Preliminary Research Data For <$130 Baitcasters!!! 2024

Perhaps some will laugh, but in my efforts to sort through all the $130 or less baitcasters for that perfect first purchase, I began gathering data.

This list is based on the offerings from Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. I have eliminated all reels that had ZERO reviews, and all reels that failed to achieve a 4.0 out of 5 (or higher).

I also didn't bother with anything under $50.

Obviously, this isn't a perfect solution, but when there are 17 bajillion reels to choose from, this DOES help 'cull the herd' a bit.

Hope it helps any of you others out there in the same happy predicament as me!

  On 3/5/2012 at 4:59 AM, Pharticus said:

Perhaps some will laugh, but in my efforts to sort through all the $130 or less baitcasters for that perfect first purchase, I began gathering data.

This list is based on the offerings from Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. I have eliminated all reels that had ZERO reviews, and all reels that failed to achieve a 4.0 out of 5 (or higher).

I also didn't bother with anything under $50.

Obviously, this isn't a perfect solution, but when there are 17 bajillion reels to choose from, this DOES help 'cull the herd' a bit.

Hope it helps any of you others out there in the same happy predicament as me!

Dude, you've got issues.

What reel did you end up buying after all that work?

Wow you really did your research. It's good to have side by side comparison of reels in the same class to see which one has most bang for your buck. But I will say that there is a mile of difference between the reels @ 59.99 and those at 129.99. I would use the chart as a breakdown of 3 groups. >70, 71-100 and 100+. Good job and a very useful tool !

You forgot the new Lews Tournament MG. That, in my opinion, may be the winner hands down. The Revo S would give it a good run, but it only comes 6.4:1. The TMG comes in 5.4, 6.4, and 7.1:1!

  On 3/5/2012 at 6:02 AM, The one that got away said:

What reel did you end up buying after all that work?

Haven't whittled it down yet. Clearly, the 3 highlighted models are a cut above the rest. So now I'll need to look at their non-standard features and read the reviews to try to determine which is my best bet.

  On 3/5/2012 at 6:13 AM, megastrike said:

You forgot the new Lews Tournament MG. That, in my opinion, may be the winner hands down. The Revo S would give it a good run, but it only comes 6.4:1. The TMG comes in 5.4, 6.4, and 7.1:1!

It had zero reviews, so it got cut. A fine example of why this isn't exactly a flawless method of choosing...

On your list the Citica is on sale for $80 at Gander

Not on your list the BPS JM Carbonlite $109 to $89 w/trade -- my actual weight of 5.82oz

Cool info. You should have bought a Shimano Chronarch 200/50e from Bass Pro for $140 during the reel trade in though. $10 more than your limit but $10 well worth it. Well the trade in is over so I would say Citica from gander or bump out an extra 40 and get the Chronarch with rebate for 170

I'd put the Citica above the Orra. Otherwise I think the top 3 would be Citica, Pro Qualifier, and Revo S. If you are looking for a light reel the carbonlite is also a great choice.

Do not go for the orra sx. Your best bet is the citica for the price and then if you don't choose it, the revo s. The orras have a bad problem with the anti reverse failing on them. I have had about three break on me and I can tell that another is about to go. You may get lucky and it not happen but I wish now that I had just spend the extra thirty bucks to not have this problem only a year later.

  On 3/5/2012 at 7:56 AM, bandsr4me20 said:

The orras have a bad problem with the anti reverse failing on them.

Here's one of the reviews from BassPro regarding this issue:

  Quote

"I have 2 of these reels and am very pleased with the performance and quality. Other reviews stated that the anti-reverse bearings are faulty on this model, and this is true to a point. While neither of mine have had any issues, I did contact Abu Garcia about this and this is the information I got. The first production models were affected by this, which has a number starting with 19 00 on the reel foot sticker. Abu Garcia was made aware of this and replaced the anti-reverse bearings in the second production line, which has a number of 19 01. Now, one of my reels is first production, and I purchased it from my local tackle dealer earlier this year. So far, I have not had any problems or failures with it. My second reel was purchased from BPS and it is a second production. Rest assured, the issue has been addressed and resolved, so don't let the reviews of this problem steer you away. These are great reels for the price! The only complaint I have is that there are no slower speed models for deep crankbaits. I'd love to have one with a 5 ratio. Nonetheless, I would definitely purchase more and probably will soon."

the Lews Tournament can be had for 120, and is a durn fine reel, and IMO should not be excluded.

your prices are pure MSRP as well, which makes you miss out on some great reel cause of gap between MSRP and actual purchase price.

expample, you have the lews speed spool as 99.99, but if you actually pay more than about 83 bucks you paid way to much.

With Shimano and Abu's current rebates a Curado or Revo SX would be ~$130 (go for either of those or the Gander Citica E if you are a rightie).

Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market.

  On 3/5/2012 at 8:52 AM, Brian Needham said:

the Lews Tournament can be had for 120, and is a durn fine reel, and IMO should not be excluded.

your prices are pure MSRP as well, which makes you miss out on some great reel cause of gap between MSRP and actual purchase price.

expample, you have the lews speed spool as 99.99, but if you actually pay more than about 83 bucks you paid way to much.

True. I just bought 2 Lews Tournament MG's for $106 each! I saw the Tournament on the same site for $123... certain other sites will price match AND ship for free...

  On 3/5/2012 at 9:02 AM, webertime said:

Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market.

Oh I think it makes some difference. As a general rule, a larger sample gives you a more accurate idea of what to expect.

A lot of new gear is released to glowing reviews, only to be panned later.

  On 3/5/2012 at 9:02 AM, webertime said:

Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market.

When funds are limited and I get one shot at getting this right, reviews are crucial. The risk involved in buying a reel that 500 people have reviewed and loved is much lower than the risk of buying a reel that you heard 3 people liked. It's not a perfect method, but it is certainly the most logical in my position.

I'm sure there are a dozen and a half reels on that list that I'd probably be nothing-less-than-thrilled with... but I need to pick one - and I'm going for what gives me the best odds of a terrific longterm investment.

Check ebay if you're really concerned about cost. I bought a NIB Curado E7 last week for $120.

Nice work. Nice to be able to see all of those reels compared side by side.

The citrix gets a vote from me.

  On 3/5/2012 at 10:56 PM, Pharticus said:

When funds are limited and I get one shot at getting this right, reviews are crucial. The risk involved in buying a reel that 500 people have reviewed and loved is much lower than the risk of buying a reel that you heard 3 people liked. It's not a perfect method, but it is certainly the most logical in my position.

I'm sure there are a dozen and a half reels on that list that I'd probably be nothing-less-than-thrilled with... but I need to pick one - and I'm going for what gives me the best odds of a terrific longterm investment.

My point is that a lot of these reviews are "I got it yesterday and fished it for 27 minutes! It's the BEST!---5 Stars!" or "I have 3 of the older models and love them, 5 Stars". And from my own personal knowledge and experience don't discount the fact that employees of other companies or their own, will put up reviews on products to drive the scores up or down. It happens more than you know on most all consumer products.

So to me... if I see a reel that has 4 reviews that are relevant (IE current model, from an experience angler, and for a reasonable length of time in various conditions) and a 4.2 score, it means worlds more than a reel that has 300 reviews from "I bought it a week ago and fished it last night and backlashed a lot but it was great, 5 stars" and a score of 4.7. I'm not trying to be difficult, this sort of thing is what I do for a living (data analysis/investigative work). Pool size only matters IF all members of the pool represent a particular group. With BPS/Cabelas reviews you have too much of a variance in the "types" within the pool to give that sort of importance to the total # of the pool (I hope that made sense). From a data point of view the # of reviews means nothing unless it's all the same type of anglers doing the review, in this case they aren't.

Seriously though.

Citica E for $80 at GM.

Sale BPS Pro Qualifier (nice if you are a lefty or need specific ratios) $80

Citica G's for $90 with rebate.

If you can find one near by, the Quantum PT Tours that is being cleared out by DSG are ~$100 now.

Curado G's for $130 with rebate.

Revo's for $130 anywhere with the rebate.

Hmm...

I think the Citica would be #1 based soley on those with a MSRP within your

pricing parameter. However, the Curado 200 and 50 can be easily found for ~$125.

Those would be the "Best Value" in my opinion.

When I look at gear on BPS, or any other website, I always sort the reviews from lowest to highest rated and try to find a common thread among the low ratings. If 5 out of 50 reviewers have trouble with the anti-reverse, that's a problem I don't want...even if the other 45 people give it 5 stars.

The reviews are either from brand fanboys or nutcases with no real relevance. I read them sometimes purely for entertainment value. One of my all time favorites was for some reel. It didn't come with line, so the reviewer gave it a one.

  On 3/6/2012 at 1:55 AM, J Francho said:

The reviews are either from brand fanboys or nutcases with no real relevance. I read them sometimes purely for entertainment value. One of my all time favorites was for some reel. It didn't come with line, so the reviewer gave it a one.

So you mean to tell me they all don't come with Stren? lol But man that is great. You remember what reel?

No, I think it was an inexpensive spinning reel, though.

For the OP, if you are going strictly by MSRP, then a Citica G fits the bill. Otherwise, you can get a host of even better reels either on sale or used.

I'm a BPS fan that's true but I don't understand how the Citica isn't at least highlighted?

Shimano buyers aren't usually the type of kook that makes reviews on the BPS site, LOL.

  On 3/5/2012 at 11:12 PM, Crappiebasser said:

Check ebay...

That's precisely what I plan to do once I whittle it down. There's no store that's gonna offer me service that justifies paying extra (or even sales tax for that matter), so lowest price wins.

  On 3/6/2012 at 5:08 AM, endless said:

I'm a BPS fan that's true but I don't understand how the Citica isn't at least highlighted?

the older E model had tons of reviews, but since the newer model came out,,,they are gone

  On 3/5/2012 at 4:59 AM, Pharticus said:

Perhaps some will laugh, but in my efforts to sort through all the $130 or less baitcasters for that perfect first purchase, I began gathering data.

This list is based on the offerings from Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. I have eliminated all reels that had ZERO reviews, and all reels that failed to achieve a 4.0 out of 5 (or higher).

I think you missed one of the best ones out there. You have to get it from the store as they no longer have right handed mdls on line, but the BPS Carbonlite smokes most of those you cite. 4.8 out of 5, after YEARS of use and several Curado E owners saying they prefer it to their E searies Curado. In the new Shimano line-up you'd have to buy the Cronarch to equal the old Curado by most accounts. They have been out for years and they are just flat out great performers at an insanely low price for what you get. I bet once this sale is over they'll be back down to $89 again too. Last I knew they had over 1,100 left in the system, so you ought to be able to get one before they sell them off completely. The new Johnny Morris Carbonlites, their replacements, seem pretty good as well, but only time will tell if they'll hold up as well as.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-reg-CarbonLite-trade-Baitcast-Reel/product/10204721/105225

Would you consider taking the research one step further? Take a look at Tackle Warehouse as a retailer. You will have to read each comment because they don't apply a 1 to 5 rating scale. Look for rater who have commneted they are repeat buyers. I have to agree with megastrike about the LEWS MG at an MSRP of 129.99.

What about physically handling some of these reels hands on before making a purchase based on pricing and reviews?? You might hate the way it feels in hand after you see it up close if you just order one without ever seeing it first. Not to mention you might end up with one that has a roughness to it in the gears that could be avoided if you sampled several of the same model at a tackle shop first. If you only get one shot to get it right, basing the purchase mostly on reviews is the completely wrong approach to it then. Reading reviews is a decent way to avoid a common problem that a lot of people seem to have with the same reel or rod over and over but that's about it. A lot of people who give bad ratings to reels sometimes do so because they can't cast it so therefore it's junk, but baitcasters take practice so a review like that is a joke to me. When I read reviews I only take them seriously if they seem seriously written so if there's a reel with 500 reviews out there, you'd have to read all 500 to take the final score given by all the reviews even 1/2 seriously.

Otherwise I like the chart for showing you what features one reel has over another. But one thing I'd do on there is eliminate any reel that doesn't have an aluminum frame completely off the list. You've got a big mix going based on price, but that allows good reels like the Lew's Speed Spool or Shimano Citica to be compared along side of stinkers like the Pflueger Echelon and BPS Bionic. On that Shimano Caenan, go to tackletour's website and read that review. That's more than a paragraph or two, it's several pages based on real world testing, and I'm sure what you read will be enough to get that one off the list totally. That's one that has a graphite frame. Once you've read that you'll know why I said aluminum frames only. Any baitcaster with a graphite frame is a paperweight.

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