimanos and this is the same impression I get with the President reel. Again this just an opinion and the impression I got from fishing this reel for a weekend on loan from friend. Only time will tell if my impression was right.

surfer reply :

I can only comment as tot he Sahara over the Cardinal. Those are my two current reels. And my Sahara is mounted to a Loomis. :

jb_adams reply :

Quote
Why do a poll then?
The Symetre was favored by 64% of the respondants, more than 3:1 over the President.

Oh well...Good luck with your new reel, lots of guys really like them.

Yeah when I ordered last night, the President was only behind like 3 votes. One of which was my original vote. Now it's way behind. Another thing that convenced me to go with the President is I talked to a friend that has one. He absolutely loves it. He said it's his best reel.

My buddy has a Shimano baitcaster and it just feels rough and not very smooth in the gears. He thinks it's smooth but I actually felt it was a bit rough. If I go with a Shimano in the future, I think I'll at least get the Stradic.

My main objective was to stay as close to the $50 gift certificate price range. The wife & budget are still upset with my fishing habits. So I got a new reel for $10.00 so it's all good. Next time I do a poll, I'll wait a bit longer on the trigger finger before purchasing. I got excited and the baitmonkey was too!

dodgeguy reply :

i love pflueger reels.i would have upgraded to a medalist with all aluminum frame.imho it is the best spinning reel for the $ bar none.

Theresamarie1 reply :

Quote
I've read the online reviews of the reels selected above on BassPro.com and I am leaning towards the Shimano name and the features they brag about. I have a Pflueger micro spin and I love it! It's a great little reel. I have an Abu Garcia Cardinal and it's pretty decent. The drag is a bit over-sensitive on the Abu but it's still good quality. A bit heavy too.
So, I have experience with Pflueger and Abu but none with Shimano. I don't want to buy a Shimano just because of the brand name. That's like buying a GLoomis while knowing nothing about them & just because they are expensive. I want to buy a quality reel for a lowered budget.

I want to use this reel on a 6-7ft rod for lighter tackle on 10lb Yozuri hybrid. Flukes, jigs, plastics of all sorts, small spinnerbaits, topwaters, etc. A good all around light tackle use. I'd prefer a lighter weight reel if possible.

Thanks guys! You opinions always help justify my baitmonkey.....I mean peace of mind! ;D

I own 3 of the 4, the Cardinal, president and Symetry. The cardinal isn't in the same leage (my opinion). The president is a fine reel but not as nice in feel as the symetry (again, my opinion). The symetry is a little more expensive than the President, so I think either is a great deal. I'm actually dissapointed in the Cardinal (in comparison).

.RM. reply :

jb_adams,

Quote
My buddy has a Shimano baitcaster and it just feels rough and not very smooth in the gears. He thinks it's smooth but I actually felt it was a bit rough. If I go with a Shimano in the future, I think I'll at least get the Stradic.

No comparison between spinning reels and baitcasters.

Tight Lines!!!

jb_adams reply :

Thanks for the info. I agree that the Cardinal is a lower end reel compared to the others. It was just in my price range and I have one so that's why it made it in the list. As far as the difference between Pflueger and Shimano, I bought what I already have experience with. The only Shimano I've had experience with is my buddy's baitcaster. I'm not impressed with it. I am impressed with my Pflueger microspin so I went with it.

I'm sure it will all work out fine. I would have stuck it out a bit longer and probably gone with the Shimano but there was a hole burning in my pocket and I couldn't take it anymore. I really wanted the Pflueger after I read some reviews on it so as soon as the votes were close, I acted on it.

As RW was thinking.....if I had only waited! Next time, I'll wait a bit longer.

jb_adams reply :

Quote
jb_adams,

Quote
My buddy has a Shimano baitcaster and it just feels rough and not very smooth in the gears. He thinks it's smooth but I actually felt it was a bit rough. If I go with a Shimano in the future, I think I'll at least get the Stradic.
No comparison between spinning reels and baitcasters.
Tight Lines!!!

That's true I guess. Never thought about it that way. His baitcaster is a lower end Shimano too I believe.

lubina reply :

I'm with the Symetre too but I haven't fish any of the other....and probably never will.

Ghetto_Basser reply :

Save an extra couple bucks and get the Stradic.

jb_adams reply :

The new Pflueger reel arrived today. It sure is pretty! ;D My buddy just got a Shimano Sedona so I'll compare the two this weekend and let you know the difference. So far, there is no slack in the anti-reverse, the bail is balanced well, it's smooth as melted butter due to the 9 ball bearings, and the drag has a broad range of adjustment without being too broad. The extra spool is nice too.

I'm happy with it so far. I hope to give it a good test this weekend if the weather holds up.

Thanks again guys for all the help!

Masshole Mike reply :

my vote was going to be for the pflueger, but it doesn't matter much at this point. i just picked up the 6735 about two months ago and absolutely love it, and i hope you do, too. i also have a shimano senora, which is the cheap $40 reel they sell at walmart, but for the price it's a great reel. my next reel purchase will be a couple steps up either with a pflueger or a shimano, probably a shimano just to see what the hype's all about.

good luck with the president!

guest reply :

Quote
The new Pflueger reel arrived today. It sure is pretty! ;D My buddy just got a Shimano Sedona so I'll compare the two this weekend and let you know the difference. So far, there is no slack in the anti-reverse, the bail is balanced well, it's smooth as melted butter due to the 9 ball bearings, and the drag has a broad range of adjustment without being too broad. The extra spool is nice too.
I'm happy with it so far. I hope to give it a good test this weekend if the weather holds up.

Thanks again guys for all the help!

You now is a Pflueger Mook, and we are outnumbered. big time :

jb_adams reply :

Quote

Quote
The new Pflueger reel arrived today. It sure is pretty! ;D My buddy just got a Shimano Sedona so I'll compare the two this weekend and let you know the difference. So far, there is no slack in the anti-reverse, the bail is balanced well, it's smooth as melted butter due to the 9 ball bearings, and the drag has a broad range of adjustment without being too broad. The extra spool is nice too.
I'm happy with it so far. I hope to give it a good test this weekend if the weather holds up.

Thanks again guys for all the help!

You now is a Pflueger Mook, and we are outnumbered. big time :

I don't always buy into name brands. I usually like to spend a ton of money trying to see it the other fellow is right before I buy the name brand....

(just kidding)

Actually, I bought strictly on personal experience with Pflueger and so far, I'm impressed again. One day, I'll step up to a Shimano if I get really comfortable with spinning reels. I'm still a baitcast junkie. I can throw one all day and be happy.

jb_adams reply :

Well the rain cut my fishing trip short. When I say rain....I mean flood. I got off the water just in time. As I was securing the boat, the sky opened up like someone unzipped a bag full of baits and it flooded! I bet we had 1-2" of rain in 20 mins.

SO the new reel looks pretty! It's smooth operating but the only thing that really bothers me from a personal preference is the length of the handle. This is a big spinning reel compared to my Abu Cardinal.

To further explain my discomfort, my favorite rod & reel setup is a Pflueger Microspin spinning reel on a 6 ft. 2-piece Abu rod. It's lightweight, compact, casts a country mile with ease, accurate, and mainly COMFORTABLE! The big President feels more like an offshore spinning reel because of the long handle.

Maybe I'll get used to it and it's fine for slow bait presentations. I don't know that I'd use it all day for faster lightweight baits because the cranking would fatigue you in a hurry.

I didn't get a chance to compare it to my buddy's Shimano but I have a feeling the comparison would be extremely close and come down to slight personal preferences. Such as the long handle on the President.

Thanks again for all the opinions guys. I'm happy with the purchase!

boatlesswonder reply :

I was looking at the President also, it was definitely a little smoother, but I ended up getting a sahara due to the metal frame versus the Presidents graphite frame. Both are wonderful reels though. If you take care of them both will last a long time.

David P reply :

Stradic dude, if you can get a symetre just get the stradic.

jb_adams reply :

I finally got a chance to compare the Stradic and the President. The President is definately "eye-candy" compared to the Stradic. The new Stradics are not very "bling" on the shiny cosmetics scale. It's not about looks when it comes to fishing but it is a nice feature to have a nice quality look to match your gear.

Anyway as far as which one is smoother, I think it's hard to say. The older Stradic is smoother than the new Stradic. New you ask? Yes, there is a new line of Stradics out. I was in the store and I compared the two reels. The new Stradic seems a bit course or tight in the gears compared to the older version which makes the new Stradic less smooth in feel than the President. The President feels like melting butter almost. Some may not like a real that smooth.

As far as this new "bale balanced" technology that Shimano brags about....I couldn't tell a difference. I almost bought one based on that. Glad I didn't now. It's just like any other spinning reel as far as I could tell. Not that I'm an expert, just my opinion and I'm still an intermediate beginner into the bass world.

Before purchasing, go pick up one at a local retailer and compare the two for yourself. You can't tell as much in a store as you can fishing but for the price difference, one is almost half the price of the other and if you're a weekend angler on a budget, I'd go with the President. I try to take good care of my gear but since I bought 3 new St. Croix rods, a new reel, etc., I find myself walking on eggshells now with my gear. It's a trade off when you buy quality stuff.

guest reply :

I love the Pflueger it is my favorite reel, RW gave me a Shimano Stradic , also a good choice. I favor Pflueger as i have used them a long time, as many friends with no issues. I also am so used to the action of the retieve, which differs from the Shimano, it is not better or worse just different.

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New spinning reel needed 2024

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