Reel suggestions for a new rod

[ReelLucky22]

Hello everyone,

I received a 6' 6" Ugly Stik Elite medium rod as a Christmas present and need a new reel to go with it. I'll be using this rod for a little of everything so my intention is to have a set up that's a jack of all trades. I mostly target smallmouth and stripers, and will be using cast and retrieve, trolling, jigging, and jerking techniques. I'm almost always in freshwater or brackish water, but I may use this rod in the bays at the beach as well. I intend to spool the reel with braid.

I'm looking for a good quality reel in the $100-$150 price range. I tend to favor Penn and Shimano reels and right now I'm leaning towards a Penn Spinfisher ssv3500, but I'm open to feedback from what you guys use or suggest.

Tight lines!

[Cowpokey]

Battle II or Conflict, in a 3000 size. Spinfisher are heavy, and overkill for a medium action rod.

[ReelLucky22]

Battle II or Conflict, in a 3000 size. Spinfisher are heavy, and overkill for a medium action rod.

Yeah I've read that they are heavy. If Penn offered a size that would be the next size down it would be the better size. I've looked at the Conflict and Battle II and have been considering them as well. I've also seen the Stradic mentioned on here a couple times. I'm not as familiar with these Shimanos so I'm just going by what I saw on their website and some online reviews. I fish with the same rods as I did when I was a kid so this is really my first time shopping for a reel.

[mytmouse]

The Battle II comes in 2000 and 2500 sizes. I have the 2500 and think it's a great reel. It's a nice reel and a full 2 ounces lighter than the 3000. If you're going with braid you should have way more than enough line to handle any fish you catch on the yak. It will be kind of small to do any long range beach fishing though.

I used to fish with 3000 - 4500 sized reels just because I thought that's what I should use fishing in the Bay. I attended a seminar by Tom Hughes and he showed the bigguns he was yanking up with 2000 and 2500 sized reels and I downsized quickly and never looked back. And my arms were happy with the weight savings. LOL

Spinfisher's are great if you're hard on your reels. Those things just keep going. But they are hella heavy and casting them constantly gets old real fast!

[EMSer]

I own Battle II in 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 and I love them. They are the only reel I have used since I started kayak fishing. The are smooth and easy to use. That being said, I have read that they are prone to wind knots. I certainly have had my share of those.... You just need to be sure that your line has some tension when starting to reel in.

I just don't have the experience to make a comparative judgment. They are a great reel for the $$ and I would buy them again. Check Amazon. I have gotten good deals there - under $70

I would love to be able to afford a Stradic though....

[Skidsteer]

EMSer - I have a couple Battle reels and wind knots were an issue for me. I changed over to tuff-line supercast (10lb test) which works much better.

[Yak67]

I went with Penn Battle II 4000's. They worked great for me this season, from trolling to bottom fishing. Not to heavy and durable. Cost is in a nice price range for what you get.

Yak67
2015 Hobie PA-14
2016 Hobie Outback LE

[Cowpokey]

Have to be honest, couple posts in this thread are the first time I ever heard of a "wind knot" on spinning gear. I've had my share of wind knots with fly rods, but finally got the mechanics worked out of my casting with those.

I will probably add a 1000 size Battle II or Conflict to the quiver this year, I really like light(er) tackle, and my current light reels are not salt resistant.

[MD Dore]

I have used the Penn Battle II 3000 and Conflict 4000, as well as the Shimano Stradic 2500 and 3000. The Penn reels are great for the bay, but I prefer the Stradics for casting. They are a bit smoother in my opinion.

[bignose]

I think that you are confusing line loops on spinning reels spools with wind knots that you get from casting with a fly rod. A wind knot is a simple overhand knot.

Line loops on a spinning reel spool can result in "line boogers" especially with light braid or thin mono. You cast, the loop grabs, and pulls off a birds nest of line.

The easiest way to eliminate them is to retrieve your line under slight tension. I use my index finger to rub the line on retrieve.

Line Boogers are slip knots. To remove them 90% of the time, you can gently pull on the longest loop segment and slowly slide the line out. Pulling hard with braid-all you can do is cut off and retie.

BTW, I have a bunch of Stradics 2500s for personal use. You don't need anything heavier on the Bay.
But they have become way over priced IMO. If and when I have to replace them, I will change over to a lower priced Shimano model with fewer bearings.

Shimano is kinda on my $hit list right now, as they are no longer supporting or repairing some of my ridiculously expensive Stella models. They need some minor work and Shimano used to recondition them every year. Now they won't, due to the age of the reels.

We use Penns on the charter boat, they are like Ford F150's, heavy, noisy and sturdy.

[Mark]

There is a technique that will help avoid wind knots when using braid with spinning gear.

It requires closing the bail with your non-casting hand and ensuring that the line is engaged with the roller before you begin your retrieve. I now do this second nature without looking.

I had a serious problem with an old (but favorite) reel of mine when I converted to braid. The reel was made long before braid became popular. I had used only mono on it and never had a wind knot issue. It was prone to wind knots after I installed braid until I learned the technique above. The main problem is that the roller on this particular reel is large and less inclined to grab the braid than my newer model reels are. I notice my newer reels have smaller rollers with a taper that encourages a limp line like braid to properly slide into place when the bail is closed.

Another issue to be aware of is to not over-fill your spool. That also will lead to wind knots.

Sometimes the problem is not your reel. Nicks or rough edges in your line guides can cause wind knots by snagging or slowing the flow of the braided line through them while the limp line continues to roll off the spool.

Lastly, casting too light a lure into the wind can cause the problem. That's probably how the matter got its name. Most of the time it is not caused by wind.

[MD Dore]

I close the bail with my non-casting hand just before the lure/bait hits the water. That allows the line to pull tight prior to retrieve and has eliminated virtually all spinning gear wind knots for me.

[J.A. Veil]

All my spinning reels are Stradics. I am very pleased with their smoothness, saltwater resistant, durability, and weight. I have not used the newer generations of Penn reels and cannot compare fairly.

I have a Stradic 2500 FJ reel offered for sale within your price range. Egriger posted about a really low clearance sale at Dicks in Bel Air on the same reel. I think you would be happy with the Stradic. Note that the newest generation of Stradics (FK series) retail at $189.99. By using last year's model, you can save a bunch.

[Slobber Bob]

Another issue to be aware of is to not over-fill your spool. That also will lead to wind knots.

Agreed. I used to have an original Battle (which was a piece of schmit and went in the garbage after a year) and it was a wind knot tying machine. The knot was always about 10 ft up from the lure every time. Filling the spool only about 80% full, and manually closing the bail by hand each cast, really cut down on the problem.

Sounds like Battle II might be significantly better then the original?

I have a Spinfisher now and have been very happy with it so far. It's a little overkill if your just targeting schoolie stripers though, but I bought it to use for multiple applications.

[ReelLucky22]

I appreciate the responses! I have it narrowed down to a Conflict, Battle II, and a Stradic but I'm leaning towards a Conflict 2500. I just need to go and check them out in person before purchasing.