Why an "expensive" reel?

[JAR]

Performance, lightweight and durability. I'm hard on my gear and fish 4 or 5 days a week, mostly casting. Reels at the $150 price point won't make it thru a season for me. For my application, it's cheaper to pay more for a solid reel up front and get many seasons out of it instead of having to replace a reel year after year. YMMV.

[CB kayak 02]

Yeah I go for higher end at a discount. I agree with turtle the bait casting reels $130 up are much better that a less than $100 reel and if you take care of your equipment it's an investment because it will last longer.

Today I found two shimano citica baitcaster at dicks for $35 each, regularly $130. That's how I buy quality at a great price lol

[Capt C-Hawk]

I have a good selection of rods and reels. Right now I'm partial to Berkley's Lightning Rod Shock (made for braid) in both spinning and casting. Most of the spinning have Shimano Spirex reels. They started at $39 but this year they list at $59, still worth the price. My favorite features are the self centering bail and the trigger, meaning the anti-reverse returns the line to casting position and with one finger you can pick up the line and the trigger and cast. I have more high end spinners, but these are what I choose to use most of the time. For bait casting, my absolute favorite reel is a Garcia Revo Premiere that I bought used from Redfish12. Watch for his frequent fire sales. This is a top end reel that lists new for $299. I feel it's worth the price. The revo is smooth as silk, and once set up nearly never throws a backlash. On the other end of my collection is a Shimano Caenan which sells for $89. and there are no complaints. Not as smooth and will backlash, but it costs a lot less. Most of my casting reels are left hand crank, and all are on Lightning Rod Shock rods. I choose the left hand cranks and trigger reels because they make casting easier for me, they remove steps from the process. To each his own, this is what works for me.

[dsiekman]

Totally depends on you and what you are doing. Perch jerking with live bait? A cane pole will do just fine. Casting plugs to structure and you need to be very accurate? Totally different ball game.

There is also the factor of "you". Let's talk cars for a second. Do you see the value in carving up the turns of a mountain pass in a Ferrari, or are you content to do so in an '86 Honda? Both will get the job done. If you can't tell the difference, don't waste the money. Can I tell the difference between a $20 reel and a $150 reel? You bet. Can I tell the difference between a $150 reel and a $700 Van Staahl? I'll never know...

[Yak Fish]

I'm split on the cheap/expensive debate. I will not hesitate to buy what I need, but I won't buy more than I need. For example, I spend bucks on baitcasting reels. I've had cheap ones and they're just a nightmare. The expensive ones, Shimano and Abu Garcia are a couple that I own, work flawlessly and can be adjusted easily. My most expensive combos are for jigging because sensitivity is imperative....~$400

However, for trolling I'm not at picky because a lot will do the job just fine. All of my trolling combos cost me around $100 when they go on sale, which is about mid range. I will never go cheap, but like another said, there are diminishing returns at some point. I also never buy cheap line. It's a waste. Also, my lures are typically top of the line because they are reliable. Cheap stuff has worked but doesn't last.

Bottom line is that it just needs to work.

[mweber02]

I think if your rod/reel budget will impact your lure budget then go cheaper on the rod/reel and get quality lures. I have bought way too many cheap budget lures and the slightly more expensive lures almost always out perform them. They run truer, are more durable, and have the right balance of flash and movement. Having an expensive rod/reel to feel the bite does no good when the fish doesnt want the lure on the end of the line.

[Memory Maker]

Most of my biggest fish were caught on cheap second hand reels ............. People aren't looking at your reel when you are holding a 40" Striper

That said, I enjoy fishing with better tackle, they are usually built stronger, last longer and have better drags. In a kayak you run a greater risk of losing it overboard than breaking it ........... It's not necessary ....... It's personal choice

[JKay]

That said, I enjoy fishing with better tackle, they are usually built stronger, last longer and have better drags.

Definitely! I'll never forget my first higher end fly rod. It can be unbelievable the difference it makes. It made most of my other fly rods feel like broomsticks!

[bignose]

There is also the factor of "you". Let's talk cars for a second. Do you see the value in carving up the turns of a mountain pass in a Ferrari, or are you content to do so in an '86 Honda? Both will get the job done. If you can't tell the difference, don't waste the money. Can I tell the difference between a $20 reel and a $150 reel? You bet. Can I tell the difference between a $150 reel and a $700 Van Staahl? I'll never know...

I guess the most important fact is this:
The fish don't care what you catch them on.
Does using better equipment give you a better fishing experience?
For me, the answer was yes.
No frustration with equipment failure, leaving only the fisherman and the vagaries of fishing to blame when you have an off day (no bad days fishing).

[Jamsharley]

^^^now that right there is funny!

[silasvirus82]

I started buying my own fishing equipment when I was about 17 (1999-ish), and I still have/use some of those rod/reels. Granted some of it is sentimental value, but my point is that I bought quality gear back then, took care of it, and it is still catching fish today. In addition, for me personally, having a quality reel in your hands is a pleasure by itself. I enjoy taking things apart, servicing them, and knowing that I can do it all myself. I'm the same way with anything I buy, guns, cars, whatever. The difference between a medium grade reel and the super high end stuff is where the lines get fuzzy. Somebody else brought up a great point about servicing reels. My 1999 Stradic may still be working great except for the one part I can't find anymore, and the reel becomes worthless unfortunately. I think the "sweet spot" is right in between the two, unless you have the means to afford the best regardless of maintenance efforts. Right now I'm buying the high end stuff because I like driving a Ferrari, and in the fishing world that is something I can afford.

My advice is to first identify what kind of person you are, and then figure out how much money to invest on fishing equipment. If you like to tinker and take good care of your things, spend as much as you can. If you just give your stuff a quick rinse after each trip and throw it away when the spool seizes up, go with something middle of the road or used high end.

In addition, the first big fish you lose on light tackle you'll wish you spent that little bit extra for a smooth drag. You can catch big fish on small tackle, but there is a direct correlation between success rates and quality of gear.

[Romo]

I used to be a 200+ day/year fisherman but now am mostly a weekend warrior so I've scaled things back a little recently. Better gear is more fun to fish with and it maintains its value long enough for me to use it for a couple years and then still flip it for decent money when its time to upgrade or the model is being phased out (see stradics every 2-3 years ). I take the same approach with my vehicle since somebody used that as comparison. I had to pay more up front for my Tacoma 4x4 but it has one of the highest resale values for any auto- just like my fleet of Shimano reels and St. Croix and G Loomis sticks.