Why an "expensive" reel?

[22Tango]

In the last thread, someone suggested getting the most expensive reel you can afford. Maybe I'm just budget challenged but what's the actual difference between a $50-$60 reel and a $200 or $300. Maybe I've just never caught a big enough fish to know?

[Cody]

As far as catching fish a $20 reel will do the same job as a $200 reel. The differences come when you look at the features. More expensive reels have more drag adjustment range and better/smoother gears. More expensive salt water reels such as Penn and Diawa often are completely sealed to keep out saltwater and to keep the insides from corroding. Expensive rods and reels are a preference. I've landed large catfish and even Cownose rays on $30 combos. My reel price range is around $60-$80 just because of my budget.

[DonV]

About $150.

Personally I wouldn't want an expensive reel out on the kayak or even just in general. I'd rather have something that is not going to give me a stoke if I happen to lose or break it. I'm a big fan of Okuma reels. Most I have caught on sale in the $30 - $50 range over the years. Everything from ultralight to surf and they have taken dunks, been tossed around in the sand and salt and are still going strong with nice smooth drags. Some are a good ten years old or better. Don't believe I have even ever had to take one apart up to this point.

I'd imagine the benefits of a really high end reel would only come into play for a very avid fisherman or charter captain that would need something to take extreme daily abuse. Even then I could have ten of my cheapo Okumas for the price of one high end reel and think the math would still work out to the cheap reels favor. I have seen some posts here of $300 reels locking up after taking one dunk in saltwater. Once again I don't need the blood pressure rise. My $30 reels have taken numerous dunks and are still going and if one does end up trashed, no harm no foul. Now if it was a a $300 reel and bugged out after one mishap I'd be fit to be tied.

Don't get me wrong, I despise a bad reel that can ruin a good day fishing quick but have found my Okumas have worked for me with the level of use that I give them.

After reading Tutle135's post below I want to make clear I am just talking spinning. I have very limited experience but can sure see that with baitcasting the quality of the reel will come much more into play, especially with casting performance.

[Turtle135]

For freshwater baitcasting reels I have found that there is a significant performance and durability increase with those reels at that $ 129.00 and higher price range over baitcasting reels that go for under a hundred bucks. The less expensive reels will frequently feel good for the 1st month of fishing but smooth casting degrades after that and no amount of cleaning or lubing brings them back to the flawless operation you had when you first got them. I believe they are manufactured with lower standards for tolerance and/or they do not have aluminum frames. What I do is pickup those $ 120.00 - $ 180.00 baitcasters when they go on sale. My current favorites are Lews and Abu Garcia.

For spinning reels I have never felt the need to spend more than $ 75.00 for a reel (and I have been most happy with Diawa spinning reels).

[J.A. Veil]

I fish several days a week for most of the year out of kayaks and a center console. When I started fishing ~30 years ago, I used the least expensive rods and reels I could find. For a beginner, they were fine. Over time, I realized that I enjoyed fishing and would keep at it for many years. One by one, I replaced the old inexpensive rigs with medium priced rigs, and later upgraded to high quality rigs. I do not use baitcasters or fly fishing tackle, nor do I have heavy trolling tackle. I used to own several Shimano Calcutta reels and never learned how to use them well, so I sold them. Likewise early in my boat fishing experience, I felt that it was necessary to troll with heavy tackle. I never enjoyed that much so I sold off all that gear too.

Today my arsenal includes 13 spinning rods (ultralight to medium). About half are St. Croix Premiers. Over the past 4 months, I upgraded two of those to St Croix Avids. The other rods include one custom rod and the rest of assorted brands. All rods are rigged with Shimano Stradic reels representing several generations of Stradics. I am happy with the level of performance, salt-resistance, and durability I get from these rigs. I did not start out as a young man buying higher priced gear, but transitioned into better equipment over time. Fishing is my primary hobby, and I can afford to buy good equipment that works well and lasts a long time.

I do not hesitate to take expensive rods and reels on the kayak. Several times a year, a rod falls overboard (usually I am able to recover it) or the reel gets dunked in bay water for a few seconds. One advantage of having higher quality reels with more salt-resistant gears and hardware is that I have not had any of the dunked reels fail or seize up. I rinse them with freshwater using water from my water bottle immediately and again with the garden hose when I get home.

About 20 years ago, Okuma and Tica reels were first entering the U.S. market. I bought several at winter fishing shows because they had "more bearings" (this sounded important) and cost much less that the bigger name brands. Those reels were smooth and worked well for the first few months. But by midway through the next season, they got rough and were less fun to use. They also used metals of lower quality for the housings and handles. I had several handles from these reels blister up with corrosion. At that point I vowed not to by either of those brands again. I suspect they have made significant improvements in quality over time. But the lesson of "you get what you pay for" holds true in most cases.

If you look at any manufacturer's product line, you will see models with an increasing range of features and price. Each of us can decide where on the scale we are most comfortable. Also, finding gear on sale may allow you to move up one or two models in a product line.

[Pc4sun]

When I first bought my fishing kayak and joined Snaggedlines, I figured if I want to hang with the guys and fish I had better not embarrass myself with a $50 combo, so I spent $250 on a baitcaster Rod and reel. First time out I dropped it into the Severn River, never to be seen again. So like Don said, get something you won't stroke out over if you lose it. And I love my Okuma reels too. Bought a nice spinning reel at Fred's Sports for $30.

[skinnywater]

I always liked the phrase "would you be driving a Mercedes if no one was looking."

Like John said "you get what you pay for".

I believe you should buy the best you can afford. To a point. I can afford an Accurate reel but I don't really need to spend that much for the types of fishing I do. You can buy a lot of reels in the $50.00 to $100.00 range that will be very satisfying in both use and durability. Especially spinning reels. Thst's one thing I like about Bass Pro. They have them all to look at. I go there to check them out and then buy at my local shop.

I primarily use bait casters. With these the $150.00 reels are definitely better then the less then$100.00 reels. They just plain perform better.

[DonV]

When I first bought my fishing kayak and joined Snaggedlines, I figured if I want to hang with the guys and fish I had better not embarrass myself with a $50 combo, so I spent $250 on a baitcaster Rod and reel. First time out I dropped it into the Severn River, never to be seen again. So like Don said, get something you won't stroke out over if you lose it. And I love my Okuma reels too. Bought a nice spinning reel at Fred's Sports for $30.

Don't be embarrassed Peggy. I actually take great pride in being a discerning consumer(aka cheapskate). Price does not always reflect value and if you can find value at a low price it's sure nothing to be embarrassed by. Sometimes you got to spend the dollars to find the value other times not. The dollars saved can be applied to something else I want or need.

Another value recommendation. Berkeley Cherrywood rods, think they are about $25. Really nice sensitivity and handling. I have had one break on me trying to pull off a snag and have heard the same from others but they have served me well fighting some fairly large fish and are a pleasure to use. One again when the one broke I could go about my day not heartbroken.

[Capt C-Hawk]

Both a Yugo and an Escalade will get your wife to the mall, which one do you think she'd drive?

[Cowpokey]

My wife thinks she needs a $300 purse to carry around $40.

[JKay]

Couldn't agree with DonV more. I will not take any very expensive rods or reels out on the kayak. I lost one combo this past summer when I went over in LI Sound. My fault for not having it leashed, but I pretty much hate using leashes. They are constantly in the way. I understand the risk I take by not leashing, and know that it won't be the last thing I'll lose overboard.

[Mark]

My concerns about fishing equipment are its dependability and performance. I want it to work smoothly to present lures to fish and I want it to work when I'm hooked up. Finally, I want it to last. With those factors in mind there clearly are differences in fishing equipment and their corresponding price points.

I'm not an equipment snob. I have found a niche of gear that works well for my needs. I buy mid to upper range rods and reels because I've learned over the years that certain brands at certain prices will perform better than others.

I currently use a couple of rods (Lamiglas and St, Croix) that are 25 to 30 years old. I use some reels (Mitchell, Shimano, Cortland) that are the same age. (I know...that's older than some of you who post here!) I also take care of my gear. I strongly suspect that a low-end box store rod and reel combo would not have performed as well nor lasted as long no matter how well I cared for it. So what's cheaper in the long run? Replacing low end gear regularly or buying quality equipment, enjoying its use and using it longer? I think the latter.

[JohnE]

All the reels that I use on a regular basis run from about $80-160 each and the rods run around $40-80. The cheap okumas are ok if you only fish occasionally and are very careful with your gear, but if you fish a lot they are just not worth the aggravation in the long run. The cheapest spinning reel I will buy for SW is the Shimano Socorro, it is a little heavy but pretty much bullet proof...have one that I have abused for years and bought a second last fall.

[bignose]

I've come full circle on equipment.

As a kid, a long time ago, I saved pennies and eventually was able to afford an original Mitchell 300 (made in France!) and a Sears fiberglass rod. I still have that reel 50 years later, and although it sounds like an egg beater, it still is functional.
I graduated up to a cheap Shimano spinning reel and as my " addiction" grew and I started reading magazines like the original "Fly Fisherman" I was exposed to the the spectrum of higher end equipment.
And I indulged myself with some very pricey gear. (If you read what I have for sale, in an earlier post, you get the idea.)
Shimano disappointed me a couple of years ago when they told me that they would no longer service some of my older higher end reels because the parts were no longer available.

Having spent a lot of money on gear, I reached a point where I realized that there was a limit of diminishing returns on the investment. The term "bang for the buck" comes to mind.
Example: when Shimano originally came out with their Stradic models, they sold for $49.95. They now sell for $179.95. Did they make $130.00 worth of improvements? (the newer reels have a continuous anti reverse, that the original models did not, along with a few more bearings, and smoother line wrapping).

Did my fishing improve significantly?
Well, let's just say that I was able to appreciate the difference between a cheap reel and and higher quality model. Much smoother, lighter, and they held up a lot better. Better materials, bearings instead of bushings, brass gear and steel instead of plastic and zinc, metal frames instead of thicker plastic frames, forged spools instead of plastic………...

Same with rods.
A cheaper rod caught fish, but as my skill level increased, I was able to detect the difference in performance of a more sensitive model, and since I wrapped my own blanks, I was able to customize rods to meet what I perceived was my needs.
Of course when you lost or damaged an expensive piece of equipment, you wanted to slash your wrists. I rolled the canoe once on the Susky, and lost a substantial amount of stuff.

Now that I am retired, I don't put as much of my expendable income into tackle.
I'll fish with my expensive stuff from shore or from a large boat, but from the canoe, I'll opt for much more modestly price gear. I'll get a few years of use out of them, but for all intents and purposes, I consider them expendable.
My most recent reel purchases were two bottom end Diawa reels, that I use from the canoe for the express purpose of perch fishing.
if I loose one overboard, oh well……..
And I've gone to less expensive rods, what with Bass Pro a 15 minute drive away.
I can buy an Extreme Rod for under $80.00 (on sale) that is every bit as good, if slightly heavier, than the G. Loomis rods I used to build.
And when you break one, which is inevitable, you generally don't cuss for the rest of the day, unless you do it on a big fish!

Now on the Charter boat it is totally different.
I figure that most of our customers can't tell the difference, so they get equipment based upon sturdy, simple, and reliable.
We use Penn spinning reels, and Ugly Sticks because they are darned hard to destroy.
The Penn reels are heavy and noisy, and the Ugly Sticks are not particularly sensitive, but they hold up to the abuse that the customers can dish out.

[sparky1423]

Another option is purchasing used good quality reels here on the forum. Basically you are getting something high end that is expendable. No one here will sell you faulty gear. I've lucked out and got a Shimano calcutta 200B and a Tourium fairly cheap.